


Of Keys and Hammers

by Zauctor



Category: Age of Sigmar, Dark Souls (Video Games), Kingdom Hearts (Video Games), Warhammer 40.000
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:27:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 48
Words: 662,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25612807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zauctor/pseuds/Zauctor
Summary: In a realm beyond, the Four Chaos has taken notice of a realm tied close to the heart. They squirmed into the darkness and sought to corrupt if to reach a prize beyond the light.Will the Light of Order, repel this ancient evil?
Relationships: Kairi/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Kudos: 7





	1. Shooting Star

**Author's Note:**

> This is something different.
> 
> Expect this to be a long one.

Deep with in the sea of the void, a heart most wicked formed, plotting, scheming, seeking a power beyond understanding. A claw surrounded it, seized it and engulfed into the darkness. Many voices whispered and muttered, many incomprehensible to a mortal mind. A hero landed and found himself in a stained glass floor, one composing of a hero with brown spiky hair, red overalls, a black jacket that hid a white undershirt. Holding in his hand a strange, key like sword. Surrounding the image were many crowns and near by, images of those very dear. Four gates, one in the north, east, west and south, opened. To the north was a gate most crimson, the sound of battle beckoned, to the west was a gate changing color between blue and pink, hope calls, to the east was a gate of a stagnate green that welcomes the hero, to the south was a gate of purple, alluring with the sound of a beach.

The hero was uncertain of which path to choose, then darkness formed from the four, yellow eyes were seen and crawling out where insect like shadows that resemble a human. The hero felt ready for battle and drew out a sword, resembling the one in the stained glass, the shadows emerged to pounce and were quickly bested by a series of slashes. The creatures faded in black mist, the northern gate faded and drew out a stained glass set of stairs, resembling an identical crimson. The hero walked across the stair way and found himself standing on a stained glass image most calling. A Colosseum that in the center, had a mighty warrior standing proud. A voice became more clear. "He who stood against the darkness, do you have the strength to overcome its might?"

The void twisted and eight odd creatures emerged, standing taller than the tiny shadows, vaguely human, they had horns on their heads and their blackened maws opened to let loose a hiss and drew out blackened blades from out of nowhere. Closing in on their prey in vast numbers, the hero on instinct dodged and struck at the one most distant from the pack until it faded to a black mist, repeating over and over until he was down to one, he effortlessly parried it and struck it in the heart. The stain glass distorted, the proud warrior held in his hand, a skull, the Colosseum in the image became littered with bodies. The voice whispered as a symbol having vague resemblance to a crimson eight shined. "Either the darkness would claim you, or you will claim the darkness! It matters not from which the blood flows."

The hero felt the image distort and he was back in the center, the purple gate way shined a stained glass stairway, the purple matching color was that of most beauty, most enticing. The hero followed and found himself standing on a stained glass resembling an island on a gorgeous beach, a feminine voice slightly familiar asked. "Ye who listens to your heart, what is it thou desire?"

The void twisted once more and the hero was more prepared, emerging from the darkness were six blackened creatures humanoid creatures most feminine, yet their hands resemble crab like claws. Their maws opened to let loose a shriek, they charged in unnatural speeds, the hero aimed his sword into the air and called down lighting, obliterating them all and causing them to give out a combined moan of delight. The image slightly distort, the island held many treasures, a large wooden ship and two figures, a silver haired boy in a white shirt with yellow highlights and a black zipper along with blue jeans, along with a red haired girl in a pink dress, inviting someone to the ship. A masculine and feminine voice whispered as a symbol both masculine and feminine shined. "Follow those desires, for it will lead to many delights."

The hero's vision distorted and he found himself back at the center, the east gate opened and a stained glass stair way of green and grey shined. The hero felt confused and tempted as he followed to what surely would be welcoming. He found himself on a stained glass platform, resembling a vast forest with a variety of animals, a fatherly voice whispered. "Does the heart wish for the good times to change? To a future where kin go their separate ways?"

With in the void, seven horned, zombie like creatures of darkness marched, with black, jagged daggers ready. The hero knew by looking at the foes, that he should not let them strike him, he drew the seven into attempting a strike and he charged in to swing, the creatures bodies endured and the hero flung three away, he leaped and from his sword, shot a trio of fire balls, scorching the fiends into a dark mist. He focused on the remaining four with similar caution and vanquished them, the forest in the stained glass faded from what was full of life, to one with dead trees, vultures and flies. The voice asked as a green symbol with three merged circles shined. "All things must end, but the cycle would begin anew. That is why your heart wishes to go on?"

The hero was back on the central platform and he wished for answers, he saw the pink and blue gate fade, revealing a stairway of gold, followed by stained glass of a blend of colors, like a constant changing rainbow. The hero dashed and found himself on a stained glass floor, revealing a mighty wizard in a blue robe, inspiring many people towards something. A voice most interested asked. "Does your heart want to change that fate? So that many would prosper?"

Emerging from the darkness was a long, fiend of many flaming maws, accompanying it were two shivering, giggling mass of tendrils, limbs and a maw that muttered. The flamer aimed its limbs to reveal more flaming maws, they shoot fire at the hero as the giggling duo fired fire balls. The hero rolled out of the way and focused on the flamer. Slashing it back into the void as the gibbering fiends back flipped and danced as one, the hero dashed towards them and struck as hard as he can. The fiends were cut into two and split, the mist landed to their sides, two on the hero's left and two on the heroes right. They formed into four less than jolly fiends that tried to charge at the hero, they were quickly struck down and the mist making up their blacken bodies, burned into tiny flames. They snickered out of spite and tried to charge, the hero aimed his keyblade at the sky and called down lighting to strike the flames away. Glass imagery distorted to the wizard retreating into his sanctum, a facade of inspiration became a frown of dubious intent a symbol of a blue flame with an orb at the base shined. "Is such a change worth the sacrifice?"

The hero tried to answer and the image distorted, seeming like it was back to the center, only for the symbols from before to surround him, the stained glass floor changed to a symbol most disturbing. An eight pointed star, surrounded by a sea of destruction, of chaos. From the darkness, something approached, a figure that expunged the dream and invited nightmares, a humanoid giant with large bat like wings, the wings were adorned in chains that held skulls. The giant revealed horns on his head, a reptilian tail and marking the giants chest was a symbol of an eight pointed star. The hero backed away as the giant demon glared down upon him, the demon aimed his right hand towards him, forming in the palm was a sword masked in shadows. The demon hissed and the voices spoke as one. "The light blinds you from the true answer! The light blinds you from your path! Only in the darkness, will you find the only true answer."

The demon readied for battle, the hero mustered his courage and tried to approach, the daemon vanished in darkness and in the speed of shadows, was in front of the hero. He swung his sword of shadows, the hero rolled out of the way, he tried to strike and the demon dodged, he snarled and delighted. "Are you afraid of the answer? Look around you."

Visions of tormented faces danced in the darkness, maddening howls rang in the heroes ears, the peaceful void had distorted into a realm of chaos. The hero tried to block the imagery out and focused on the foe, his sword shined like light and he swung at the demons abdomen, causing it to sizzle and for him to howl. The demon took flight and circled around the hero, he crashed down and knocked the hero off his feet. He growled in anger. "Chaos! Chaos, is the only true answer!" He swung his blade at the fallen hero, ready for the finishing blow.

Then the hero felt a built up fury and his body was ensnared by a darkness, tendrils erupted and parried the blade. His sword faded and he pounced on the demon with his bare hands, as if they were claws, the daemon was knocked back and he looked down at a feral beast with sadistic pride. "With a key close to the heart, the way to Chaos will open! Chaos, will consume all!" The feral hero charged and the demon clawed into him with malefic talons, like he was but a gnat. The hero fell off the platform and into the darkness, with only a malicious laughter filling the silence.

Thud! The hero fell on something like sand, he awaken to find himself on an tropical island with some wooden houses built on the trees, wooden bridges and the sort. He noticed he fell off a tree he was napping on and felt the imagery of the dream most haunting. He got up and approached the shore to try and drown out the nightmare, looking upon the water to find a reflection with in, a brown spiky haired teenage boy wearing mostly black clothes, his jacket was primarily black, his undershirt was blue and red, his pants were black with yellow belt like highlights and he was wearing oversized black shoes that had yellow highlights. His blue eyes complimented the shore, until they shined under a rising yellow sun. The image was most pleasant, yet the nightmare most vivid still burned into the heroes mind. "...This is what some of those voices were talking about... but-"

A feminine and masculine voice shouted in unison and gave the boy a sense of deja vu. "Sora!"

The boy turned around to find a friendly duo, a silver haired boy matching the one in the dream and a red head girl, also matching. The former had light green eyes while the later had dark blue. Sora felt his spine shiver for a moment as he forced the memories of the dream back, he saw the boy with a letter and asked. "I'm fine, I just dreamed of something... odd. Riku, when are we going to get going to see what King Mickey had found out?"

Riku nearly chuckled, unaware of what the dream was about. "When those two buddies of yours get here. Just when we finally got home, we have another adventure to take us."

The girl raised an eyebrow and looked at Sora suspiciously. "After where you and Riku had been, I thought we would finally settle down. What was the dream about?"

Sora scratched the back of his head and tried to answer. "It's...it's confusing. Kairi, did you and Riku also have something familiar?"

The girl wanted to give Sora a scolding and answered with her hands at her hips. "No, we were busy getting ready for our trip while you were sleeping in. Had a nightmare?"

Sora nodded. "That was the point... maybe... maybe all these travels gotten to me."

Riku and Kairi listened, gasped, looked at each other with a hint of guilt, what ever nightmare their friend had must have been one to disturbed him greatly. Kairi relaxed her arms and approached to give her friend a small hug. "What ever it was, it was just a dream."

She let go and asked. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Sora tried to think of the words to describe the event. "Maybe, it was about some strange voices that... acted like they knew what I-" He saw something shining in the sky, falling down towards a small island attached by a wooden bridge to the south east. It looked like a shooting star, yet it was falling towards something on the islands, nay, on the small island. "Wha-" CRASH!

Riku and Kairi turned around to hear the noise, something landed on the small island and formed a crater, that something tried to climb out, revealing an odd, mechanical, crab like leg. It was struggling, yet Riku sensed an odd aura, one that was not friendly. Emerging from the shadows were small insect like creatures, giving the trio a sense of familiar foes. Sora shouted without hesitation and readied himself, forming in his hands was a key like blade. "Heartless!"

Riku agreed that the invaders were a problem and formed his own, it resembled a blade that looked like a demonic wing, yet it had angelic highlights. Kairi readied herself and from her hands, formed a flowery, key like sword that had a star shaped plant at the hilt. "Did that thing... brought those things here?!"

The boys guessed it might as they and Kairi made quick work of the half a dozen shadows, more formed in double that amount, yet they seemed to be ignoring them and were crawling towards the machine crawling out of the crater. Revealing an upper, mechanical torso that had obvious weapons for arms. On its right was a set of long guns, on its left was a flail like weapon. On the chest was a large canon that resembled a demonic face sticking a tongue out. The trio of teenagers were taken aback and watched the heartless swarm around the machine's torso, pouncing on it and clawing, they looked closer on the top of the torso to see a battered helmet like head looking at the many around it, it gave out a roar, spun around and flung the heartless back. It crawled more out of the crater to reveal four crab like legs supporting its lower half, that carried a platform of weapons, the lower half looking more like an engine, at the front of the machine were giant mechanical claws. All of it complimented by dark red armor that had silver highlights. The machine barreled at the squirming shadows and pounced on them, tearing them apart in a violent manner as a half a dozen pack of heartless instinctively charge at it again, the upper half spun backwards and shot from its central canon, a motor shot that made impact and obliterated five of them.

The machine aimed its gun at the teenagers and fired, the trio dodged with a roll. Riku stood steady, readied his blade and asked his friends. "This thing won't stop until it destroys everything. Anyone object against taking it down?"

Sora tensed up and agreed. "I don't."

Kairi felt her heart beating as she watched the machine swat a lone heartless with its flail. "We need to get this thing out of here. Let's do it!"

Riku made a quick dash towards the machine and slashed at its head, cutting several wires and causing the head to shake loose, Sora dashed close and shot a fire ball at the upper torso's back, he slide underneath to take some slashes at the underbelly as Kairi circled around and jumped on the engine like back while the upper front was facing another direction, she found something chained and keeping something sealed. She felt a presence with in and struck at it, causing the machine to spin once more and aimed its gun at her. She jumped off and watched a motor shell fire into the water, it let loose an explosion most intimidating. Riku dashed at the gun like limb and slashed, cutting it loose by a tether as the crab like legs scuttled towards the bridge and position itself to face Sora, claws ready to strike. The boy jumped back and watched the machine pound at the ground, the loose gun's wires reattached itself like how a wound heals, he cringed and shouted. "This thing is regenerating?!"

Riku fired a bolt of energy at the machines flail and realized what was happening. "Looks like it, is there anything else to hit? It looks heavily armored besides those weak points."

Kairi gasped, found a coconut and tossed it at the machine, distracting it towards a large tree. "It can't hit the broadside of a barn!"

She stuck her tongue at the machine, sending it into a fury, it charged at her with an intent to kill. She slid past the massive claws that readied to strike and past the mechanical legs, dashing back to her friends as the machine had a tree fall on it, its rage was blinding. The girl felt she had moments to spare and told the boys what she saw. "It might be, but I saw something chained into this thing. You see it in its engine?"

Riku and Sora looked, finding it as is, Sora asked. "Do you think that is what is powering the whole thing?" Riku rolled his eyes and answered. "It's an engine, we wreck that and the whole thing is junk."

He felt something concerning as the machine finished turning the tree into splinters and turned its upper torso. "But... something doesn't feel right about what is in that. Be careful!"

Kairi and Sora understood as they dashed to opposite sides, Riku saw the engine aim its cannon at him, leaped high and pounced on the machines head. Causing it to howl and ready its flail as Sora jumped on the machines back and see the chained engine with a central key, locking the engine in. Kairi cheered on as the boy aimed his sword and caused a beam of light to form. PEW! It shot at the keyhole and caused it to click. The machine stopped, like it noticed what was done, to thew trios surprise, it gave a made laughter.

The engine loosened and exposed odd, twisting pink energy. Sora and Riku felt something of pure evil breaking free and jumped off, reaching to Kairi as she watch the engine shake and stir. She felt something eating away at her and telling her to run, the boys felt it as well, Riku asked. "That might have been a bad idea."

Sora and Kairi agreed as the engine opened, the machine fell to the ground still and the energy floated out, with in the energy was a flaming mass of limbs that were complimented by a maw. It giggled and snickered as one of its hands formed fire, a sinister voice laughed. "Thank you for releasing me mortals. Now burn in the fires of Change!" The fiend formed a bolt of energy and fired at them. The trio charged to dodge, with the bolt landing right behind them and knocking Riku and Kairi off their feet. Sora barely held as he jumped and slashed at the fiend, causing it to split into two that glowed blue.

The voices from the flames complained, the one on the left sighed. "Aw!"

The one of the right agreed. "We just got freed!"

Sora was surrounded and the blue horrors charged, slashing at him with fiery claws and angering a defensive Riku, who got on his feet and dashed to slice the horror on the right, causing it to smoulder into smaller flames and giving Sora the chance to strike the horror on the left. The tiny flames danced and had feelings of spite as Kairi ran, sunk her sword into the sand and tossed it at the flames, extinguishing them from existence and slightly impressing the boys with the improvisation. The trio gave a smile to each other and focused on the wreckage that was a death machine, Sora asked. "What do you think this was?"

Riku shrugged in his answer. "What ever it was, its junk now... but I don't think this came out of coincidence."

Kairi agreed, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, she opened them and saw two figures stopping at the destroyed bridge. "And what was in that thing was... aware. We need to figure out what is going on."

Sora agreed and saw the distant figures, one on the left was a black dog person in yellow pants, a green shirt, black vest and a yellow hat, waving a jolly hello. By the right was a white duck person wearing a blue vest with pockets and a blue hat, looking at the destruction and questioning what happened.

The boy forgot about his worries and cheered at them. "Goofy, Donald! Hey!"

He looked around and saw support pillars still passable, he jumped from each one to the other side, with Riku trying not to laugh and following, Kairi timing herself and slowly following herself. Sora gave the two visitors a warm welcome, the dog person chuckled. "Hi yuck! It sure had been a long week without ya Sora! What's happening?"

The duck growled and answered his friend. "Trouble Goofy, nothing but trouble."

He wagged his finger at Sora and asked. "What have you done this time without us warning you?"

Riku answered in his friends defense. "Nothing out of the ordinary Donald, but that... thing you are seeing on that island fell out of the sky, drew in a swarm of heartless and would have gone on a rampage if we didn't stop it. Sora is clean this time."

Sora wasn't amused and protested. "Come on, I don't mess up that badly!"

Kairi landed and over heard as she answered the two visitors. "It also had something in it... that must have been what those heartless were after. It wasn't a heart... but it was definitely something evil."

Donald felt something jump off his shoulder, a tiny cricket person in a suit and top hat landed on the sand, saw the machine and scratched his head. "It didn't have a heart yet it was dark enough to do that? Well that explains the bridge."

The group agreed and Donald took out a wand to cast a freezing spell, making a bridge of ice as Goofy picked the cricket up. "I guess you want to see it closer before we get going Jiminy?"

Donald agreed as Jiminy theorized. "I guess. Donald, do you mind telling them what his Majesty found out, while I get a look?"

The duck didn't and let the two walk off, carefully sliding across, he told the three humans what was occurring. "His Majesty was being bothered by something, even after things have been over. He and Yen Sid talked about something and he needed you three to know about... it."

Riku asked the duck. "And Mickey didn't tell you or Goofy much?"

Donald shook his head and was concerned about something. "We saw some pretty strange things on our way here, some were comets that flew by other worlds... but this one wasn't a comet." Sora sighed and guessed. "If they are anything like that... thing, then we need to tell him about it." Kairi swallowed and looked at the wreckage of an island once more, what kind of havoc is occurring in the worlds.

In a mysterious tower floating with in a cosmic space.

A mouse person wearing red pants and a black vest finished talking with an old wizard in a blue robe and a pointed hat that had a symbol of a golden moon and star. "If his heartless was trying to get to Kingdom Hearts and his Nobody tried the exact same... then if the two were destroyed in that order. Would that mean he would come back again and try it all over again?"

The wizard hummed and had a vision most dreadful. "He would, Xehanort is most ambitious. What his plans would be, we do not know for certain, but this is something we must inform those three children about. I fear the peace among the worlds would not last, Mickey."

The mouse agreed to that and frowned with guilt. "After all they been through, they should just go back to normal lives... but... fate isn't going to let them do it just yet."

The wizard agreed with a hint of disappointment. "Our issues should not be theirs, yet Sora and Riku had been to that realm and returned. That is a clue to our other problem."

Mickey nodded and saw something arrive from outside. "And they told us they found no one else. When I last saw her... the worlds trapped in the darkness were freed... but what happened to-" Knock, knock!

A distant knock was heard, the wizard pressed his hands together and had much on his mind. "While defeating Xehenort's Heartless and his Nobody are outstanding feats, Sora would still be considered a novice. Riku has much to learn as well... and then there is Kairi who only recently obtained a Keyblade. We should address all of this and prepare them."

The door opened and a mass group of Sora, Riku, Kairi, Goofy, Donald and Jiminy, entered. Donald and Goofy addressed Mickey. "We are back your majesty."

The cricket jumped off Goofy and had a journal out, the wizard saw the groups expressions and sensed what occurred as Mickey thanked them. "Thanks guys." He noticed himself and asked. "What happened?"

The cricket jumped on the table with the large journal and placed it down as he answered. "Something pretty strange, Sora, Riku and Kairi fought something before we arrived. Do you know what this is?"

He placed the journal down and flipped pages and images around, leading to a particular drawing of a wrecked, crab like monstrosity. Mickey and the wizard saw the image and were puzzled, the wizard addressed what he saw. "It looks like... a machine built for war."

Riku agreed to that as his arms were folded. "It's a bit more than that Yen Sid, this thing had something in it and we think that something was why a swarm of Heartless came after it... what we do know is that machine and this thing... trapped with in, are pure evil."

Kairi was uncertain and asked. "But we don't know anything more than that, you... really don't know more about them?"

Yen Sid wished he did as Jiminy explained the rest. "And we think more like this are out in the worlds. I... think the only reason Sora and the others won was because they had a keyblade that would have undid the engines seal, otherwise it was just going to shrug off their attacks."

He shivered as Mickey looked at the imagery of the machines weapons and believed it. "And if it managed to connect..." He shook his head and changed the subject. "So now that is why you all are worried about the worlds being able to fight more like it? I don't think that can wait."

The group agreed to that as Sora asked. "That means we got to wait until we get back for you to tell us the other thing?"

Mickey and Yen Sid figured it did, the lord of the tower promised them. "What we had to speak of is also an emergency, but in comparison, this is the most urgent of the two. In the mean time... we should study about this. Jiminy, what more do you know?"

The cricket flipped a page to an image of pink fire, along with two blue patch of fire and four patches of flame. "This is all they told me about, but its the thing that was in the machine. Sora... told us something interesting about them on the way here."

The boy nearly forgot about his dream and answered. "I... think I saw something like it in a dream. Some... thing of darkness that knows magic and splits into more if I attack them. Those two don't use magic... but when I beat them, they become smaller."

He turned towards Riku and Kairi, who were puzzled by the dreams description, the girl asked. "So where first?"

Goofy had one idea of where to go as their first destination. "What about Radiant Garden? It's the closest by that we saw a comet fly towards."

Riku and Kairi looked at Sora, Donald and Goofy, they were told that was what became a dreadful place called Hollow Bastion, a place they been to before. Riku nervously asked. "We... might have the better luck if we go there first. Are we all ready?"


	2. A Line was Held

In a town underneath a mighty castle, a movie stores door opened up to let out a brown eyed teenage boy with medium length blonde hair that had a couple loose bangs. He wore a brown jacket that had a purple undershirt and complimenting it was a black pair of pants. A store owner apologized in advance. "Sorry Ken, but that is how much you need for the whole collection, I don't think your mom will buy you all this so soon after your last trip."

The boy sighed in disappointment and waved it off. "And all of it to kill an afternoon. I think I can scrounge that up some day."

The owner hoped so. "Or you can get a job, don't wander too far from town."

Ken knew he wasn't and drew out a base ball bat as he journeyed out, his brown eyes marveled at the outskirts and the vast distance. "...But there is a lot of treasure far out there though."

He saw something in the sky in the afternoon, it looked like a star... yet it was falling, falling towards a canyon to the south. He gasped and ran out to observe, the canyon was not far away and visions of greed filled his mind. "If anything from that isn't from here... That means a lot of munny."

Without much a care, he sprinted to the canyon, jumping down a series of sloops towards the smoke, he found metallic parts scattered all over, on journeying further, he found a whole crash site that with in the crater, was a large airship, smouldering from an explosion upon impact, yet there has to be something of salvage. "I got to get the good stuff before someone else does!"

He slowly walked in and looked, discarding the badly burned junk and finding in a corner, a burned, green helmet that had a winged symbol on the forehead, by it was a less damaged weapon that caught the boys eyes. It looked like a rifle with a pack in the barrel, Ken raised an eyebrow and picked both up, placing the helmet in his back pack and aimed the rifle, having his hand at the trigger and focusing his eye at the flat part of the guns surface. He pulled the trigger and out of the gun came a beam of light that shot a hole through the metal wall. He smiled at his find and walked out. "A laser gun! Mr. Cid might like to see this, who knows what he might make."

He walked out with his find and felt something amiss, he looked to his side and found his shadow, something seemed wrong. Yellow eyes opened in the darkness and the shadow tried to pounce, in reflex, the boy swung his bat and sent the creature back. Four more shadows, from the lose rocks and the burning ship, wiggled and squirmed. Ken backed away and wanted to yelp, if he tried to get close to one, the others will surely pounce and overwhelm him. He took the rifle and aimed at the shadow sinking into the ground, the four maneuvered around the boy that was walking backwards, the many shadows emerged and tried to pounce, the boy fired and a laser beam struck one of the shadows in the chest, causing it to fall back to the ground, laying still and merging back into the ground. Ken saw the gun was effective at that and fired two more shots, one pierced a shadow in the forehead while another shot a shadows arm off. The second one fell limp as the other kept crawling, the three pounced, the boy grabbed his bat with his free hand and swung, knocking the three back and exposing them to two more shots, hitting the disarmed shadow in the neck and another in the chest, both fell and left a single one remaining.

PEW PEW!

He fired two shots, knocking the shadow creature back into the darkness, the four squirmed and wiggled away, towards the deeper south. The boy nearly leaned at a wall in relief, danger was averted and he felt a nagging voice in his mind. "Mom is going to have my head for this." He noticed something and gasped, foot prints to the south. "...If there were people that made it out of that one, they are going the wrong way... and those Heartless are going after them ne-"

His eyes widened and he tensed up, readying for the next stretch of his journey, ignorant of how he has no effective means of fighting the heartless, save for the strange gun. He heard the sound of fighting and imagined his plan. "...And they are attacking... if I keep quiet... I might get a couple shots off and rescue them... then maybe Mom won't give me another earful."

He agreed with himself and ran deeper, jumping off a small ledge as he heard the fighting intensify, he entered a wide cragged space and was astonished to find nothing, then the sound of wind blowing, the sight of shadows moving. He turned around and looked above, dropping his gun at the sight, a swarm of heartless that banded together to form a kind of twister, they stared down at him and swerved, like they were observing prey. They blew down like like a storm and the boy was gasping in horror.

BOOM!

A thunder bolt crashed down at the twister, sending the heartless scattering, the boy saw a large figure before him, striking at a glowing core. The hammer glowed like lighting and caused the core to bubble, it couldn't take the damage anymore, Ken picked the gun up and looked closer to find the figure in a suit of armor, mostly of silver, complimented by blue shoulder pads. The warrior swung again and the bubble popped, the heartless forming it, scattered and retreated into the darkness, Ken was counting his blessings at the arrival, for his survival would have been forfeit. He tried to say something, words failed to leave his mouth as his mind realized how close he was to death, the warrior turned around to reveal a helmet that's face looked human, yet still. Complimented by what looked like a halo, a feminine voice spoke to the boy. "Turn back child, for these grounds were not meant for someone like you!"

Ken stuttered and asked. "B...But there are people that crashed here and they are going away from town. With heartless getting that bad those people, in great danger, do you even know where that town is?"

The warrior looked around at the answer and admitted it. "You got me there lad! I was busy fighting those things... I was busy battling a lot of things before I got consumed by a great power from a gate. I am away from one dark force and I been fighting another non stop. What's your name?"

Ken answered. "Kendry... or Ken. What is yours?"

The warrior answered as she looked at the boys weaponry. "Before I do... I wish to ask, how are you in a... every day battle? You are in just as much danger as the strangers."

The boy sighed and looked at his bat. "I know that if you hit something hard enough times, they will run or stop moving. If you shoot at something, they won't even get to come close to you. Other than that... not really."

The warrior appreciated the honestly, readied her hammer and warned him. "Alright lad, I wish for you to strike me with that bat before my hammer touches you."

Ken wondered what she meant, realized what she meant and watched her charge, he stepped aside to dodge her slowly swinging hammer and swung with his bat, it didn't even scratch her armor. The warrior swung her hammer faster in response, it nearly touched him and she stopped, the warriors point was made as she spoke in wisdom. "You need better armaments and you need to learn how to defend yourself against a real foe, or you would not survive out here."

The boy knew the warrior intend to get him out of danger and asked. "But would those guys be able to defend themselves against that thing? The town is the safest place around here and the munny can wait till they get rescued."

The warrior listened and laughed with him. "Ah, typical of someone wanting adventure. Alright lad, my name is Anatesis, a Hollowed Knight of Sigmar. If you focus on shooting with that thing, I will be the one who will crush these fiends!" Ken appreciated it and joined to make a party. "That I can do, this gun is amazing!"

Anatesis gave the boy a thumbs up with her left hand and lifted her hammer with her right, she lead the way to the only pathway, towards the east, any straggling heartless that tried to attack them were either quickly shot or crushed under the hammer. As they traveled, humanoid like heartless emerged from the darkness and tried attacking at faster speeds, yet Anatesis struck them down with little problems, Ken saw floating, wizard like heartless try to strike the warrior with fire balls, lighting bolts and ice beams, he fired at them to quickly disrupt them and drive them off.

They turned towards their left and saw the humanoid shadows approaching something along with the smaller insect like shadows, a trio of men in a green uniforms and with guns identical to Ken's, were standing near a ledge, fired at the heartless. Behind the guardsmen was a man in a stylish, black uniform that was complimented by a magnificent hat. He fired a small gun with a mighty roar at one of the shadows and ordered. "Keep firing men and do not relent! We can still achieve victory! FOR THE EMPEROR!"

The guardsmen saw their guns were doing little to hit the creatures sinking into the darkness, one of the humanoid shadows crawled past them and emerged from behind, the commander took out a strange sword with rows of teeth, pressed a trigger and caused the teeth to move in a roar. He swung, sank the sword into the creature and pushed it back, the creature back flipped as the many tried to attack, Anatesis and Ken looked at each other and nodded. The warrior charged with her thunderous hammer, a second humanoid shadow tried to attack the guardsmen and felt footsteps coming, turning around to see the mighty hammer.

THUMP!

It was sent flying over the ledge and falling bellow. Startling the trio of guardsmen as they noticed a laser beam shooting the lesser shadows to where they retreated. Two of the lesser shadows crawled towards the source and it looked like the guardsman's eyes light up with hope, their commander ordered them. "DO NOT STOP BECAUSE OF A SECOND WIND! FIRE!" The guardsmen silently obeyed and aimed at the injured humanoid, for as little damage as they do, it slowed it down for the commander to aim his pistol at the things head. BLAM!

The shadows head was shot clean off, it sank into the darkness and crawled, leaving the warrior to deal with a remaining lesser shadow and for the firing to finish off the other two. Approaching the warrior from the rock, was an image that slightly disappointed the guardsmen and enraged the commander, Ken cheered at Anatesis. "That was awesome! Now lets tell these guys what is up before I lead the way back to-"

Click!

The commander aimed his gun at the boy and barked. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT LASGUN CIVILIAN?! THAT IS RESERVED ONLY FOR THE IMPERIAL GUARD!"

Ken yelped, the warrior stood in between as one of the guardsmen, one with light skin, a scar on his right eye and purple eyes hesitated to ask his commander. "With all due respect Commissar, these two saved our lives."

The Commissar focused his eye at his men as another; one, with a grisly burn mark on his face agreed with his comrades. "Even if... we might know who's lasgun that was. He shoots it well enough that Hank wouldn't mind."

A guardsmen with dark skin agreed to that. "Commissar Tahm, can we please let this one go, we are pretty stranded out here."

Tahm listened, focused his gaze back to the duo and lowered his gun. "Fine!"

He coughed and began introductions. "As my men said, I am Commissar Tahm of this Cadian Regiment... or what was left of it. The one with the scar is Thompson."

The scared gun men looked silent in a thought as the Commissar continued with a guardsmen with the burn. "The one with the burn mark is Elric."

Elric whistled and waved at the duo, waiting his turn as the Commissar turned towards the guardsmen with the dark skin. "And this one is Perkins."

The last of the guardsmen took a deep breath and waited, the Commissar sighed and gestured. "You can speak your mind, you all earned my respects."

Perkins sighed and approached Ken. "Sorry about the greeting, but we were flying out after securing something and some psyker shot at our ship with... something. That's when it all went to hell."

He took out from his pocket, a data slate with a code. "We think it was something important and we barely got on that Valkyrie you probably saw by the skin of our teeth. We had another with us... Hank... but he... didn't survive the crash. He was our sergeant."

Ken cringed and realized what he done. "...This gun was Hank's?"

The guardsmen nodded as the Commissar sighed. "He was a good man, but seeing as you are somewhat competent, I will allow you to hold on to it until we reach to safety."

Ken felt a little relief and looked back. "Well, you are in luck since me and Anatesis found you. You were going to go in circles and far away from the town north. I know where it is if we go back the way we came."

He pointed to the warrior that greeted them. "It's a pleasure to meet ya. I'm sure we can get all of this straightened out. The boy has a good heart."

The four imperial soldiers gasped at the feminine voice, the Commissar nearly babbled and adjusted his hat. "I... we thought you were a spa- never mind. Very well, you will assist us for the time being!"

Ken smiled and turned around, catching a faint smell of something iron. Something was battling something in the north, the Commissar and warrior looked further and saw unstable energy pulsing, a heartless that was sliced in two was flung towards them and the sound of howling was heard. A crimson humanoid charged at the heartless, horns most black, eyes glowing blue, on one hand was a horn of bone, on another was a blackened blade with a brass hilt. The creature stabbed the heartless in the throat, it turned its head on noticing the group, its fanged maw looked like it was filled with an unnatural fury. The guardsmen were shaking as the Commissar's eyes widened and the warrior readied her hammer, the humanoid glared at them and he opened his maw to let out a long blue tongue, he readied the horn to blow, Ken panicked and aimed the lasgun. Firing at the creature and striking it at the chest, the shot went through the creature and it rolled its tongue back, it blew the horn as a shot from Perkins slew the fiend. The Commissar appreciated it and ordered everyone. "We need to regroup, immediately!"

The guardsmen and teenager wondered why and readied their legs as an ungodly howl of hounds were heard. The Commissar took out a pack, pressed something and tossed it down the ramp as he barked. "HURRY YOU FOOLS!"

Anatesis agreed as the teenager and guardsmen saw a passage to the east and ran first. The energy glowed red and formed mist that took the form of reptilian hounds that were lunging for a fresh kill, the Commissar ran and the warrior followed. Going to a narrow path that lead to a small hill, Ken recognized it and pointed. "I haven't been here before, but we need to go there and it will lead us a full circle to town. Commissar, do you know what those things are?"

The Commissar growled and listened to an explosion, he answered bluntly. "Blown back to where they came! Now we need to run or all this would be for naught!"

Anatesis agreed and charged. "Everyone follow me! We are almost there!"

The group followed and saw the red, unstable mist forming towards their path, the warrior stopped and the Commissar turned around to find the rift behind them following. The Guardsmen aimed with their Commissar as Anatesis and Ken focused at the front, charging from the mist was those very fiends, nine of the fiends, they saw the figure in light brass armor, larger than the others and adorned horns howled at them. "KILL THE STORMCAST! KHORNE SHALL HAVE HER SKULL!" He focused on the others and hissed. "Then, we will claim the blood of the lambs!"

Ken yelped and aimed his gun, firing at one's forehead, causing it to fall dead. He fired again as the remaining eight charged, another was shot in the chest and fell. Behind them were more crimson demons, lessened to a group of five, one holding a banner. Anatesis took a deep breath and answered the boy. "These are bloodletters. I have them now! Help the others!"

She grabbed her hammer and charged back, swinging her hammer and obliterating three as the many surrounded her and tried to strike. Ken turned around at the charging bloodletters that were being shot by the guardsmen, two of the bloodletters fell dead as the three readied their blades to impale. The boy aimed without much focus and shot one in the eye, causing it to disappear. The Commissar jumped in front of his guard and swung his sword, cutting a demon in the throat and leaving the single one to swing at him, the Commissar dodged as the brave guardsmen jabbed the knife like bayonet on their guns. Anatesis felt the burning blade strike her armor, yet she endured, the larger bloodletter swung at her head and she dodged. Exposing it to a swing from her hammer, it made contact with its skull and sent it falling back, it faded in mist and exposed two more to a brutal swing. With three remaining, the Commissar joined the warrior in battle and decapitated two more demons, leaving Ken to hit the last demon in the face with his bat.

The rift intensified and the smell of blood became worse. Anatesis sensed something with in the rift and to the smaller humans horror, they saw a black claw with a whip forming first, followed by a muscular arm attached to it, dragging out was a creature of unimaginable strength, a large winged demon in crimson and brass armor, in the other hand was a mighty axe. The blue eyes and tongue, the snarling mouth of teeth and the hoofed feet showed the rest as it gave a loud howl. Ken and the guardsmen squeaked, nay, even the Commissar was frozen in fear.

Anatesis looked behind her and saw the terror and the group having their lives flash before their eyes, she took a deep breath and tightened her grip on her hammer, it sparkled in lighting. She gave a silent prayer and yelled out as she charged . "FOR SIGMAR! DIE DAEMON!"

The daemon glared down at her and cracked his whip at her, missing and tried to swing his axe, the warrior jumped above where the axe would swing and swung her hammer back, sinking it into the demons face, sending it falling back into the rift along with the mighty warrior. The rift slowly closed, in its place was a blackened tied of heartless crawling. The remaining group regained control of their nerves and Ken blabbered. "A...Wh..."

The Commissar saw it and barked. "Do not let her sacrifice be in vain! FORWARD!"

The group agreed and position themselves to deal with the heartless swarm as they felt something charging from behind, two demonic hounds sprint past them with anger and near them was a large Bloodletter on a metallic, rhino like beast. The Commissar aimed his pistol at one of the hounds as Thompson and Elric joined in shooting them, one of the hounds fell as Perkins aimed at the other, shooting it in the eye as Ken aimed his gun and shot the second one dead. Leaving the daemon on his steed to charge at the group, the group dodged aside and nearly broke their ranks. The Commissar took out a grenade, pulled a pin and tossed it at the rhino, it explode and caused it to trip.

The bloodletter jumped off and pounced on the Commissar, who swung with his blade to no avail, the demon looked the man in the eyes and readied his blackened blade, his tongue dropped and drooled at another kill.

BOP!

The demon felt something was tossed at his head, a metal bat, he faced towards the source, a teenager that looked more terrified than brave. The demon gave a wide smile and stepped forward, he approached in speeds that should not be a walk and was before Ken, who tried to prepare to shoot with the lasgun and realized what was right before him, the demon raised his blade and was ready to swing down as the boy tried to block with the gun, the Commissar cringed at what was a foolish idea and the guardsmen lost their breath. SWING!

TINK!

The daemons blade was halted by the gun and he growled astonished, the Commissar looked astonished and saw something glowing in the lasgun, a bright light. The light enveloped the gun and caused it to form, its bayonet under the barrel looking sharper and underneath that was a small series of blades, the gun looked longer and its trigger became that of a hilt, dangling under the hilt was a chain that at the end, had a symbol of a bird. Ken looked astonished and pushed the demon back, he shot it at the face and looked ready to take it on, as terrified as he was. "We...we are still making out of this one alive and... and you are not going to stop us!"

The demon felt the pain burn and he hissed. "So the pup has teeth! But can you bite?!"

He charged at the boy as the guardsmen were ready to shoot him, the heartless swarm entered the canyon and the Commissar aimed his gun at the demon. "Focus on the heartless and use what ever you can! I will focus on the daemon!"

BLAM!

The Daemon blocked the bullet with his blade as Ken aimed his gun once more, hitting it at the chest and causing a massive wound the daemon didn't expect. He swung at the boy as the rhino lifted itself up, Ken backed up and the daemon found his chance.

The bloodletter jumped on the rhino that backed its rear left hoof and held on. They roared in unison and the daemon bellowed. "BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD! SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!"

The rhino charged and Ken ran to the side, watching the rhino slam its head in the wall. He dodged another blade slash and shot again at the rider, irritating it as the mass swarm of heartless charged at the guardsmen, the rhino turned as the boy and the rider had it charge again, Ken stepped aside fell back to avoid a blade swing and watched the two charge into the heartless swarm. Causing many to fade in black mist and for the two to focus on attacking the heartless. Leaving the guardsmen to focus on the remaining as the Commissar counted his blessings and fired at the demon, accidentally shooting a heartless. Seeing that the daemon was occupied, Ken tried to signal the group they should keep running, Tahm shook his head and warned him. "The only way your town would be safe is if we eliminate this fiend here and now! We need to focus on that one last attack."

Blam! Blam! Ken sighed and in silent agreement aimed, seeing two heartless pounce on the daemonic duo and fading into a mist of darkness, the mist engulfed the daemons that noticed something was wrong and tried to yank the power off of themselves, yelling in anger and fueling the darkness more. The two were snared and thrashed in the dark wrappings, slowly their eyes became yellow and the daemons opened his maw to show black teeth and dark blue tongues, the rhino being similar save for the grey highlights on its shoulders and a strange red emblem that resembled a heart on its right flank. The blades hilt blackened more and the two sank into the shadows, charging and Ken, who tried to dodge and was knocked back by the brutal pounce. He had the wind out of his lungs and he fired from the sword, causing both to sizzle as the Commissar shot again and charged at the rider with his own sword. The demonic duo glowed and thrashed, like a mad bull in a rodeo. Ken kept shooting and watched it sink into the ground again, he rolled out of a strike and exposed the fiend to the guardsmen shooting at its back. The Commissar struck the rhinos belly as Ken aimed at the riders head, shooting it clean off and with a confidence boost, fired again at the rhinos chest, it howled in a death throw as he and his rider dissolved into darkness. The rift died down, the heartless swarm noticed the gun like sword and scurried, leaving the group be and for Ken to nearly break in a laugh. "Ha, ha! G...g...get out of here!"

The Commissar sighed, regained his breath and helped the boy up, seeing the lasgun was in a form beyond what it was. "...Don't celebrate yet, not until we get to the town. Thompson, Elric, Perkins, forward."

The eager guardsmen obeyed and gave the teenager appreciation, Elric sighed and told the Commissar ill news, completely out of line. "Well sir, we are never getting that lasgun back now!"

Tahm glared at him in a warning and pressed his fingers on his forehead in defeat. "*Groan* I suppose we are not!" Ken looked at his sword and wondered what happened as he lead the way. "At...at least we are alive. Come on, its like I said."

At the town.

Sora, Donald and Goofy looked relaxed at a familiar place at some form of peace as Kairi was astonished by faint memories and Riku was hesitate to look upon the place. Sora tried to cheer his friend up with an introduction. "This was the world Hollow Bastion use to be and the world it can be again."

The entire central square and the people going about their day were unaware for a moment, Riku felt a little relaxed. "I... know, this place is still one with bad memories. A lot of dumb memories."

Donald agreed to that part and reminded the teenager. "But we didn't come here for that, we need to know about what is going on. We made some friends here that would know abou-" The duck stopped and saw something behind an on looking Kairi, it looked exactly like her. The girl turned around to find the illusion observing and puffed in smoke, a female ninja with short black hair and a set of black clothes, complimented by an undershirt with white lines resembling flowers. The woman smiled in good will as Kairi leaped back and welcomed the group, starting with Sora. "Hey, didn't expect to see you again so soon Sora, Donald, Goofy. What's the occasion?"

Sora felt the moment of shock and said hello back. "Hey Yuffie, sorry about disappearing."

He pointed to Riku and Kairi to introduce them. "We came here on something important, these are the friends I was looking for. Riku!"

The silver haired teenager waved on realizing the greeting was going to be well, Sora continued. "And Kairi."

The girl wondered what kind of people her friend befriended and greeted her. "Hey! I hate to sound rude, but have you or anyone else found anything strange lately? Like... a day ago?"

Yuffie had her left hand under her chin as she thought about it. "Hmm! Not exactly a day, but weird things have been going on. We had a report about a ship that crashed into the canyon south of the town, along with other things that you have to be deft to not hear."

Goofy gasped at the mention of the ship. "A gummi ship?! Those don't just come out of nowhere and crash. What if someone sees that?"

Donald agreed with the troubling manner and thought of it. "If someone did, it would disrupt the entire world order... but-" Sora thought of it as well and guessed. "But... the people of this world... already know, so that ship wouldn't be the problem if it was seen."

Yuffie agreed and dropped her cheerfulness to concern. "It wouldn't... unless it was what brought that... noise we heard. It gets a little worse, come on, the others would say it."

The group's concern risen as Riku guessed. "What the whole town heard was... obviously something dangerous and that isn't even the whole news."

Yuffie agreed and led them to a district close to the castle, to a house with a hint of a wizard's design. "It's... minor in comparison, but some woman's kid wandered off while THAT was happening. We were about to go look for him until you showed up." She cringed. "I just scouted and saw the wreckage along with a cavern that caved in from... something. But we need to be fast about this."

The group agreed and were quick to enter the house, finding an old wizard in blue robes and a pointed hat with a migraine along with a brown haired man in a black jacket, white undershirt, black pants; a woman with long brown hair that was in a braided pony tail, she was in a pink dress, and another brown haired woman, who's long hair was tied at the end to resemble a dolphins tail, she was in a black fighters dress. The woman in the pink dress assured the wizard. "Cid has just finished recording that roar and will be back with us soon. Merlin, before we get going, are you sure that there was more to that?"

The wizard felt his head ache faded and asked. "You didn't feel it as well? That wasn't an ordinary roar... it was an anti magic roar, it can scare a wizard out of his hat from miles away."

The woman cringed, took a deep breath and agreed. "It felt like... a sound of hatred."

Donald flinched in and blurted out. "Then it was a good thing we came when we did!"

He had his arms at his hips and boasted. "Have no fear Aerith, we are here!"

Aerith turned around and found the large group, she took a deep breath and greeted them. "Donald?! Sora, Goofy... what are-" Goofy answered, explaining about the odd occurrence's as the man took a deep breath and let out the bad news. "So that is why you came, Yuffie, what did you find?"

Yuffie told the man what she saw. "Well Leon, I found the wreckage of that ship and it looked like it was made for a battle. Someone came and tried to loot what they can, but then I saw where the cavern caved in. We need to get going now!"

Leon felt a migraine of his own. "And that is where the kid ran off to? You're ready to get going Tifa? Our time got spent enough on this already."

The muscular woman tensed her fist and tried to head out as a blonde man in engineer clothes entered with a loud laugh and good news. "Ha, well don't bother. Kid's been found along with some strangers, they just entered the town."

Leon casually looked at the engineer and asked him. "Are you serious Cid?"

The engineer was and pulled out a stick he had clenched in his teeth. "What mattered is they are safe and we got another way to figure out what was going on. Come on."

At the town entrance.

Ken held to his odd sword and introduced Tahm and his group to the place. "Th...there it is. Radiant Garden, the... safest place in the whole world."

He looked dizzy with questions trying to leave his mind, his sword faded in light and caused Elric to ask confusingly. "But that is the least of our worries kid. How... did you do that?"

The Commissar felt suspicious and dismissed the feeling as he saw a tavern in the distance. "He knows little about the lasgun, least of all how it became what it did. Since that seemed... random, we will just allow it to pass and only address this to an authority that better understands this. Understood?"

The guardsmen agreed as Ken saw the tavern and limped towards it. "Tha...that wasn't my fault. Now to... get-" He fell over and passed out, the Commissar sighed with little surprise as he asked his men. "I seen you three along with many others quake in fear against the heretics that sought to destroy us, yet you kept your courage."

Thompson listened and asked back. "But... we don't even know them besides what you and the higher ups tell us. How did the lad handle it compared to us?"

The Commissar answered, unaware of people approaching. "Neither you nor he are dead. But as guardsmen, you stood firm and held the line even now. He... a simple child, reached his limit... but I suppose anyone would when they deal with both the daemon and the heartless."

A man asked casually. "Daemon?"

The Commissar gasped, nearly placed his hand on his own mouth and turned around to find a man with a gun like sword on his back, among the things he should have kept secret from the public, the knowledge of the Chaos Daemon was one among all others, for it is just the knowing of the name, that can lead to heresy. He tried to think of what to saw as a black haired woman approached the boy to ask. "That... daemon, has to be what caused the noise and what was causing the canyon to... burst in that red rift. Right?"

A woman in a pink dress approached the child to check and felt it was likely. "If... these people know more about them, they should tell us."

The Commissar felt his mouth dry and nearly twitched his fingers towards his pocket, he ordered his guardsmen. "Go to the tavern and see what they have. I'll join you soon."

The trio obeyed and left the Commissar as a group of teenage children and two unsightly creatures, a walking dog and a duck in clothes, approached. The man was cornered in a truly hostile and alien world, they seemed friendly, so for long as he doesn't get too comfortable around them, he would not falter. "...I have battled against those things throughout my carrier and only an Inquisitor knows the details. If I speak more of the daemons... I would endanger us all."

A muscular woman sighed and asked. "But you are... treating those things as they are going to be dangerous if we don't know. Just tell us and if it is that bad, we won't tell."

The Commissar looked at the three teenagers that seemed matching of the world and gestured they go somewhere secluded, looking at an abandoned warehouse as the first destination. Aerith had the boy carried over to the tavern as the rest of followed the Commissar, with the silver haired teenager closing the door behind them. Jumping off the dog was a cricket with a journal that was ready to write more down, angering the Commissar as he reminded himself that he and his men were out numbered, he answered their question. "The Chaos Daemon are the ultimate enemies of all. Fiends that crawled out of the bowels of hell to corrupt and destroy everything they touch! They come in vast numbers and are the building blocks for the traitors and heretics that bombard humanity daily. Along with the xenos."

The duck blinked and asked. "Xenos?"

The Commissar dismissed the question and rephrased. "Aliens. I was only told briefly about the Daemon and the categories of which me and my men are unfortunate enough to battle."

He asked the cricket. "Do you dare record what I am saying?"

The cricket looked annoyed and showed the man an image of a machine. "Well yes, because that might be what Sora, Riku and Kairi fought not too long ago."

The spiky haired boy, the silver haired boy and the red haired girl introduced themselves as such, the Commissar looked at the machine in the image and his eyes widened, he shook his head to force something out of his mind and answered. "Kind of! That is a Defiler. A Daemon Engine of Chaos, built by the traitor astartes to break sieges!"

He asked the teenagers with a tone of authority. "Do you even know what I am talking about?"

Riku glared and answered with his patience running thin. "It's a machine powered by a... chaos daemon and through that power is why it attacks everything in sight. Who ever built those things didn't want the daemon coming out."

Kairi cringed and apologized to her friends. "Sorry about telling you two about that lock. But the daemon that came out was a lot weaker."

That the Commissar hoped. "Unless you had the strength of a space marine or significant fire power, removing the power source from the machine is the... sound solution. Otherwise you would have just welcome death!"

Sora felt a cold chill as the cricket began writing down the words he heard, the man with the gun blade felt he heard enough and asked the Commissar. "So that was why Sora and the others were worried about us meeting one. The keyblade can unlock anything and that is how the binding got loose. Those roars we heard... you knew where those came from and who let that loose? The... daemons?"

The Commissar nodded and thought it wouldn't be too damaging for them to know. "Of course! Those aligned from Khorne! They are about battle and warfare, ever so eager to corrupt a fine warrior! In fact." He raised four fingers and expected the cricket to record. "There are four categories of Chaos Daemons and even allegiance for most of the Heretics. Khorne and those aligned are those in crimson that care naught cept only for the slaughter. Nurgle and those among his nest spread only disease. Slaanesh's coven tempt you with desires and Tzeentch is aligned with sorcery and deceit."

Sora felt he heard enough and looked towards the none human creatures that were thinking about the names. "So... that is what is trying to cause trouble in the worlds and outside of the town? Goofy... Donald... should... we see what that kid knows? I don't think he would have been able to make it through that... on his own."

Goofy doubted it and knew something occurred. "Unless he had help, those things sound like trouble even with all the heartless around!"

Donald agreed and refused to believe four soldiers were able to handle all that. "He had help..." He directed towards the Commissar. "You had help."

That the Commissar agreed with and sighed in defeat. "There was one other who charged against a greater daemon of Khorne. A warrior that calls herself... Anatesis, we initially believed her to have been a Space Marine... an adeptes astartes... but female space marines... do not exist. She knows of the Daemons... even more than I... and she is in the... Warp. Even... with her aid, we were nearly routed by the lesser daemons that followed... if that lasgun that child... looted, didn't transform as it did. We might have not been here."

The ninja pieced it together and asked. "So that kid knows more of this story?"

Kairi agreed and asked. "A... lasgun... transformed? Yuffie... do you mind if me and the others check this out while you and this committee try to keep the peace?"

The ninja didn't as Sora connected the occurrences and asked the Commissar. "What's a lasgun?"

The Commissar felt it wouldn't hurt to tell them about technology otherwise harmless. "Since I likely do not have long to live if an imperial authority finds out what I spoken of, I'll tell you. A lasgun is a standard issue weapon for any imperial guardsmen. Convenient, simple to use and can do much against the enemies of man."

Riku felt something grimly odd about what the Commissar spoke of and looked at the weapon at his hilt. "...It sounds a lot more basic compared to that... chainsaw you have."

The Commissar felt defensive and corrected him. "Chain sword! A chain sword! But I suppose you have stranger weapons?"

Riku smiled smugly and focused his gaze on Sora. "It could be strange, like... a sword that works like a key?"

The spiky haired boy agreed, raised his hand out and caused it to glow, forming in his hand a blade that resembles a key. The Commissar gasped and conceded with a shrug. "And I assume that is a weapon to learn about for another day. However, there is one bit of knowledge I wish to know. Beyond the daemons, there were creatures me and my men battled to no avail... these.. Heartless that child spoke of. What do you know about them?"

Leon gasped and answered the Commissar. "You really are not from here. Those are creatures without hearts... they prey on the darkness within peoples hearts and attack endlessly to consume them."

He looked at Sora's keyblade with a hint of envy and finished. "A keyblade is the only thing that would keep a heartless down. Otherwise, it would just keep coming back." He approved of Kairi's idea and asked her. "If that kid gets cornered by all of us over these questions, he probably would freak out. Figure out what he knows."

He asked the Commissar. "Is there anything else you saw that we need to know about?"

The man gestured to the strangers. "There is one, but I'll allow that child to tell you, for even I have no knowledge of how it occurred... and I need time to actually think about my words. Keep this knowledge to yourself!"

That the group promised as the cricket finished writing down and had images of flame take shape into something more corporeal, creatures of many tendrils and limbs, showing a wide mouth of teeth, he jumped and yelped. "Wha... I didn't draw this!"

The Commissar was disturbed by the demonic image and felt his point was taken. "If you drew just a theorized image of the daemon... than that is all it takes for Chaos to worm its way. That... is a pink horror, along with the blue horrors that spawn from it... and the brimstone horrors. Remember what I said, this knowledge is dangerous!"

That the cricket agreed with as he written the names down, closed the book and jumped onto Sora's shoulder, disturbed, Riku guessed from a memory. "I guess that kid is resting up at the tavern, lets wait there until he wakes up."

At an room in a Tavern.

Ken awakened in a comfy bed and felt himself in a place of safety, he took a deep breath, blocked out the horrors he seen and left with a whistle. "I don't know what I was doing to have myself pass out, good thing that was just a dream."

He stepped out, went down the stairs and wanted to ask the bar keeper what occurred, he found a trio of guardsmen having drinks, all of them familiar to his dream. Ken stiffened up as the dark skinned guardsmen noticed and wave. "Hey rise and shine kid. Thanks for helping us out earlier."

Ken's face looked cold and it looked like he wanted to scream, realizing that his adventure had most certainly been real. "I actually fought all of that?!"

A less than thrilled guardsmen, one with a burn mark, shouted at him. "Pipe it down lad before the Commissar hears you! Yes you have, realizing that you nearly died a bloody death can get old after a while."

The scared Guardsmen gave his comrade a slight nudge. "Ease up, your just making it worse. I don't think anyone here knows who we are or is even part of the Imperium... so we can do what ever we want while we can. Once Tahm knows more though... its going to be back to our duty."

Ken wanted to drop and sat on a chair as he rubbed his temples, his reality crashed and burned like the Valkyrie out of the town.

Click, ring, ring!

The door opened and a group arrived, three teenagers and three animal like people. Ken contemplated asking the bar keeper for a shot when he looked upon one of the three, a boy with brown spiky hair and a particular sword. The blonde wannabe treasure hunter's brown eyes widened for a moment, he broke into a smile, like someone who had just seen a celebrity. The boy noticed the guardsmen first, Perkins casually pointed at Ken. "If you just talked to our Commissar, then this kid ought to be who you should talk to next."

The goofy dog looked at the boy awkwardly staring at them and thanked the guards. "Gwarsh, thanks! Hey Donald, should we go talk to those three while Sora and the others settle business?"

The duck nodded. "We want to know what that guys big deal is."

Sora let it happen as the silver haired teenager warned the two. "If their boss is being privy and hostile towards you, don't expect his men to be that much better. This shouldn't take too long."

The girl sighed at her friend. "Riku, I don't think it would be that easy if the guy got... flung into all that."

Ken took slight offense, felt the words to be true and pointed out at Sora. "It... kind of depends. But I heard of you, A LOT!" The spiky haired teenager turned towards Ken with shock, the younger boy addressed the things he heard about. "The kid the grown ups said was responsible for this place being safer to visit and why a lot of people that were stuck in that town were able to finally move! The kid who went into that big canyon and fought a whole army of heartless!" He looked excited and his smile became wider. "I even heard that because of you, a lot of people got their homes back! Sora?!"

He nearly squealed like a fan and Sora nearly blushed at the sudden honor, the girl squinted her eyes at Sora and snickered. "Didn't know you got fans! This ought to be easy."

Sora was more nervous and stuttered. "A...A...right!"

Riku nearly smiled at him and taunted. "Well you reap what you sow!"

The teenagers came to an agreement and approach the kid that was questioning his reality, Sora asked him. "Well... it's kind of cool that you know me. We saw you pass out when you returned to town... you wandered off to look for that ship?"

Ken nodded and calmed himself. "I... was looking for scraps to sell so I can buy some Star Wars movies. I found more than I wanted and met those three along with another that saved our skin."

He asked the three. "You... know anyone in silver armor that has a big hammer?"

The three didn't and shook their heads as Riku asked him. "Anatesis... that is the name we heard of. Least we know why you kept going. She was the one who was battling most of the heartless and... those things we heard of?"

Ken felt the questionable tone and admitted it. "She was and she was awesome! But then we got cornered by those things called... Daemons and she charged a big one back to here he came. I'm kind of scared for her... so if you find her, please help her." He continued on. "I wanted to keep going because I knew Heartless were out and those guys were going the wrong way. Antesis saved me from those things when they came in large numbers."

Riku found the reason plausible. "And you two found them being attacked by Heartless... then the daemons came?"

Ken nodded. "The big reason why we didn't turn back and had to find another way around. Why Tahm used an explosive to do something about most of them."

The trio put the story together and Kairi asked. "And when you meet that... large daemon, Anatesis did what she did and left you all to try and fend the rest off. That is another thing we need to know. How? Cause these daemons sound like a big problem."

Ken scratched himself and found it hard to explain. "I... had a lasgun I took from that wreckage that helped out... same kind those guys over there had. But it went down hill when this blood letter on a... kind of animal, came after us. I drew its attention trying to get it away from Tahm by throwing my other weapon at him. It was a baseball bat."

Thompson overheard and blurted out. "That daemon would have killed you if that lasgun didn't block that!"

Ken agreed and the memories became more terrifying, he felt it to just be the past and continued. "Then... that lasgun shined and turned into something... its shots became stronger and all of us defeated that daemon. But... there was a bit more, the daemon charged into some heartless by accident and the heartless swarmed him!"

Sora remembered and blurted out. "Like how some heartless were after that Defiler... but... why?"

Ken blinked and asked. "Defiler?!"

Riku wanted to get back to the subject and figured out the fate of the lasgun. "It is a daemon in a machine, something about those daemons make them a heartless magnet. What happened?"

Ken felt his heart pounding, like he was at that moment in time. "Those two things and some heartless... fused together into something else. What... ever those Heartless were after, those daemons have?"

The trio nearly gasped at a piece of the mystery as a cricket jumped off, placed his journal down and written down the information. "Darkness... that is what those daemons are made of? Or they are like that?"

Riku concluded with the information. "That is why we need to fight those things when they show up. They and the heartless mix, but should they?"

Kairi shook her head. "No! Goodness no!" She focused on the boy and smiled. "Thank you for telling us, but now we need to know... what happened to that lasgun?"

Ken took a deep breath and looked confused. "Once we got back... the lasgun disappeared from my hands and I passed out. Someone... brought me here and I think I can guess who." He envisioned a particular woman in a pink dress that sold flowers. "Aerith is a nice lady."

Riku wanted the boy to keep his attention to the subject matter and looked half interested. "I think we know what happened."

Sora was the next to piece it together. "Since you... didn't run away from that and still tried to help those guys... that must have connected to your heart and caused the change in that weapon into... something else." He looked upon his keyblade briefly and asked Ken. "Try... remembering that feeling, why you wanted to help. Then stretch out your hand."

The boy felt confused and did as followed, remembering a basic desire to do some good and being able to do so. Something shined in his hand.

PEW!

The blade like lasgun returned, Ken gasped with astonishment, tried to say something, then looked at both his weapon and Sora's, as the trio looked at his own. He asked. "Wait... the lasgun... turned into something like that strange thing you got there?"

Sora looked at the weapon and nearly lost himself at the simple, yet effective look. "It turned into a keyblade!"

Riku looked at it and snapped his fingers. "So a weapon turning into that isn't the strangest thing to happen."

Ken blinked and asked. "It isn't?!"

The oldest boy of the group sighed and formed his own, the resemblance to a demonic looking sword helped finished a short study. "Kind of like what this thing use to be. It seems like it doesn't take too much for someone to obtain a keyblade... it just takes what ever was going on in ones heart during those moments."

Ken figured and apologized to the guardsmen. "Sorry about causing that lasgun to turn into one of these, now I know why you said you aren't getting this back."

Kairi saw the guardsmen feeling awkward on accepting that fate and asked her friends. "If Goofy and Donald are finished getting information, we should get back to Leon and the others. I think we know what we need to know."

The boys agreed as Ken was lost in thought, Riku felt there wasn't much of a loose end and asked him. "But with another keyblade wielder out there, his Majesty needs to know. Hey... kid, we think there is more incidents like that ship that is going on in other worlds. If you can figure out how to fight with that thing... would you try to get out there and figure it out?"

Ken tried to say yes and had memories of the daemons. He forced it out and answered relaxed. "I'll... try when I finish here. I'm probably in so much trouble right now."

The trio heard a ring and a cough following, they turned around to find a blonde woman with blue eyes giving a scolding glare at Ken. They see a family resemblance, hell have no fury. Sora felt the most intimidated and turned to ask the kid. "Eh...good luck with that. What's your name?"

Ken felt he had limited time and answered. "K...Kendry, or Ken. It was nice to meet you all."

He went to his mother who growled at him. "When we get back, you are going to tell me everything, young man."

She nodded to the three in respect. "Thank you for making his day."

The two left as Goofy and Donald finished up, Jiminy sighed and asked. "This was a lot to learn about. Anything those guys had to say?"

Goofy nodded as Donald looked concerned. "These guys are just as confused as we were. But they won't be a problem here. Lets get go-" PEW! SWOOSH! The groups thought were interrupted by the sound of shooting, screaming and of a jet, something was occurring outside. The group ran out to see.


	3. Blessed Spirits

Out in the town, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Donald and Goofy were watching a blocky ship flying around uncontrollably, causing havoc as it spun and shot wildly. Buildings were catching fire as Donald readied ice magic. "Goofy and I will keep this under control!"

Sora understood and looked at the ship. "Then... we will try to stop this gummi ship! You guys ready?"

Riku readied himself and watched the ships flight pattern as Kairi felt dizzy trying to observe, Riku fired a bolt of energy at where the ship was flying to and caused it to stop, it turned to look at the source and gave Sora the chance to jump in a fast dash, he was on top of the ship and he looked down at a glass dome, finding a strange man in red robes talking to something in a plea, the boy yelled out in shock. "HEY! Stop this ship!"

The man looked up, revealing a face that was covered in a metallic mask that was feeding into a tube of wires, he revealed a backpack that had mechanical limbs and he pressed the various buttons. The ship barrel rolled and shook Sora off, he landed by a bench as Kairi and Riku went to his side, letting him get up as the ship flew around in a circle, Sora spoke of what he saw. "There was someone piloting that thing and he doesn't know what he is doing!"

Riku sighed and understood as he aimed his keyblade, waiting for a particular position. PEW! A beam fired and made contact with the ships, door, opening it and causing the ship to stop as he asked. "Then someone has to tell him to stop! Keep him busy while Kairi and I follow!"

Sora leaped once more and landed with in, he was greeted by an electrical shock from the pilots gun. The pilot yelled in a hostile growl. "BEGONE FROM THIS SACRED MACHINE INFIDEL! I MUST COMMUNICATE WITH THE MACHINE SPIRIT!"

He readied his gun again as Sora shook off the damage, rolled out of the way and saw Riku jump in, with Kairi holding onto his back. The two friends saw the scorch marks on the boy along with his hair standing, they glared at the man who was more machine and were ready to attack. Kairi noticed a floating skull with many mechanical tools attached, along with a shot gun, she dashed and knocked the skull out of its balance, leaving the man frustrated as Riku took his chance and pressed his keyblade right at his neck, glaring in anger as Kairi readied a healing spell for Sora. The silver haired boy ordered the man with a harsh tone. "You are going to stay still while we park this ship! Got that?"

The man beeped and pleaded. "Just... ask the ship before you pilot her back to that port! She is longing for something." The trio were confused as Sora felt the remedy and went to the ships main seat, he felt his heart connecting with a force wanting something and felt he understood. "Gummi ship... would you go back to where this guy found you? I... think he was bothering you."

The ship, hesitated, yet it flew back to a dock, where Cid and Leon awaited. Riku forced the mechanical man to walk out first and Cid looked at the strange man with annoyance. "What the hell were you trying to do? You could have killed somebody?"

Leon agreed and dared not lose his sight on the man. "Now would you tell us what your deal was with this ship?"

The mechanical man stared stoically as Sora and Kairi stepped out, the boy had charred marks and that risen Leon's fury to where he gave the mechanical man a stoic glare. "...And why did you hurt my friend?"

The man sparked someone out and answered. "He was about to deny my of my duty as a tech priest of the Adeptas Mechanicas! All who interfere with the Omnisiah must be enlighten through extreme force!"

Cid blinked and responded. "Tech Priest?! You just walked into a ship you knew nothing about and caused it go wild!"

The Tech Priest protested more. "I would have uncovered her secrets and she would have shared her knowledge with me in due time. Why hinder such technology?"

The group were ready to arrest the man as a group of Guardsmen ran towards them, gasping in shock at the Tech Priest as Tahm followed to see the man. He rolled his eyes and asked. "If you may, I like a word of my own."

Riku turned around to find the group and asked annoyed. "You know this person?"

The Commissar shook his head and answered. "Not him particular, but his order the Adeptas Mechanicas. They are a part of the Imperium of Man and are the ones who rediscovered and build our technology. With out them, we would be using nothing more than bows and catapults for our battles. Without him... we would have no way of salvaging our Valkyrie or knowing if she can be salvaged."

He coughed and finished. "I apologize on his behalf, but such an asset would be a waist if not... encouraged, regardless of his transgressions."

The group listened and Leon kept his guard. "...If you know more, then we will try to do it your way."

The Commissar smiled and approached the Tech Priest with a request. "If I may advise, would it be more productive to work along side the natives? Instead of taking authority as your own? Nothing good can come out of your current deeds."

The Tech Priest stared at imperial authority, realized who he was siding with and stubbornly submitted. "Nothing would, yet this ship seeks something-"

Sora agreed and asked. "When was this gummie ship built?"

Cid answered as he tried to remember the time. "I did the finishing touches just yesterday. You think this ship just wanted to set out?"

The tech priest listened and realized in a gasp. "Freedom, that is what she was trying to say?! The movement... it... makes... sense."

He looked upon the ship in fanatical marvel as Leon refused to let the man get away with his deeds, though he might help out the town in other ways. "But did she want to share that information with you? A stranger that freaked her out? You are still not getting off scott free, if you know of technology, the town could use some improvements and you are not going near the ship unless we say so! What is your name?"

The tech priest gave up and answered in a low tone. "Magitinus."

Leon felt some justice was done as he and Cid gave each other a communicative look, the man with the gun like blade lead the tech priest away as Cid saw Goofy and Donald approaching. "Well that's done, what else you got to do?"

Riku marked an objective as done and wished to finish up. "We have information we want to give to someone. Tahm, these two are people of authority, they need to know about what is going on."

The Commissar allowed it as Riku finished. "Then after that it depends on what is asked. There... might also be a kid that is going to try and help out if he can, we just found out he gotten a keyblade recently and we don't want someone that inexperienced getting into danger. If he is wandering here... figure out what he is doing."

Cid got it as Sora didn't wish to say goodbye yet. "It isn't that we don't want him to help, but we don't even know what is out there. We... will be back once we do."

The man understood and wished the group luck. "Then get out there! We will keep the town in check in the mean time!"

He looked at the Commissar and asked. "What of you and your buddies?"

Tahm looked back at stalwart men and faced back to the group. "We will assist in keeping watch. There is more details about our enemy I haven't revealed... but it is enough for today! But... I mean to ask."

He looked at the Gummi ship. "What... is this craft?"

Cid felt he had much to explain as he gave his parting to Sora and his group. "It might be different from what you are use to. I got this." Sora and his group understood and left for a return back to their duty, they feel another adventure has begun.

At a house near a shopping district.

Ken listened to an earful as his Mom finished. "I swear, you and your movie hobby has gotten you into more trouble every time. Do you know what you agreed to?"

Ken nodded and held his keyblade firm. "Something is going on and I want to do something about it. Come on mom, what would have happened if no one went out there to find those guys?"

Ken's mother agreed and asked back. "But was that the reason you went out there into danger?"

Ken felt a sting and shook his head. "N...No, but it became that."

Ken's mother hummed. "Uh huh! That was your reason to keep going! Think, if you had more experience, you would have done more to get them back town without that Anatesis doing most of the work. Most of what you learned about fighting, you learned from movies. This isn't a movie."

Ken agreed to that and asked her back. "And a lot of things get hand waved to make the things in those movies possible and when they play it straight, yikes. That is what you are trying to tell me?"

The mother agreed back and snapped her fingers. "There HAS to be a way you can still learn about that weapon. Who else here has a sword that shoots?"

Ken snapped his fingers. "I know who! Maybe I should ask him? Or the guys who know of a lasgun for more details?"

The mother nodded and stepped aside. "You should since that sounds a bit special. But I don't want you hanging around that Commissar, it sounded like he was barely tolerating you holding that thing and he would have given you worse if he wasn't so nice about it."

Ken agreed to that. "He aimed his gun at me and wanted me to drop the lasgun! Now I think he is going to be bitter that the lasgun is a keyblade! I'll be back to tell you whats up."

The mother wished him luck. "If you end up going on an adventure, come back and I'll make you some dinner before you leave!"

The boy appreciated it and went out, seeing parts of a town that was damaged, he asked himself. "That crazy ship really started doing a number. I should be quick."

He journeyed across the town towards where the committee were stationed and found Cid and the Commissar talking about something, Tahm noticed and adjusted his hat to the boy. "Looks like the call of duty reaches out once again! Young Kendry."

The teenage didn't expect such a greeting and waved back. "Hey Tahm, I hate to ask... but what do you know about a lasgun besides the obvious?"

The Commissar looked at the lasgun keyblade and answered. "It shouldn't matter now, but it is a simple rifle that shoots amplified beams of light. Heating through its target to... expected results. Alone, it is only efficient against unarmored foes as you seen... but enmasse there is few that can endure!"

He remembered the battle and guessed. "For what it is now, it could be more powerful to at least do damage to larger foes than just a... shadow. But I would suggest against using it on something like a tank. It took a demonic heralds head clean off."

Cid was half impressed and asked the kid. "That all you asked for?"

The boy shook his head. "No, I also want to know about how to shoot better and maybe there is someone with a gun sword that would... know."

Cid cringed and answered. "Check by the fountain, don't expect him to just let you go off. We had a little problem with a wise guy messing around with a gummi ship and we are trying to find out what to do with him."

Ken figured and thanked him. "I still want to try. Thanks for letting me know, Tahm, you too."

Both appreciated it and let him advance ahead, to a structure with a flowing fountain, he found Leon and a strange man in red robes, discussing something in regards to a shiny block like ship. The man in robes rubbed his hands together in glee. "A computer room that belonged to the former lord of the castle? Quite peculia-" Leon growled and agreed. "We don't know much about it other than it has a sentient program, but we use it for our Claymore defense system to keep the Heartless out of the town. It's fine as it is Magitinus, but we want to expand more. There was an old fortress that... needs to go."

That Magitinus wished to see, he noticed a teenager with a particular sword that quickly made his bifocal glow red. "What has he done to that lasgun?"

Leon readied his blade at Magitinus and warned him. "Remember, you are on probation!"

He looked at the keyblade and rolled his eyes less than amused. "And you are the kid that went out and had... that adventure. This is what Tahm meant by that gun changed?"

Ken agreed and asked. "It turned into a keyblade... I want to ask... I know your own sword is part gun."

Leon agreed back and simply instructed him. "Just aim the rear sight to where it is flat to where you want to shoot and pull the trigger. Since you are going to find enemies running at you, you need to do it in point blank range before they can attack. But then you have another way of attacking them. You know how to swing?"

Ken swung the blade to demonstrate and Squall felt the quick lesson was concluded, he realized the kid wished to ask for something else and shook his head. "Do you think you are even ready to go out in the universe? This gummi ship is going to have a bad record because somebody freaked it out."

Ken answered proudly. "I... think I can handle it. I was told this keyblade might be stronger in the shots than it was as a lasgun." Magitinus growled and shrieked. "Because you tampered with its designed you ignorant-" Squall swung his blade at the man and stopped as it was close to his skin. "Because his heart shined into something and the gun reflected on that! No one knows how the heart works, so he didn't... tampered the gun. Least... not on purpose. Who knows, it could be better."

Magitinus, protested and yelled. "No, it would be heresy! An act against the Machine god's wishes!"

Leon looked at the boy and asked him. "Do you want to show him how you can use that thing? Everything was a theory and we don't want you walking out here with some flash light that barely does anything."

Magitinus scoffed and stood to the side, ready for battle as he took out a gun with an electrical coil. "A lasgun like that is still a lasgun! Insignificant on its own! Now, see where you follow."

He tried to aim as Ken quickly aimed his, had the rear sight line up to the man's shoulder and pulled the trigger.

PEW!

The keyblade shot a beam of light, slammed into Magitinus and sent him back to a wall, causing him to drop his own gun. Ken fired once more at the priests other shoulder, causing both arms to become still. Leon signaled with his blade. "That's enough, Magitinus... is this the kind of power you were expecting?"

The tech priest looked upon his arms and at the keyblade Ken positioned to his side, he sighed impressed. "No, it was more significant than the expected fire power... but how? It's power pack... was not designed for that."

Leon looked at the keyblade and guessed. "Maybe... its power pack is drawing from something stronger. Can you still move?"

The Tech Priest had his floating skull float to his limbs, it readied repairs as he answered. "In a moment, be warned... it will take much to convince a Mechanicus of a higher rank than mine to allow this to... exist. If one was to see that."

Ken sighed and didn't care as Leon thought to himself. "What is wrong with these people?!"

The man looked at the gummi ship and back at the boy. "Now you need to get off this world. But is this gummi ship going to let you? It operates based on the heart of the pilot." Ken wished to find out and approached. "Maybe... I shouldn't use to to fly a place so far away from here... least not yet."

The ship opened its door without hesitation, the Tech Priest's tube twitched in amazement as the boy stepped in, climbing up a stair way to a main seat. He sat on it and placed his keyblade to another, nice and secure. Something about having a way to travel, felt right. He closed his eyes and smiled as his keyblade shined, revealing to him a vision of a keyhole like gate. "Yeah... yeah! I think I'll call you... Brynhildr... those guys talk about a Valkyrie and if you are like that... then you should be like those ships. What do you think?"

He opened his eyes and felt the space more homely. He felt it was an agreement as he stepped off, took his keyblade and asked. "Brynhildr, I got to do a couple things before I come back. Would... you like to wait a little longer?"

The lights shined in a variety of colors and the boy felt like a yes was said. He stepped out with a proud smile and let Leon know. "Brynhildr wants to take me to a lot a places! But before I do so, I want to finish a promise I made with my mom. That okay?"

The man didn't mind. "Long as someone knows where you have gone."

Ken appreciated it and thanked him. "Thanks for the help!"

He walked back and left, the Tech Priest felt envious. "How... how were they able to communicate so well?"

Leon shrugged. "I don't know! And I want to forget about what you done, so... how can we-"

At the mysterious tower.

Yen Sid and Mickey were astonished and disturbed by the knowledge obtained, the journal with the altered page was the most forefront. The wizard kept calm and asked. "So that is the name of these fiends, you are all right to presume why would the Heartless be drawn to these... daemons."

Riku agreed and restated the theory. "The daemons of chaos seem to be made from darkness, that is what the heartless seek after all. Unlike the heartless, it seems the daemons are much more aware and that is why they would be worse in some areas. We... only had someones words to go by about this."

Mickey agreed to that and was concerned about something. "But they sound like they had experience with them... more than they want. You all made sure that keyblade wielder would be away from that danger?"

Sora thought so. "Unless his heart tells him to do more, he is just going to explore."

He, Donald and Goofy cringed at a realization, there was a topic they must return to, the young teenager asked. "Hey... if... those daemons are made from darkness... wouldn't... they want to get close to that? If they and the heartless could... become one-" Kairi added in to the theory and felt something was wrong and dire, deep with in her soul. "That man said... something about a warp... that might be where the daemons came from-" Mickey gasped and continued that. "If the Warp is like that... then it is like the Realm of Darkness... but... more chaotic." His eyes widened. "Oh no!"

Yen Sid realized the complication and asked the mouse. "You're Majesty... was there ever a time we should have taken this knowledge as a priority?"

Mickey tried to keep himself calm and apologized. "There... wasn't at the time. I was busy trying to seal the Door to Darkness with Sora... and that was the last time I found out Aqua was trapped in that realm. Then she disappeared when me and Riku escaped."

Sora, Riku and Kairi were taken aback by the name, Kairi asked with her hands at her hips. "Aqua?! You... knew of her and you didn't tell anyone?"

Mickey sighed to that. "Then me and Riku were busy trying to wake Sora up from an adventure, that took a whole year. Then Organization XIII caused trouble. When that was all over, we invited you three because there were still things not wrapped up."

Riku guessed with a raised eyebrow. "Aqua? Since this was the second time I been in that realm and besides Sora... there was no one else. We... never really understood how that door to the light opened."

Mickey nodded as Yen Sid spoke of another. "And of the very foe that has affected your lives. Xehanort. Sora, you destroyed his heartless over a year ago?"

The boy nodded and remembered old reports he and Jiminy read. "He was trying to consume the worlds in darkness and needed to be stopped. He caused all of that."

The wizard nodded as Riku remembered of the other. "Then his Nobody, Xenmas, tried to obtain the power of Kingdom Hearts for himself and he needed to be stopped. Wouldn't he stop being a problem now?"

The wizard and mouse wished it would have, Mickey answered the boy. "If a heartless is destroyed... and their nobody is destroyed after that, then there is a chance that the whole person would be restored. If Xehanort's Heartless and Nobody's plans involved Kingdom Hearts, the heart of all worlds... then the whole would just try again."

Riku and Sora cringed at the looming problem on top of the current one, the silver haired teenager sighed. "And he would do it at a bad time with all this chaos stuff going on? He would have been something you told us about then had that Defiler never came." He raised three fingers at what was needed to be done. "So we need to save this Aqua before long. Be ready for Xehanort AND try to contain all the trouble that is going on in the worlds."

He smiled arrogantly and extended his hand to a wall. "I can handle getting Aqua back, anything about her I need to know?"

A forming darkness pooled and the group were astonished, Sora and Kairi tried to stop him, Riku sensed something amiss as the darkness bled across the floor. Riku tried to cease his focus and the bleeding darkness intensified, it was not a corridor that opened, but a wound, snarling was heard and something leaped out, a crimson red, reptilian hound with a symbol of an deformed eight on its flank and a brass collar on its neck. It lunged at the teenagers as Goofy dashed to push them away, he readied a shield and blocked the hounds mighty jaws, Sora heard more coming and aimed his keyblade at the corridor of darkness. Firing a beam to close off the way as Donald aimed his staff at the hound and fired a fire ball, it caused no damage, save for causing it to cease its attack on Goofy. It focused a blue eyed, hateful glare at Donald. The mage felt his legs freeze as he looked at the glowing blue eyes, a voice in his mind whispered as the hound snarled even worse than before. "You're a dead duck!"

It leaped at him to go for the kill. SLASH! In a flash of light, Mickey was at the other side of the hound with a keyblade in hand, the hound began to dissolved in red mist, sent back from where it came.

Riku froze at what he done as Donald quacked at him. "DON'T OPEN ONE OF THOSE WITHOUT ASKING US!"

Yen Sid agreed and advised. "This is a disturbing occurrence regardless of the dangers already present... the Daemons of Chaos are with in the darken realm?"

Riku felt himself stiffened as Kairi asked the wizard with frustration. "And Aqua is in there! You are saying our only way into the Realm of Darkness is a bigger danger because those Daemons are waiting on the other side?"

Yen Sid didn't wish to say it was and kept silent as Goofy and Donald looked at where the hound was, the shield bearer answered. "And maybe all those dangers was why something else was going to be talked about. Trying to get all of us ready for that trip?"

The wizard nodded to that. "It was. Sora, as impressive as you and Riku's feats were, you are not ready to really venture with in that realm, least of all for battling Xehanort at his whole! Kairi-" He looked at her most stern. "You had only recently acquired a keyblade and are barely a novice, understand why you may fall behind."

That much they did as Kairi blushed. "Hey... I learned a couple spells that Sora and Riku taught me about."

Sora sighed and had his hands at the back of his head with doubts. "You will get use to it eventually." He realized something and asked. "Hey, if a keyblade is tied to the heart... and Kairi is... a Princess of Heart... wouldn't that... make her a bit special when she figures out the keyblade?"

The group never considered that as Donald guessed. "Maybe, that's a awfully smart question coming from you."

Sora smiled unaware, realized what his friend meant and protested in his own defense. "Hey!"

Mickey broke the forming argument and felt the question was to consider. "A Princess of Heart's heart is of pure light. So if Kairi learns more about her keyblade... then she might be able to use that light." He looked at her uncertain of something. "But that might take a while to learn and we don't have the time for any training."

The trio considered that a disappointment as Kairi thought of something. "So what we learn is going to be out there. But... we need to know before we get ready for the next step-" She had a faint memory of a blue haired woman most heroic, nearly smiling at the sweet memory. "Who is Aqua?"

The mouse answered, knowing they need to at least know who the spoken hero looked like. "She is someone I am friends with, she has great skill with the keyblade... to where she has reached the rank of a Keyblade Master. If... we find a woman with blue hair, that is her, she sometimes has special armor as well."

Kairi's memory served her well. "So, once we figure out fully on what is going on, we will find a way to get into the Realm of Darkness and go save Aqua?" She asked her friends. "Where should we start though?"

Yen Sid and Mickey felt the enthusiasm welcoming in the dark times ahead, the wizard spoke of unusual news. "Through out the many worlds... those that were affected by the turmoil would still require aid, your hearts will guide you. Yet one world particular had opened its way... has awaken, in this tiring times."

He aimed his hand and through an illusion, conjured the image of an old town under a perpetual, starry night. "Traverse Town... are you aware of what this worlds purpose is?"

Sora remembered fondly as Goofy answered. "That is the world that came when people lost theirs to the Heartless, those that remain always find a home there! Since the worlds were restored... what happened to that world?"

Yen Sid smiled and answered the observant knight. "Then it would return back to its slumber until the need arises once more. But... why would it awaken again if the heart of the worlds are sealed away?"

Riku gasped and knew. "Because... people that were separated from their worlds... with no way back... are there now. Separated under similar circumstances like those guardsmen? They need that world, someone needs to look into that."

They agreed and Mickey asked. "Riku, do you want me to come with you? It feels like what ever is in that world might be where most of this is occurring."

Riku didn't mind and asked. "While we are there, I... want some questions as well. Nothing too personal."

Mickey knew what the focus was going to be about and accepted it as the sound of ships came, Yen Sid had further instructions for the group. "Then this means you might be going about your separate ways, we have commissioned the construction of more gummi ships while you are away."

Sora nearly went into a pout. "This means we won't be going there together, aw man." Kairi didn't mind that. "But they will take us to where we need to be, so it isn't like it will be for long." That the group agreed, their hearts know what needs to be done.

In a darkened realm, by a shore most peculiar.

A blue haired maiden in a black and blue, sleeveless dress that was complimented by white arm cloth, white highlights and grey boots, stared with in the water. Counting the minutes she had been in the forsaken realm, so long without contact, so long without much knowledge of the world she knew, save for what she seen. She pondered in the darkness, waiting for a respite, and found with in the sky, a brief shine. A comet of two tails, shined in the sky, it was an odd sight, one that should not be, the maiden saw the tails shift with in the comet and saw it form like a fire ball. She gasped, realized the comet was heading towards her and back flipped to the side, moments away from the fire ball closing in, she saw the fire's heat, grazing her, with in was something of a disc like chariot, drawn by twin blue, manta like rays that had rows of teeth and many eyes, riding on top was a pink fiend of many limbs, readying a fire ball from its hands and aiming it at her. The maiden caused a black keyblade with a grey hilt to form in her right hand and readied to block the bolt. She saw more of the fiend, a bird like head, it gave a malicious smile as he fired a blue bolt. It pushed her close to the water, the maiden was ready for battle. The fiend on top of the chariot focused on one of the many books on the disc and with sheer will, had the rays steer the chariot, the maiden heard a voice in her mind, one taunting and burning. "The tides of fate have not been kind! Always pushing and pulling back what you desire! We can change that."

The maiden knew the fiend meant ill will and waited. The rays pushed and built up speed to make a lethal charge, the maiden flipped again and fired a bolt of ice, lightly scratching the mighty chariot. The fiend glowed and grumbled in frustration at something. "No, no! I am the master of this ones fate! Oh Architect of Fate, let me make it so!" The maiden saw her chance and did an act most reckless, such that even this fiend would not predict, she jumped on the chariot and readied her keyblade, fiend shrieked and swiped with his small dagger, he was parried and struck back.

The rays looked upon the battle and with a force of will, flew, pushing the chariot along with them. The maiden looked down to find that the chariot had left the ground and was flying high up, into the sky of the void. If she was knocked off, it would mean doom! The fiend glowed and swung again, the woman readied a parry and saw in a blink of an eye, the fiend's readied blow was brought back to before, not after. SWING! She felt the blades sting at her abdomen and struck again. The fiend knew the maiden was more skilled in close combat and grappled her, trying to toss her off the chariot, laughing madly. The maiden pushed back with all her strength, kept an even footing and pushed back, shoving the fiend off his balance and hitting it in the head with the hilt of her blade, knocking it off of her and off the chariot, sending it screaming into the darkness bellow. The maiden felt relief of one threat gone and realized another, how is she to control the chariot, what is more, are the rays continuing to carry her to danger?

The rays swerved to the left to perform a barrel roll, the maiden held on to a stand with a book, seeing her answer. She focused on the stub of their tails and swung her keyblade repeatedly, causing one to vanish in blue energy on the repeated blows and for the chariot to lower itself to an unknown, cragged landscape. She struck again repeatedly, the chariot was free falling, the maiden jumped off and with a focus of will, caused the air to push up against her, slowing her fall as she watched the chariot crash into a mountain, exploding into a colorful inferno. The maiden wondered what that was and heard thunder in the sky, looking to the south, towards a vast plane, another star has appeared, falling in a mixture of lightning and fire that seemed to be clashing. More dangers trend the darkened realm, more dangers to fight. With in the darkness came many yellow eyes, floating towards her were massive grotesque orbs with a large maw. A swarm of ten, she quickly struck them down and made her dash towards the impending crash site, a forest with a nearby lake, surrounding it were an odd sight of shadows and eight odd, red, demonic creatures with blackened blades fighting each other. One particular, larger than the others and equipped with an axe that was adorned with a central skull, sliced a humanoid shadow in two, disappointed that it dissolved in mist. It noticed something and turned its head to the north, seeing the maiden in blue and smelling something, his battle worn face gave an expression of contempt and he approached her. "Magi! KILL!"

A demon listened and raised a banner dripping with a crimson liquid, causing the herald to approach in unnatural speeds, like it was warping in between reality. He swung his axe at her neck, the maiden crouched to dodge and struck the demon in the chest with her keyblade, she kicked it back, the many demons noticed more at the challenge and chanted to her. "For the Lord of Battles! Slay or be slain!"

The herald listened and hissed. "You must!" He howled at her and tried to strike again. "YOU MUST SLAY OR BE SLAIN!" The woman back flipped to dodge and charged close to the fiend, striking it more and kicking towards the center of the arena.

What dark creatures are these?

The herald twitched tried to charge, he was distracted and looked up to find bolt of lightning and an inferno falling upon him. BOOM!

A flash of light nearly blinded the maiden, when the vision cleared, she saw the many fiends snarling at the image before her, a mighty winged demon that laid on its back, trying to reach for a silver warrior that had blue shoulder pads, a mighty hammer was deep with in the demons chest and the warrior kicked it deeper in, causing the demon to grunt and collapse, both the warrior and maiden saw surrounding the demon, a crater of blood and fire. The demons hissed and charged at the warrior that pulled, the maiden knew the warrior needed help and leaped into the fray, striking three of the demons down and distracting the remaining four. The warrior drew the hammer out and swung at the two to her right. Leaving the last two demons to try and attack one each, the maiden dodged as the warrior took the blow, they struck again and sent the demons fading in red, blood smelling mist.

The warrior got off the demon and watched it envelope in warping energy, it slithered into the ground, like it was being dropped back from where it came. In place of it was a simple crater that had an crack in the pattern of an oddly shaped eight. The warrior most glistening looked down at the just as confused maiden, like it was a face neither expected to see in the realm, the maiden looked to see a helmet looking like a stoic humans face and asked. "T...thanks, where... did you come from?"

The warrior noticed the odd sword and answered. "I was battling by a Realmgate before I got dragged into more battles. I was apparently near a town in a world with light when I had to do what I had to do to protect others from nightmares like that." She whistled at the stress. "The war against the Forces of Chaos seem to never end." She looked around to guess. "I ought to be thankful that I didn't land in the Realm of Chaos, or I would be in a doomed battle."

The maiden sighed and warned her. "I'm not sure if this place is any better, you are in the Realm of Darkness."

She and the warrior sensed something and looked to the east, finding something of red eyes in the darkness, it backed away and gave more sense of danger, the warrior sighed. "If that was something you are use to fighting, then it is going to get worse with these deamons crawling around."

She readied her hammer and looked to a passage to the west, a rocky bridge over a darken abyss. "What's you name miss?"

The maiden felt she could trust the warrior and introduced herself. "Aqua. What is yours... or... what are you?"

The warrior thought it wouldn't hurt and took off her helmet, revealing a feminine face with tanned skin, a braided black mohawk and a scar on her left cheek, smiling like one who been through many battles and appreciate someone who would hold her own. "Anatesis, I am a Stormcast Retributor! A Hollow Knight of the God King Sigmar!"

Aqua saw the stormy grey eyes eager for the next battle as Anatesis saw ocean blue eyes. The maiden followed along, desperate for some company. "That was a lot in one setting, I am a Keyblade Master... trying to get out of this place so I can save two friends of mine. But... I don't know where to start."

Anatesis grunted and lead the way into the dark realm. "Then we ought to at least try! Better to have some company to battle along side then to fight the tides of darkness by yourself!" Aqua agreed and asked with concern for the brave warrior. "Do you know about what those... demons are? Actually, I fought something before I came here that was riding on a burning chariot... like that demon, they seem to be more aware compared to the dark dwellers I normally fight."

Anatesis gasped and shook her head. "Then you ought to just mark them as more creatures of darkness. Those are Chaos Daemons! You either fought an exalted flamer or a fate skimmer, both daemons that serve a treacherous foe... the ones back there were bloodletters and a bloodthirster! They serve an embodiment of war."

Aqua felt the words burn and felt something was stalking her. "So they were just more monsters? Anatesis... you... don't know what else might be here?"

The Stormcast looked ahead and felt the sinking feeling that something was watching her, in the vast darkness were yellow eyes most familiar. "...Heartless? Creatures made of shadows that hunt people? This is there realm?"

Aqua nodded and heard crawling, she had her keyblade held tightly. "That must be the name, they attack regularly and without warning."

The Stormcast felt the hostile presence ever so closer and turned around to see faint, red glowing eyes stalking, then a faint shine was seen from behind, revealing a dark, reptilian like creature with chains, it was scared of the light and it crawled away into the darkness. Aqua looked up suspiciously and saw stars not like what she seen, it resembled something of a toad on a throne. The glow seemed welcoming, Anatesis turned back and saw the constellation, she nearly burst into a triumphant vigor. "Ha, ha! Just when we thought we were trapped, it seems we have a helping hand in the most unusual places. Aqua, you never heard of the Seraphon?" The maiden did not. "Are... they friends of yours?"

The Stormcast shook her head. "Not quite, but they are close allies of ours. Always fighting the powers of chaos when they can and seek to bring order from the madness. Reptilian warriors that serve their... odd masters, the Slann! But how was the Starborne able to find us?" She gasped and smiled at an idea. "Someone told them."

She guessed by the position of the stars and asked Aqua. "It's going to be a far ways travel and with a lot of dangers, are you ready?"

The maiden found it difficult to believe, a sickly, buzzing voice in her mind gave a faint whisper, a whisper that was bloated out by a hope. "If... it is what you say it is." The two warriors journeyed to a cragged pathway, is there really a light shining in the vast darkness?


	4. Of Great Power and of Great Faith

In a gummi ship sailing across the Lanes in Between, Ken watched the ship shoot down a flying heartless ship and saw in the distance, a sphere, one of a grassy world with a single keep. He didn't feel like something was amiss, yet he felt like there was something worth observing. "Brynhildr, I don't know if there is anything too drastic going on, but I want to go explore this place. I... never seen a forest in person before."

The ship felt there wasn't much harm and flew closer, the boy felt a light enveloping him and he stood up with his keyblade ready. When the light faded, he was in a vast forest, close by a dreadful keep. The sound of men grunted and grumbled, the boy stepped aside by a tree, he looked on to find five scruffy thugs in medieval clothes, spears, axes and maces, none looking friendly. One particular, a man with a helmet, a mouth full of rancid teeth and an axe, cursed loudly. "DRAT! That pig keeper and the lot got away! Now someone got to tell HIM what happened!"

Another man with a dirty nose and unkempt beard agreed with him. "Along with the pig going missing!" He jabbed at his partner jolly. "Hey, least that's that little Creepers job! HA! HA!"

The men laughed at the expense of someone else, Ken cringed and kept quiet, yet he felt a crawling feeling on his left hand, he focused and saw a brown recluse spider, his hand was at its web. The boy knew this was one of the most venomous spiders know to man and yelped, shaking it off and drawing the attention of the five men that readied their weapons. They saw the odd clothes and the odd pristine spear with downward blades, they readied their weapons and the leader of the group growled. "Are ya a noble spying on us?"

Ken sensed the hostility and evil in the men's eyes and pleaded. "N...no, I just got here."

The man with the axe didn't believe it and growled. "Poppycock! No one looking like you would dare venture into the Horned King's keep without a reason. He is going to be mad enough as it is."

The bearded man whispered to his partner. "Hey, maybe the Horned King could have a use for him. Or we get something out of this runt!"

The leader agreed to the idea as the many readied their weapons. "Yeah, that is a good idea."

They all gave malicious smiles as Ken readied his spear like keyblade like a rifle. "Back away, I'm warning you!"

The men refused to listen and charged, Ken felt he saw the most delicate knees of the group, the spear glowed a faint yellow. PEW!

Light shined and shot the most left distant man, a bald and dimwitted one, on the knee, causing him to yell in pain and fall over. Another shot was at the most right distant man, one with short dirty hair, he met similar results. The remaining trio backed away for a moment, the leader gasped. "That spear is magic!"

Ken looked confused at the statement and saw he had an advantage. He shot at the third man, an unimpressive one with a mustache, he readied his shield and the boy smiled as he backed away to an advantage.

PEW!

Right at the knees once more, sent the thug falling down from a burn, the remaining two looked at each other and knew more was occurring. The leader asked. "The boy's weapon is stronger than we expected, should we tell... him?"

The dirty beard man nodded. "The Horned King could have a use for that!"

They turned around to run as the injured three tried to get up and flee limping. Ken barked at them. "That's right cowards! Run!"

He glared and looked around, knowing more was going to come and likely be wise to such an underhanded tactic. "I got to hide before they return." To the south was a brush, that would mark his escape. He surveyed the deep forest and found few things of note, save for two blackened creatures with yellow eyes and in brown barbarians attire. Goofily carrying maces as they searched for prey, with them were two green, lantern like Heartless that floated around, with in the shadows were yellow eyes that looked at Ken. They found prey. The boy tried to keep quiet and felt his keyblade heating up, with such power, fleeing wasn't the only option.

He fired at one of the charging barbarians, piercing a hole in its shoulders, one of the two lanterns glowed green to heal the Heartless. Ken dashed to the side to dodge as a shadow emerged from the darkness and clawed at him, he felt the sting of pain and aimed at the flying lanterns. PEW!

One was shot through its head and it popped, releasing a glowing heart as the rest of the body faded. He knew what had to be done, shoot the healers. He fired again at the other, slaying it as the barbarians stomped and made a frantic, fast pace charge. The boy barely dodged with a side step and fired at the two, one fell dead with its heart freed and another rolled to a tree. Three shadows pounced at Ken and he thrust with the spear, lightly grazing them, yet flipping them on their backs, giving the boy time to shoot the last barbarian and for him to focus on dispatching the shadows. Leaving him alone and to the sound of a river to the east. He thought of a plan to keep himself hidden from the Horned King as he traveled. "If... I walk in the river and to a lake away from that keep... I wouldn't leave behind any tracks for the way I came... but I would need to dry myself and wait it out."

He nodded at his own idea and found tracks that came from the river. Two toed and hoofed, Ken thought nothing of it and heard shivering just to his left, by a worn out tree. A pig that looked to have escaped death and was too tired to go on. That changed the boys plans. "Wha-" He remembered what the men were looking for and thought to himself. "Those guys are after this pig."

The tired pig noticed the boy and squealed, sprinting towards a bush to the south west, leading to a vast field of flowers, Ken sighed to himself. "If I just leave this pig be, he is going to die out here." He followed without much thought, leading to the edge of flowers, the squealing became worse and Ken listened to the source, ahead was a ledge with four flower like heartless, snaring the pig in rooted vines. The boy shook his head and aimed his spear, shooting one until it released its heart and drawing attention of the others, he dodged the roots and was coughing from intense pollen.

PEW!

PEW!

Another was dead, followed by another, the roots faded and the pig dropped on its face, noticing that the boy was at least somewhat of a fighter. He oinked and head butted the remaining, distracting it for the boy to shoot once more. The spear let loose a faint smoke and the pig turned around to see it, the spear wasn't what it seemed, the boy felt like the truth would be complicated for such a creature as he lowered himself to a welcoming crouch. "This spear is a little more than just magic... in fact the truth of the spear could be something pretty simple if I showed you. But for now, lets just call it a spear, it was forged for a simple purpose, yet it can become something greater. So pig... you running from some crooks as well?"

The pig grunted, nodded and felt trusting of the boy, he looked to the other side of the flower field and saw another patch of trees that lead to the other side of a mountain, Ken felt it was adequate enough. "That is where you want to head to?" He smiled back at the pig in gratitude. "Thank you for helping out at the end, but there is just going to be more of those monsters coming after the two of us. How about we travel together unti-" SCREECH!

A distant shriek was heard, the boy stopped and looked up to find two, draconic serpents flying to the sky, he and the pig dashed to a tree to take cover and watched them fly around the field, looking for something. Both felt their hearts beating as the creatures looked towards the east and flew off. Ken saw they were gone and signaled to the pig. "We need to be in cover again soon, let's get going before they come back!" The pig agreed and followed the boy, surely he would guide her to her destination.

In another world, in a town under perpetual night.

Riku felt a hint of nostalgia and looked up to the gorgeous sky as Mickey looked around to find little had changed at the gates of the lamp lighten town. "Traverse Town is always there when someone needs home."

Riku shook his head at some memories and asked the mouse. "Mickey, you knew that I was trying to use the powers of darkness to help Sora... and you said nothing about Aqua. Why? We could have rescued her much earlier while Sora was sleeping instead of having to worry about her along with all... of that."

Mickey took a deep breath, that information really was crucial. "...Because after what happened, I didn't think you would want to go back in there. It's easy to get in but it was hard to get out."

Riku agreed with that and looked at a roof, finding something large with feathers, being ridden by a small figure in metal armor that had green cloth, the figure had helm was complimented by feathers. Mickey heard a squawk and looked up to find more, a large, bird like steed with the posterior of a big cat, the figure riding it had a war hammer in hand and whispered something to it. The bird flew down to the gate and had a closer look at the mouse, its hostility lessened as the figure ordered with a thick, feminine accent. "Easy girl! We both know he isn't one of them!"

The woman looked down at the two and asked. "Halt there lads, what is a bunch of strangers like you doing here?"

Riku looked at the imperial attire and asked. "You just came here as well?" The woman sighed and pointed her thumb to the town. "We just settled in today after a Realmgate we were guarding went kablooey with power. It was nasty battle I tell you that. My freeguild barely reached there when the Stormcasts came to our aid." She felt the two could be trusted and introduced herself. "Me name is Wanda Auty and this girl right here." She petted the bird creature. "Is my gryphon Stalwing." She looked at Mickey and apologized. "Sorry for the sudden arrival, we thought you was a Skaven for a moment!"

The mouse asked and expected from the body language. "Skaven? You are not friends with those?"

Wanda gasped and burst into laughter. "OH, HO, HO, HO! By Sigmar's beard NO! They are some of the most vile things to ever plague the realms!"

She had her Gryphon turn around and slowly walk to an inn in the north eastern corner of the district, having the two follow her, around the town was a group of men in medivial armor, some tending to creatures greatly similar to the gryphon while others were repairing a steam punk tank. The duo saw that the group were making themselves at home or just preparing for another battle. Riku asked the woman. "Have... you found anything else here? We came to this place under an investigation. This town... doesn't always show up."

Wanda answered as they reached the inn, confused by the statement. "This is just another realm, we are all lucky that the realmgate didn't send us to Shyish or some other realm not so welcoming! It's a bit spooky how no one else was here, gorgeous it maybe. That is what me and my Freeguild are doing here, surveying the town before we let them go back to their duties. Setting up a bit of civilization for anyone wandering here."

Riku assured the general with a slight smile. "Oh, I promise you, there isn't a whole lot here on its own. That is the nature of this world... but you may need to know about some creatures that might attack people... have you seen... some strange things that lurked in the shadows or look dark?"

Wanda tried to remember and snapped her fingers. "There might be one that my scouts suspected to be scurrying around." She took out a scroll and showed the duo an image of a small, green creature that was riding on what looked like a large, black spider that had a pattern resembling a red orb. The green creature was in tribal wears and looked vicious, Wanda had the name ready to leave her throat when the sound of a panicking man came from the south west of the town.

"G...G..Gloomspites!" The man tripped and looked behind himself to make sure there wasn't anything following. Mickey gave the man a heal with a spell as Riku helped him up, Wanda asked her subordinate. "Which one Parkens? Moonclan? Troggoth? Spiderfangs?!" The jittering man pressed his hands together and showed the image like a spider, he blurted. "F...Fountain they... come from the sewers!"

The woman gasped, took out a horn and blew it, letting loose an echo that could be heard from across the town, the six knights with the demigryphs looked at their leader who ordered. "Alright ladies and gentleman! We got ourselves a Spiderfang infestation at that pretty garden! Let's clear them out!"

Riku stopped the gryphon that was ready to take flight and asked. "Would you mind telling us what is a spider fang?"

Wanda barked it to him, her and her steed were eager for battle. "They are a clan of moonspit gitz... or goblins. They are all associated with spiders in just about any way and are all fanatical about worshiping those giant arachnids. But it isn't the grots you need to worry about oh no!"

Riku guessed. "It's the spiders?"

The woman nodded to that. "They grow from about as big as a horse to the Arachnaroks that are bigger than these houses! If we don't clear them out, the grots would try to capture us in our sleep and feed us to their spiders."

Mickey was astonished and asked. "But there only way into the water way would be on foot, not a lot of these gryphons can fit down there. Besides is a... clearing necessary?"

Wanda growled and jumped off her gryphon, she petted her steed in apology and asked her. "Stalwing, go fly the skies to see if there is any more surprises in this town!" She yelled out to her men. "We are having to do this one on foot! Get the muskets ready and hope for the best!" She answered Mickey's other question. "It's them or us! The Gloomspites exist only for destruction because this is what they do. The Spiderfangs just simply live among the dwellers of the web and learn their ways!"

Riku hummed and asked. "If you are going to be driving them off, do you mind if we help? There has to be a balance somewhere."

Wanda rolled her eyes and let the duo follow. "I know what you are trying to say, it's because you know this realm is suppose to welcome everyone that got lost! But in the wild, you have to stand your own if you want to last! How are you two going to fight though?" Riku and Mickey showed her their keyblades, with some promise that they know how to fight a multitude.

Wanda appreciated it, she and her men marched towards the fountain of the town and found many webs being weaved, they keep watch of the alley ways as Riku and Mickey felt they were being watched.

Skitter, skitter!

The men stopped and looked around as Wanda readied her war hammer, they knew something was coming, Riku and Mickey saw something pounced at a soldier, straight from the shadows, a goblin on a spider the size of a horse, the spider was blue and had green stripes, with red war paint resembling fangs, five more lunged from the shadows as the soldier panicked and swung a small pace on the spiders head.

The others fired. BOOM! BOOM!

Two of the spiders fell dead and the goblins riding them shrieked and tried to run back into the darkness, Wanda bashed another to a fountain and watched the spider splatter with the goblin twitching in shock. Mickey swung his keyblade at the spider attacking the cornered soldier as Riku took his chance and leaped on the remaining one, going for the goblin and knocking him off, with ease, he tried to strike the spider and the arachnid flung him off with its hind legs. It hissed, used its forelegs to grab the goblin and scurried to a man hole. It gave off a shriek that left Wanda annoyed as Mickey knocked the last one prone. The woman heard skittering from the man hole and tensed up. "Ready yourself, that one just alerted the nest!"

BOP!

The man hole was flung open by a pair of long chitinous legs, crawling out was a spider even larger than the others, but not as large as Riku and Mickey feared, on top was a tribal goblin wearing an ornamental mask that resembled a spider, his spear was dripping in venom and he hissed to the grot bellow. "I gots it, keep witchy witch and fatty busy while I skewer these bloody hummies and the mouse!" He glared at Riku and the spider flung a sticky web at him, it yanked him towards the spider into the wide open area as the goblin snickered in spite and raised his hand. "I learns this one trick, keep us from getting together and swarm will they?!"

A barrier formed, blocking Riku away from a group that were astonished and tried to break it down. The boy wondered. "What... did he mean by witch?"

He readied his sword and cut himself free from the web as the spider sprinted towards him. The boy dodged and circled behind the duo, he dashed and swung with his keyblade, causing the spider to howl as the grot faced the boy and thrust his spear. "OH NO YOU DON'T! FACE SKITS TO HIS FACE!"

Riku dodged the spear aiming for his face and jumped on top of the spiders head, the goblin tried to face around and was struck in the face by the keyblade. He squealed and tried to fight back as the spider tried to knock the boy off with its legs, Riku kicked the goblin off and to the left, causing the spider to frantically strike him off. The boy felt the ground and watched the goblin pull himself up and cheer. "SKITS IS GOING TO GET YA! THE SPIDAH MADAH BE PLEASED!"

The spider contemplated picking the goblin up to safety and striking Riku as the sound of a panic was heard from bellow. The spider turned around as the Goblin listened and pulled his own ears in frustration. "WHAT IS IT THIS TIME?!"

The sound of squeaking from bellow and a glow of green gave away what it was, the Goblin gasped as Riku took his chance and leaped at the tiny fiend, with his keyblade at his shoulder, the spider looked bellow and saw a glow of green and yellow, he hissed to the goblin to let him know something was wrong. The barrier faded and Riku had a guess who the Goblin might have mention. "Alright, speak before I put you out of your misery, who is this witchy witch?"

The goblin panted in a craze and answered. "Green witchy that look like one of those dragon thingies! Nasty spells and speak of evil! Great Shaman Venom Dancah told her to zog off when she offer dark buggies for our helps! Fatty tried pushing the spiders around."

Riku lessen his glare and muttered. "She isn't..." The goblin realized he had a chance to save not only his own hide but the hide of his kin. "Y...Yes she is. Me tinks she came around after finding all you hummies mucking about. Sneaky! Me also tinks there is something much worse down there. You tinks you can figure it out?"

Wanda glared at him and approached for her own interrogation. "And why should we work with you? What is to keep you all from coming after us again?"

The goblin blinked, looked dumbfounded on his scheme and smiled at something he was seeing. "You is stuck here with us as well? How many of ya's we got? There... yes, there be a lot of fighting down der and I needs to get to the nest."

Riku advised Wanda. "I don't trust this goblin, but I know just the person he is talking about. We need to stop what ever havoc is going on down there. NOW!"

That Wanda agreed as she ordered her men. "Clear out the cob webs and keep watch! Grot... what's your name?" The goblin answered as he saw the hummies had little choice. "Stingy Bites! Scuttleboss Stingy Bites!" Wanda settled for that ordered Riku to let the grot go and was ready to climb down as Mickey knew fully the threat occuring and was the first to jump down. "Excuse me, but she needs to be stopped!"

Riku, Wanda and Stingy Bites heard fighting of a blade immediately happening bellow, the boy jumped in after the mouse as the goblin climbed on his concerned spider and followed, he blew his tongue out at the woman. "See yas down there! HA, HA, HA!"

Wanda puffed her cheeks up and jumped in, into a sewer filled with cob webs, spiders and goblins frantically attacking dark shadows, while both were avoiding shots of green stone from particular visitors. Hideous rat men with guns shooting out the bullets, accompanied by a twenty fold swarm of rat men. Wanda gasped and barked as Riku and Mickey were trying to dodge the shadows and the shooting rats. "Riku, Mickey, we got Skaven!"

Stingy Bites pounced on one of the gunners with his spider and had it bit it dead as he ordered his spider riders. "THE HUMMIES AND THE FUNNY RAT IS ON OUR SIDE NOW! LETS GET EM!"

The confused goblins listened and focused on the rat men that were caught unaware as Riku and Mickey took down the swarm of ten shadow heartless. The five of the Skaven shrieked at the frantic spiders biting down ten of their own, kicked another five to take the bites in their stead and ran to a pipe, leaving the lone gunner to be struck down by Wanda's war hammer. Brutal, yet Riku felt an odd stench from with in the Skaven. "Those rat people... those are the Skaven?!"

Wanda nodded and wished to lead the charge. "Ya, the few things I hate more than some grots. Beware, these things would try anything just to cause death n misery."

Mickey looked around to see the dead Skaven, spiders and goblins, depressed of what was occurring. "The Skaven are actually worse?"

Wanda cringed at memories as Stingy Bites had little care and yelled. "COME ON, SPIDAH MADAH'S NEST IS JUST AWAY AT THE LEFT PIPE!"

The Spiderfang tribe scuttled to the pipe ahead, Riku, Mickey and Wanda followed the narrow path and found themselves in a wider space, walk ways leading to many places in the town and a pipe to the left infested with webs, standing in front was a sight that nearly made Riku arachnophobic, a giant spider with a swollen abdomen, giant fangs that chewed on ogre sized rats and glassy green eyes that gazed on the army in a hunger. The color of the chitin matched the twenty smaller spiders that were fighting against thirty dark knights, twenty small and ten fat. To the right were a group of Skaven, a swarm of forty dying by the droves and ten Skaven in armor, hacking at both forces and being efficient at neither. On top of the giant spider was a goblin dressed as a spider that with a force of will, summoned a tide of spiders to deal with the Skaven in armor as one particular Skaven, one in a warlords attire, was ordering a fellow lackey with an flamethrower like weapon to aim at the spider riders that were in combat with the losing swarm of rats.

Mickey and Riku gasped at what was about to happen, the rat pulled the trigger and fired at spiders, with the clan rats right there. It dealt much to the swarm of thirty, with ten dying, yet ten more of the clan rats laid on the ground twitching. In between were two foes Riku and Mickey thought they wouldn't see again, issue orders to the heartless was a fat cat like person in an attire of blue save for the center red shirt. He nearly laughed at the Skaven as the other at his side was accessing the threat of the spiders, much like what the goblin described, she was in a black attire resembling a dragon, her staff giving an odd green glow. They were caught off guard by the sound of a loud screeching. "WAAAAGH!"

Stingy Bites lead with his spider riders against the elite looking Skaven that were being swarmed by the scuttletide. The flame throwing Skaven backed away and snarled as he aimed his flamethrower at the mass fighting. A swarm of shadows pounced the Skaven and caused it to be enveloped in darkness, the warlord saw a losing battle as the rest were killed to a rat. He turned around and ran into the pipe. Wanda had her teeth gritting in pain as she assured Riku and Mickey. "I got pretty startled the first time I saw that happen! The Skaven are nothing but cowards."

The mouse agreed and jumped into battle against the heartless as Riku watched the flame throwing wielding Skaven shift and twist in the darkness. "Much worse than that." He charged into the battle and watched the darkness form, rising as a rat like heartless that had a cannon on its stomach and another on its back. It let loose a shriek and fired dark fire at the spider riders.

The shaman on the giant spider saw Stingy Bites and chanted, causing a barrier to form around the smaller spider. The Skuttleboss and his Spider watched the barrier reflect the flame, both pounced on the heartless and in unison, stabbed and bit the foe. Causing it to run away in a panic, it spewed fire from behind as the other spiders pounced. Riku and Mickey had their turn taking down the mass of heartless as Wanda joined in the fray and swung a heartless knight flying. The witch was more astonished by the arrivals and smugly asked the king and the boy. "Enjoying the vile splendor you're majesty? To think that is why those vermin so easily fall to darkness."

Mickey glared at the witch as the fat cat taunted Riku. "Oh don't mind us, we are just doing some pest control over these spiders and rats! They were a lot bigger than we thought!" The boy glared as Wanda barked at them. "AH GRYPHON DROPPINGS! You came here to disturb the peace and you ticked off a whole Spiderfang nest! How about you face us you pansies!"

The witch smiled at the general. "Perhaps in due time." She waved her staff and called more heartless, green lantern like heartless along with red, yellow and blue. Casting spells at the many spiders as the shaman screeched at the remaining swarm of nineteen, they crawled at the mass of knights in disturbing speeds as the giant spider focused on the witch and crawled.

Riku barked at her. "Maleficent, stop fooling around! What are you here for?"

The witch nearly broke in a vile laughter and answered. "To seek the hearts of creatures most foul to add to my tide of evil! This town housed the bleakest of hearts and if it wasn't the spinners of webs most dark, it would be they who value no kin!" A door way of darkness opened as the witch plotted more. "You seen which is the fouler of two evils, Riku. Would it be wise to ignore either?"

She turned towards the darkened corridor as the cat waved tauntingly. "And just cause them spiders look like the lesser evil doesn't mean they are any less vicious! Toodles!"

He followed and both left the heartless to attack wildly. Riku focused on the heartless spewing fire and finished it off with a stab, he leaped at a green lantern for a swift kill as Mickey focused on the spell casters. Wanda slammed her hammer on a fat knight at saw the fat deflected her attack, she stepped back from a punch and took out a pistol from her pocket, shooting it in the head as she warned Riku and Mickey of a threat that they prioritize. "Watch out, the Arachnarok is turning!"

The keyblade wielders saw the giant spider rear up her legs and impaled the fat heartless with no effort, they picked off those that were struggling against the spider swarm and jumped back to Wanda, realizing they were surrounded. The shaman snickered and tried to order something as the Scuttleboss yelled out. "Oh Great Shaman Venom Dancah, favored of the Spidah Mudah these three have came to helps us deal with the Rat men problem as well as the darky boy problem! Surely we could turn da other cheek for now. The town above is nothing like down here anyways!"

The shaman cringed and looked like he was glaring at the Scuttleboss with his left eye. "Spidah Mudah needs a big nest and the humies above would come down to burns it!" He pointed at the three, ready to issue an attack as the Scuttleboss stuttered and pleaded. "B...but do we know about the darky boys? That witchy witch woulds just come back... maybe turn more of those ratmen into them and come at us hard?"

Mickey agreed to that and interrupted. "That... witchy witch, Maleficent is infamous for her spite. While her partner Pete would try to bully you more when both are done with these Skaven. They would try to destroy your... nest."

The shaman and Scuttleboss looked at the guest that spoke out of line, with a mixture of stubborn pride and simple minded aggression, the large spider bellow twitched her mandibles and clicked something. Venom Dancah gasped and looked down. "Spidah Mudah? You... you says we should help them? Whys?" The spider pointed her front left leg at the sky and the surrounding environment, the eyes focused on the shaman on top as the second front most set of legs reached for him, gently picked him up and carried him towards her face. The goblin blabbered puzzled. "We's...we's went through those realm gates before. This place isn't that different! Big Bad Moon Egg is just a ways somewhere."

Wanda gasped and turned to Riku and Mickey. "Wait a minute... Riku, Mickey... you seen any realmgate around here when you came to the town?"

The mouse shook his head. "There isn't one... this whole world only appears when there are those who need shelter. If you and these fellahs got stuck here similarly, then you haven't even seen the other worlds around here."

The goblins tilted their heads in confusion as the Scuttleboss's spider asked something to the larger spider. The spider sighed and placed the shaman back on her back, she focused on the tube where the Skaven came and took the lead. There was something the majority agreed as Riku felt he understood. "Like it or not... you are all stuck here together until we figure out how to get you back home. You can at least put up with that until then?"

The smaller spider shrugged that it might as Stingy Bites grumbled. "Till the Bad Moon comes! The ratmen is taking up space anyways!"

He followed the army as Wanda considered a convenience. "Murderous intent or not, those Skaven really need to go. They are nothing but pure evil, all of them!"

That conclusion wasn't one Riku or Mickey would take lightly, the boy sighed. "Maybe if we can get to those guys before these goblins do, we might find a way without resulting in more of... this."

He looked at the massive amounts of bodies, Wanda shrugged in doubt as Mickey found a pipe high above where the Skaven pipe is. "How about over there?" He jumped to it and left Riku to find an easier route for the less than agile general, a full scale battle was imminent.

In a world with a collum colosseum.

Sora smiled in excitement over the thought of something. "They fixed Olympus Colosseum?!"

Goofy agreed at the repairs as Donald lectured the boy. "Sora, we are here to investigate, not goof off fighting!"

Sora pouted at his friend. "But Donald, we didn't get much to fight here before that hydra attacked!"

That the duck agreed to. "And our alternative was run by Hades! But there was a lot going on. Remember why we are here. We need to find any thing weird before anyone gets hurt."

The group went past the entry way into a lobby and found an overweight satyr speaking undesirable news to a man in menacing metallic armor that was adorn by a purple cloak and a helmet with horns, in the mans right hand was a massive sword, he doesn't look like anyone aligned to the imperial folks they pet, the satyr spoke to the man. "Buddy, delayed for half an hour, save that battle lust till then!"

The man gave a deep, hearty laugh. "Ha, ha, ha! This place truly does draw warriors from across the corridors!"

The satyr noticed three people arriving and greeted them with some anticipation. "Well if it isn't the big heroes of Olympus! I figured you be showing up for the grand reopening!"

The knight turned around to find two odd animal like creatures and a teenage boy, he tilted his head in judgement. "That is what those constellations were formed after? Ha!" Goofy felt suspicious and asked. "That was the idea, you are a stranger around here! You mind telling us your name?"

The shadowy eyes gave a hint of humor as the words left the knights helm. "I am Garland, a wandering knight that seeks the glory of battle and who are you three?"

The trio introduced themselves as a cricket jumped off Sora's shoulder to join in, Jiminy felt the suspicion and asked. "This place has a history of odd characters coming. You are one of the participants?"

Garland nodded as he wondered the kind of stories the four had to tell. "I had signed up, I take one of you wishes to do so?"

Sora felt the challenging tone and was eager, yet duty came first. "We... came looking for odd people that may have wandered here by accident... but you sound like you were here on purpose. Have... you or Phil over there seen anyone odd around here?"

Garland and Phil looked at each other with a variety of people to describe, the satyr had a few on his mind. "Well there was a whole crowd that in... there own words."

He coughed and impersonated a deep, jocky voice. "Came ere looking for the biggest scrap!" He broke out and felt his throat sore. "*Cough* They were the loudest bunch and stormed off when I told them only one of them can sign up for this tournament. Their... Mega Boss was getting them to knock it off. You are going to be in for a bruising if he comes back, he is a big green brute that calls himself Dragon Hackah. Can't miss him." He remembered more and wasn't too thrilled. "Then some big guy in pretty sweet armor acted like he heard of them... or their species and opted to-" He took his thumb and swiped it across his own throat. He had his hands at his hips and grunted. "I told him the fighting is in here only and if those brutes were as bad as he claimed, Herc would deal with them."

Sora, Donald and Goofy felt the pattern connected as Jiminy nodded. "That follow sounds like who we are looking for. But those brutes you mentioned could be a problem. What did he call them?" Phil was confused by the events. "They called them selves Orruks, specifically Ironjawz. This Hofniel, when he wasn't calling them xenos, was calling them Orks. Apparently the Ironjawz are not only not human, but their whole life is about one thing. Fighting. Sora, you want to try your luck against that after the exhibition match? That's going to be in ten minutes!"

Sora blinked and asked. "Exhibition? Who?"

Phil answered like it was obvious. "Hercules and the new guy I mentioned! It is probably the only easy way any of us can know what this... Astartes, can bring."

The trio thought of another as Garland gestured a warning. "It may take more than just battling to truly understand him. I wished to be surprised."

That the trio understood, Sora wanted to sign up, Phil felt he understood the larger situation. "That astartes and even those Ironjawz are the kind of people you were looking for?"

Jiminy nodded and was ready to record. "We were because all of it is connected to some... danger we found out about. We need to find a better time to talk about that."

Sora finished signing up as Goofy asked him. "Should we watch?" The boy nodded as Garland gave his farewell. "If that is what you wish, we will meet again soon!"

He walked out and Phil guided the four to a rafter, if to watch along with a crowd of people in white robes, a fight to behold. In a short amount of time, Phil appeared once more in the center of the Colosseum ring, yelling at the group to settle down. "Alright, thank you all for coming to the grand reopening! Before we get to the real tournament, we got a match to start your day! Two warriors of immense power that have bested some of the biggest monsters this side of Greece has never seen, fighting each other to show which is the strongest!"

He pointed to the left corner. "Starting off, you know him, you love him! Give it up for Hercules!"

A winged horse flew down from the sky to drop a well built man with orange hair and brass armor. He readied his knuckles for a match he was certainly looking forward to, Phil pointed to the right corner as a door opened, letting out a warrior of similar physic, he was cladded from head to toe in silver armor that was complimented by a high tech back pack and a set of white pauldrons that had red high lights. On the right hand of the figure was a simple sword that gave off a glow and on the left was a maul of a similar glow. Sora, Donald and Goofy looked closer at the objective, seeing his armor decorated in symbols like what the imperial guard were wearing and oddly on the figures left shoulder was a symbol of a blue serpent. Phil announced more. "Verses a warrior from the stars above! A captain among the best! Give it up for Hofneil of the Iron Snakes!"

The audience clapped at the promising newcomer, the warrior looked around, giving Sora a good view of a helmet that matched some of the technology adored on one other. The boy whispered to his friends. "This is definitely our guy."

Goofy agreed and whispered. "We got to tell him about the world order. He is confusing everyone just by looking like that."

Donald agreed with him. "But with what Phil said, I think the people here understand he isn't from these parts."

The sound of horns signaled the started of the battle and Phil stepped back to tell the two to begin. Hercules and the warrior looked at each other and circled around the arena, waiting for a moment for the first strike. The warrior held onto his sword and concluded something, he made the first charge, the sword glowed in energy and it made its slice. Hercules blocked it with his wrist band, sparks flew and the warrior looked astonished, the Olympian pushed back and sent the warrior jumping back. Sora felt the tension as he watched his hero counter, charging at the warrior and drawing an right uppercut. The warrior dodged and took his maul, it glowed in power and the warrior swung, knocking Hercules back. The Olympian swung a right hook, making contact with the warrior and sending him to a wall. The warrior yelled out and charged, both weapons ready for a swing, like before, Hercules parried with his wrist bands, he was being pushed back, much to the crowds shock. The warrior thrust and knocked Hercules back, towards the ground.

The Olympian caught himself and back flipped, Donald asked Sora. "This is who you are going to fight?!"

Even someone as simple minded would put together what was observed, Sora said it. "We all seen Herc fight and he is one of the strongest there is, this guy... is keeping up."

He felt intimidated as he watched the warrior charge in, refusing to give Herc the chance to recuperate. The home champion noticed, saw where the warrior was unguarded and swung a left hook.

POW!

The helmet was knocked off and the warrior was punched to the side. The warrior landed and revealed a face of a simple man with black hair, the warrior looked at his helmet and at his position, he tried to get up as Hercules approached quickly, letting the man know he was moments away to a simple attack. He simply lowered himself and offered to help him up, the match was over and the crowd was wild for a variety of reasons. Sora took his chance and jumped off the rafters, landing in the Colosseum to get a closer look. Herc noticed Phil saw something and turned around as he lifted the defeated warrior up. He closed his blue eyes and smiled. "Well I didn't expect you to be back so soon."

He opened them and was ready to give Sora a hi five greeting. One that the teenager eagerly gave.

SLAP!

Sora cheered at him. "That was a tough battle Herc! Nice win!" He looked at the helmet on the ground and as Hercules looked at the bested warrior. "Hofneil was speaking about how he spends most of his duty battling against some of the toughest things out there. He has a big record, so we thought we settle to see how strong he actually is."

The warrior was lifted up and he nodded to Hercules in respect, a voice quite humble came. "His foes were becoming comparable and I suspected there was more to him compared to the others of this planet. I see how this place was under such care."

Sora figured, picked the helmet up and gave it to the warrior. "Planet? Hofneil... right?"

The warrior answered back as he took the helmet. "I am him, is... there something a boy like you wish to discuss?"

Sora nodded and watched the warrior place the helmet back on. "...Maybe away from the Colosseum, you said you are from the stars?"

The warrior nodded and pointed upward. "It is a way they can understand, when technology is scarce on a planet, the civilians would respond with... mixed results." He looked at him closely and asked. "...And you are not of this planet either?"

Sora whispered to him quickly. "SHH! That's what I'm talking about. I'll be quick." He asked his old friend. "Do you mind if I talked to this guy for a minute? There is another problem I heard about that I want to figure out."

Hercules didn't mind. "If you can make sense out of it. After that, I think I know what you heard? Dragon Hacker?" Sora nodded as Hofneil pleaded with the Olympian. "The Orks are only going to get worse! They live and breath in warfare, nothing else matters to them!"

Hercules saw the point, yet disagreed. "But what you are suggesting is overkill."

The warrior sighed. "Against the Ork, no method is too extreme in purging them, save for risk civilian lives! The Ironjaws are just another tribe of Orks."

Sora didn't wish for the argument to get worse and felt depressed about something. "...You are use to those kind of battles? I... want to know why."

Hofneil pitied the young soul. "That is our eternal duty, it is sometimes best to be ignorant of that truth. But I will hear from you first."

Sora gave his parting to Hercules and wished him luck at the tournament, he lead the warrior out, hopefully so the secrets of the vast worlds would be kept hidden."

In a world with a grand city surrounded by sands.

Kairi felt a part of her anxious and whispered to herself as she looked around a series of merchant stalls. "We are only going to be away from our friends for a short while. I promise this will be quick."

With the locals unaware of what was occurring, her journey was feeling boring. SLAM! "DO NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OVER ME! Do you know of what is beyond the desert or not?"

Kairi heard the violent interrogation to her left and dashed to an alley way, where a figure gave way to action. A woman in cladded white armor, to her hip was a flamethrower and adorning the flamethrower were symbols much like from the Imperial Guardsmen. Kairi readied her keyblade as she saw more, the woman had lifted by the scruff of his cloth, a small, tanned merchant with a turban, he whimpered and answered. "J..Just some ruins with treasures, it is a long and dangerous path across the sands." He was slipping and dared not to anger the woman with his words. "The...there isn't anything I can sell for travels beyond that, p...please."

Kairi yelled out at the woman. "HEY! Let him go!"

The woman stopped, the merchant gave a cold sweat, the woman turned around to face the opposition, revealing a face that had an odd symbol on her cheek and a set of short black hair, a set of green eyes complimented an elegant, yet interrogative expression. "Civilian, this is matters best left unaware. Allow me to continue my task undisturbed!"

Kairi shook her head and answered. "You were stranded on this world after something happened and now you are lost, trying to ask for directions. Imperium, right?"

The woman casually dropped the peddler, knowing she had no further use for him, he ran into his shop to cower, she approached with stalwart authority. "You are not of this planet? Then what was the occurrence that lead me to this place? Is there anything beyond the desert that would resolve this mystery?"

Kairi ignored the many questions and asked back. "That was why you were threatening that peddler? Even if he was trying to swindle you, that's extreme!"

The woman gasped and drew out a sword, she barked at Kairi. "YOU DARE QUESTION AN ADEPTAS SORORITAS?"

She growled, bared her teeth and her green eyes gave off an aura that caused Kairi to nearly back away, what was elegant, became tyrannical fury, the girl kept her stand, feeling that she made a grave error, the woman saw and continued as she approached. "You... know more than just the mysteries of this planet. The circumstances leading to this... you also know... yet you dare not speak of it?" The sword glowed, she ordered the girl. "You will tell me!"

Kairi hesitated to speak and the woman felt more suspicions about her, the girl asked back. "Do... you know of the Imperial Guard?"

The woman's expression became stoic, Kairi had made another grande error. "...So you know of the Imperium, that... is unusual compared to the others. If you will not speak more, then I have a right to make you." She was ready for battle. "Enguard!"

She charged with her blade ready, Kairi rolled out of the way and swung at the woman, the keyblade barely tinked the armor, yet it sent the woman back a couple inches. She charged again and as expected, Kairi dodged, the woman took out something, pulled a trigger and tossed it at where the girl landed. Kairi saw a grenade and jumped back.

BOOM!

It exploded and fiery shrapnel caught on a stall.

Fire glowed.

Kairi attempted to attack again, the woman parried and pushed back, the girl focused on the fire and saw a bucket. She reached for sand at the unaware lunatic and tossed it at her eyes, causing the woman to back away and rub them off, Kairi grabbed the bucket and tossed water at it, one problem was resolved, yet another risen. The adeptas sororitas growled, opened her irritated eyes and tried to attack again, something at the side of her collar armor glowed, she focused on that and looked around. Kairi saw three figures emerge from the shadows, heartless. They pounced at the adeptas sororitas from behind, the woman reached for her flamethrower and aimed at them, she looked astonished and pulled the trigger, letting loose an infernal stream and causing more of the town to catch fire. More creatures stirred from the darkness, heartless resembling bandits. Red lanterns floated from the flame and were ready to spread destruction all over, with three bandits trying to focus on Kairi. The girl quickly took the three down and saw that the adeptas sororitas, as much as she is effective against the heartless swarm, would just make the damage MUCH worse if she kept using that flamethrower.

She jumped at the flying lanterns and with a series of swings, slew them. The Adeptas Sororitas barked at her. "THIS DOES NOT INTERRUPT MY INTERROGATION CHILD!"

She scorched the remaining bandits and saw obesed, humanoid creatures approaching her from behind. Kairi growled and glared at her back. "You are not doing anything to help here!" She took a deep breath and felt something surging, she aimed her keyblade at the flames and gave a faint glow, water flowed from the blade, dousing the fire to controllable levels.

The adeptas sororitas nearly busted a blood vessel and was cornered by the large bandits. She dodged a swing and sank her sword into the creatures back, Kairi appreciated a distraction and shot more water to extinguish the flame. What ever she was doing was angering the hostile woman. The adeptas sororitas slew the creature and went for another, trying to keep her guard. Kairi took her chance and shot a pressurized stream of water, the heartless popped out a heart and faded as the adeptas sororitas was pushed to a wall by the water.

Her flamethrower was extinguished and her sword was powering down, Kairi dashed at her and had her blade at the woman's shoulder. The battle was over, she saw the woman look up at her in contempt, Kairi whispered at her in a harsh tone. "Now you are going to calm down! There is a reason I know of that stuff."

The adeptas sororitas spit at the girls feet. "Just kill me already! You will get nothing from me!"

Kairi sighed and lowered her blade. "No, I'm not. But you are coming with me before someone comes for us. We are trying to stop something from getting worse... and maybe you know something."

The adeptas sororitas smiled out of spite. "YOU are investigating-" Her smile turned to a gasp in shock. "You... know about that heresy?! Wha-" Kairi took a deep breath, reached for the woman's weapons and tried to take them away. "Chaos... does that sound familiar to you?"

The woman's still expression spoke of yes, the girl took her chance and seized the weapons. "So it does. That is what we expect to be trying to cause trouble around here, me and my friends need to know. What is your name?" The woman kept somewhat of a mental guard and answered. "Resira of the Sacred Rose... who...what, are you?"

Kairi answered back as she was certain the woman would not provide a threat. "Kairi... just Kairi." She helped her up and nudged. "Come on, you will get those back when I can start trusting you."

At the world with the odd keep.

Ken and the pig reached the other side and were climbing across a mountain ledge that was barely covered by trees. The boy's spear kept a hot glow as the pig cautiously observed, Ken agreed and felt an even footing. "I don't care if this is the only way to get you to where you need to be, if those two things start flying back here, they will spot us and with how important you are, they won't be so worried about me no matter how good I shoot."

The pig looked like she agreed and looked at the spear, something that the boy felt was a warning that he sighed. "And after seeing what this thing does, you think that those things coming after you would be counter productive. Good point."

ROAR!

HISS!

The point oinked, squealed and hid behind the boy that readied his spear, the sound was most familiar, both listened and heard it most different, Ken's mouth was wide and noticed nothing was flying. "...Those things are here... but... do you think that is a roar of... something is here?"

The pig listened more, the tone was a feeling she herself was familiar with, she gave a scowl, like she was suggesting leaving the creatures be. Ken heard more and something with in urged him to go forward. "Even if they are calling for help... something doesn't feel right."

He stepped closer and the pig followed from a safe distance, on a wide open ledge leading to a floral forest, were the two flying wyverns bound by chains of bone, floating in the center and keeping them under control, was a creature most unnatural, a specter in a cloak, floating around the two with a glowing lantern, giving the incantations was a withered elderly man that chanted. "In the name of the Undying, we bind you to his will!" One of the drakes was shrouded by spectral energy and glowed in green power, Ken and the pig knew a wizard when they see one, what ever was being cast was of the super natural. The necromancer chanted more. "Your flesh will falter and your soul will break! But the bones will endure!" The drake surrounded by the energy tried to howl in pain and was unable to scream, the other trashed in its bindings to attack the wizard, foaming in rage. Ken had his spear ready and focus on his shot as the necromancer clenched his grip. "All will bow before the Undying one and you will carry out his will forever more!"

The boy watched the tip of his spear glow and focused on the threat, he hesitated to shoot the living and focused on the lantern giving the power.

PEW!

The beam fired as the drake went limp, the necromancer yelled out. "Arise my death hawk! Ari-" POW! SHATTER!

The lantern was shot and it was scattered in countless pieces, the specter looked toward the shot and the Necromancer was in a panic, he turned around and saw who fired the shot, a boy with a spear, he howled at him in a frenzy as he readied a spell. "YOU FOOL! DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU DONE?!"

Ken answered and looked at the twitching figure that was a wyvern. "I stopped your ritual on these things. Monsters or not, I know your trying to use them for your own gain."

The Necromancer's hands glowed, rising from the ground were a horde of twenty skeletons, the specter sighed and flew off to the flower field with a pendant in hand, the Necromancer cringed more at something. "No, no, NO! You cannot abandon me now! I... I," He realized there was little use he had for what was around him and the skeletal bindings on the other wyvern were breaking. A ghastly howl was heard behind him and he didn't wish to turn around. Ken found behind the Necromancer was a skeleton of the wyvern, giving a glow of darkness, filling it in place of the stripped entrails. The eyes sockets gave a predatory glow of yellow, the Necromancer was terrified at the image. The other wyvern looked down at him in anger and took flight, he saw his companion was forever gone and looked upon the duo that arrived. He flew off after the specter, Ken gritted his teeth and was still in fear as knew a heartless formed. The Dark Talon pounced as the Necromancer turned around to charge a bolt, the wizard was crushed under the talons and the skeletal head picked at its preys chest. Plucking out a glowing heart was became consumed, the skeletons went limp. Ken aimed his spear and fired at the fiend's chest, it sizzled against the darkness and caused the Dark Talon to convulsed. It flew above and was ready for battle.

It inhaled and shot three bolts of darkness at the boy, who frantically dodged and watched the explosions, they pooled darkness and formed shadows that were ready to pounce, the boy yelped. "OH COME ON!"

ROAR!

The boy realized he was distracted and rolled forward, barely dodging an attempt to claw down at him from the formed heartless. He took a deep breath and shot the trio of lesser heartless away, giving him a moment to fire at the Dark Talons wings, causing some imbalance as it inhaled again. Ken shot at the maw and caused it to cough and hack, it glared at him and flew down to strike.

PEW!

POW!

The wings were shot and the Dark Talon lost control, he crashed and was dazed. Giving the boy a chance to rapidly fire at its underbelly, the creature grunted and convulsed, regaining momentum and flying away. Circling around the boy who was aiming for the next opportunity. The Dark Talon dived under the mountain and disappeared, Ken wondered where the thing went and went to the ledge, ready to aim and fire down, yet nothing came. He wondered more and looked around, a loud oink was heard, like it was a warning. Ken looked toward the source to find the pig staring at something and Ken felt his heart beating fast, he turned around to the right, toward a mountain wall that had a shadow with in, yellow eyes was the faint hint he had as the Death Talon emerged, it pounced on him with his talons, pinning him in the ground and pushing him towards the ledge. Ken thrust with the spear pitifully, the Dark Talon felt a scratch and raised his head back, waiting for a moment. Ken aimed the spear at the creatures chest and charged, causing the spear to glow a strong red light. The Dark Talon noticed and thrust towards the boy.

PEW!

A massive beam pierced its chest and caused it to stop, it gasped out a mist of darkness, Ken charged again and fired. He saw pieces of dark and bone flying and trusted the spear in the dark, he hoisted the spear upward and sent the dying Dark Talon off the cliff. He rolled on his stomach and watched the creature dissolving in darkness, leaving behind only a skeleton that crashed into the forest bellow. He panted and used the spear to pull himself up, he yelled at the bones bellow. "AND STAY DEAD!" He turned around to find the pig slowly observing the crisis and looking at a slope leading to the forest.

Ken agreed and followed the pig. "The other one saw us, we do need to get going! Is the place close?!"

The pig nodded and lead the way, questioning what she saw as the boy guessed. "The wizard and that... ghost were new to you? So this Undying guy might also be new? I'll just tell you of what that thing became, maybe through anger of what was done to him when they were trying to turn him into the undead... it became something nasty and turned him into a Heartless. A creature that preys on the darkness with in hearts."

The pig grunted another question that the boy felt was true, yet he didn't know why. "The evil with in men's hearts? That... is a good alternative."

The boy felt something on his hip and went to reach, he pulled out a piece of talon. He looked around at the gorgeous fauna and saw streams leading somewhere, a lake that had a stone with in so tall that it was a platform. The boy put the talon in his pack and watched the pig jump on one, she stood still and the boy raised an eyebrow. "...HERE?!"

The sound of bad singing was heard from behind, distracting the boy enough for him to look back and turn around, seeing the stone the pig was on to sink. The pig kept still and calm, despite how a whirlpool was forming. The boy guessed it was leading somewhere and jumped in. Sinking deeper and deeper, till both he and the pig were falling down a small cave. Both landed on their rear and found a contraption was faltering.

The sound of giggles were heard, Ken readied his spear and looked around. "Alright, who is there! I'm not scared of no cave!"

A feminine voice snickered. "Such an odd pig keeper! To be so far away."

Ken gasped and shook his head towards the voice. "Bu... I'm not that." He looked down at the pig and responded. "I just found her near dead and she needed to come here. I was wandering around for my own reasons." He realized something and asked. "Hey, a lot of people were looking for her for something. You know why that is?"

A spec of light fluttered in front of him, one of regal authority, yet willing to help. "You don't know?! So you were honest about what you are." The light flew towards a small pond of water and beckoned the pig to show the boy as he instructed Ken. "When Hen Wen presses her nose in the water, spin and say this. Hen Wen, I do beseech! Knowledge that is beyond my reach. Troubled thoughts beyond my heart. Pray you now those thoughts in part."

The pig looked at the water, her eyes widened to visions most peculiar, Ken lowered himself, spun the water with his finger and did as instructed. "Hen Wen, I do beseech! Knowledge that is beyond my reach. Troubled thoughts beyond my heart. Pray you now those thoughts in part."

The pig gazed at the spin hypnotically, her eyes glowed purple and in a slight slump, pressed her nose in the water, a glow in the water floated and shifted in that spin. Visions shifted and passed, Ken looked down to see an image of a boy wielding a familiar sword, one resembling a particular spear. Facing off against a creature of many heads. It shifted to another vision of that same boy observing a town with many stars, giving the boy a sense of nostalgia. Then the image shifted cloudy and became one that caused Ken to feel disturbed, a humanoid figure with three orbs burning over his head, the lowest right glowed red, the lowest right glowed green and in the center was purple, with in the palm of his left hand was a glow of blue. On the image, it's forehead shined an eye.

The image shifted again, to a single dark ring, it split into two and shifted into a glow of hellish yellow, the boy felt his breath lessening. Surrounding the eyes was a symbol he wasn't familiar with, yet it made his blood boil, an eight pointed star with a single eye. The images swirled into one and showed a symbol he was familiar with, a it resembled a heart with an arrow pointing downwards, twisting and turning with the symbol of the eight pointed star. Ken wanted to look away, the imagery were affecting his emotions and none in ways he was comfortable with, then a shine pierced the darkness, floating in the center was an image much more calming, a feminine figure with feathery wings of aqua blue, by her right arm was a weapon the boy was familiar with, a keyblade. The vision ended and Ken stuttered. "Knowledge that is beyond my reach... beyond... things I can't know of..."

The masculine voice asked in riddle. "What was the one thing you would never expect no matter how hard you try. The one answer that would not come now and the answers that would not come then?"

Ken snapped his fingers. "The answer I wouldn't find if I asked yesterday. The certain future... these are things... I might end up seeing in the future?" He was spooked as the pig regained consciousness and felt something heavy, Ken nearly spit dry as he saw a twister of water forming. "What... did I get myself into?"

He shook it off and thought of another more calming. "...But... I do know about that town in the vision, its far away... but its a pretty place I grew up in... before my Mom said we should move. Maybe... I should visit that place once I get the chance." Screaming was heard and the figure vanished, the pig saw four figures falling out of the twister. A young blonde maiden, an unimpressive brown haired farm boy, a bard in yellow and a furry creature.

The pig watched the four lay prone and recognized the farm boy. Ken noticed and asked. "Hen Wen, if you know them, you ought to say hi. Maybe they will know what's going on here!"

The pig agreed as a variety of fairies fluttered to the unconscious group, the speck of light appeared near the boy and asked him. "Should they awaken, listen to what they have to say, if this was who the pig was looking for, someone has to continue guiding them."

Ken didn't mind and spoke of what he knew. "Some thugs were looking for a pig and a pig keeper. That was what I heard." He was unaware of the group of four slowly coming through, the farm boy being astonished by the pig and listened to more as Ken continued. "I walked into the wrong place at the wrong time, ticked them off... and I used this... eh... magic spear, to drive them off. It shoots heat beams. The thugs are apparently working for a Horned King that was responsible for some of the nasty things I saw." His eyes focused on the pig. "In fact that guy needs to be dealt with soon. Or this will just happen all over again."

The farm boy had many questions as the pig greeted him and nuzzled at him in affection, he returned it as the maiden took her chance to ask. "The Horned King... was also after you as well?"

Ken looked at the maiden that was half concerned for a stranger and answered. "If it wasn't for... intruding, it was definitely because I have this." He showed his spear like keyblade. "To many, this is just a spear, but it is really a thing called a keyblade. It can do a lot of things, but in battle I just use it to shoot."

The maiden gasped and asked with an eager smile. "So its a magic weapon? Well we can't let the Horned King get that, can we?"

Ken agreed to that and asked. "What are your names?" The maiden giggled. "Well I'm Eilonwy! I'm sure some of us would be very grateful of what you did."

She looked at the farm boy who knew what she was talking about, the Eilonwy asked the stranger. "But before we all introduce ourselves, tell us your name?" Ken answered without much thought. "Kendry." He waited as the farm boy looked impressed and nearly stuttered. "T...Thank you for protecting Hen Wen. I... I am Taren of... Caer Dallen." He looked at the grey furry creature that was looking at Kendry's bag with greed, gave a scolding glare and stopped him, the furry creature felt the scolding and answered. "Gurgi lead master and friends here."

Ken smiled wide at that. "Kind of why Hen Wen wanted to come here, but there was a lot of dangers along the way. You seen some dark creatures lurking about?" Taren and Eilonwy looked at each other strange and back to Ken, the farm boy answered. "No. What did you know about them?"

Ken sighed. "Dark creatures known as the Heartless... they attack people and if someone particularly dark gives in to that power, they become one. If you saw a skeleton of a flying creature around here... it became that after someone tried something dumb with him."

He focused on the bard, saw he was elderly and asked. "You haven't given me a name yet. It was getting lonely here... you... play music?"

The bard lifted himself up, felt someone noticed talent and introduced himself proudly. "I see you have an eye. I am Fflewdurr Fflam!" He raised a finger as his harp dangled on a string around his neck. "The greatest bard in all the land!"

PLUK!

A string came undone and Ken's smile lightened, he focused on Taren and asked. "So you found your pig again and you are looking for something to do something about the Horned King... what the heck is he causing all this trouble for?"

Taren remembered and boldly answered. "He was looking for something called the Black Cauldron, something of great evil and power. If he finds it," He looks down at the pig with fear of what he was handling and back at the stranger. "He will kill us all!"

Ken gasped. "And he needed Hen Wen to know where the thing is or if the thing is out there. You were the guy who knows of her power of visions... so he is after the two of you for escaping. Eek!"

The maiden agreed as a bauble floated from behind her and to the keyblade, suspicious about the weapon as the maiden continued. "It's why he kidnapped me when he thought my heirloom would help him find the Cauldron."

The heirloom shined at the spear and caused it to reflect for a moment, resembling a weapon the group had never seen before, Guri saw the nuzzle before it returned to a spear and asked. "Keyblade not really a spear at all?"

Ken looked at his weapon and saw the hint, he blushed and answered. "No... and its one of the reasons it shoots. Now we got to figure out where the cauldron is."

He heard whispers from behind and looked upon the fairy shrouded in light in thanks. "Oh... so that is where it is? Morva?"

He felt certain of something and assured the group. "If these guys can point the way, I bet I can help ya find it. You're quest is to find this Cauldron and make sure this Horned guy never gets to use it?"

His keyblade glowed as Taren doubted and asked. "But if you were wandering like us, you would just be as lost."

Ken felt it was awkward as the grand fairy floated before the group and assured. "Oh don't worry, the keyblade he has would guide him. It and the heart that wields it would always light the way."

Taren was giving the benefit of the doubt and sighed. "Alright, but you better not lead us astray."

Ken promised he wouldn't and asked as he looked around. "...But first... do anyone know how to get out of here?"

The grand fairy chuckled at that. "I thought you never asked!" He called for the many fairies and together, flew around the group, barring the pig, they floated up to a exit in the ceiling, Ken was amazed by the trick as he noticed the pig wasn't coming along, Taren looked down and asked. "Wait, what about Hen Wen?"

The grand pixie floated near the pig and waved goodbye to the group. "Don't worry about her, we will see she gets home safely."

That lose end was tied up and the pig tilted her head side ways in a wave of goodbye, Ken felt assured at the words and looked up. He and the group he was suppose to guide landed on the other side of the lake, towards a path split in three, one in the middle, one to the left and one to the right. The keyblade kept glowing and Ken raised it in front of him, to the middle, the glow dimmed, to the left the dimming became worse, to the right it shined brightly. Ken was ready to lead as he asked. "Hey, with all the crazy stuff going on out there, how were you guys able to make it that far?"

Taren looked at a hilt he has and drew it out proudly. "I found a magic sword in the Horned King's Keep, it always saved us when things were dire."

Ken saw the magic sword and whistled as he followed his keyblade. "I got a story to tell you about this one myself. Hey bard, if you like making songs, I think I know the premise of one!"

In the water works of Traverse Town.

Riku, Mickey and Wanda vanquished a couple heartless of unimportance and found a pipe leading to a grate, bellow was a glowing rune and a Skaven with mighty glowing horns performing something. They heard skittering and listened. "GREAT GREY SEER! GREAT GREY SEER! THE GOBLIN THINGS, THEY COMING COMING!"

The Grey Seer turned around and snarled at a warlord panted. "YOU LEAD THEM TO US FOOL!? They are not suppose to advance far!"

The general sniveled. "But...but, the dark dark things came! Yes, yes! They came and thinned my forces, yes!"

The Grey Seer hissed in annoyance. "Dark, dark things! Goblin things! Man things! They are all a nuisance to us! Yes!"

He took a glowing green stone, broke it down and snorted it in as an incantation. "Yes, yes! That will not matter soon! For I call upon one most mighty! The Verminlord will lead you all to the surface and then-then! All will belong to Thanquol! Yes yes!"

Mickey and Riku sensed a great darkness forming from the rune and realized what was planned. The leader of the Skaven before them, plans to take over Traverse Town and slaughter anyone who stands in his way. Riku and Mickey looked at each other grimly as Wanda was gaping. "That...that is Thanquol?! So the stories are true!"

She slowly opened the grate and whispered to the duo. "We could just let the Spiderfangs have the first go and save us the trouble, if we get rid of the leader of these horrible things, the rest will be leaderless and will be easy to keep the Skaven from ever becoming a great force here. With luck, both factions would be crippled."

Riku groaned at the idea. "Even if the Skaven are as hopeless as you say they are, do we really want a mess like that rotting underneath the town?"

Wanda snapped her fingers and agreed. "Shoot... we don't have any fire mages to do that and the gunpowder is scarce. Fine, how are we going to do it?"

Mickey looked at the rune and strategized. "Me and Riku could lock away that summoning circle to stop that... Verminlord from coming. Then we just need to corner this guy an-" Wanda punched her hand in a signal. "Mickey, I know what you are going to say. But you saw what the Skaven do to their own, they would have no love for their leader. You have him cornered and helpless, they wouldn't care and might even want you to kill him just so one of them can take his place!" She sighed. "We will try the other plan, but death is going to happen."

That Riku growled about, he gave in and went stoic. "Fine, if they are just going to wallow in their own darkness, we will make sure no one else suffers from them. Are you ready?" Mickey nodded crestfallen. "But... we could try to see that it is just these guys. Even those fellows back there-" Wanda agreed. "The spider called the shots there, she knows what was happening and what it meant for her nest. That's the difference. If we can show the spiders what we can do, they would think twice before attacking us."

The trio agreed and jumped down as the Great Seer finished ordering his general. They landed in between them. The Great Seer yelped and nearly disrupted his own ritual. "WHA! MAN THINGS!" He looked at Mickey and snarled! "ROUND EARS! YOU ARE HERE TO STOP THANQUOL FROM HIS MOMENT OF TRIUMPH?!" He glowed green and floated above as he barked to his general. "Scritches, KILL THEM!"

The General was alone against three, he heard scurrying and gave a malicious smile, crawling from many sewer pipes were a nearly endless swarm of Skaven. Riku and Mickey readied their keyblades as Wanda braced herself with her hammer, the General taunted and called. "OH YOU THINK THINK I WOULD FIGHT ALONE! Lighting Fur! Black Star! TO ME!" Out from the shadows came a Skaven in strange technology of glowing green stone and a Skaven cloaked in darkness, complimented by throwing stars.

The techno Skaven crackled in lightning and laughed. "HA, HA! I WILL SCORCH THEM FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH!"

He shot lighting at Mickey, knocking him back as the silent Skaven looked at Riku and dashed to him, Riku readied a parry and watched the foe step back to throw his stars, the boy side stepped and felt a slight sting on his left arm. The Clawlord licked his teeth and charged at Wanda with his blade, the general dodged and swung her hammer at him, knocking him back to the audience. He hissed, grabbed two of onlookers and tossed them at her with an order. "KILL THE MAN THING! BRING ME HER HAMMER!"

The clan rats hissed back and crawled to Wanda, who struck the two down. Riku dashed in the shadows and struck the ninja with a flurry of blows as Mickey pushed through and dashed at the lightning Skaven, striking it repeatedly to where the Skaven had to scurry back.

The lightning Skaven tried once more and Mickey somersaulted behind him, striking him from behind to keep him busy. Riku quickly had the ninja overwhelmed and was dodging its blades and claws, the sneaky rodent refused to stand still. Wanda watched the Clawlord throw more clan rats at her, double from before, she was feeling overwhelmed. The lightning Skaven whimpered and ran away from Mickey, knowing he would be bested if he tried to fight head on. He saw the silver haired man thing in a close struggle, he aimed his claw at him, Mickey saw what was happening and tried to stop the warlock, the warlock pressed a button on his blade, causing it to crackle in lighting. "More, more warp energy! HA, HA, HA!"

He shot lighting at Riku, shooting him across the arena and causing him to be on his knees, giving the ninja time to dash at him and slash, Riku felt the pain and tried to get up, Mickey glared at the warlock and slashed, the warlock's blade shined and he swung back. Missing spectacularly and feeling an electrical pulse of unstable energy. The warlock screamed as Mickey rolled towards Riku's battle, the ninja readied to strike the boy again and was parried. Giving a tired Riku time to stand up and have his blade ready, seeing the Warlock Engineer charging his claw again, he warned his partner. "HE IS GOING TO TRY THAT AGAIN! WATCH OUT!"

Mickey turned around and aimed the hilt of his blade, forming a reflective spell, the Warlock tried to charge more and boasted."THAT WON'T SAVE YOU! NO, NO!"

He laughed loudly and was unbound, the lighting went out of control and like before, consumed the Warlock, causing him to spasm out of control and shriek. He fell over, violently twitching as Thanquol watched. "Fool, relied too much on warp energy yes yes!"

He floated to a bell and rang it. Like he was beckoning something. The intruders dread what was coming and knew they need to be quick, Riku and Mickey worked together to overwhelm the ninja and knocked him out in the water. Giving them a chance to help Wanda, they leaped at the clan rats and were quickly occupying them, the boy asked. "Go get that cowardly rat! Then we can focus on Thanquol!"

Wanda agreed and charged at the Clawlord that reached for more and found a that he lost a row, the swarm of clan rats looked at the fighting duo and refused to approach. Scritches hissed and wildly swiped his blade at the woman, who dodged and struck him down with her great hammer, she aimed her weapon highly and struck him in the head, making sure he would not get up.

The clan rats were knocked back and Thanquol rang his bell three more times. "By the thirteenth toll, your doom will come!"

The keyblade wielders thought it was part of the ritual and aimed their keyblades at the rune. They glowed in light and fired a beam. THUD! THUD!

The sound of something heavy was coming. SMASH! From the right wall, came a large rat most grotesque, it was slightly armored, had four arms, all having a hand replaced with canons. He blocked the beams and howled, Thanquol rang the bell repeatedly, a total of two more times. "Fool! The bell calls for the moulders! They, will be your end!"

Charging out were a six pack of giant muscular rats, being whipped into battle by a Skaven master. Wanda looked like she was gasping in horror. "SHRIEK! CHOMP! WAAAAAGH!"

She listened and heard something from with in the pipes and looked to a massive pipe leading in, the sight of small spiders swarming enmasse and biting the many Skaven was an odd sight to see. The clan rats that were watching were being pushed away by a pack of spiders with riders and falling from the ceiling was a large spider with a particular Skuttleboss, followed by a pack of ten spider riders pouncing on the Rat Ogres. Thanquol cringed and kept ringing, the rune glowed deeper as a door to the left wall was being violently rammed. More was coming. Riku and Mickey felt they were on even ground as they tried to maneuvered for a better shot, Thanquol saw and ordered as he concentrated on his spell. "BONERIPPER! BURN THEM!"

The giant rat monster aimed and forced the duo to keep moving. Wanda quickly dispatch an injured rat orge as Stingy Bites Spider dealt a mortal bite to another. The walls pounding became worse and she realized something even larger was coming. "Riku, Mickey, watch out! I think they have something-" "REEEEEEEEEEEEE!" CRASH!

The wooden door was sent flying away and something even more horrific barreled out, Riku and Mickey saw but a slight glance as Boneripper stepped aside and focused on the spider swarm, they dodged a frenzied series of blows from limbs, maws and a tail. When they regained footing, their vision struggled to see the foe, like their minds refused to see it. They focused more and were astound by a massive... thing, vague resembling a rat, with stitches and machine barely keeping together a mound of flesh and bone. The head had a giant rat skull and above that were half a dozen heads of skaven heads wiggling in mindless rage. If they had a reason to show relent to the Skaven, they no longer do, Riku muttered a fact. "We... cannot let this thing continue to exist."

That Mickey agreed as he gave a glare to Thanquol and back to the abomination. "We can't... there is only one thing in this thing... evil."

The abomination barreled at the duo with a misshapen gurgle and smashed at the duo. That struck upon its hide and watch glowing green energy regrow its flesh. It seemed like the thing came to give Thanquol the time he needed, he rang the bell more and more, counting down close to eleven as the rune shined a green light. The patched up group need to hurry. The abomination leaped in between Riku, Mickey and the rune and pounced at them. CRUNCH! Something charged at the thing, a familiar gargantuan spider that caused the monster to spasm in dripping venom, its many legs tore at its limbs, impaling them and knocking it prone. Riku and Mickey's keyblades glowed, flown as one and together, they flung them at the abomination, causing it to fall on its side in a spasm. The bell rang a twelth time as the blades returned back to their wielders, the giant spider on order from the shaman above, pounced at Boneripper. Giving the two an opening they needed, they aimed and caused a beam to glow as one, Mickey at the corner of his eye, saw the abomination twitching, breathing, he couldn't believe it and whispered to Riku. "Aim for that... thing... now!"

The boy wished to know why and quickly saw what, the abomination sprinted to life, glared at the duo in murder and crawled to them at fast speeds. Something too horrible for even death to want. Both aimed at the monsters head. PEW! The beam struck and caused the thing to howl in agony, its head glowed in a light as the rest of the body spasm in the power. BOOM! It exploded in light. They tried to aim again and heard the thirteenth toll, one more deep than the others, the rune's glow stopped and a darkness pooled, Thanquol laughed at them all. "HA, HA, HA! THEY COME, YES, YES! VERMINLORD! FINISH THE-" WOOSH! A twister of unexpected creatures erupted from the darkened hole, heartless, much to Riku and Mickeys horror. The many skaven fighting a losing battle felt something pulling at them, they tried to hang on and some of them even tossed their own kin aside to reach for a better grip, the ones tossed were the first to be sucked into the gaping hole. The many heartless clawed and swiped at the Skaven trying to cling, the Goblin shaman cast a spell that caused a web of energy form, the shot it at the entrance and yelled. "CLIMB!"

The spider agreed and was the first to climb on, the rest of the swarm followed, with the goblins holding on against a force sucking them in, Wanda nearly lost her footing and flung towards the hole, screaming in astonishment, Riku focused his energy and leaped to catch her, like a hero with a lady, he landed by a grate and let the general cling on as Mickey jumped to a grate of his own, the goblins were save in the web, the human general was secure and the keyblade wielders knew that the corridor needed to be sealed, less the coming darkness consume the world. The vast Skaven horde however, were sucked into the darkness by the droves, Boneripper punched at the heartless tornado and stumbled as Thanqoul felt the power leave him, he tried to reach for the bell and hang on, his fingers slipped and he shrieked, falling into the pit bellow, with Boneripper tumbling with him.

Riku and Mickey aimed their keyblades at the rift and prayed, light formed and beams shot. Causing the rift to convulsed, the mass heartless swarm trying to attack were the last to be drawn back, back to the darkness from where they came. The darkness pulsed and a click was heard, the wind died down and the suction ceased. The goblins watched on, looked at each other and howled in triumph as Wanda and the other three let go, there was one more loose end to tie up. The general's legs were shaking and she carried her great hammer for an expected battle as Riku snapped his fingers to an idea. "Wait, I know how this can be done."

He jumped off and walked to the swarm that were leaving the web, looking at the shaman and calling him out. "HEY! Venom Dancah!" The giant spider listened as the dancing Goblin Shaman heard and looked down, the Arachnarok crawled towards Riku like he done something foolish, the boy smiled tauntingly and asked. "We would let you have this and leave you be! But what is going to stop you from going after the surface?"

The spider took that as a challenge as the boy pointed to the rift. "Me, King Mickey and the General from above were taking care of most of that while you were coming. If it wasn't for me and Mickey, that madness wouldn't have stopped! There are more like us out there who loved the town above, a lot of us even! If you try to attack us, they will find out and you seen the power we have!"

Venom Dancah glared as Stingy Bites listened in and agreed. "Yes... that true!"

Riku appreciated it and asked. "And who will stop them from kicking all of your butts out of here?"

The Spider Mother blinked with all her eyes, raised her arms up and wiggled them, she hissed something that the shaman was astonished by. "Spidah Madah?! They is only-" The spiders eyes looked up upon him and she hissed at him. The shaman tried to count, gave up and felt he had a head ache, he bared his fangs and yelled out. "Alright, alright already! We gets that yous make it hard for us!" He grumbled in a tantrum. "We just stick it here!"

He hissed at Wanda. "You stay out, anyone who comes down here is spidah food!"

The woman shrugged at the negotiation. "That would be fair. With the Skaven gone, you wouldn't have a reason to come out anyways."

She and the goblin walked away, Stingy Bites snickered and had his spider crawl to the Arachnaroks side, the shaman yelled out gibberish to the horde as the large spider crawled back into the pipe, the horde followed as Stingy Bites promised the three. "That was fun, we will get into a scrap again very soon."

His spider blinked and crawled through the pipe, Riku and Mickey saw the crisis was averted and wanted to lay down, Wanda looked around to find the destroyed wall with a ladder leading up. "Thanks for the help, I think I can return the favor and lead you all back to the town. The drinks are on me!"

She smugly lead the way as Riku and Mickey thought to each other, what would await the Skaven in the realm of darkness? They would rather talk about that to close kin and followed the woman up the ladder, to a passage leading to the man hole they came from. A knight looked down, gasped and pulled a rope down. "Lady Wanda, you and the others are back safe! Are the Gloomspites dealt with?"

The woman climbed up and waited until the two keyblade wielders climbed up, she gave an order to her subordinate. "They are but we need to spread the word and enforce the rule that the sewers are off limits. We leave them alone and they will leave us alone... until things go in their favor and they stop caring. The Skaven however, good riddance to them!" She looked at the duo with a plan. "We got a celebration for these two, the Skaven would have doomed us all if it wasn't for them! Get the warnings posted around and meet us at the tavern." She faced the two in thought and advised them. "We live another day, that is what we ought to celebrate! If you wish to talk to us more, we can do it at the party."

The duo thanked her and let her go off ahead, Mickey found it an opportunity to ask. "Riku, there is something we picked up from the Gummi Ship that can help us talk to the others. If we need it, we should use it soon." Riku wondered and asked. "What is it?"

At Olympus Coloseum in a waiting room.

Sora finished talking to Hofneil as he stared at Donald, Goofy and Jiminy in confusion. "We know you are not from this world or any others, much like how you found out we are not from around here."

Hofneil tried to think about the grander scope of his situation and sighed in a confession. "I... didn't come to this Colosseum for simple sport. I was attempting to rendezvous with my battle brothers by making a signal they would understand best. If there are vast amounts of worlds out there, it might have proven counterproductive to continue."

Goofy guessed how it would work. "If more people knew about the way you battle, then those that recognize the patterns would come running here to meet you. They all dress up like you?"

The marine raised three fingers to that answer. "We were a kill team sent to eliminate a heretical sorcerer when he cast a spell that swallowed us all! It composed of myself, two gunners, Dabriel... who I last seen with a missile launcher and Nathaniel, you would hear his heavy bolter before you would see him. Then there is our Apothecary Pyriel, who mends our wounds. He is slightly different in appearance, but even you wouldn't need me to be specific. This galaxy is certainly beyond the Imperiums borders." He looked at Sora once more and asked him. "How would any of us know that my battle brothers are not here?"

Sora scratched himself uncertain as Jiminy answered. "Well, this world looks different from you, if anyone seen a fellow like you, they would know quickly." The warrior looked unusually stoic as Sora asked him. "Someone living around Olympus would definitely notice a... Space Marine walking around as much as how Herc isn't easy to miss."

That the Space Marine agreed with and hesitated with another question. "It maybe, but I cannot leave this world yet. Not until the Orks are dealt with, you and your friends are NOT prepared to fight them."

Donald refused to believe it and quacked out. "We fought tough things before, whats so big about them?"

The marine gasped at the ignorant and answered with a booming voice. "You know nothing about the greenskins!" He lowered his voice and continued in a harsh tone. "The Orks are a barbaric race that live only for battle, left alone... their infestation would escalate into the billions, an individual Ork would seem slightly more durable that the common folk, but thirty of them at once... would overwhelm even I. If allowed to multiply, we would witness the birth of another Waagh! Where countless of them would pillage and burn everything in the galaxy. Using barely put together scrap as their technology... they will pose a problem." The four felt pressured by the information as the Space Marine continued. "It seemed that the Ork Warboss has but a small tribe of Nobs... or in their term, nobility that reached those ranks for countless battles. If we sever the head of this beast, this world would find some solace from that threat... their technology is also rather primitive by Ork standards... so they could be among the Snakebites."

He finished his warning to the group. "It would only be a matter of time before someone bribes them with something more advance... thus begins an Apocalypse for this world and countless others."

Sora and his friends understood where the Space Marine was standing in this regard, the boy asked him. "So that was why you wanted to deal with them as soon as you can, they do sound like a problem that would get worse."

Hofneil appreciated a wise mind, took a deep breath underneath his helmet and slumped down. "Hercules is a strong warrior, but allowing the xenos to run rampant out of the Colosseum is a foolish and a grave mistake that he underestimates." He looked at Sora and gave him advise. "If you are as capable as you claim, just observe the Orks when they come, I will deal with Dragon Hacker if it comes to it. Then be prepared when his warband turns on each other and all who live here."

The four understood and heard the sound of drums and a collective bellowing from outside, the Space Marine allowed the four to leave him to his thoughts. They ventured out to find Hercules looking up at a foe they expected to see, a towering green skin humanoid that was wearing thick, clobbered together red armor that was complimented by silver shoulder pads that were decorated grimly. On his left was a demonic skull, on another was that of a dragon. In the right arm was a mighty axe. Finishing it all was a green face that has a strip of blue warpaint and a row of aggressive sharp teeth. They knew the name of the Ork, Dragon Hacker. The Ork boasted to Hercules as a warband of ten similarly armored yet smaller brutes and thirty smaller well armored Orks the size of a grown man stood behind him. "I told ya's I wasn't lying when I said I'm the biggest Ironjaw ere! Now whens the fighting?"

The smaller orks had a drummer playing his instrument as a bellow of war as a brute in armor was shaking two glowing bones and yelling out. "DRAGON HACKAH! DRAGON HACKAH!"

Hercules gave him a challengers scowl and confessed. "I thought you were more than just a bully. It's going to start in twenty minutes and there is more participants that would give you what you wanted."

The Ork smiled to that and noticed something staring at him, he turned to face the four puny runts and glared. "What's ya looking at?!"

Sora wasn't intimidated by as Herc stated, a bully, and had his keyblade drawn out. "Just someone we were told about."

The Ork blinked, gasped and asked with his maw drolling for a worthy battle. "Is it that fancy Stormcast that probablies talking about me? He told ya's?!"

Sora, Goofy, Donald and Jiminy heard the word Stormcast, their guard was lowered. "Stormcast?! Is... that another word you call a...Space Marine?"

The Ork wished it was and looked as dumbfounded as they. "Space...Marine?! What in Gorkamorka's teeth is that?!"

He shrugged it off and stomped off to the lobby to sign in, Sora felt something wasn't right even given the circumstances, Hercules turned towards him and asked. "Hofneil told you everything he knows about him?"

Sora nodded to that. "He... isn't wrong to know what is up with these guys."

He looked at the massive horde and a particular brute with a claw and club listening. "He needs to start getting our names right! We is the the Ironjawz!"

The warchanter listened and shook his bones in a pattern to chant. "IRONJAWZ! DA IRONJAWZ!" The brute was amused and he snickered. "Though, Orruk and Ork sounds pretty similar! Bet they is tough!"

Hercules asked the Ironjawz to back away and continued talking with Sora. "That... is why I didn't let Hofneil do what he wants. I think he has the wrong guys."

Donald agreed with that and voiced his primary concern. "These guys are just as lost as he is... and he felt like he has to get rid of them to protect everyone. That... isn't right."

Goofy agreed that it wasn't as Jiminy pieced together a pattern. "Those Guardsmen fellows work under the guide of an enforcer, rather than a leader. Though Tahm is reasonable enough, he is always acting like he is cornered. That Tech Priest attacked Sora without hesitation and now this... could this Imperium really be trusted? Are they really good people to be around?"

That Sora didn't wish to answer. "Probably... not. But... we need to find out what this Stormcast even is. That Ork... Orruk or what ever he is seems to have that and a Space Marine confused."

Hercules hoped they are able to. "Good luck telling someone like that... Space Marine about this."

He saw a particular knight approaching near the Orruk Warband, marveling at such brutes. Garland laughed at the thought and joined in the conversation. "So this is what that barbarian was referring to! Is there going to be anymore joining us today?"

Hercules had to disappoint Garland. "Not right now, this is what the... Megaboss agreed to by coming into this tournament by himself. If he can give a good fight, then we would let him bring some... tribes that would bring out the best of their kind. That is what the Space Marine was worried about."

The knight didn't mind and felt he knew what Herc was talking about. "Those horde of savages from the east that wear the bones of many beasts and the gluttonous Ogors from the north? Does he seek to unite them under his rule?"

Sora raised an eyebrow at another fact confirmed. "That part doesn't sound like what Hofneil was warning us about." He looked at his friends in a decision. "I need to get ready, that Space Marine needs to come with us." His friends agreed as Hercules was willing to let his buddy be, the only way to convince a warrior is through the thick of battle.

In the world with the keep.

Ken led the group of adventurers across a swamp that spanned for miles, Taren feeling more impressed by the warrior the blind guide mentioned than the guide having his own doubts. "So that is why you came to Prydain? You are trying to find clues about what happened to Anatesis or where she came from?"

The boy agreed, stuck his tongue out to taste the swampy air and adjusted his spear to have the brightest shine. "If you were thinking of that warrior that tackles some of the biggest nightmares in the land, SHE is the one you ought to think about. Though since you say you never seen any odd ghost and the lot, I think I managed to find something."

Eilonwy felt her dress was dampening from the swamp air. "Least you did, are you sure your not getting all of us lost?"

Ken saw something sprinting out of the marsh, five dark, lizard like heartless. He aimed his spear at them and fired, quickly taking three of them down and trusting one through the chest. The last one felt the back blunt and was shot at point blank range, riding of the basic of foes and for him to refocus his direction. "If the light is at its strongest, then we are going the right way. Even if we are lost, that is why I'm here."

Gurgi kept hiding behind the farm boy as the bard stubbornly walked ahead. "Like that is any more assuring, the only direction you have is that spear and nothing more!"

Ken was about to agree with the criticism as the bard lost his footing on a ledge and fell, landing on the ground bellow. The group climbed down to see if he wasn't injured as the boy with the spear jumped down and tried to help him up. He noticed his spear shining brighter than usual and looked ahead, finding a hut like tree. "Well, I think we found Morva."

The group looked on and found the drewry place with a similar thought. They approached and looked at the windows to find no one occupying them, Taren tried to open the door and felt it was stuck, with a shove he forced it open and lead the group inside, with Ken standing by the door and observing, finding the may eyes in the shadows to be unsettling, but not hostile. The inside of the hut was littered with cobwebs, bottles and was infested with something. The boy stated the obvious. "Someone really hasn't been here in a long time!"

The maiden agreed and asked out loud. "How are we going to find the Black Cauldron here?!"

Taren looked with in a chest and was knocked back by a horde of frogs, letting out a series of croaks and causing shift movement in the shadows that caused Eilonwy to shriek. The group watched the shadows reveal more frogs that as a horde, hopped their way out of the hut, wondering more about where all the frogs came from as Gurgi ventured into a closet and ran out to tackle Taren with newsw. "Master, come quickly!"

He jumped of and pointed to a closet. "Gurgi found the wicked cauldron!" He scurried all over in excitement and yelled. "Quick, quick! Follow Gurgi!" The group did follow and the furry creature lead to something in the darkness. "Behold!"

Much to the groups disappointment, it was a closet full of cauldrons. The maidens bauble floated to the many as Ken's spear glowed dim, none of them were the cauldron they sought. The maiden asked puzzled. "Why... why would anyone want so man-" "AAAAAH!"

The group turned around to the noise of a woman shrieking. "THIEVES! THIEVES!"

A deeper womans voice screamed. "Someone stole our frogs!"

They went to the noise and were blinded by a puff of smoke, when their vision returned, they found a trio of witches in blue robes, angry at something, the eldest with a head band, the middle with a hat and the youngest that was overweight. The eldest of the three saw the group and hissed. "You evil nasty people!"

She pointed at them and has a threat she was eager to made happen. "You shall all be turned into frogs and eaten!"

The group were terrified as Ken cringed and blurted. "HEY WE DIDN'T STEAL ANY OF THEM, THEY RAN OUT WHEN WE-" He gasped. "WAIT, those frogs were tress-" The witch in the hat snickered and approached him first. "He, he, he! Aren't you a clever one!"

The eldest kept a glare and accusation. "Frogs or not, you still came here to steal from us!" They readied their spell as the youngest looked at the bard and giggled, flirting with him as Taren felt his nerves burn, drew his sword to try and get the witches to listen. "Enough, we come for the Black Cauldron!" The witches gasped and grouped up together, the leader of the group asked her sisters. "Did you hear that?!" The young one agreed. "Why nobody's asked for the Black Cauldron in over... two thousand years!" The witch in the hat thought more. "It's a trick!" She whispered to the eldest. "We are not going to let them have it are we?"

The eldest assured her sister. "Don't worry-" She winked. "Leave it to me!"

She went to another closest and asked the group. "Perhaps I might interest you in-" She opened the door. "Something else?" Floating kitchen ware floated out. "A kettle? A cook pot? A Skillet? A Teapot? A bucket? Jar? Platter?"

Some of them knocked Taren off his feet and causing him to drop his sword. The witch casually asked. "See anything you like?"

The sword glowed and animated on its own, slashing at the silverware as Ken saw the rather well kept red tea pot. "My mom collects tea pots of all colors. But-" SLASH! POW! The sword kept a radiant glow and interested the witch who was in disbelief. "I don't believe it!"

Ken saw the sword was going to destroy the red tea pot and took it away from its range, seeing the witch was distracted, she whispered to her sisters. "I never seen a sword like that?!"

She smiled in a scheme as Taren regained control of his blade. "I got to have that sword!"

The boy with the keyblade knew they were plotting something and was hesitate to ask, when they stopped whispering, the witch made an offer to Taren. "It's decided, you shall have the black cauldron!"

Eilonwy was wide eyed and hopeful as she asked. "You mean, you will give it to us?"

The witch heard and laughed at her. "Ha, ha! That's not what I said!"

Ken sighed and asked. "There is a trade we got to do for it?"

The witch winked to him. "Exactly! We never give anything away! What we do is-" She went closer to the sword. "Bargain! Trade!"

Taren refused and backed away from them. "Well you are not having my sword!"

Ken pouted and agreed with him. "That's the big deal you have? You sure that is the thing you want?"

The witch grinned at him and pointed to the spear. "It's not that the two of you would part so easily! Not that the spear is that impressive!"

Ken gasped. "Hey, its the reason I made it this far myself!" He focused the keyblade and aimed to a wall, shooting a beam that the witch still refused. "Ah, but is it even that? Or is it something more that what any of these are worth?"

The boy snapped his fingers and guessed as the bard focused on the cauldron trade. "Well... ladies..." he showed his harp to them. "Maybe you could consider this... this magnificent harp?" The old worn harp earned a mocking of its own, she pulled the string and let it whip the bard back. "A harp?" She punched her fingers and waved her free hand. "If want music we send for the birds!" She conjured a bird cage that let loose pink birds that flew around the bard. "What would we want with a simple harp?"

Ken sighed and went for his bag for something. "I know this isn't important, but I want the tea pot... maybe this ought to be rare enough for you." He pulled out the talon and the witch in the hat gasped. "A gwythaint's talon? Where in blazes did you get that?"

Ken answered her. "Long story! But I beaten one and found it stuck on my clothes. This... would cover the tea pot?"

The witch in the hat, found it to be in a chipped condition, but still not something anyone would have encountered and lived to tell the tale about, she extended her talon hand and agreed. "That, heh, heh! It would!"

The boy gave the nail piece to her and watched her put it in her robe, he placed the tea pot in his back pack and apologized. "Sorry for the interruption! But my mom would want to know where I been and this would... lighten the blow for me." The group looked annoyed and frustated at the choices, there isn't anything else the witches want!"

Taren sighed in defeat and looked at the sword. "Alright, I know what you want!"

The eldest witch closed to the sword and asked the farm boy as her fingers climbed at the blade. "Yes?"

The maiden pulled the farm boy away in protest. "Taren, no!" The boy answered back. "It's our only chance!" He took the blade, kneeled on his knees. "Here is my sword, take it!"

The witch walked close and asked. "Is it you're own choice duckling? Remember, with this sword, you could become the greatest warrior!"

She tapped at the blade as Ken listened. "That sword bailed him out... a lot from what I heard."

Taren agreen to that. "Yes..." He presented the sword to the witches. "It has, that is why... I offer my dearest possession in exchange... for the Black Cauldron."

The witch agreed to it. "We have made a bargain!" She and her sisters glowed and vanished in swirling wind, laughing loudly as the sword glowed, when the wind vanished, so did the sword. RUMBLE! RUMBLE! The group watched the furniture fly and spin, the tree like hut they were in tore from the ground and the many cauldrons flew with the wind, nearly knocking the group down and leaving behind barren ground.

Rumble rumble! An earthquake came, they saw from near a dead shrub, something erupting from the ground. Covered in dirt, a large cauldron emerged, forboding and covered in grime. Ken sensed a great evil with in and in an instinct, readied his spear for a shot. PEW! TINK! The beam of power did nothing, Taren whispered to the traveler. "Easy Ken."

He approached the cauldron with a sense of accomplishment. "The Black Cauldron... its ours!"

"HA, HA, HA, HA!" They turned around to see a cloud glow pink. "Ha, ha ha! I say what fun little ducklings!" They saw the three witches in the clouds, the eldest asked her sisters in a taunt. "Don't they know that the Back Cauldron is indestructable!"

Ken growled and asked. "Okay so we can't just smash it and deny that... Horned Guy this. What are we suppose to do with it? Guard it?"

The witch snickered and gazed upon them all. "Listen carefully!" She pointed to the cauldron. "The Black Cauldron, can never be destroyed! Only its evil powers can be stopped!"

Taren was relieved at the knowledge. "Then there is a way! But how?" The witch agreed and instructed. "A living being must enter the Black Cauldron of his own free will!"

Gurgi cheered and tried to climb in. "Gurgi is bold and brave! He will climb in the evil cauldron."

He was moments from jumping as the witch continued. "However, the poor duckling, will never climb out of it, alive!"

Gurgi yelped and realized certain death awaited him, he jumped back into Taren's arms, the bard stuttered and argued with the ladies. "L...look here madam, dont' forget we had an agreement!"

Eilonwy agreed to that and felt cheated. "Yes, you said we could have the Cauldron!"

Ken placed his left hand on his face and listened more as the witch with the hat corrected her. "Of course we said you could have the cauldron. It's not our fault you can't do anything with it!"

She cackled as she and her sisters vanished in the cloud that boomed thunder. The elderly witches voice echo'd. "Goodbye gooslings! Remember, we always keep our bargain!"

She laughed into the sky and Ken placed his hand down as he had a headache. "You all said you were looking for it and that's what they helped us with, I know this thing needs to go. My gut instinct says it needs to go... but you should have seen that coming."

Taren looked distraught at the thought, his sword was given away in a deal he had NO forsight in and he and his party really were helpless. He looked at the cauldron and wanted to sit down, Eilonwy glared at Ken. "And you got distracted by a tea pot! Is that always your thing?" The boy shrugged to that. "They were offering and I thought I try to get something out of it since they didn't care for my keyblade." He closed his eyes and whined out. "But now none of you got a way to defend yourself." He asked in concern. "Do you mind if I help set up camp? Until one of us finds a way to do... THAT, we got to guard the cauldron."

The bard went to pick up some sticks as Taren refused the help. "Just... watch... some help I been."


	5. Tales of an Age.

At a Tavern in Traverse Town. Riku pressed a few buttons on a phone and was frustrated at the little results. "I wished we told Sora and the others about the Gummi phone."

Mickey apologized for that as he watched the group of people celebrating merrily. "They will figure it out eventually."

Wanda approached with two fruity drinks in mugs and a mug full of ale. She joined in the conversation and asked. "You are trying to use that thing to call your friends over?"

Riku shook his head at the answer, with foul memories skittering. "Not exactly for pleasant talk. We found you, those spider loving goblins and the... Skaven here. This puts together this puzzle we were looking at. I... also wanted to talk to Sora, Kairi... or anyone about what we saw down there. Never... have we seen a whole race of dark hearts like that."

Mickey agreed and felt shivers. "It's just... sad."

Wanda felt the feeling and placed the plate of drinks down. "You two are nothing like the Skaven! Remember what I said, they are nothing but pure evil and now it looks like they all fell into the darkest depths of hell where they belong." Mickey felt more guilt, there was something that Wanda didn't know about. She sat down and asked. "You... know of the place they went to?"

Riku nodded about that. "We been in that realm... the Realm of Darkness. A collective pool of all the evil with in people. It... is as bad as it sounds."

Mickey took a deep breath and felt he could trust Wanda of a secret. "A friend of mine is trapped in that place after she tried to save a friend of hers. That is why I'm more worried about her... she doesn't need more struggles."

Wanda blinked gasped and stuttered, she took off her helmet and revealed short red hair. "I...I...I'm sorry, I didn't know. What... else is going on in there?"

Riku wished he would be able to talk about openly and asked. "You... ever heard of daemons?"

Wanda dropped her helmet in shock. "...By Sigmar! Mickey, if your friend wasn't knee deep in trouble already, she is now!"

She panicked and asked. "Uh... do you have a way to get her out... or know of a way?"

Riku nodded. "We do... but those... THINGS are waiting on the other side. That is why I need to get stronger to face that nightmare. Please tell us it isn't going to get worse."

Wanda stared at the two, they felt that deep with in her heart, was knowledge she would rather not speak of. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath from her nose, went for her ale to drink deeply. "I don't know your age, so this won't help!"

GLUG! GLUG!

Riku and Mickey knew that what the woman had to say was difficult to talk about with a clear consciousness, she finished and exhaled. "AH! Both of ya, listen close! We fight the Forces of Chaos pretty regularly around the Realmgates! They wish to corrupt the realms... and it isn't just daemons or the Skaven that are aligned with Chaos as a whole!"

The two were shocked at that knowledge and Mickey asked. "Wait... you don't mean."

Wanda does. "There are mortals like you and me that give in to the Ruinous Powers, I don't know what they were promised, if it was the only thing they known of like some of the Stormcasts talked about or if these mortals are as twisted as all the others. But in the end, they are just pawns of the Dark gods wishes! Beware of anyone, ANYONE who bears anything looking like an eight pointed star or symbols that look alike. Me and my men, they are all as honest as they come." She looked upon them with pride and looked back to the duo. "But if you see someone with those symbols, they only seek to advance Chaos, nothing more."

The two listened and Riku spoke back. "It's like what Tahm spoke about, if left unchecked, this threatens all of us."

Wanda sighed and felt her ale kicking in. "And its good that someone told ya enough! Just knowing about Chaos is dangerous. Now... Mickey, tell me more about your friend?"

In the realm of darkness.

In a cavern with many tunnels, Aqua and Anatesis fought their way through the many heartless lurking. With close range magic from Aqua and blunt lighting hammers from the Stormcast, they cleared the darkened tide, reaching to a mountain path that lead to another tunnel, the constellation kept a shine in the sky as Anatesis turned around to keep a guard. "There are so many here! You say you been here for a decade?! Surviving this long?"

Aqua agreed to how insane it sounded. "These monsters come regularly."

She slowly approached and heard something faint.

"SKIT, SKIT!"

More were coming and she readied herself as Anatesis's mouth was gaping under her helmet. She saw in a tunnel above to the right, many red eyes looking down at Aqua, eyes glowing in a hatred she was too familiar with. The creatures above jumped off to ambush their prey, Anatesis ran to Aqua and pushed her out of the way. "Watch out!"

SHOVE!

Aqua felt herself flying and was knocked on her knees, she tried to look around and heard rat like shrieking. The sound of a hammer making contact and a feeling of immense hatred gave her a brief pause, she heard something crash from the right and rolled to her left.

SMASH!

She got up and looked at an odd image for the realm, a hulking rat. Behind him was a rat with a gas tank and an orb glowing in poison. Aqua cart wheeled out of the line of the gun and circled around as the smaller rat looked at her and the Stormcast that was fighting clan rats glowing in darkness. "More man things even here! Die-die servant of Sigmar!"

He tossed the orb at her, Aqua back flipped high and noticed the foes Anatesis was battling, going into a frenzy and flailing with claws of darkness. The hulking rat stomped the ground and yelled as he charged, Aqua aimed her keyblade and shot a fire ball at him, knocking it prone as she closed in to the Stormcast and struck at the many clan rats, that twitched and convulsed, taking on a darkened form with glowing eyes. Their form was still of vermin, yet their claws and teeth were longer, sharper, their form was pitch black save for strands of cloth. They sank into the darkness and scurried around the two like a swarm of rats, the vermin with the green orb glowed in darkness and he tossed.

Aqua and Anatesis looked at each other for a moment, nodded and jumped in separate directions, dodging the dark rats that pounced from the shadows and were consumed by the poison orb. They coughed and convulsed, dissolving in mist as the giant ogre like rat was lost as to who to attack. Aqua and Anatesis ran and circled to two sides of the rat, Anatesis taking the front and swinging with her hammer as Aqua readied a frigid ice spell.

SMASH! PEW!

The rat ogre was knocked back by the hammer and was in a freezing shock, he fell over and was enveloped by the darkness as the remaining vermin tried to run away, convulsed and fell on his knees, twisting and turning into a darkened rat creature, who's maw spewed poison. He was on all fours and snarled, coughing darkened balls of poisonous gas. The duo jumped back to dodge and watched it leap into the swarming rat infested shadows, Aqua waited and saw the swarm leaping out after her, she raised her keyblade in the air and caused lightning to crash down upon the swarm, quickly wiping them out. The rat ogre became blackened and risen up with yellow eyes, he charged and clawed, knocking Aqua back and causing Anatesis to fall on her knees.

Aqua felt the pain and landed with grace, she aimed at the massive maw and fired a fire spell, stunning the beast and giving the maiden time to close in and deal a felling slash from her keyblade. Causing the creature to dissolve, she felt more evil coming from the shadows and readied a strong heal spell to replenish herself and the Stormcast, she helped Anatesis up and whispered as she looked toward the tunnel leading to the constellation. "We need to keep moving. Huff huff"

The Stormcast heard chittering and agreed as she arisen and lead the front, down into the darkened tunnel that wasn't any less welcoming. Aqua saw something in the ceiling, with two green blades glowing, the figure dropped in a cloak, she shot above and astonished the Stormcast who looked above and saw a ball of ice knocking the figure back. Revealing a creature of shadows underneath, holding two blades that dripped in poison and strapped behind was a third blade exactly the same. The figure jumped back in the darkness and circled around unseen. Aqua and the Stormcast looked around to find the foe, Anatesis saw the faint shine of daggers in a particular direction and whispered. "Nine o,clock!"

Aqua faced her left and shot a fire ball, leaving a scorch that caused the figure to be more visibly seen. It leaped above and threw metal stars at Aqua, Anatesis block with her body and gave the keyblade master the chance to fire again, the cloaked figure let loose a squeak and disolved in darkness, leaving the black cloak to float away into the pit bellow.

The duo kept advancing, Aqua asked the Stormcast. "You know of those things?" Anatesis nodded. "Ay! Skaven! Cowardly rat men that destroy everything they touch and hold no love for any save for themselves and only themselves!"

Aqua cringed at the idea. "How did they end up here?"

Anatesis doesn't know and sighed. "If they gnawed up a tunnel, they doomed themselves to all this. You say darkness affects people around here and the Skaven have nothing but that in their hearts. If they trapped themselves here recently... than it won't be long before things like what we killed, become their fate."

They felt a rumble, as if something heavy dropped, they hurried to the other end of the cave and found a passage leading to an odd beach with a faint mockery of a jungle. From behind they heard a shriek. "Man things of Sigmar, here in the dark dark?! Here where there is no light light?!" The duo turned around to find a giant rat ogre with many limbs, equipped with a variety of cannons, carrying on his back a rodent wearing a horned helmet. He stomped on his steed and had it leap in the path, the duo shook their heads at another battle.

The rat ogre aimed his cannons as the rat above snorted green dust and channeled a spell. Aqua and Anatesis dodged the stream of green fire and went in to strike. Causing a faint scratch and for the ogre to swing with his crushing blows. Aqua dodged as Anatesis was sent flying to a wall, the keyblade wielder healed the Stormcast and fired a fire ball at the ogre, the rat above ordered. "Boneripper, smash! Crush! Keep them away while I summon a power most foul! Yes-yes!"

Boneripper swiped his tail at Aqua, the woman flipped out of the way and caused an orb of lighting to engulf the ogre, it yelped in pain as Anatesis charged and struck the things underbelly. Boneripper fatigued and tried to knock the Stormcast off as Aqua shot balls of energy to pelt him. Anatesis struck again with a blow most mighty and caused him to fall to his knees, it seems that this creature had been in a battle recently. Aqua shot a fire ball that on contact with the creatures face, created a massive explosion. The rat fell forward, dead. Irritating the rodent above as he stomped. "No no Boneripper! I command you to keep fighting! I almost-" The shadows wormed into the body and enveloped Boneripper, much like what Aqua and Anatesis had seen before, they readied for what was to come. Bonerippers eyes glowed yellow and he forced himself up, his form wasn't too different from before save for his skin being all black, he aimed his cannons at the duo and sent them rolling back from the sheer dark power.

The seer looked at his minion awkwardly and smiled, pretending that was all apart of his plan as he watched the two get themselves up. "Yes, yes! I knew the dark dark would make Boneripper healthy! Now, die!"

Boneripper roared and charged at the duo that were getting up, they dodged the massive crash and tried to attack in vain, Boneripper swung wildly and kept the two at bay as the rat above pulsed and finished a cast. He stopped and taunted. "The dark dark is where all Skaven thrive. Yes, yes!" He cackled wickedly and with sanity far gone as Aqua glared at him. "With this power! We will swarm the realms of the man things, the green skins, the elf things!" He yelled out. "They will all die die! All the realms will belong to the Great Horned Rat!"

A dark green mist swirled, Aqua and Anatesis sensed a great evil coming, a raspy voice whispered. "The Dark Realm is ours! Yes, yes! Thanquol, go gather the clan that followed you in this realm! I will show these man things my power!"

Thanquol snickered and obeyed. "Of course Warpseer, yes yes!" He nudged at his heartless monster. "Come Boneripper!"

The heartless silently carried his master and leaped to a mountain in the north, leaving the dark green mist to form in shape. That of a demonic rat with a glowing glave on his left hand and a green orb in his right, Aqua felt immense fear and stepped back, Anatesis stood by her side and readied her hammer. "These Skaven are not going to let us waltz out of here and their Grey Seer is just going to cause disaster to the realms if not stopped! Are you ready to send this Verminlord back into the pit?"

Aqua panted, focused on her foe and nodded, the Verminlord dashed to the duo in supernatural speeds and swiped his glave, the duo dodged and readied their attack. With blows from Anatesis hammer and Aquas spells, the Warpseer stepped back and jumped high above, spinning in a twister of wind and green lighting. The demonic rat pulsed and caused lightning and madness to strike all around. Aqua focused her blade and caused a barrier to shine, protecting herself and the Stormcast from the intense blow, the Warpseer hissed and flung his orb at the duo, giving a sadistic smile as the duo realized there wasn't much chance to escape. BOOM! Aqua and Anatesis were nearly knocked across a cliff and stood their ground as the Warpseer landed. The keyblade wielder used another healing spell and charged at the rat with the Stormcast; dodging glave, tail swipes as they took turns dealing blows.

The Warpseer stepped back and leaped on the mountain ledge above, then behind them, then to the passage into the jungle, then back to where he was, going in a circle and waiting for the two to let their guard down. He dashed at them with glave in hand, ready to swing. Pew, pew, pew! Pin, pin, pin! The Verminlord felt a prick that distracted him and gave the duo time to attack, Aqua shot a stronger fire ball as Anatesis focused on melee, sending the Verminlord back and realized something was amiss, he was shaking from something and plucked something from his neck, odd darts. Pew, pew, pew! Pin, pin, pin! The duo saw darts sticking into the Verminlords knees, the fiend tried to attack with his glave, sloppily. The duo stepped back and repeated their attacks, seeing the Verminlord looking dizzy.

PEW! Pin!

A dark struck the Verminlords forehead and caused it to fall over, laying on the ground with not even a shriek. He burned in green fire, signaling the end of the battle.

Aqua and Anatesis looked around to see where the shots came from, something jumped from a hole next to the cave way. Seeing a figure blend within the surroundings, Aqua readied her blade as Anatesis gasped. "Could it be?"

The figure shifted colors, revealing itself to be a bipedal orange chameleon in tribal clothes, in his belt was a collection of vials and in his hands was a simple golden blow pipe. The Stormcast placed her right hand on Aqua's left shoulder and stopped her. "Hold it, this... this is a Skink!"

Aqua turned her eyes towards the voice. "Skink?"

The Stormcast answered proudly. "Yes, a Seraphon like I told you about. He must have been sent here to help us." The Skink simply stared and looked at the burning Verminlord's body, being reduced to nothing, his color shifted and was returning to the darkened surroundings, Aqua shook her head puzzled. "Thank you for coming, do you know what is ahead of us?"

The Chameleon changed his color, his bulging eyes looking yellow and his skin being pitch black, he changed back to the surroundings and vanished, giving her enough to know. "So more Heartless?"

Anatesis sighed and saw in the distance a flickering light. "We are just a moments away. Aqua, you never told me about your friends, what happened?"

Aqua felt it to be a sea of bad memories. "A long time ago, a man attempted to tamper with forces beyond his understand and two of my friends paid the price for standing in his way. Ven...Ventus, had his heart damaged after an evil force tried to take over his body. Terra... had his body completely taken by that man... Xehanort." She closed her eyes in disturbed grief and continued. "...I tried to save Terra... and fell into this realm. Ventus and Terra were both some of the greatest keyblade wielders I know and my closest friends... I... can't do anything for them trapped here."

Anatesis pulled her helmet off and looked at Aqua with sympathy. "Eek, I know what it is like to lose companionship like that. But Ventus... you say his heart was damaged... what you mean by that?"

Aqua sighed and answered in a way even a stranger alien to the ways of the heart would understand. "Ventus went into a coma and to keep anyone from hurting him more, I sealed him away in a labyrinth until I can find a way to mend that broken heart."

Anatesis looked at her stalwartly and whistled, she patted Aqua on the shoulder and felt the emotions. "That is what kept fueling you to keep going in this realm? It takes a strong soul to endure that much." She nearly laughed at brighter news. "But... if we reach to that light over there, you will finally be able to got out of er and get back to saving those two! The Slann work in mysterious ways."

That Aqua agreed with, she took a deep breath and kept on to that hope. "I... would, thank you." Anatesis let Aqua know it wasn't a problem and put her helmet back on. She took the lead down into the jungle, with Aqua following, the last stretch of a long journey seems to be in reach.

In Olympus Colosseum.

Sora was slightly disappointed that the Grand Reopening was comprising of a few caged up heartless rounded up and the four battlers that signed up. Himself, Garland, Hofneil and the infamous Dragon Hackah. Donald and Goofy volunteered to assist Sora as they can as Jiminy finished logging the many faces they met. The cricket stated what they saw in the initial battles. "None of those three were boasting about their strength, Garland's sword is more versatile than it looks, Hofneil treated those heartless like they were nothing and that Orruk."

He shivered. "How does anyone desire something so... brutal and is loud about it?"

Donald agreed with the thought. "He kept getting more angry when they couldn't give him more Heartless to fight."

They watched and listened to an announcement of the battlers and the first duo to partake in the sport. Garland and Hofneil approaching the arena. Goofy covered his eyes as Sora felt a tension in between. "...I think I know why this is happening."

Goofy agreed with that. "It would have been much worse if the Space Marine ended up fighting that Orruk."

Which is what Sora's objective was, see who wins this battle and defeat Dragon Hackah before the Orruk ends up in a match that is much more bloodier than simple sport. They watch Garland make the first move, his sword shifted into a speared club with a chain as the wielder swung, the Space Marine rolled above the swinging chain and readied his mace. Garland dodged and the chain fed back into his sword, the sword shifted into an axe. The warrior slammed it to the ground and to the groups astonishment, knocked the Space Marine back. The axe shifted into a lance, Garland charged at the Marine that caught his footing, dodged and struck the knight aside with his maul, effortlessly sending him to a wall. The knight dashed out and his lance shifted back into the sword, he pulled a smaller sword out and went into close combat with the marine, Hofneil took out his glowing sword and with it and the maul, joined in the parry.

Sora and his friends watched the trade of blows, though Garland is a powerful fighter, the knight being pushed back at every blow give way to one truth. The end was inevitable, the maul pushed against the massive sword as the smaller sword tried to parry the glowing one, the Space Marine struck it down with all his strength and sent it loose from Garland's grip. He used both sword and maul to knock the other sword away, sending Garland on his knees from a loss of balance and both weapons facing him. The match was over and Phil blew a whistle to signal a finished match, the Space Marine helped the knight up and allowed him to pick his weapons up. Both warriors parted ways. Sora knew it was his time to prepare and went down with his friends baring Jiminy. A tense battle was certainly to be. When it was time, the door opened and they stepped on as Phil called their names and called for their foe. "All right, a lot of you been waiting for this since he reared his big green head! Give it up for the big boy of the Knight Smasha tribe."

He muttered and saw the audience slightly confused. "I swear I'm not making the name up! Here is-" The door opened up and the sound of something heavy came. "Dragon Hackah!"

The audience of Orruks yelled out in an over joyful barbaric manner, the more neatly armored Orruks beat the drums as the Warchanter yelled in a craze. "DRAGON...HACKAH! DRAGON... HACKAH!"

He chanted in a pattern and an irritated brute punched him in the face. "SHUT IT YOU KNOW THE RULES! WE NOT IN THIS, SO HE ON HIS OWN!"

Sora and his friends cringed as the Warchanter was knocked on his rear, dropped his sticks and rushed to pick them up, he scurried in the crowd as Phil yelled out at the Brute. "Hey, no fighting in the audience! I had to push it just to let you all in here!"

The brute looked on a grinned tauntingly at Sora. "Like how you lets the runt bring his buddies in there! Like that would elp!"

Stomp! Stomp! From the shadows, the mega boss approached, the tension caused the brutes taunting demeanor to fade into an intimidated submission. The cheering Orruks stopped and looked like their hearts were beating in a rhythm. The Mega Boss entered the arena with a leap that shouldn't be for someone of his size or weight. Sora, Donald and Goofy nearly felt shaken as the Orruk landed and looked down at them, he growled and asked. "They said you iz the big eros of this Colosseum! Beating up all the boys ere over a years ago and not long go gave this flaming heading grot what's coming to him for wreckin this place?"

Sora gasped. "Hades?! How did you find-" The Orruk interrupted him and looked irritated. "That is what we got tolds after asking that big guy and that grot iz looking for some dumb gitz for something." He wondered. "If I give youz a good crumpin, would that mean we gets to topple em instead?" He smiled at the sadistic plan and chuckled, he readied his axe and bellowed out.

"WAAAAAAAAGH!"

He charged at the trio like that of a train, Sora and Donald jumped out of the way as Goofy realized his shield was useless and ran yelling. "Ah ho ho hwee!"

He barely dodged the swing of the axe as Donald shot an ice spell at the Mega Boss's face. Sora saw exposed skin in the back of the armor and took his chance to slash with his keyblade, causing the boss to yelp in irritation. He flung his free hand and swatted the boy back, he turned around to see the boy landing with a battle ready stance. Donald shot a fire ball that barely did much to the armor and the Orruk nodded his head in rhythm to a plan. He charged at the boy who waited for him to swing his axe again, jumped and struck the Megaboss's face, Goofy tossed his shield at the exposed back like a boomerang, causing a sting and catching it as he noticed something strange. The Megaboss watched Sora land out of the way and was more in a rhythm, he looked at the columns with a plan and back to the boy. He threw a punch that Sora had to avoid, he jumped towards the upper right column with a plan. Goofy yelled out. "Watch out, he is up to something!"

The Orruk gave credit where it is due. "You all iz a bit more kunnin! I give ya that!" He noticed Donald near a column right behind him and yelled out a war cry as he charged at the wizard, who ran out of the way, not realizing what the Orruk was planning, Sora watched and gasped as Dragon Hackah punched the marble columns, caused it to fall towards himself, dropped his axe and grabbed the broken base of the falling column, he turned around to the group with a massive make shift club and taunted. "Ha, ha! Now you all is going to get smashed!" He swung, Sora dodged as Goofy and Donald were sent off the arena from the over the top swing, they laid dazed and were knocked out of the fight. The tip of the column smashed at another, causing a crack and for the second column to fall. The boy barely avoided the impending damage and dashed on the make shift club, right in a range for him to strike repeatedly with his full strength, knocking out a tooth. Dragon Hackah spit the tooth aside and looked like he was enjoying himself as he saw his damage. He dropped his column and tried to punch, missing and being struck again. The Orruk jumped to the second column and looked at who he knocked out. "That was too easy! I wonderz-" He grabbed the column and with his strength, spun with the giant thing, breaking the last two and was readying, much to the non Orruk's horror, a throw. Sora growled and readied his keyblade, why was he not trying to dodge? The Orruk let go and watched it fly at the boy.

SLASH!

In blinding speed, the boy swung and appeared on the other side of the column, landing and charging at the Megaboss, who saw the column break in two. His eyes widened and he braced himself, the blade struck at his armor with unusual strength and caused the mega boss to nearly fall back.

Dragon Hackah elbowed Sora and went for his axe, the boy aimed his keyblade into the sky and caused a bolt of lighting to strike down where the Megaboss was charging. BOOM! Lighting struck the Orruk who tried to withstand it, he yelled out on defiance and grabbed his axe. He turned to face him and tried to charge, faltering, tripping under his weight and landing on his face, dazed and knocked out. Sora took a deep breath and heard a crowd cheering, he fell on his rear in relief that such a mighty foe was bested. He walked off the platform to where Donald and Goofy were, they had endured much worse and with a healing spell, they were quick to recover. Donald noticed the knocked out Orruk and the destruction caused, he got up and tried to help Goofy up as he asked. "How did a brute like him end up here in the first place?" Sora had no idea as the Ironjawz were looking at him with eagerness and a desire to battle him "Probably like all the others, but we know one thing, their boss knows how to fight." Goofy noticed the many Orruks barely containing themselves and guessed. "They look like they just want to fight the toughest around here. We only have one more and Hofneil isn't going to be too happy about this." Sora agreed to that and wanted to sit down somewhere. "If this place stays open, then these guys wouldn't cause too much trouble. But... how can we talk to someone that determined?" That they do not know as they prepared for the final round.

In Morva

Ken kept watch and looked upon the depressed group with annoyance. "Seriously, it's been hours and you are all still thinking about how we are going to deal with this?"

The four looked more doubtful, the boy with the spear sighed and went back to his watch. "Right... we still got to do... that if we have any hope of really rid the world of its power."

Taren looked at the stranger who does have better things to do than just baby sit. "It's not your fault... I'm the one that let everyone down." He felt bitter of a careless trade and confessed. "Without my sword, I am nothing. Just an assistant pig keeper."

Ken cringed and approached. "That isn't true, if you are quick to learn, you can be half good with just about any weapon. I had a small club that was good in a pinch... even if that thing wasn't much." He sat next to the depressed farm boy and thought of another story. "You just need to have a reason to keep fighting for what you think is right."

He cringed at his own words as the bard asked with a slight inspiration. "That is how you made it far with that... keyblade?"

Ken faced the bard with the hard to pronounce name and confessed. "That is how I made it farther even when this was just an... ordinary weapon. The actual weapon you saw... not just a spear."

He snapped his fingers to an idea as Eilonwy asked confidently. "All Taren needs is to believe in himself." She looked at the farm boy affectionately. "I believe in him."

Ken felt it was a start and looked around the swamp. "It... isn't much, but I think if I scrounge some pieces together, I might make something for you... but then you are going to have to get a real weapon."

Taren still felt depressed and nearly smiled at the intention. "A cobbled together bundle of sticks and stones?! How would that last long?"

Ken shrugged and answered. "It wouldn't, but then you catch one of the Horned King's thugs by surprise and then... make due with that chance" Gurgi gasped and asked. "You mean master has to steal?"

The boy rephrased with arrogance. "You could call it stealing, but you can also call it... putting a bad situation to good use." He saw a faint green glow in the far distance north, towards a hill and thought he should investigate. "I'll go make sure nothing is trying to jump us, think about what we can make with the junk around."

The group trusted that judgement and wished him luck, he ventured to the north towards the odd green glow and felt a gloom hovering ahead. He clung to his keyblade and heard gasps, moans, faint whispers from the trees. "Turn back. Do not be a hero."

Ken felt the chill and ventured more, seeing the green glow intensify and form into a faint swirl of energy, the whispers grew more frantic. "The Lord of the Dead is not forgiving. Turn back."

He looked closer at the green energy and felt a pattern similar, he remembered a familiar specter and asked. "...This is where that ghost and wizard came from?" The whispers gasped and asked. "You... defied a guardian of souls?!"

A voice from behind spoke a dreadful hiss. "Woe is thee who stands against the Undying One! Woe is thee who stands against Nagash!" The swirling energy rippled and trotting out was an unpleasant specter, a phantom in a shroud and wearing a winged helmet riding upon a ghastly, spectral horse. He drew out a sword and looked upon the living in his way.

Ken's legs stopped and felt death itself was pouring unto the world. Skeletal wraiths on skeletal steeds stepped out, all five of them wielding scythes, they look upon another soul, foolish enough to defy the will of their master. The Knight of Shroud's steed made the first charge, Ken rolled out of the way, nearly tripped and aimed his keyblade at him, firing at the ethereal body that phased through the first beam and distorted at the other. The Knight hissed and aimed his sword at the boy, rasping an order to the wraiths to join in the assault. The many circled around and Ken fired wildly, striking one of the steeds. They charged as one, Ken saw an opening and leaped in between two. The Knight of Shrouds took his chance and charged, trampling the boy and trying to slash with his old sword. Ken parried the sword and rolled out of the painful hoofs. He charged his gun and aimed, the Knight of Shrouds stood and took the shot, feeling a faint burn as his steed jumped back to let the wraiths in the fray. The boy shot again at the injured wraith, knocking him and his steed down, they faded back in the green swirl as the others galloped in a pattern of one by one. Ken ran to the left and dodged one by one. He took his chance and swung the spear at another, causing a rasp that annoyed the Knight. They charged to strike with all their might, Ken shot the steed in the eyes and skid to the right, nearly tripping on a rock and charging a shot that blasted another wraith dead. Three more to go. The three wraiths broke their formation and had their steeds gallop, taking their turns swinging at the boy who was opposing them. The Knight of Shroud's horse regained sight, glared at the boy with his master and leaped. The boy snickered and charged his shot, thinking of a strategy to manage the battle. "This should help."

PEW!

The light of the keyblade pierced another, ethereal or not, it struck one of the creature of darkness dead. Leaving two remaining. The Knight of the Shrouds cringed at the light and backed away, he ordered his fellow wraiths to attack again.

Ken felt he made the undead afraid, his fear turned to misguided courage as he tried again, avoiding the frantic fiends and readying another shot again.

PEW!

Another met its end and left one more wraith, that was shaking from the glow of the light. Exposed to a final shot that left the Knight alone. It gave a soul chilling shriek and leaped off the horse, flying at Ken with intent to kill. Ken attempted to parry and felt the sting of the blade. The boy countered with a pitiful thrust, pushing the wraith back and exposing it to a quick shot, the horse charged and the wielder rolled out of the way more nimbly. He fired an timed beam and caused the horse to fall over. The Knight flew above and circled around, trying desperately to locate a vulnerable side. Ken's keyblade sparked in radiance, in sense to the feeling of bravery. "Time to send you back to where you came from!"

The Knight flew down with his sword ready, the boy shot as he saw the green in his foes eyes.

PEW!

The Knight's head was shot off, the helmet flew into the marshes, the spectral body collapsed and skid to the boys feet, as a simple cloak and sword.

The energy went into the blade as the shifting energy formed into a larger rift, something was coming, Ken saw a faint image of a man in grand, regal attire, on his shoulders were spine like tendrils that shifted and turned, on the left hand was a tome and on the right was a massive staff. The image had eyes glow spectral green, piercing into the boys soul with fierce hatred, Ken's courage returned back to instinctual fear, the keyblade flickered to the rift. The boy followed and aimed, charging a beam of light as the image dropped the tome for a specter to pick up and reached out with his hand. PEW! The beam shot out and made contact with the rift, causing a keyhole to form around it. It shined as the specter hissed. "THAT WILL NOT SAVE YOU! THERE WILL BE NO ESCAPE FROM ETERNITY!"

His hand reached out from the other side as the light engulfed the rift.

CLICK!

The rift disintergrated and something fell. Thud! Ken panted rapidly, what ever was trying to cross over was halted. He endured his legs desire to give up and approached to find something so simple, yet most evil. A black gauntlet that twitched on its own. He pulled out some rope and tied the fingers and thumb together, keeping it from moving and for him to place in his bag. He gasped to an idea and looked at the sword, it was old yet its condition was adequate enough. "Tarem might like-" ROAR!

He gasped, turned behind and saw a wyvern circling from above. His mouth was gaping at what happened. "Oh no! I been away from them for way too long!"

He picked the sword up and ran back, seeing the wyvern fly off and seeing an aftermath, Taren and the others were missing along with the Cauldron, the boy put together what happened and yelled out. "WRRRRAH! COME ON!"

He noticed near a bundle of roots, a grey furry creature that was sniffling out, Gurgi. Ken yelled out at him. "ALRIGHT, WHAT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS GONE?!"

Gurgi swallowed hard and stuttered. "Mister was... was busy looking at odd light for a while... G...Gurgi found evil gwythaint circling around... a band of wicked men came to take Master, his friends and Cauldron."

Ken was losing his breath and explained. "Look, I didn't ditch all of you cause I got bored! Some pretty evil things would have came if I just ran! I know those guys you mentioned were the Horned King's goons. We need to get back to the keep before the guy is able to use the Cauldron for... what ever."

Gurgi cringed and looked up with sorrowful eyes, like there was a detail he wasn't explaining, Ken saw it and asked. "...More happened with you than just the guys ignoring you... did it?"

Gurgi nodded, an example of bravery before him pierced the heart of someone who was the opposite of brave. "Gurgi...Gurgi ran away when trouble was coming."

The boy heard the tone, point at Gurgi crossed and stopped himself, lightening his expression to one a little more forgiving. "Gurgi, how often do you do that to Taren? The guy doesn't have much and he gets backed into a corner a lot from what I hear." Gurgi didn't wish to count, Ken understood and let his keyblade vanish in light. "...More times that I would personally like to depend on."

He lowered himself and asked. "You... want to hear a confession from me. When I first found this spear... and got attacked by all sorts of heartless, I wanted to run as well. I got my salvage and there wasn't anything else for me to gain." He laughed at himself. "In fact, as Anatesis said it, I probably should have turned back after the first sign of trouble. I nearly got ambushed by more Heartless that banded together in a big scary twister... but I didn't because I knew some people were in danger in the outskirts of my town and they were going the wrong way. Then those people I was with got ambushed again by something just as scary... I did something very stupid and got the attention of one of those scary things... coming at me. That was when the weapon turned from any ordinary one into a keyblade... I don't know fully why it did... but it was because of what I was doing even when I wanted to run."

He clapped to another example. "Even with that... thing I was doing, I wanted to turn back due to how evil these things were. How scary those things boss was... I got more souvenirs that some... cool people might want to look at." He muttered to himself. "That isn't a good example because I was so busy with all that... that this happened."

That Gurgi understood and looked down at his feet as he thought more. "Gurgi know, you did what you had to. …. You is a lot braver than Gurgi."

Ken appreciated the compliment and realized the double meaning. "I know of a lot of people that are braver than I am. Hey... if you want to actually help, come along... you will know what to do when it is time."

He picked Gurgi up and let him sit on his shoulder, with one request. "Just... if I run into something that doesn't go down to a few shots, don't ditch me! Try to do something... that something could mean the difference in the thick of things." He petted the perked up Gurgi and went back the way he came, in pursuit to stop a catastrophe.

At Olympus Colosseum.

Sora had Donald and Goofy stay in the rafters for a final round he knew had to be done. "...I just need to talk to Hofneil, he seems to be more given to these fights than... we thought."

Jiminy wondered and asked. "Is he... upset at what we did?"

Goofy figured it was. "He definitely is, he thinks these Ironjawz are something else."

Donald swallowed at the grim warnings and wished Sora luck. "Remember, you can just forfeit the match if he isn't going to listen." The boy understood and was called for the finale, he entered the Colosseum and saw Phil was hesitate to keep the match going. "...Alright humans and greenskins, you all been waiting for this match. Returning after a long absent, give it up for Sora!"

The group clapped as the Orruks needlessly hollered, the boy tensed and readied his keyblade as Phil looked at the other door way and saw the Space Marine looking stoic under his helmet and approaching, like a judge before the accused. "And finishing this off is the Warrior from the Stars! Hofneil of the Iron Snakes!"

The Space Marine ignored the audience and focused on Sora, he observed the destruction caused by the Greenskin Warlord and drew his power sword out. The boy expect the worse as Phil signaled to him of his options. "Let the finale round begin!"

He blew his horn as the marine charged without hesitation and swung, Sora dodged and struck back, the blade struck the armor with little damage. The Space Marine Captain asked the boy questioningly. "Why did you allow the Ork to live?"

He swung and was given a brief parry as the boy answered. "Hofneil, you are right about how these guys are brutes. If no one keeps an eye on them, they will be a problem to everyone here."

The Space Marine stepped back and analyzed his foe with a repeated question. "That is why we must purge the xenos. Why did you allow the Ork to live?"

Sora knew his opponent was looking at the quick strike and asked back. "These guys don't even know what a Space Marine is, they think an Ork is something else and they call themselves Orruks."

Hofneil tilted his head and had his blade ready for a thrust. "Yet their savagery is identical to the Orks!"

Sora figured that would be a justification to stop the Ironjawz. "But they even talk about Stormcasts. I think you were trying to go after the wrong guys."

Hofneil stopped and asked. "Tell me, what does that Warboss have planned after this?" Sora saw he was getting to the marine, he kept his guard and answered. "Something about getting ready for the next tournament... with more to join his group... you ever heard of Ogors?"

That caused the Space Marine to gasp. "By the emperor, there is no way Ogryn would ally themselves with the Orks! Deformed they are, they are still humanity compared to those Xenos! They would never side with the Xenos... unless... the Ogors themselves are not human."

Sora felt the names are similar and asked him. "There could be more differences beside that, like the Orks and Orruks." He gasped at something he realized. "...Could it be the kind of place you, this Imperium and the Orruks... are not the same? Like you and a Stormcast... the Orruks mistook you for one."

The theory confused the space marine, he stopped and lightened his guard. "...That is not a Space Marine chapter?"

Sora took a deep breath, felt he managed to win the battle with something besides strength. "If they were, would those Orruks have left that detail out?"

The Space Marine shook his head. "They wouldn't, they may be more than cunning brutes, but they would know a Space Marine first and foremost." He looked around at the audience and the mass of greenskins that realized something was occuring to break the fight, he squinted his eyes at the orks in armor, far too organized compared to the norm. The brutes, armed with cobbled together gear, yet look too put together to be that of a tribe. Something about the strife, felt pointless. He drew his sword back and took a deep breath. "Nothing here makes sense." He turned toward the exit of the Colosseum and walked off the arena, the match was over and Phil was dumbfounded at the result, he was expecting the reverse to happen.

The Orruks in the audience howled out in frustration, with the boss brute yelling out his words. "WHAT A RIP OFF! WHERE IS THE FIGHTING!"

They rabbled and bickered as an injured Megaboss watching in the distance went to the brute and tossed him to the Orruks to get the masses to shut up. "CAN IT! Don't ya get it, something isn't right! That Space Marine isn't a Stormcast, but he fights like one... and he looking at us like he never seen us before!"

The battered brute tried to pick himself up as the warchanter listened and blinked. "Then... we got to fight em?"

Dragon Hackah growled at him. "Laters! Then that mean he ain't from da realms! There is more going on than just some scrapping."

He gasped at something and grinned. "I'z going to do this anyways! Come on ya runtz!"

He lead the way out of the audience, with the many Orruks wondering what was occurring, the Warchanter felt a similar feeling. "We... going to get more fighting than this?"

The Orruk agreed to that. "I knew there was something ringing in ya skull! If more like that key swingah and his pals are around, then that mean some one wanting to fight them would show up!" They exit the Colosseum quickly, the Megaboss tried to decide which direction to go. "And that would be a good scrap for us to get in! Now which one we ought to beat up first! Da Beastclaws or the Bonesplittaz?" He saw a green explosion to the far south, some bystanders wondered what that ones, the Orruk decided on that. "They got a feisty shaman, bet he would figure out I'm the boss er! Come on boyz!"

At an alley way nearby.

Hercules believed what Sora had to tell him. "So this thing you and your friends were trying to find out is a lot more than just... people from somewhere showing up out of nowhere." Sora nodded as Jiminy worded it. "They came from places that might be a like from one another."

Hercules thought of it and understood enough for someone not aware of the world order. "I think there are people from a large island north of here that may agree to that. The Norse... they know how to fight."

Sora wanted to change the subject as Goofy looked at a hill to the south, overlooking a sunset. "Still, we can't just leave Hofneil here, he knows things we need to know."

Hercules felt that and wondered about him. "He must be thinking about his home. If you were able to talk to him before, it could work then."

He knew that would work as Goofy agreed. "But would he like to hear it?"

Donald answered ready to confront the marine. "He needs to hear it."

Sora felt he decided and promised Herc. "We will take care of him, we will be back later if we hear more from the Ironjawz... they just... left." The Olympian agreed that it was unusual. "Just like that... we will be more ready when that happens. Thanks for the help."

The four parted ways with their old friend and went to the hill south, finding looking at the sunset, a Space Marine with his helmet off, uncertain about where he was as a familiar knight assured him. "Regardless of where destiny has swept you, you stand ready to embrace it! If there is more than meets the eye, what are you to do?"

The marine looked at Garland certain of something. "Find my battle brothers, they are not here!" He noticed Sora, Donald and Goofy. He nodded to Sora with respect and asked. "And why did you suspect this planet to have something like me lurking in the shadows?"

The trio wouldn't put it that way as Donald answered. "It isn't that... we had a lot of people and things in-" he looked around. "other worlds that act like they are not from there."

Sora agreed to that and hesitated to ask. "And we... heard of something trying to mess with our worlds. Something you might know about."

Hofneil believed it and asked. "What are they? If they are not the greenskins... then what is our enemy?"

Goofy swallowed, adjusted his collar and asked. "A guy named Tahm spoke of this Chaos thing, its the same ones that attacked Sora's world when some machine fell and was wreckin everything."

The marine's eyes widened, he formed a stoic scowl. "The Great Enemy To All! I suppose you are trying to do something about them?"

The trio nodded and Sora asked. "There is a place we were to meet up at if we find more like you... we need to know about them. Would... you come with us?"

The marine sighed and warned the three. "Knowledge is the first step on the road to damnation. I will not speak of the forces from the Warp." He stepped forward for his conclusion. "But I can speak about the heretics that kneel to those powers!"

Sora wondered what the marine meant as Jiminy gasped in a realization. "You are telling us there are people that work with it?!"

Hofneil nodded to the cricket. "Those pose as much of a threat to all as the powers they worship. Where are you going rendezvous?"

Sora asked the marine. "Maybe it would be easier if we show you."

He smiled to an observant Garland. "It was pretty cool how you battled. Maybe next time we will fight each other at the Colosseum."

The knight was disappointed that the final round ended with simple words. "Maybe, good luck on your quest!" He nodded to the group with respect and left. To a simple building that would provide shelter. Puff! Garland was stopped by the faint smell of brimstone and was not amused by who arrived, a blue skin, humanoid figure in a black toga. His hair was of fire and the figures fanged mouth gave a casual, condescending attitude. "So your little... gain their trust plan worked like a charm hey Garrly?"

The knight growled and looked at the figure with his answer. "They never suspected a thing Hades. Ha, ha! They were aware that the Warrior from the Stars... the Space Marine, would long for that brutes blood. This made things easier for the little heroes to convince him to take his matters elsewhere."

Hades was disappointed in the outcome and conjured up a martini. "Yeah that was a shame, I was hoping Space boy would send Dragon Hackah my way... that Orruk had quite the nerve."

Garland shrugged at what was done. "And yet that Orruk is promising us all more battles, he is more than just a simple barbarian."

Hades cared little for the Orruk and took out something of note, an amulet of various elements. "And that will make your job much more fun. You want to battle the best Olympus has to offer and... after what Spacey Boy did to you, you wouldn't stand a chance. So I went and made something that would even the playing field."

He gave it to the knight most eager. "Remember, once Wonderboy tries to fight you, all forms of chivalry are off! Fight to the death!" He went closer in a faux, friendly manner. "Got it?"

Garland chuckled at the idea and stabbed the ground with his sword. "And then, the rest of Olympus will fall to my blade! With the very power of the titans!"

Hades winked to him at one deal that was going his way. "You got it." He sipped his drink and snapped his fingers, vanishing in smoke and leaving the knight to his plan. He placed it on and felt a variety of shapes in his vision, visions of glory in the battle.

At Prydain, at the keep.

Ken and Gurgi approached the front gate, the boy planned with the furry creature as he saw guards keeping watch. "If those three are captured, then someone has to deal with the guards while someone sneaks around and unties them."

He showed Gurgi the worn sword and smugly described it. "It isn't like the magic sword and it is probably completely evil, but if Taren wants to fight he can have his chance! Tell him that when I go barging in."

Gurgi looked at a hole leading to the keeps moat and swallowed. "G..Gurgi understand. Gurgi needs to help master... Gurgi... need to not run this time."

Ken assured the small one. "Remember, you just need to be brave enough to do something, even it is much scarier than you expect." He looked at the guards, placed the sword away and formed his spear like keyblade, he approached the two keeping watch and saw a faint darkness forming. They looked up to reveal pure black skin and yellow eyes, readied axes and spears and attacked the boy without warning. Ken backed away in a yelp and fired, causing the two to rupture and release floating hearts, the bodies fell into the water and dissolved. Ken panted and entered the keep, finding few if no guards keeping watch. Hovering from a balcony was a specter looking down on him with contempt, the specter raised his hand and hissed, causing six hostile spirits to rise from the ground, clawing at him with wailing agony. The boy stumbled back as his keyblade glowed that same light, this power is not of this worlds order and is that of ultimate evil, he fired two shots at one of the hosts and caused the spirits to spin, the warden of souls aimed his ghastly hand and fired an arcane missile from afar. Knocking Ken off his feet and being the motive for him to keep moving. He shot once more to dispatch the specter and watched another host spin and clawed. He side stepped, shot them to just a spirit and grabbed a nearby axe to toss at them, splitting the last one in two and causing it to fade. The warden pounced on the boy and and tried to reach for his back pack, there was something it wanted, Ken thrust his keyblade in the specter, pushed it back and shot it in the head, causing it to collapse and rasp.

Ken felt relief of one ordeal dealt with and listened in to another. "My such a brave brazen group! A pig boy, a scullery maid and a broken down minstrel!"

The hoarse voice was enough for the boy to know something was occurring. The voice asked his victims. "Perhaps it may interest you to see what fate has in store for you." The hoarse voice laughed evilly as the boy journeyed up the stairs. Hearing more and the clatter of bones. "I call upon my army of the dead! The cauldron born!" The voice shouted. "Arise my messengers of death! Our time has arrived!"

The feeling of doom was imminent and Ken knew what was occurring. "So that is what he was going to do with that cauldron? More undead?!"

He shook his head and hurried, seeing ahead of him flashes of red light, followed by a green hue. He reached the end of the stairs and heard clattering of bones, finding himself in a hall way with a group of thugs that were looking upon something horrified. They turned and ran as the hoarse voice echoed. "My beloved warriors have come to life! All the dead of centuries pass! Never has anyone created an army like this!"

Ken stepped out of the thugs way and watched them run for exit ahead, seeing ahead of him just what the voice was talking about, a horde of skeletons with a spectral hue. Two particular leading the front was a skeleton with decayed teeth and an axe, another with an unkempt beard and a spear, Ken's mouth was wide in an understanding, he couldn't blame those thugs from running when their own master had such a vile plan in store for them.

The voice ordered them. "Go forth my deathless warriors! Destroy all in your path!" Ken looked at his keyblade and fired at the countless horde, knocking the two recognizable skeletons down and seeing them climb up like they were nothing. He kept firing at the endless horde to no avail, he looked at a stair way to his left and dashed out of the way, climbing up towards a balcony. The boy looked behind to find some of the cauldron born following and in front to find a particular figure making his way to it, near him was a green goblin like creeper in blue and green peasant clothes.

One that was astonished by the visitor and alerted him. "S...Sir, look! We have another!"

The figure had his left hand at the Creepers throat as Ken focused on him, an imposing figure in red robes, sticking out of the head of the robe were horns and the face give away enough of what he is, a near skeletal face with red eyes. The Horned King.

Ken sighed and cursed. "Another wizard messing with the dead!"

He aimed his spear at the Horned King who was less than impressed. "Another foolish boy who think he can stop me? My men spoke about you."

Ken growled and shot at him, the Horned King raised his free hand and formed an explosion of smoke that blocked the shot. He asked the boy who was in a panic at what was coming from behind. "Tell me... hero, did you so happen to know of a pig boy and his band? Was this why you came?"

The boy looked up the ceiling to find barely kept together junk on string. He moved past the direction and shot at the string sending it all down to block the advancing cauldron born as the Horned King guessed. "So it appears! How unfortunate for you to abandon them at such a notice! Now you shall pay for your folly!"

Ken felt his blood risen and he yelled out. "Hey something was coming up!"

The Horned King cared little, dropped the sniveling Creeper and went down the hall with him. The Creeper clapped and giggled at the boy. "Not like that matters! I hope you find master most generous, for he has other things in store for you!"

Ken wondered what that was as something bolted at him from the darkness, a blackened, skeletal, horned humanoid with a heart like emblem. The darkened form resembled muscle kept together and in the left hand was a war hammer, on the right was a reptilian like claw. The door behind the boy was being torn down and he knew he needed to hurry. "So take down the heartless and get the Horned King... I can do tha.!"

He fired at the warrior that floated out of the way and used his right hand to form a mass of energy, drawing the various junk to his hand, the heartless laughed and hurled an orb of darkness at the boy. Ken saw the radius and ran to the other wall, by a door.

BOOM!

A mass of dark specters circled from the explosion and scattered, one of them clawing at Ken's shoulder, he cringed in pain and fired again. Causing the heartless to spin back wards, he faced his body towards the boy and flew at him with the axe in hand.

SWIPE!

Ken rolled underneath him and shot a variety of times. The warrior spun to the center of the room and shot fire balls all around, destroying any form of barricade nearby for something. The boy kept firing and caused the heartless to land on the ground, it clumsily marched to him and struck at the wooden door behind him, Ken saw a group of cauldron born right behind it and they marched in without a pause, the way in also broke down. The boy yelped and backed away, charging his spear to the point its heat was burning. He shot the jumping warrior in the chest and caused it to burst into a veil of darkness, revealing a heart shrouded by a cage of bone. It jumped with in one of the cauldron born and caused it to crouch and be still, in a defensive position. Ken jumped to wooden, horizontal bar and hanged on, avoiding the jumping cauldron born as he focused his spear on the cauldron born that had a dark form regenerating. "OH NO YOU DON'T!"

POW!

BOOM!

He nearly lost his grip on hearing an explosion as he fired, the beam pierced the skeletal cage. Causing it to pulse, push the cauldron born aside and break, releasing the captive heart. He felt the support beam breaking and whimpered. "No, no, no, no! It nearly snapped, he looked at the cauldron born and saw something odd, the spectral energy faded from them and they collapsed. He wondered what happened and listened to a snivelling voice say something. "S..Sire look! They are dying!"

The hoarse voice of the Horned King hissed. "This had better not be your fault!" The creeper's voice pleaded. "Pe...Perhaps we need another body sire!"

The Horned Kings voice agreed as Ken heard the Creeper's voice gag, the support wood snapped as he heard the voice respond. "Yes! Yours!"

Ken saw the unusual glow from a window leading in the inner sanctum and followed the broken door way down, to the sight of the Black Cauldron sucking in the spectral energy, finding Taren, Eilonwy and the bard looking on at the cauldron. Taren noticed the spear boy approaching from behind a pillar and asked. "Kendry, you came too?"

The boy smiled nervously at the grim faces. "Yeah, me and another came to try to save you all. I got blocked by skeletons, trying to get to you. What happened?"

Taren's frown became worse as he looked on. "...Gurgi... jumped into the Cauldron... its... undoing all the evil that it unleashed."

Kendry's mouth was wide. "He did... what?!"

His smile became a frown as grim as the others, Taren signaled to the group. "You all need to get out of here."

Ken broke out of his horror and asked. "We?! You meant we all need to get out of here!" Taren refused and tried to approach the cauldron. "...There... there has to be a chance that-" Ken remembered the witches words and gagged. "No Taren, no there isn't!"

The reactions gave the three a hint as to what happened, Eilonwy asked. "Wha.. what did you say to Gurgi?"

Ken blurted like he was cornered by a force greater than any he faced. "You just need to be brave enough to do something, even when it is scarier than you expected. That... something could mean a differ-" He stopped and the trio felt the words would have been interpreted differently, Taren was determined on his choice, he felt the cauldrons pull grow stronger and reached for a knob to hold on "You...you didn't know! Come on, get the others out of here!"

Ken refused and asked him. "No, you get them out of here! What... did I do?!"

He and the group heard a creeper pleaded as the Horned King entered the sanctum with his neck in hand. He grabbed a skeleton and yelled. "GET UP! COME ALIVE!"

The Creeper suggested. "May...maybe they are all resting sire!" He grabbed a skeleton and shook it yelling. "DO SOMETHING! MY LIFE IS AT STAKE!"

The Horned King lifted both in the air and ordered. "GET UP YOU FOOLS!" His eyes glowed red. "KILL!"

Creeper noticed Taren and pointed. "Look, its the pig boy! It's his fault! Yes, he is the cause of it!"

The Horned King tossed the Creeper aside and went after the farm boy as Ken felt something lighten in his bag, to his shock it was the gauntlet he took, it came alive and crawled, in the mist of the chaos occurring. The Horned King closed in on Taren as Ken tried to decide on which to shoot, the hand or the Horned King, the fiend snarled. "You interfered for the last time!"

The Creeper cheered and wished for the Horned King to go for the throat, the wicked soul grabbed the boy and tried to toss him to the cauldrons way. "Now Pig Keeper! You shall die!" The severed gauntlet went for the Horned Kings cloak and yanked at him, trying to pull him towards the cauldron, Taren pushed back and caused the unaware king to tumble close to the suction, the king tried to reach for him, grabbed him and tossed him to a stairway, a place where the boy would be able to hold on. The Horned King noticed something continuing to tug at him and was given a stronger pull, realizing the cauldron was sucking him towards it. "No, you will not have me!"

He looked at the cauldron that glowed a sinister face and yelled. "My power cannot die!" He tried to push away and was yanked deeper in, with the black gauntlet grasping onto his left hand and glowing green, tugging him to the rim of the Cauldron. "CURSE YOU!" He was forced to touch it and yelled out in pain. YANK came his robe, followed by his skin, leaving behind bones that tried to hold on as fire consumed him, yanking him with in the cauldron and leaving behind the green gauntlet that held onto a wisp. It faded in a howl of the dead.

The group heard the sound of a Creeper realizing his master was dead and slowly reaching to celebration, dancing away as the cauldron rumbled and caused an earthquake, destroying the ground and falling in. Ken went to help Taren get up, both nearly out ran the falling ground, the boy with the spear barked. "Now we can get out of here!"

Eilonwy agreed and tried to lead the way, the four avoided the crumbling structure and reached to a boat in a moat, the four jumped on and Taren undid the bindings as Ken saw the lock and aimed his keyblade, if it can work on a rift, it can work on this.

PEW!

The beam made contact, undid the lock and caused it to fall in the water. The bard was given a stick and rowed with all his strength, the group barely avoided the cave in and in a swish of water, were pushed out of the keep that crumbled, the boat toppled over and all four had to row to shore on an upside down boat. With a Creeper on flying Wyvern celebrating, the Creeper laughing as he flew into the vast unknown. As they four reached the water behind them bubbled, revealing the cursed Black Cauldron. Ken shook in anger at such a thing as Taren approached with a particular person in mind.

Cackling filled the thunderous clouds, a familiar witch asked. "Why was the poor ducking so sad?"

They looked above to find the three witches from before with in the clouds, the witch with the hat asked it to her elder sister, the elder sister taunted to them. "Yes, he got what he wanted and he is still not satisfied." The bard with the hard to pronounce name argued at them. "Just what do you think you are up to ladies?"

The eldest witch answered to him. "We have business with your little hero!" She pointed down at Taren, who was even more depressed and looked up to ask. "Hero?! Gurgi... was the hero!"

The witch listened and spun her hand around. "The only thing that mattered to you was the cauldron." She pointed at Ken for his part in the ordeal. "And you, thought to have inspired the little one towards courage! Oh how that went too well."

The boy with the spear felt guilty of his deed. "I... didn't mean for him to do something like... that."

The witch found humor in it all. "But now because of him, the cauldron is useless to you all!" Her sisters flew to the water logged cauldron with a goal in mind. "So now, we are taking it back and be on our way!"

The bard was furious and refused to allow such a thing. "Stay your hand ladies! We never give anything away!" He chuckled and threw familiar words back to them. "We bargain, we trade! Remember?"

The eldest witch laughed at the words a cleaned her ears. "Ha, do these old ears hear the word bargain?

" The bard answered back and pulled his ears. "Yes Madam! Those old ears heard right!"

The youngest witch swooned over the bard. "Oh, I adore a forceful man!" The bard had his hands at his hips at the nonsense. "Oh put yourself together madam! Now come on, out with it what is your offer?"

The older sisters tried to refuse as the youngest gave her offer. "Then I'll do it!"

She pointed her fingers down and caused a sword to float down to Taren, one the group were familiar with. "A magnificent sword for a warrior!"

Taren was tempted as Ken thought of one idea and drew out the cursed blade, the farm boy refused and confessed. "I'm not a warrior, I'm a pig boy. What would I do with a sword?"

Ken growled as the eldest witch laughed and took the sword back, the boy blurted out. "Oh come on, after causing that mess I thought I have something."

The youngest witch looked at the blade and refused. "Oh, no, no, no! That thing you keep to yourself!" The witch in the hat looked at the sword and hissed in repulsion. "Eek! So that was what you been hiding."

Eilonwy looked at the blade and asked. "Was that sword something belonging to what you saw in Morvo?"

Ken nodded to her. "It is, it came from a Knight in Shrouds and he was involved with a great evil I had to keep out of here! I already have my own weapon and this... was part of my actual plan."

Taren looked at the sword and was not amused. "Oh keep that thing away! If it wasn't for that, none of this would have happened!"

He looked upon the cauldron and knew what he wanted. "But... I would be the one to trade. For... Gurgi."

The young witch gasped at what was requested. "Oh dear!" The eldest agreed at the length. "It's not possible!"

The bard knew such a deal wasn't going to made and yelled. "Just as I thought ladies! You got no real power! Admit it!"

The three witches were angered and turned to purple wind, they swirled down at the cauldron and lifted it up in a tornado, the eldest echoed as the cursed cauldron faded from sight. "We have made our bargain! Ah, ha, ha!"

The twister pushed down to drop something as it ascended to the sky, a grey fury creature that laid still. A body that was recovered, Ken went to the upper ledge on seeing a worlds ordeal being resolved, wishing to take his leave, slowly leaving as he saw the group approach, Taren lifting the limp body and causing the keyblade wielder to doubt. From the distance, it felt like minutes had past, from the distance, he saw the body slowly come to life, reaching for something in the farm boys shirt.

Ken exhaled in relief and walked away, placing the blade away and leaving the world for parts unknown. He felt a light engulf him and he found himself in his Gummi ship. Brynhildyr gave a series of flashes to welcome him, Ken went to a cub board and placed in two things, a red tea pot that survived the worse and the cursed sword. "Thank you, I found something those guys might want to know about. This sword didn't belong along with those surrounding it. So... we fly back home?"

The Gummi ship glowed something on the pilots seat, it gave a ring that Ken went to pick up, it looked like a phone, he pressed a button and saw a familiar image shine, Riku, who was astonished to who answered. "Seriously, this was the only one it was in contact with. What is Kairi and Sora doing?"

Ken heard the disappointment and apologized. "Sorry about that, Brynhildyr was the one who picked this up. I did find something that is connected to all the weird stuff going on. Where you are at?"

Riku sighed, pressed his fingers on his forehead and answered. "I knew that was coming. You heard of Traverse Town?"

Ken nodded with nostalgia. "It's the place I grew up in, I'll go show this thing to you before heading back home. I really want to get rid of it."

His eyes turned behind him as Riku was half impressed. "I'll give this to you in exchange, we found someone that knows about who that Stormcast you met might be with, along with some... disturbing truths about Chaos. If you stick around long enough, we should figure out just what is going on."

Ken listened and let him know as his memories fueled the ships direction. "I'll be there soon! Thanks for not hanging up on me."

Riku guessed just because the kid named his ship. "You're Gummi ship is active and might act on... her own. Just, don't go looking for my friends, I can tell you came across more than you like to talk about."

Ken summarized his foes. "Thugs, Heartless, the undead, undead Heartless and undead that wouldn't go down. Some of them is what I want to talk about?"

Riku heard something from nearby, a man that said. "Undead?!"

The teenager nearly dropped his jaw and asked. "I'm hanging up while I take care of this. Thanks." Beep! Ken sat on his pilot seat, proud that he is at least making a difference out in the vast universe. "Take us to Traverse Town Brynhildr!"

At Traverse Town's main district.

Wanda yelled out at Riku as Mickey was trying to make contact with someone. "That kid went up against the Forces of Death?!"

Riku wanted the woman to calm down. "Relax, from what he said, it could have been that in the world he was at, he was dealing with someone using magic to pull that off. What are those guys?"

Wanda blew out air and answered with a prayer. "There are four grand alliances that control the realms, Order, Chaos, Destruction and Death. The forces of Death are all under the thumb of a great enemy of Sigmar... Nagash! If he decided to come here, it would mean worse than doom for us all!"

Mickey guessed by the description of the foe. "Nagash... controls death and he seeks to spread that to everyone?"

Wanda shook her head. "Worse, he seeks to claim dominion over all and he controls the realm of the dead. Shyish. Where all afterlives go to! If you are saying this isn't the realms... then there has to be something like that he been wanting."

Mickey gasped to the idea. "Kingdom Hearts?!"

Wanda wished she never heard of that. "That's what he's after! With all this about Chaos and what ever evils lurk in these realms, we do not need him being involved. He is the reason no one wants to die."

Mickey saw the Gummi phone shine and showed it to Riku, a text message from Kairi. "If you are reading this, then I found someone who I don't want to show much to until we can trust her. I'll be keeping an eye on her until we are going to the tower."

Riku felt relief at that and concluded about Sora's incident. "Then this means Sora hasn't figured out about the Gummi phones or how they work. Those two are fine."

He sensed someone coming and turned around to find a blonde teenager looking at the starry sky in wonder, he was nearly in tears from pleasant memories. Riku shouted and waved. "Hey, Ken, over here!" Ken noticed and approached, looking dizzy from something as he remembered to breath, he smiled and apologized. "Sorry, it's been a long time since I seen the sky like this." He looked at Wanda and waved hello, he saw a particular mouse was more nervous as Mickey said hello. "Hey, you must be the person Riku told me about." Ken tilted his head at the fact he was casually greeted. "The famous King Mickey is also here-" He went for his bag to get what was requested. "I went into a world where some big Black Cauldron was the source of great evil power and while trying to stop that, I found another problem that was trying to worm its way into that world. This is what was left of this Knight in Shrouds!" The name connected to Wanda and the sword being pulled out was a confirmation. "A sword of stolen hours! Lad, do... you know who you were up against?"

Ken gave Wanda the sword and answered. "When I beaten that knight and his group, some large... thing with skeletal tentacles coming out of his shoulders was about to go through when I found out a keyblade could close rifts and closed his. That was some scary stuff!"

Wanda dropped the sword in shock, burst into laughter and believed something that ridiculous. "Oh, ha, ha, ha! That must have been smarts on Nagash! HA!"

Riku and Mickey were stunned as Ken voiced more. "Nagash?! I... probably shouldn't have picked up his hand when I did... it dragged this Horned King that was using the Black Cauldron to bring an army of undead for world domination. Making sure when the Cauldron back fired... the Horned King went in, it disappeared after that." Wanda nearly stopped and admitted it. "Nagash was probably waiting for someone to kick the bucket so he can drag their soul to Shyish, but I think striking his hand would have been just as bad of an idea." She patted the boy on the back proudly. "You didn't know, but you just denied Nagash all kinds of things he would have taken control over." She laughed with the lost in thought duo. "Including that whole Kingdom Hearts deal!" She stopped laughing and broke out of the joy. "I would suggest not following any trials of his work now that he is right and angry at you, Nagash is a spiteful god."

Riku coughed in disbelief. "Someone that petty would try again one day. But how did he try that in the first place?"

Mickey had no idea in the matter. "Lets focus on what is going on."

Ken agreed and asked Wanda. "I heard you know of the Stormcast and I want to know if you know of an Anatesis! She saved my life not to long ago."

Wanda knew of the warrior spoken about. "I fought with her before the Realmgate backfired. You know where she is?"

Ken remembered more of a hero that did what no one else had the courage to do. "She knocked a giant demon that was attacking me and some buddies. She sent it back from where it came and disappeared with it. I hear bad things about that and I want to find her as well."

Wanda nearly backed away, looked at Riku and Mickey and nearly lost control. "HA! You missed out on a celebration party we had and we are not doing another!"

She asked Mickey. "You want to bet your friend met Ana in the Realm of Darkness right now and is crushing both daemons and heartless alike?"

The mouse and silver haired teenager wouldn't risk that, yet found it possible and a lit with hope. Riku nearly smiled at that information. "That would buy us time to get in there if that realm and the powers of Chaos are mixing in there!"

Mickey agreed that it was hopeful as Ken imagined it. "They are giving those things hell! What else I need to know?"

The mouse sighed and wanted to let the boy know that the news was grand. "We just cleared the towns sewers of a group that were with Chaos... the Skaven ended up dragged into the Realm of Darkness from their own actions."

Wanda nearly broke in spite and envisioned a fantasy. "And they end up meeting the might of a Stormcast in the end!" She picked up the cursed sword and promised Ken. "I'll make sure this doesn't hurt anyone. You really brightened this town up tonight."

The boy showed his teeth in a smile and noticed something shining on a spider web. He went to approach and found a stone with a spiders symbol, he plucked it and was interested in the find as Riku noticed. "How did that summon stone get there?"

Ken faced the stone to the sky and agreed. "That is strange. But I know a wizard back home that would know more... I got a lot of reasons to head back now."

Riku was slightly disappointed at that. "If this meant you are going back home to end this adventure, you just helped us put together a bigger picture and got a lot of weight off our shoulders!"

Mickey agreed with that. "If this friend of mine did meet Ana, then we have a better chance of rescuing both since those two would work together. It isn't much, but it is better than nothing."

Ken took up the idea. "I might go looking around again once I finish up. Anything else?"

Riku was tempted to request something and decided against it. "I know there was more to your adventure, so I'm going to assume that you are still a newbie with that keyblade."

Ken shined his blade, showing the simple lasgun it use to be. "It's a long story," he cringed in guilt of something. "But the one who resolved the issue with the Black Cauldron was someone else, not me. I was getting cornered. But it sounds like a big problem was taken cared of for now."

That proved Riku's point. "I don't know how, but that is why you need to keep getting stronger. You're heart is in the right place though."

Ken took the criticism and turned around for a trip home. "I'll look around home to sharpen my shots. I guess I'll see you all soon."

He walked off and left the trio to relish the fortune. Riku asked Mickey. "This enough information for Yen Sid to work with? Kairi is saying she is dealing with a lot and Sora might show with a surprise of his own."

The mouse agreed to that as Wanda promised them. "If we see more refugees from the realms that are not out to kill us and we can trust, we will show them around. You can leave this one to us!"

Mickey shook on it with full gratitude. "That we can! We will be back later once we can, this world has always been special."

In the outskirts of the town, while the many were celebrating.

Maleficent sensed a presence that departed from the world and took some interest. "So the Keyblade has chosen another? Intriguing."

Pete dusted himself and chuckled at the things he heard. "And it sounds like he is just another pipsqueak that is running off far from home. Should we make sure he doesn't get in the way of our plans?"

Maleficent shook her head at her small minded minion. "His wandering heart would only lead him to more darkness, if he provides a complication, we would deal with him swiftly. But for now." She turned to him. "Many realms pour there way into ours, some are cloaked with an endless darkness while one is teetering on the brink. If one potential force strive for the Heart of All Worlds, what is to say another isn't?"

Pete chuckled and figured. "Like that little talk about Chaos we been hearing. They eh-" he stopped and picked his words. "sound a lot like our pals looming at that big ol castle we got."

He tried to advise something and saw in the corner of his eye, a figure that nearly gave him creeps. An imposing man in dark red armor that gave off a glow, like he was a specter of the mind. Maleficent sensed the concern and turned around to see that figure standing before her, he had a wicked looking staff with a skull as a center piece, that skull had a glowing symbol on the forehead and its eyes glowed. The wielder wore a simple black robe that was complimented by fur that decorated his pauldrons. Decorated on top of his odd futuristic back pack were three skulls. The skull to their left was burning red fire and had crimson red markings smelling of blood, the skull to their right was burning green fire and was encrusted with filthy grim, reeking of decay, the center most skull burned in purple yet looked most pristine, the faint smell made Pete feel light headed as he focused on the more disturbing feature. The man was wearing a helmet that resembled a smiling horned skull and complimented the skull were visors of an unnatural red.

Maleficent was interested in a figure looking most wicked and greeted him. "And pray tell, what do you seek?"

The man twitched the fingers of his free hand and spoke in a most clear tone. "My apologies, I couldn't help but overhear of what you were speaking of. The vast darkness that lurk in the corners of the worlds... the Heartless!"

Pete wasn't trusting of him and asked boisterous. "Well aren't we getting famous around here!"

The man agreed and focused on Maleficent. "It appears you are, I too am interested in the darkness that seeks to block out the light of these worlds. The very evil that lurks with in the hearts and minds of all mortals!"

The witch listened to the mans words. "The very thing that the Heartless come from, prey upon and spread throughout." She smiled and guessed. "You too are into the dark arts?"

The man nodded as his free hand glowed in pink fire that shifted to blue, yellow and back to pink. "I have spent countless ages watching the vast darkness... the vast... entropy of the Warp! Of the very daemons that lurk!"

Pete gasped and knew what the man was talking about. "You is talking about Chaos?"

Maleficent set her gaze on Pete and lectured him. "Is it not obvious that he delves in the powers of Hell?"

That caused Pete to chuckle in fortune. "Well isn't he special! Just what kind of powers are we talking about?"

The helmet stared at Pete, he was uncertain if there was a smile under there or not, he felt the glowing eyes staring into his soul and a whisper nearly tickling his mind. "I'm glad you asked." He aimed his burning hand at a corner and caused the fabric of reality to distort. He introduced himself to the two. "I forgot to introduce myself. I am Zagor, a Sorcerer of Chaos!" He walked toward the distortion that was nearing a collapse, both heard a thin whisper. "Follow." The two were certainly interested in what he has to enlighten them with and approached, feeling but a faint passage of time as reality twisted and bent. Leaving behind but a faint blow of the wind.


	6. Deliverance from the Stars

At the base of Mysterious Tower; Sora, Donald, Goofy, Jiminy and Kairi pieced together an obvious connection as the Adeptas Sororitas knelt before the Space Marine. "Thank the Emperor you are here lord Hofneil!"

The marine insisted to the Adeptas Sororitas. "Sister Resira, you don't need to kneel." He looked at the clouds with vast mountains bellow. "We both would have been wandering lost had it not be for them."

The Adeptas Sororitas raised herself and was suspicious of the odd creatures. "And it is a reason we are tolerating this." She asked Kairi with a squint of her eyes. "As well as the sorcerous work here."

The girl rolled her eyes and wished she would speak of what she saw as she watched a gummi ship land to let out two more, Riku and Mickey, the Space Marine sighed and asked Sora. "More friends of yours?"

The spiky haired teenager nodded and asked him. "They are, just... listen to what we have to say before you come to conclusions. It sounded like Kairi had more problems with..." The Space Marine helped him finished. "The Sister of Battle." Sora continued unaware that he was making Resira angry. "Sister of Battle, then we had with you."

Resira gave Sora a fierce glare as Riku cheered with good news. "Well it looks like you all found someone connected to all this! Mickey and I found out more about who has been appearing and how one of these might give us time to save Aqua."

Sora and Kairi perked as the tower's door opened to invite the group in. Resira raised an eyebrow and asked. "Reinforcements, I hope."

Riku wouldn't say that and looked at the armor. "If they are, they are not exactly from where you are from."

Sora agreed as Hofneil warned the Sister of Battle. "That is very much what has occurred, we are separated from the Imperium for all we know and foes we are familiar with may have never heard of us or are capable of knowing."

Resira gasped at the outrageous claim. "Nonsense! There is only the Imperium, the Xenos that threaten it and the Heretic that wishes to corrupt our souls!"

Mickey wished for the argument to cease. "That might be where you came from, but we met others who would be about as confused as you are." He offered the group to follow. "Come on, my old master would like to meet you."

The imperial duo agreed with that and followed the group up the tower, where a wizard finished writing something down and expected the worse. Hofneil had his hand on Resira's shoulder and asked the wizard. "She will still her tongue and ease her weapon while she is here. You may speak."

Yen Sid sensed a zealous fury barely contained within the Adeptas Sororitas and shook his head in doubt. "Thank you. This should be brief."

He turned to Sora and asked him. "What have you found that connects this mystery together?"

Sora folded his arms and answered confused. "That the kind of place Hofneil and Resira is from is not the same one some others have been. Like these guys called the Ironjawz... or Orruks, being a little different from the Orks Hofneil tried to warn everyone about."

Resira yelled out. "YOU STOPPED THE PURGING OF A GREENSKIN INFESTATION!? YOU DOOMED A WHOLE WORLD TO THEIR-" Hofneil shook her and ordered. "That's enough Sister! Listen!"

Kairi approved and had a glare at the Adeptas Sororitas. "And the place these two came from isn't the friendliest. Resira would have burned all of Agrabah by accident after seeing me, the heartless and getting all sorts of wrong ideas."

Riku and Sora gave the Adeptas Sororitas a glare of their own and let it pass as Mickey spoke of the last piece of information. "And likely the place those... Orruks came from are also the same place this Freeguild, along with this evil that nearly crossed over. Nagash."

Riku looked at Resira and spoke more. "Wanda leads the Freeguild and she had been through battles against all kinds of enemies, along with the Stormcast that protect people."

Hofneil asked Riku. "The Stormcasts are humanities guardians of that realm as the Space Marines from ours?"

Mickey nodded in agreement. "Exactly! A while ago at Radiant Garden, one particular defended some fellows you might know from both Heartless and Daemon."

Resira gasped and was holding her head, it was a feeling many agreed with as Yen Sid summarized the occurrence. "Both the Stormcasts and Space Marines are from a far distant realm that is both different and similar to one another. It would be forgiven to confuse foes from either that are near identical."

Jiminy writ in his journal and asked. "But this means in all the worlds affected by this, we have a whole mess to clean up before thinking of a way to get them home. But... there is one enemy both realms have that is a shared problem and is a problem for us."

Hofneil agreed with that. "Chaos?"

Riku nodded to that. "Wanda warned me and Mickey about some of the details, like how there are people who gave into that darkness and serve ruin."

Resira agreed to that and sat down to take in the knowledge. "Chaos corrupts the very soul and it is difficult to route out, even the faint knowledge of it can damn the soul. That is what we must do to keep the galaxy pure."

Kairi agreed back and disagreed with the means. "And that is why you attacked me when I stood up to you! Even more when you saw me use magic to put out the fires you caused?"

Hofneil and Resira turned to Kairi in shock as Yen Sid raised his voice. "Enough! This was exactly what I was afraid of, two ideals will not always coexist and would bring more strife to the worlds."

Goofy agreed with that and thought out loud. "And someone is getting something out of all this. Knowing it takes someone being at the wrong place at the wrong time to cause a ruckus."

The wind blew at Jiminy's journal, blowing the pages over to where he had to stop it, stopping at an image that caught the cricket off guard. A Pink Horror smiling and sticking his tongue out. "Wha... how does this keep happen-" Resira took her flamethrower and bellowed in reflex. "DEAMON!"

Her flamethrower flung out of her hands and to Donald's wand, the duck cast a magnetic spell and held onto the flamethrower. "You'll get this back when we are done."

Hofneil had his left hand under his chin and wondered. "It... would make since for the Forces of Chaos to use this confusion... to turn us against the many worlds in this sector. To make you all an enemy of the Imperium."

Mickey sighed. "That is why you can't be trusted to wander the worlds alone," Riku agreed with one idea. "But if we leave them in a world where strange things are less likely to happen, they won't cause any real harm. As long as they don't force their beliefs on people."

Resira felt herself at her limit as the Space Marine felt little care. "Me and my battle brothers would fortify the world we would squander in... nothing more than that. But... they are lost out there." Sora raised three fingers to let the group know. "There are three we need to find. But there might be more out there."

The group found that doable as Donald spoke. "They are not hard to find. They have the same uniform as their captain."

With one objective in mind, Mickey thought of another to be concerned about. "If the Forces of Chaos are affecting the Realm of Darkness, wouldn't this mean they are planning to affect a place that would be the most vulnerable to them?"

Yen Sid nodded back. "If you mean they seek Kingdom Hearts, that is a likely possibility," He shook his head. "Nay, a certainty. Much like the Heartless from before. The Princesses of Heart... are likely to be a priority for them."

He, Sora and Riku looked at Kairi, who volunteered for the task. "Someone needs to make sure those hearts are going to be safe from that. I'll go and look."

Sora and Riku felt it was a dangerous idea as the girl assured them. "I can fight, I'm not going to wait and hide. Not this time."

Yen Sid placed his hands together and warned Kairi. "If that is your wish, beware, if the balance between the worlds are in jeopardy, this would mean the Princess's of Heart would have a shift in power. Some you know of would not be a concern if there is no conflict with in the worlds, but it would mean others would have their hearts shine to take their place."

Riku simplified the explanation. "In other words, some of the Princesses of Heart have someone else taking their place. They won't be a worry, but the ones filling in definitely are."

He told his friends more information. "Much like how the shifts caused Traverse Town to reawaken. If we need to talk to someone about... that other realm and the dangers looming, Wanda may know." He asked Resira. "I know somewhere else you and Hofneil can wait in. It's a little complicated." The Imperium duo didn't mind as Riku asked Mickey. "Do you mind if I let them see the town near here? Then we can figure out how to find a way into the Realm of Darkness without getting torn apart."

The Sister of Battle asked the two. "Why would you step one foot in that forsaken place?"

Mickey shook his head and answered her. "To rescue a friend of mine. The Realm of Darkness is becoming more dangerous, even if Aqua found someone to help her."

With that objective settled, Sora asked Riku. "How did you find out about that?" The silver haired teenager smiled at the knowledge. "You remember that kid with the keyblade? He was the reason we found out about that and is the reason we found out that Anatesis is in the Realm of Darkness. He shouldn't be getting himself into too much trouble right now if he is staying close to Traverse Town, he isn't dumb enough to go into the waterworks."

Sora became interested in both places. "I haven't been there in a while, is he getting better?"

Riku shrugged. "He found all this out while exploring a world that I don't think any of us has been. So he has."

Sora wished to get back to his adventure as Riku warned him. "Don't go getting into a fight with him, he won't last. But the town is a good pit stop now."

He asked the Imperium duo. "Are you ready to see the other town? It doesn't seem like much, but you helped answered some big questions."

The Space Marine felt like he was honored as the Sister of Battle was eager to leave. "Thank you for your assistance Riku." He looked at Mickey who was offering to come along. "You're... Majesty, me and Resira would eventually settle down, but we would like to know the location of the others we heard of. The Imperial Guard are versatile."

The mouse knew what to say to the group at the Garden. "They will know." Donald gave Resira her weapon back. The four excused themselves and left.

Sora, Donald, Goofy and Jiminy had more in mind, they need to find the three Space Marines of the Iron Snakes if to keep the peace with in the worlds. The spiky haired boy smiled proud at Kairi. "Nice work in stopping Resira from going too far."

The girl appreciated the compliment. "Thanks, it would be nice to visit that old town."

Sora didn't mind the company as Yen Sid dismissed the intent. "Remember, the balance of the worlds cannot wait for long. This is not a task you should manage alone, but it is not a task you should neglect."

The teenagers understood as Jiminy finished his log and jumped on Goofy's shoulder, letting the wizard know. "It's just a quick visit. We will keep in touch." The group gave their parting and left the wizard to wonder more and feel something croaking in the back of his mind, an odd yet calming croak.

In the Realm of Darkness.

Anatesis and Aqua toppled two humanoid giants of darkness with the force of a lightning hammer and a keyblade with a barrage of spells, faint hints of darts was seen on the skins of the heartless as they landed on the ground and dissolved, giving way to a path leading to a clearing in the jungle. The duo looked on at a small circle that glowed a mystical bluish white, a faint light from the circle connected to the image they saw above, the constellation resembling a toad on a throne. They were moments away from figuring out the grand mystery of the light in the darkened realm. Aqua and Anatesis sensed something rushing from their right and rolled, avoiding a stream of darkened rats that circled around the arena. Something leaped from the shadows with over two dozen plagued shadow rats joining in the fray, the heartless Boneripper. On top was Thanqoul, hissing at them and looking at the circle of light like it was an upfront. "No! No! Twinkle, twinkle leads away from the Dark, Dark!" Floating towards the battle were two rat like heartless with a flamethrower's nozzle on the front and back, they glowed in fire as Thanqoul shook his head at the light. "Twinkle, twinkle and the light, light should be snuffed forever!" Boneripper aimed his cannons at the two as the many heartless readied their attack and Thanqoul readying a spell. Aqua and Anatesis readied their weapons in a desperate attempt to push through, innumerable the odds against them are.

PEW! ROAR!

Thanquol looked behind him in shock and felt Boneripper was knocked back by a foe most mighty, a large black scaled dinosaur that had red highlights on his snout and spine, on his back was a smaller, red lizard man with an odd sword and shield. The heartless tried to fight back and was viciously clawed, Thanquol gasped in horror and saw the light shined more, releasing a horde of forty lizard men with scaled shields and tribal weaponry, a large black and red dinosaur with spikes on its odd crest, a spiked club and a platform of small lizards that readied a spell. The swarm of Skaven heartless lost focus on Aqua and Anatesis as they looked on the arrived threat, they backed away in an instinct, even when consumed by the darkness, there was one thing that endured, a fear of the lizardmen.

Aqua quickly saw why as the saurus warriors roared in unison and attacked the swarm of rats without hesitation, without mercy or even a sense of fear. The plagued rats attempt to charge and were blown to oblivion by another force that was late to arrive, a red plated lizard with black scales a spiked club and built on its back, a device with a gem. The gem glowed in light and fired rapidly as the crested dinosaur charged at the knocked down Boneripper in speeds not expected from a creature that big.

Thanquol panicked as he saw his forces being quickly overwhelmed and tried to point to the darkened mountain. "ACK! Lizard things?! Here?! Boneripper, shadow rats, retreat!"

Boneripper's yellow eyes glowed among the scattering heartless, they ruptured into a tide of darkness and engulfed Thanquol, who was screaming at a plan gone horribly wrong, the Grey Seer thrashed and tried to break free as the demon twister flew to the darkness beyond with their master. The screaming dimmed as the lead saurus on the Carnosaur roared in triumph. Aqua saw on closer inspection a the saurus having many scars and was taken aback, the chameleon appeared from the shadows and gave a faint, vocal hiss. The Scarred Saurus understood, he and the many lizardmen stood aside, two separate rows, left with the Saurus and the smaller warriors, right with the other large lizards. Anatesis considered it good fortune and smiled to the light. "I knew someone been watching over us! So... if this light is where all of you came from, does that mean it works the other way? It leads the way out of here? Back to the Realms?"

The Chameleon stared at the two ladies silently, expecting them to do something. Aqua knew what the lizard wished for her to do, step into the light. After a decade, a way out of the realm of darkness felt too surreal. Anatesis looked at her questioning expressed and understood the feeling, she patted her on the shoulder and spoke in an inspiration. "You would be right to think this is too good to be true, don't be. The Seraphon work in mysterious ways, but they seek the same with we do, a way to stop the Forces of Chaos." She gave the Lizardmen a respectful nod. "We thank you for the aid! The Skaven would have had our bones if it wasn't for you."

The Chameleon among the others, looked like they acknowledged the gratitude and kept staring at Aqua, like they expected her to go into the light. The maiden looked at the light and raised her hand close to the glowing circle, she stopped and doubted, finding an odd humor in the circumstances. Her eyes directed at Anatesis. "This... has to be a dream." She faced the Stormcast and continued. "You falling out of the sky, the light here... all I heard about Sigmar, an army of reptiles and rats battling each other. Most of these were all things I wanted to see and here for a long time." She laughed at her questionable sanity and her eyes shifted away into the vast darkness. "Am I... starting to lose it?"

Anatesis looked to understand the feeling and it looked more like she knew what to say. "You been trapped here along for so long that just about anything looking like hope would feel like a dream you been wanting." Aqua looked at the light and felt tears dripping down her cheeks, those feelings in her heart all speak of the truth she heard. "...Wandering the shadows endlessly... I... just want to see them again."

She tried to reach for the light and felt a buzzing, hoarse voice asked. "But is any of this real?" Aqua stopped and backed away, her heart began beating rapidly, a sense of danger loomed, she looked at the confused Stormcast and the many Lizardmen standing stalwartly as the voice asked. "Are they real?" The image of the Stormcast and Lizardmen slowly darkened to a familiar black hue, the buzzing voice became more jolly. "It is as you said, you have wandered the shadows endlessly. The only light that came was a mouse that never returned. The only other things that lurk here, have all tried to claim your heart." The darkened figure of the warrior looked at the smaller Chameleon like figure in a darkening silence, the circle of light, dimmed into a vast abyss. Aqua shook her head and drew out her keyblade on instinct, the voice asked once more. "Is your mind in reality? Is this reality?"

The reptilian like images looked at her, all of the images revealed glowing yellow eyes, Aqua's breath weakened, she let lose a whisper of disbelief. "N...no...no." The two shadows approached slowly and picked up speed upon seeing something. They readied to attack. Aqua pulsed in a shrieking power and pushed the two back as the many shadows charged, the voice whispered one more time.

"Defend yourself before the Darkness claims you!"

Aqua flipped to her left and shot a fire ball at the figure with a hammer, knocking it back and slashing at the small figure resembling a Chameleon. It jumped into the darkness as she focused on the many shadows, the shadow with a darkened stone glowed and fired. Aqua used a reflective spell to block and aimed her keyblade to the sky, causing lighting to strike down at the many. Fifteen of the smaller shadows fell to the ground and faded, Aqua backed away from the approaching masses and tried to escape the way she came. THUD!

A massive, bipedal, reptilian shadow blocked the way and snarled as a shadow on top was keeping it still, the keyblade master looked around to find a passage into a jungle, blocked by another reptilian shadow carrying many creatures of squirming darkness. The warrior stood up from the attack and tried to maneuvered around Aqua, the maiden back flipped above the warrior and struck her in the head. It refused to relent, the platted heartless charged once more as Aqua saw a dart shoot from the void, missing her entirely. The remaining shadows snarled and readied to attack, the maiden aimed her blade and saw it blow foul smelling wind, wind that caused ten of the shadows to blister and melt, something wasn't right. Aqua felt something more was watching her and turned around to strike, finding nothing, left exposed to a barrage of beams, that seemed to miss her. The heartless surrounding her had every chance to attack, yet they were aiming at something other than her, it doesn't make sense. Her shortening breath left her lungs, the only faint sound she heard, was buzzing. She closed her eyes, confused, lost and alone in the darkness. With in the vast void, she felt the feelings of instinctual fear ceased from her mind and in place was an unfathomable horror looming over her soul; despair. Was this eating away at her?

She felt something shining even when drowning in the dark feeling, turned up and opened her eyes to see a faint star glittering, that was what her heart was clinging to, she aimed her keyblade at the star and let it shine a beam. PEW!

The beam reached for the heavens and reached the star, it radiated into a heart shaped moon that pierced the void. She felt her vision adjusting, back to a jungle, back to a feeling of something lurking right behind her. She swung her keyblade behind and turned, to see a pale, corpse like fiend yelling out in shock, the fiend had horns and a single eye. It's pale white skin was marked by red blisters, opened wounds that revealed dripping organs and flesh festering with flies. Aqua nearly vomited and stepped back, she turned to see a reduced squad of lizard men, the Skar Veteran on his Carnosaur blocking the way back and the Stegadon that blocked the other way out. The Bastilidon was ready to attack the fiend trying to climb back up and to its side was Anatesis, with her helmet dented and a look of astonishment, she shouted. "Aqua, get away from that daemon! It been messing with your head!"

Aqua gasped and glared at the daemon that slurped and gurgled. "H...How did you find out sluo quickly?!"

Aqua shook her head and glared at the daemon. "I have been fighting the darkness for so long, I should have known it would pull a trick like that on me!"

She aimed her keyblade and fired a greater fire ball, the daemon vanished and appeared to her right, he took out a rusted blade and tried to swing at her. Aqua back flipped as the daemon hissed back. "Fighting it anymore would only lead to more suffering. So long as you continue to hope for things to go back to what they were, to hope for things that will never be!" His tongue stuck out to reveal it to be tube like, maggots squirmed as flies buzzed out of the tube to speak. "Why bother fighting it? Why keep fighting the inevitable?" The tube like tongue squirted slime and asked one more question. "Did you really think the Starborne are trying to rescue you out of kindness? Do you really think the Stormcast is here to guide you?! She is just as lost."

Aqua felt her tears steaming down her cheeks as she focused her blade once more, it glowed with the fury of a volcano and fired an inferno. BOOM!

The daemon was blown back by the blow, stood against the force that pushed against his frail body. It fell back as a charred corpse and burst into a cloud of flies that buzzed and taunted in unison. "You are but a pawn of the light. But threat not, when you fall once more, Grand Father Nurgle will be there to welcome you as he always has!"

The flies flew away into the void, leaving Aqua to turn around and face the comrades that she struck in her insanity, words could not leave her mouth as she stuttered. "I...I-" Anatesis took off her helmet and looked to have a bleeding forehead, the warrior had a lecture to give. "That daemon was using you as a shield and was trying to get us with his poxes. The both of you dealt a number to the Seraphon." She looked at the group of fifteen that remained. "Never believe the voices in your head in a place like this. They are not here to help you, they only seek to lead you astray."

Aqua's legs shook as she walked to the group, who looked indifferent to the events that happened. The dinosaurs approached the troops and kept guard as the Chameleon emerged from the darkness and walked towards the circle of light, shining brightly and looking welcoming.

Aqua and Anatesis looked at each other with a hope made more clearly, they were ready to take that chance. Buzz! Buzz!

They heard buzzing from the jungle and heard slopping from the shore, something was marching, surrounding the small camp. The camp looked around and found a vast horde approaching, Aqua looked closely and gasped in horror, many demonic corpses, by nearly thirty, a corpse sitting on a chair being driven by tiny pale, balls of limbs, horns and pus. Playing near them was a corpse like demon playing a bag pip that resembled a stomach, dancing away as giant demonic flies riding those demonic corpses buzzed from the sky. Aqua was overwhelmed by the sight of many demons and turned around to see what was came from the shore. Slug like... things that dribbled acidic saliva, herding behind them was a giant snail like creature with caterpillar like legs. The snail licked the salty water away with a large maw as a sickly green demon chewing on a bone like a straw observed the light. "Well, we can't have this growing in Nurgles Garden. It going to stick out like a weed!" He looked at the slug like monsters and asked. "They are just going to keep growing that, what do you think we should do with them?"

One of the beasts looked at Aqua with bulging, playful like eyes and gave a shrill. "WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" The bastilidon blocked the way with the chameleon as the Lizardmen approached the army from the jungle, the Skar Veteran, his steed and the Stegodon blocked the way and were ready for a last stand as the herald on the palanquin took a bell and rang it. Ordering his army. "Do not let the Stormcast and the Maiden of Light escape! For Grandfather Nurgle."

The flies flew ahead of the army at the duo as the Seraphon were ready to make a last stand, Anatesis ordered to Aqua as she turned to the light. "Come on, those bloat drones are a lot faster than you think!" Aqua didn't wish to find out and followed, looking back to find the Seraphon being quickly overwhelmed and for a bloat drone to extend its tube like maw in a last ditch effort to reach for her.

PEW!

THUD! She and the Stormcast landed somewhere and were in a daze, the feeling of danger had pass, yet something told her that she was still far from home. They got up to find themselves in a temple of reptilian design and walked down the hallway to find a hall of saurus warriors standing vigilant. Ready for the call of the master in the temple, at the far end, on a slab like throne was someone looking upon Aqua and the Stormcast. A large blue toad that was half asleep, he raised his arms to the air and a croak from with in their minds echoed. "Welcome to the Temple Between Realms!"

Anatesis nearly dropped her helmet in shock and walked closer to kneel in respect. "Thank you for rescuing us mighty Slann Starmaster. My friend had been trapped in that Darkened Realm for so long that all of this seems confusing to her. Please forgive her if she is taken aback by all this." The Slaan's placed his hands together and croaked. "It is her ties to many that hold the key to stop the Forces of Chaos from destroying her realm, from obtaining a great power that would overwhelm us all! It is of both strong will and good fortune that she did not allow herself to be taken by that daemon."

Aqua felt the sting of the words and watched the throne float and carry the Slann towards a doorway. "So this is why you sent the Seraphon to help us? Those... things crawling in the Realm of Darkness want to get to Kingdom Hearts?"

The Slann turned himself towards her and looked her in the eyes. "You are correct to assume that to be the reason for our aid. To assume that you are but a small part in a much larger plan, that much is truth." He felt a heart wishing for much and asked. "But how that was done was entirely on your choices, for here and ever after! We have a way into the Realm of Darkness and one other that would lead you home. Before we allow you to see the life Anatesis has lived, are you worthy of seeing it?" Aqua felt a golden sun behind her and turned around, seeing a constellation as bright as the sun taking form, the Slann behind her continued. "To see the realm of the Heavens, to see the realm among the stars?" The form took shape and materialized, showing a pale saurus creature that has a wrist shield and a mace, the Slann introduced Aqua to her foe.

"Behold the Saurus Sunblood! A warrior of what you would call light! Are you up to challenge him?"

Aqua nodded to the thought and stepped forward, seeing the Stormcast step aside to the outer edge of the room and watching the lizardmen do the same. Anatesis asked the Slann. "That is a tall order for testing her. Especially since she just got here."

Aqua let her friend know as she stood ready. "I'll be fine, this is kind creature I might want to study on one day."

The Slann lowered his arms and let loose a booming croak, initiating the start of the battle. The Sunblood's weapons glowed in halos, he waited for Aqua to make the first move. She aimed her keyblade and shot a barrage of magic missiles, the Sunblood blocked with his shield and took little damage. He charged at her with his shield and swung, Aqua back flipped and felt the wind of the attack, she felt a ferocity that had been around since ages past. She leaped high in the air, spun and fired a barrage of ice balls, pelting the Sunblood for minimal damage as she landed on the other side and was quick to ready a parry. She saw the Sunblood charge at her with his mace and felt an intense blow coming, she side stepped and charged for a slash, dealing a scratch on the creatures face as he hit her with his mace.

POW!

Aqua felt it right on the shoulder and landed on the ground in a thud. She rolled and quickly went back on her feet, she cast a healing spell on herself as the Saurus leaped and tried to strike her with both his weapons, his jaws and tried to trip her with his tail. She struck the Sunblood on the head and maneuvered behind him to repeatedly slash, the Sunblood swiped with his tail, Aqua back flipped once more and dashed for a final blow. SLASH! The Sunblood felt the blow on his back and fell to the temple floor, he bled out sunlight and faded. The barrier dimmed and the battle was over.

The Slann hummed. "Hmm! So the Sunblood is beatable by a Master of that Blade? Impressive."

He focused on the door as Aqua asked. "Who.. or what are you and how were you able to do... that?" The Slann croaked and answered as he readied a spell. "I am one of the few known as the Slann. All of the Starborne you have met, from the darkened realm and this temple are all but memories I have formed. If one falls to oblivion, I would simple remake them again."

Stars formed and a familiar orange chameleon with a golden blowpipe materialized, staring at Aqua like he remembered her. The woman was astonished as the Slann remembered. "This one was a Skink that had survived many millennium in the Realm of Chaos and even the destruction of the world that was for a time. I think his name was Oxyotl."

It began to make sense to Aqua why the lizard men stood their ground like they did and how a simple lizard was able to take down the foes she seen, she took a small bow at Oxyotl. "Thank you for helping me and Ana."

The lizard gave a bow back and skittered to the hall, seeing it vanished in a portal of light off, into the unknown. The Slann focused on his spell and caused the doorway to glow in a familiar, celestial light. "Any word of doubt that would have been had on you would be wasted. Beyond lies the realm of Azyr. The Realm of the Heavens. Anatesis shall guide you until you are ready to return to your true home."

Aqua felt she had a head ache trying to understand as Anatesis offered to let her step in first. "You're journey is just beginning, but I know a tavern where you can take a drink and anchor down until you are good and ready. I bet it that first time in a long while will feel... overwhelming."

Aqua agreed and looked upon the door without worry. She stepped across the rift and stepped out to the other side, landing on road stone. Her eyes trying to adjust to all the colors and light, her mind clearing out the darkness, as both adjusted, she looked upon a golden bridge leading to a grand, near golden city. With a variety of gryphons flying in a stary sky, planets drifting into the stary void. Decorating the city are statues and carvings of mighty dragons, warriors with war hammers and blue floral. Aqua was at a loss of breath of the magnificent city as she heard foot steps from behind, a deep breath and a yell out to the sky. "BY SIGMAR'S HAMMER! IT IS GOOD TO BE HOME!"

Aqua turned around to find Anatesis smirking in triump at an accomplishment. She introduced Aqua to the world she was in. "Welcome to Azyr lass! It's beautiful beyond words isn't it?" Aqua was overwhelmed and nodded as she heard a roar from above. She turned to see a dragon with scales black as the night and patches of white that resembled the stars. The dragon wore a harness of blue and silver, Anatesis saw a warrior riding on the dragon, wearing similar colors to her own, the warrior wielded a hammer she saw riding the drake. The Stormcast cringed and recognized him. "Oh no! And Loru is here to figure out what this is all about."

Aqua turned around to ask. "Loru?" The drake landed and lowered his head in curiosity to Aqua, he was given a gentle nudge from his rider that had a mutual interest. "Easy Night Scale!" He looked down at Aqua and to the Stormcast next to her, Ana felt a smile of a rivalry was upon her. "Anatesis? We thought you were lost at the Battle of Death's Gate! I'll have to stop Arreia from launching her search party in the ruins. We now just have to rescue that Freeguild." Anatesis's smile became of a mutual rivalry. "Real nice of you all to try coming to look for us. How did the battle go?" Loru answered with a moan of frustration. "We drove off the Forces of Death and it was discovered that they were responsible for the Gate's malfunction. Now the remaining Freeguild is working to secure their city before we launch a full assault into Shyish. We expect a battle between Nagash, the Forces of Destruction that... said hello and us."

He looked at Aqua and asked his subordinate. "You were busy with a rescue of your own?"

Anatesis puffed her cheeks up, had her hands at her hips and answered with a boast. "Why yes Loru, I was!"

She continued in a pout. "I was fighting all kinds of nasty creatures when I end up in a realm of Darkness, fighting a Bloodthirster!"

Loru and Nightscale gasped in unison, the superior considered it a most urgent matter. "So that is why we saw the Seraphon's magic at work. Ana, your skills and bravery is why you are much more than a Retributor Prime. You will never reach a rank beyond that if you don't step up and ask."

Ana took the lecture and her eyes drifted down. "This again-" Loru felt his point was made and introduced himself to Aqua. "I apologize for our dispute. I am Lorustro Star Storm of the Drakesworn Templar." He chuckled at his dragon. "And this is Nightscale, a Stardrake and my closest comrade in battle. We are more warriors than politicians... but I assume you have as much of a great duty as Anatesis has right now?"

Anatesis answered proudly. "I'm on the way of doing just that, we just fought our way back home and we need a time to take all this in." Aqua was uncertain what to say and looked to the Stormcast for a request, Ana sighed and began introductions. "You are too polite for him lass!" She looked at Loru. "Her name is Aqua, a warrior that is master of a particular blade she calls a Keyblade."

Aqua showed the keylike sword to the Drakesworn and coughed. "It would be complicated to explain what it does... but maybe it will make some sense soon."

Lorustro considered the keyblade's design as a work of art and tried to request something to Anatesis as a collective cheering of children was heard. A pink haired girl in a green and yellow dress pounced on the Retributors leg to cheer. "Ya, Lady Anatesis has returned!" A reckless black haired boy joined in the fray to add in. "She is back from the big kabloyeh!"

Anatesis blushed red as a hesitate, orange haired girl in a blue dress noticed Aqua and asked Loru. "Is she bringing the lady to Sigmar? To... make her like you?"

The Drakesworn pulsed a booming voice in response to such a question. "That is something for only him to decide and only those brought to his forge are permitted to that honor!"

The trio of children backed away in freight, the girl pouted to an idea lost. "Aw! But the best warriors always come for that."

Loru wished to say more in a way that wouldn't scare the children as Aqua put together what was being talked about, she asked the child. "Why did you think that?"

The girl answered and looked at the blade. "Because you look like a warrior who fights the baddies and shines above many! A sword is your best friend in battle as you are theirs." Aqua felt honored by such an answered and had memories of a red haired girl that gave her similar respects. The feeling of homesickness proved overwhelming, caused Aqua to feel light headed and passed out, landing in a thump and causing the children to back away. Lorustro sighed and asked Anatesis. "You were going to take her to the Duradin's Cradle so she can actually lay down? She looks like she hasn't done that in ages."

The retributor nodded. "I was. Could you... find a Lord that can make some arrangements? She isn't home yet."

Nightscale thought about what Aqua was doing in Azyr in the first place as his rider agreed. "I will. I'll be back before the next circle! Nightscale, Arreia awaits us!"

The dragon listened and took flight, leaving the three children to wonder what kind of adventure the Stormcast had, the pink haired girl asked. "Is... there anyone you met besides her?"

Anatesis picked Aqua up and answered. "A brave lad that looks to be taking a calling towards something great. He and some soldiers were getting to safety before I vanquish a great enemy."

The black haired boy listened and asked. "You were protecting them when they got lost and now you are back because of that?"

Anatesis nodded and smiled. "Ai lad! Let's get this lady to safety before your parents notice."

In a town basked in twilight.

Hofneil looked up upon the marvelous clock tower with two bells and considered his options as Riku summarized the place to him and Resira. "And this is what Twilight Town is, a lazy city with little to do. But its been peaceful for at least a week."

The Adeptas Sororitas asked at the short time. "That isn't too convincing, but you speak of an anomaly that appears in this town beyond a few heartless to slay. No...bodies?"

Mickey nodded and explained what that is. "They are what is left when a strong willed person turned into a heartless. They don't have hearts and don't have the ability to feel. The ones agitating them were dealt with a while ago, so they should calm down, but they can get desperate to be whole again."

Resira cared not for the nobody. "Then they will know what would happen if they falter. You will have my word that I won't spill any blood or burn any living soul here."

Riku wanted Risera to be quiet about the violence. "And you will ease up on the threats. You both are suppose to be normal people."

He looked up at the Space Marine in doubt. "And you are not the first person of that size to be in a place like this."

The Space Marine sighed and readied his patrol. "I won't need it. I am simply going to patrol." He turned to Resira and gave her orders. "If you suspect any suspicious activity, you are to inform me first! Nothing here and I mean nothing here would be considered the dangers you sworn to fight."

The Adeptas Sororitas nodded to her superior. "And we will maintain that peace." She turned to Riku and promised him. "You will not fear for this town with us on watch. Now what are you two to do?"

Riku knew of one. "Look for any of Hofneils friends and make sure that... problem he mentioned never becomes a one. There is a lot to do to keep things under control."

He gave his goodbye as Mickey promised the two. "We won't be far."

The two groups parted ways, far from the two, Mickey spoke of the next step. "Besides the making sure the Orruks Sora left behind don't disrupt the balance. There is one thing me and Yen Sid need to prepare you and Sora for before we try to go into the Realm of Darkness."

Riku asked wondering. "You were saying what me and Sora done still isn't good enough for that and it is getting worse for obvious reasons. This has everything to do with the fact that Aqua is a Keyblade Master if that part is important."

Mickey nodded in agreement. "She had been fighting in the realm for a decade. It takes someone of that skill and will power to survive in there for that long. We were going to let you all know before with what we knew of Xehenort, but now it really cannot wait."

Riku guessed what it meant. "Me and Sora have to earn the title through... something? I get it. You will let us know when you are ready?" Mickey vowed he would, he and Riku gave each other a hand shake and went their separate ways, to another act of duty.

At Radiant Garden, in a familiar house.

Ken's mother appreciated the red tea pot and had it cleaned up as she responded in a gentle, yet strict tone. "You did more than you realized and what happened with that guy wasn't your fault. I know you meant he had to be brave and stand up for those he cares about. So you are going to visit that old town you grew up in once you learn about that stone and show off your skill?"

Ken nodded to that. "Learn more about the Stormcast through what Wanda might have to say, shoot better with my keyblade and see where my heart wants to be in."

Ken's mother smiled and cheered. "Well no one is stopping you! You found your calling and took it in the only way you can." Her eyes half dropped. "You don't have to bring me back something nice every time you put yourself in danger. I know its dangerous out there, but if that is the reason for people to stay home, nothing would have been done to make our lives better."

She placed the tea pot on a table and asked. "It's still the afternoon, you ought to get back to your adventure."

Ken appreciated it and readied to get going. "Thanks Mom, I should be back later tonight if I don't get overwhelmed at Traverse."

He walked out and journeyed to a house with a roof resembling a magician's hat, he found Merlin finishing a conversation with Aerith about something. "And while Leon talks to those fellows that woke up in the castle, we ought to take a look at Tahm. He and his men have been quiet ever since Magitinus went to the castle with him."

Ken joined in with a whistle. "That Tech Priest stopped causing problems after I showed him I'm not an idiot with that thing?"

Merlin leaped in shock as Aerith turned around, gasped and asked. "You... Kendry, its a little bit more suspicious than that. He read some files and told something to Tahm, they... are looking for you."

Ken blinked at the pretty lady and asked. "I did something to tick them off? That's all I been doing for some of them."

Aerith shook her head and looked worried for him. "No, but they are talking about your keyblade."

She and Merlin noticed the stone in the boys hands, the wizard stroked his beard. "I say is that a summon stone?"

Ken nodded and showed it to Merlin. "Yep, found it on my first visit to Traverse after handing something over. What do you make of it?"

The wizard took the stone with the spider shaped mark and had it analyzed, he gasped and gave it back to the boy. "That stone contained the essence of a heart that longed to see the worlds beyond... for better or for worse."

Aerith raised an eyebrow and asked. "Worse?"

Merlin sighed back. "He wants to see it and fight anyone who he and his pet can. Kendry, this summon is a tribal warrior and a steed that is not for the faint of heart." Ken blinked and guess. "The steed is a big spider? I'm not scared of that."

Merlin nearly laughed at the boast. "You might when the spider is bigger than a horse! If you want to try, focus your heart towards something and use the power towards where you want the summon to arrive. Beware, this has a foul temper."

Ken listened and felt the stone vanish. "Nice, hey a while ago I found and gave a pretty spooky sword to a lady running Traverse, if you have a way to visit there and study it, it might be cool."

Merlin raised an eyebrow in interest. "If it is tied to an evil spirit, it needs more than research to keep it contained, but thank you for the knowledge." He and Aerith looked at each other about something, the woman gave her parting and asked Kendry. "Do you mind if I come with you, those four at the fountain, they want to say something to you."

The boy wanted to refuse as Aerith continued. "That Tech Priest went as far as to call you a heretic while you were away. All because that lasgun changed on its own. Do you even know what that word means?"

Ken guessed. "It's a pretty nasty insult."

Aerith growled and was justified in coming with the boy. "It's someone who does something against their own religion and they take their religion very seriously. Thankfully, Tahm and his guard were quick to stand up for you."

Ken sweated and let the woman come with him. "That was pretty cool of them and I might need someone to have my back of that Tech Priest tries to attack me. I heard of what happened with Brynhildr."

The two left the wizards house and went to the gardens where the Tech Priest explained to a Commissar what was occurring. "We could craft many things in place of Villain's Vale, but they are wasting such potential on a small town, a guild for those that wander."

Tahm folded his arms to the idea. "But a strategic point is vital to any country... to any star systems. How will it expand is not up to us." He noticed Ken, coughed in respects and stood proudly. "And this was inevitable. Kendry, you have made quite a name for yourself since you departed."

Ken felt the respect and let his keyblade shine in his hand. "And more elsewhere. I heard a lot of drama is going on with you guys and I want to know what."

Magitinus glared under his bifocals as Tahm picked dirt off his bolt pistol. "It is but a simple rumor Magitinus found while exploring the castle and finding some secrets... including that of the Keyblade... or Keyblades." He coughed at the few. "The Kingdom Key, Stormfall, Oathkeeper... those are the many names of a keyblade, given by its chosen."

He looked at the lasgun keyblade and hummed. "What of this one's? It would be a great insult for it to not have a name of its own? Much like how you named your ship Brynhildr... the inspiration to that name." He nearly smiled and kept to his duty. "What... has it become from a humble lasgun?"

Magitinus hissed. "An abomination!" Ken, Aerith and Tahm glared at the Tech Priest, the Comissar repeated himself to cybernetic man. "If Ken had a direct hand in its transformation, I would have somewhat agreed. It acted on its own because the wielder shown bravery, there is no sin to that. I would strongly advise you cease your hostility about the lasguns fate and towards those who know more of this worlds technology than you. Less someone puts you in your final place."

Magitinus knew what that warning ment and submitted as Ken assured the Comissar. "I'm not going to think of a disrespectful name. The lasgun use to belong to someone and I don't know if anyone can just... insult it and get away with it. Hey, your guys said something about Cadia... what do you know of that world?"

Tahm answered with fond memories. "It is only the Imperiums finest recruiting world for the Astral Militarium. It has endured countless wars and is home to fine men and women who would serve the Emperor Proudly! The Cadian Regiment has endured even when its planet could no longer stand!"

Ken bobbed his head and asked. "And what happened to Cadia?"

Tahm growled bitterly. "It was destroyed by the forces of the Black Legion!" He raised his voice boldly. "Traitor Astartes that turned their back on the Emperor and cast their lot with the Ruinous Powers! I fear the Imperium is to see much darker days..." He calmed himself on the matter. "But I doubt they would make their way across this galaxy."

Ken hoped not and looked at his Keyblade. "...I don't know what an astartes is, but those guys give me the chills. This... lasgun... or those like it was important to you guys... hmm." He stuttered. "Cadia...Cadia...the Keyblade is tied to the heart and with in the heart is the power for the blade."

He closed his eyes, bobbed his head to a word that echoed through his mind. "Cadia's...Light... Cadia's Light."

He held the keyblade like it the rifle it was. "Cadia's Light! That's the name of it."

The name caused the Comissar to feel an unusual sniffle that he intimidated back with in himself. "A fine name!"

Aerith agreed with such a name and smiled to the boy. "Where did you figure that part of the keyblade out?"

Ken answered and felt ready to take on the vast universe. "When I was battling some ghosts that were kind of ignoring some of my shots. I didn't let fear get to me and the beam looked different... it was able to hurt them more often."

He whined at the Tech Priest. "A lasgun... became that! Come on, there isn't anything wrong with what happened." Aerith agreed with the boy and added in. "You are the only one who is really bothered by it."

The Comissar agreed with his own concerns. "The lasgun is part of the Imperial guard and... it was taken without authorization. It would have been returned by now if it was possible."

He spun his free hand. "But I suppose the Emperor had different plans. For now, its fate would be overlooked as... in action."

The Tech Priest kept still, grumbled and turned back to the castle, leaving the three be as Ken asked the Comissar. "I guess I should stay away from him and we should just not bring it up again. It just keeps making him angry."

Tahm felt it was a wise decision. "He will serve his use, for his skill is needed, if you are looking for a firing line, my guardsmen made due with a training ground on the east building of this square."

Ken and Aerith turned around to see a place with heartless themed training dummies, the boy found it convenient. "I'll go practice a few shots before I get going to Traverse." He smiled to the woman in gratitude. "Thanks for having my back Aerith."

The woman appreciated it and wished to see what was occurring in the castle. "Anytime, I just couldn't stand nothing being done while that was happening. I'll try to make sure the Tech Priest gets the hint. Good luck."

The woman took her leave as the Comissar appreciated the good in the town. "And thus peace is maintained." He wondered about something and dismissed it as the boy went to the firing line. "But can the same be said about the worlds nearby?"

At Traverse Town.

Sora, Kairi, Goofy and Donald felt a little nostalgic as they looked upon the night sky. Donald remembered fondly. "It's been a while since we seen so many stars here." Goofy agreed and reminded him. "But we got to go find this Wanda before we look around."

Donald agreed as Sora lead the way to the central district, where a group of men in imperial armor reported to a general in a fancy hat. "We just posted warning posts in all the sewer entrances! No one has an excuse for going into that death trap."

The general appreciated it and pondered, she noticed an odd group of characters and dismissed him. "Go fortify this towns defenses. We will never know what will be coming our way, be it refugees or foes!"

The man understood and left as the general took off her hat to reveal herself, she asked curiously as she saw a pattern. "You all in lot with Riku and Mickey?"

Sora nodded as Kairi introduced her and her group. "We are and he told us about you." She looked around and gave credit where it was do. "It's nice what you did with the place."

The sight of demigryphs and a gryphon was a story to tell as Wanda expected questions and asked. "What other band of characters you met around here? Is it all the same story I hear about?"

Sora answered the woman. "Kind of, some of the people we met came from a realm that is a lot different from the realms you mentioned to Riku. They seem to be less friendly than we expected, do... you know of the Ironjawz?"

Wanda cringed and nodded. "They are the nastiest brutes from the realm of Ghur... the Realm of Beasts. But if you give them a reason to keep fighting something other than yourself, they won't cause problems. I pray the world plagued by them can keep them from getting bored."

Sora, Donald and Goofy were assured in that security, the boy responded. "They will, we also heard you warned Riku about this... Nagash and a couple other sad things."

Wanda shortened what she spoke of already. "With Nagash, he is just an evil, petty god. Plan and simple, he won't be coming here, thank Sigmar, we had a sword from one of his goons locked away and if you see anything looking like death, we need to do something about it immediately. I got your friend good when I said that there are people who cast their lot with Chaos, if all that darkness stuff is like it... you have my sympathy if you knew someone who went down that path."

She smiled and welcomed them to the town. "If you got business here, you are free to check the districts, just don't go into the sewers, we are in a parlay treaty with the Gloomspite Gitz and anything in the sewers is theirs."

Kairi tilted her head to an idea. "Not really... business, but we want to look around the town before we get going." She turned to the boy. "Right Sora?"

Sora was unaware and blushed on realizing it. "A...Yeah, right."

Goofy and Donald snickered in regards to their own duty, the mage taunted the duo. "We got to see what those things over there are." He looked at the demigryphs as Goofy knew the gryphon was a new sight. "I wonder if there are more kinds like that."

Wanda gasped and smiled wide as she rubbed her knuckles at her chest. "Oh we normally have horses as an alternative, but our real pride n joy are our siege weapons. The enemies of Sigmar would think twice before coming anywhere close... but there is a breed of beast... nay, more than beasts, that I have stories of seeing. We don't have any of those unfortunately... only the Stormcast have them." Sora remembered a detail that needed to be asked. "What's... a Stormcast, we heard of one."

Wanda placed her hands at her cheeks and squealed. "Some of the finest warriors of Sigmar to lay eyes on!" She calmed down and continued. "Anatesis was but a retributor prime, the heavy melee of Sigmar's army and were a last line of defense for us. But there are many, if you see them in shiny, storm infused armor, then you met one! The greatest honor for the Freeguild is to fight along side them." She closed her eyes and finished. "There might be a chance to save Ana, but we all are figuring out how. If the Realm of Darkness has heartless, daemons and skaven, then going in by yourselves is a horrible idea." She asked the duo. "What do you have for a fight?"

Sora and Kairi drew out their keyblades, proving a point as the girl answered. "I need to see to one... important thing before it gets late. We will try with that once we spend some time here."

Wanda knew what she was seeing and went to her patrol. "I'm not stopping you two, just don't get too carried away."

Kairi blushed and promised. "We won't."

She tugged at Sora's hand, who was trying not to give signs, he looked up to the sky and looked as lost as ever. "Maybe... we can just look around and see what changed." Kairi didn't mind, she and Sora walked down the street hand in hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're reading this far, what do you think of the story thus far?
> 
> Let me know and I'd take the critcism.


	7. Looming Darkness

In a twisted, darkened wasteland, a menacing humanoid figure with a horned crown like helm, a sword glowing red on his right hand and a shield on his left. He looked upon a mound of pink, blue and blackened flesh. The figure was encased in black armor from head to toe, slight highlights were of brass and sticking out of the shoulders were spikes. The figure found deep with in the mound of flesh, a human that was encased in a translucent tube like prison, pink all around. He was being clawed by black tendrils, endlessly. The human had white hair and tanned skin. The figure in armor slowly approached the nightmarish scene with his blade ready. With in the center most of the pink flesh, a slit opened to reveal a yellow eye that reflected the figures image, pure darkness. The figure felt he was being asked something and yellowed out. "I AM NO MERE SHADOW! I AM THE GRAND MARSHAL OF CHAOS! RELEASE MY PRIZE AND PERHAPS I WILL ALLOW YOU'RE CONTINUED EXISTENCE!"

By the side of the eye, blue flesh convulsed and turned, revealing two fanged maws that opened to let loose a black haze, crawling out were mounds of darkness and flesh, their limbs resembling insect, crab like legs, complimented by scorpion like claws. They hissed and dashed at their prey in a vast infinite. The figure blocked the vast horde with his shield and slashed them to oblivion with his sword, he aimed and shot an arcane bolt at one of the maws, halting the horde and giving the Grand Marshal time to charge through and stab the maw in what is assumed to be its throat. It pulsed and faded in darkness as the Grand Marshal pulled his sword out and repeated once more. The eye formed an odd pupil and readied a beam of power, the pupil resembled a black heart with red lining and an arrow pointing down. The Grand Marshal glared back and yelled as he stabbed the eye and slashed it up ward, causing it to fade. The inner pink most section of the prison erupted in black claw like tentacles and darted at the Grand Marshal, he shook his head and hissed. "So you chose oblivion?"

He quickly sliced the tendrils and made a charge to the prison, stepping across the black surroundings and seeing white claws in the sides. The figure stepped back and felt the entity tearing itself apart as the white claws enclosed and grabbed the prison. Pushing back and undoing the veil, to reveal a giant, white, demonic, four armed, winged humanoid with an odd symbol on its forehead, resembling a heart with a spike, yet upside down. It flew off into the void as the twisting flesh faded into darkness, the Grand Marshal growled and shouted out as he felt himself about to fall. "DORGHAR! AID ME!"

The ground gave way and the Grand Marshal fell into the darkness, something flew down in the abyss. A winged, nightmare of a beast, with three odd heads, to its right right was a red head resembling a mixture of bull and hound, to the middle was a blue bird like head and to its left was a putrid, rotting beast. The steed flew after the demonic, unknown creature that shifted its wings and fired a barrage of laser beams. Dorghar barrel rolled and saw the creature ready a swipe with its free set of claws. The beast flew above, downward and to its left as the Grand Marshal looked upon the demons forehead. "Dorghar, fling me with all your might!"

The bird like head smiled with pleasure and reached for his master, he flew around to avoid a shot of lasers as the Grand Marshal readied a jump, Dorghar flung him at the forehead. The Grand Marshal readied his blade and aimed forward. The demon gasped and tried to block, missing the Grand Marshal and was stabbed in the forehead by a force comparable to a meteor, it sparkled in a mixture of light and darkness as the prison containing the Grand Marshal's objective was dropped. The Grand Marshal allowed it and saw his steed flying down after him. The black void became an odd grey realm, a world of nothingness. The Grand Marshal felt himself falling faster and readied his shield for the pink glass.

SHATTER!

He broke the prison and pulled the man out, Dorghar once again caught his master, who had earned his victory. A rift resembling an eight pointed star opened to take the three away, the Grand Marshal ordered. "Well done Dorghar! Now back to the Eightpoints! My... guest, owes me some answers."

In a rather well kept room in an inn.

Aqua gasped from a vision most dire and bolted out of a bed, she was disoriented from the ordeal and was panting from the colors, shapes and faint light. It was just an ordinary room, she found it difficult to believe it, the memories of her escaping from the Realm of Darkness, the constellation, the Stormcast that she traveled with and even the memories of the Lizardmen and their dinosaurs, it did occur. She crouched up and huddled to take in the realization and looked around. "...I... I finally got out." A smile formed and tears dripped. "I finally got out." She laughed to herself, after a decade in hell, something so mundane as a simple room in an Inn would feel like a step back into paradise, yet, something in her heart told her of a task in hand. "...But I'm not back home yet." She slowly stood up and regained her balance. "I... won't be able to do anything if I just stay here."

Knock! Knock! "Wake up call!"

Aqua listened and went to opened the door, seeing a small, dwarven man with a long orange beard. He was in simple metal gear as he looked up to her, he chuckled. "You been out for half a day Miss! Lady Arreia wants to talk to ya about something, ol Ana been telling her a lot about ya." He offered to help Aqua find the lobby. "Come on, foods on the house."

The woman followed to find a lobby with two Stormcast's siting face to face, Anatesis with her helmet off taking to a woman with long, near glowing blonde hair. The woman was in a similar set of armor, yet to her side was a staff and a set of crystals, the blonde woman looked at Ana with judgemental, ruby eyes. "And you are certain you didn't just fall into Ulgu? The Realm of Darkness sounds more akin to that than the Realm of Chaos."

Ana argued back. "Lord Arcanum Arreia, if that WAS the Realm of Shadows, do you think someone from that place would have came to us for aid when they saw the powers of Chaos creeping in?"

Arreia raised an eyebrow and placed her hands under her chin. "And you wouldn't have encountered those Skaven turning into... those things. You would have just found corpses. This talk of realms beyond isn't really apart of my studies. But your reports on what might have caused your disappearance along with Wanda and her Freeguild might be that hint as to where we need to go." She noticed Aqua and addressed her. "Miss Aqua... you're awake." She smiled to the dwarf and asked him. "Give her what we ordered Boreld. I'll still add to the tip even when you wish to make this." She raised her hands and focused on two fingers each to quote what she was told. "On the house."

Boreld nodded to that and went to the kitchen to leave the ladies be. "So a braised fangmora." He looked at Aqua once more and nearly laughed. "I'll make some adjustments for her."

Aqua wondered what that was about as Anatesis gasped to Arreia, the lord Arcanum cringed, closed her eyes and sighed. "Right I forgot. That organ... no sense in her getting shocked." She looked at Aqua and explained. "Fangmoras are a species of large electric eels. We normally like the feel of the lightning that courses in each bite... it might kill anyone else though. A hindsight I didn't consider." She invited her to sit at the table. "Please, let us talk."

Aqua guessed. "I heard that what ever cause this... Realmgate to act strange and take Ana away was done by someone or something. Nagash?"

Arreia nodded as Anatesis explained what might motivate their enemy. "Nagash would relish the the idea of conquering all of the afterlives! Do you know of one place out of all others where the dead would go?"

Aqua gasped and asked. "Kingdom Hearts?!"

Arreia guessed the rest. "And in tampering with a realm gate while everyone was busy, Nagash made that discovery. If he isn't stopped-" She stopped in thought as Aqua felt she heard enough. "He would just be another evil who would mess with the worlds."

Arreia nodded and voiced a plan. "If we travel the Realm of Shyish with a vast army, Nagash would suspect something. We need a small force... so small that you can count them with your fingers, we need to see what that lich is up to." She looked Aqua in the eyes to warn her. "A task that is incredibly dangerous for both our body and souls! We may even have to pack lightly save for our strongest equipment and mounts that... won't make a seen."

She looked at Anatesis with a suggestion. "You could finally earn the right to advance to a rank... more fitting for you! If your skills as a retributor and a prime for your squad wasn't enough already." She looked at her and asked. "Unfortunate that you are not attuned to proper magic, you would have been promoted right now!"

Anatesis looked away in a refusal of something, stubbornly puffing her cheeks up. "I never liked how Rajah looks at all of us anyways! Are all the dracolines like that?"

Arreia saw a lightning spark and answered. "If you would approach one with that attitude, you would quickly give up if your life depended on it. You seem likely to bond with one other though... hmm!"

Aqua saw a dispute in between ranks and asked. "What... are you talking about?"

Anatesis felt a nagging voice in her consciousness and voiced it out. "A lot more than what you here! Sometimes a high ranked Stormcast would be given the honor to tame a mighty beast and join a squad of elite cavalry or lead many cavalries. Gryph chargers... which look like the demigryphs but more.. lean. A Tauralon, a mighty winged steed. Dracolines... which look like a mix between a drake and a big cat... and the dracoths. A smaller, wingless relative to the star drake you saw. Exactly as you expect from them as well."

Aqua imagined a small dragon breathing fire and asked nearly in a laugh. "And you haven't tried meeting any of them yet?"

Ana growled and thought of an excuse. "It just was never a good time." She took her stand. "But I'm going to that bloody mountain Loru always teases us about! There is that one breed of Dracoth I want to see."

The Lord Arcanum heard a dwarf yelping and sipped some tea. "I'm aware and it is not his position to tell you about what happens in those places."

She asked the keyblade wielder. "It will take the rest of the day before I can form our squad... should Anatesis acquire her Dracoth... she would be given a... special position in our forces." She looked at the Retributor and envisioned. "A test from me, it is not of a Lord Celestant... but it would be in a position much like where Loru is in. A battler." She sighed and smiled at the image. "Complimented with a new weapon of her choice. Our forces would be that few to where such strings can be pulled."

Aqua was interested and asked Ana. "Sounds like an exam of some kind. Do you have to go alone?"

The Retributor grumbled and blushed. "That... is the test. But..." She sighed. "We can't just let you wander this capital alone and... there is a few things you eventually need to know since you could be here a while. There is a place in the mountain where it won't hurt if you wait."

Arreia approved and asked. "It would leave Aqua with little to do at the moment... but it isn't like her options right now are any better. Aqua... you mention an exam and I heard you call your self a Keyblade Master... that is apparently a rank one has to achieve for your specialty."

Aqua let a keyblade shine in her hand and answered. "It is and the Keyblade is special... but-" Arreia finished. "But you had only seen the hammer Anatesis has used. The variety would knock the wind out of you and the options for a Lord Celestant... or a Champion Templar, would help you understand what ranking Ana was in before all this happen." She smiled with her pride as a Stormcast. "You would be the few from the place you called home to witness such an honor. Do not worry, very soon we will witness just what the Keyblade can do compared to all that."

Ana knew what her superior was talking about. "An equivalent exchange."

The kitchen door opened and a charred dwarf came with plates of filet eels, two particular caused Aqua's hair to stand, it was much knowledge for her to take, but what ever she might find in the realms, the Stormcasts are her best guides.

In a space station with in the lanes in between.

Maleficent and Pete felt their minds adjusting and looked around to find themselves in a space station with a few, simple decorations, many with a symbol of an eight pointed star. They found Zagor looking down at a small man in red robes and carved tattoos, ordering him with a hiss. "Call my brethren and tell the rest of your lot bellow that they are needed while I entertain our guests. Try not to go in the wrong direction like the last one."

The cultist nodded in obedience and skittishly went to a computer near a door. "O...Of course lord. Ha, ha! We will finally begin!"

The faint giggling was nothing much out of the ordinary for the two as they saw the elevator open to let him in. They noticed the Sorcerer was making himself at home. Pete chuckled his doubts away as Zagor turned around to apologize. "Don't mind the mess, we had only recently occupied this barren station and just settled in."

The minion looked around and voiced what he saw. "Looks like you all been squandering here for a while! Now that little trick of yours was nice, but how about you show us what you can really do?"

The Sorcerer's stare felt like a smile was forming, he caused a door to the left side to open, revealing a large, red dormant machine that resembled a spider, with sharp, mechanical legs, a gun on each side of its abdomen and mechanical tendrils. Disturbingly, it had symbols and markings much like the surroundings, in more detail, some resembling a face. Piecing parts of the machine together looked like flesh. The Sorcerer turned to the other side and looked to be staring into space, like he was looking for something. He whispered faintly upon seeing something, raised his free hand out and grasped. He gestured like he was pulling something, Maleficent and Pete saw a faint distortion and something being yanked from the ground, a large bloated, tick, it had the face of a horned humanoid and a maw resembling a lampreys sucker, it flailed its tendrils as the Sorcerer pointed towards the chassis, through sheer force of will. The entity shrieked and struggled as he was pulled to the chassis, Maleficent and Pete stood astonished and speechless as the entity made contact with the machine and faded in an unstable cloud, wailing in anguish as it became one with the machine. The machine's many eyes lit up, it came alive and thrashed. "SCREEEEEEEEE!"

It broke bits of its bindings and clawed at the ground with his mechanical legs, swiping at the Sorcerer and his guests with unspeakable frenzy. CRACK!

The bindings broke and the machine charged. Zagor faced the palm of his hand upward and caused the machine to hover in place, the Sorcerer slammed it into the ground, making the anger worse as he chanted an incantation. Then again and again and again, until the machine whimpered in submission, in a glow of odd symbols, the machine burned. It stood still and awaited the Sorcerer's command, who tilted his staff to the elevator. "Now, go guard the holy grounds bellow and join with the other engines! Devour any who intrude!"

The machine licked its maw and showed sharp teeth as the elevator door opened, it crawled past the door and to a sinister task. The door closed behind it and the guest heard a simple sound of a machine descending. Zagor explained to the two. "That is a daemon engine! A magnificent creature that is flesh, machine and daemon! This one feasts upon souls and daemon like a spider does with a fly! Then converts it to self sustain itself or fuel its guns, it also draws the daemon upon it, which in turn allows me to continue my craft. That... is the Venomcrawler!"

Maleficent broke out of her astonishment and was impressed as she asked. "What have you done to... bring that intriguing thing to life? You were not merely jesting."

Zagor appreciated the question and explained. "That is my specialty in the Dark Arts. I am a Master of Possession! I study a force known as the Warp and those who dwell."

He growled in an odd pleasure of pride. "With my power, I can take any creature I so choose from the Warp and pluck them out. With little effort, I can bind them to machines, birthing those like the Venomcrawler and even doing more beyond that." Pete laughed cruelly at his imagination. "Heh! Ha, ha! And make things that will give all the kiddies nightmares! But what does that have to do with us?"

Maleficent answered her simpleton of a minion. "If he had no use for us, he would have never came as he did." She smiled at the vile concepts brought before her. "What, pray tell, do you seek?"

The Sorcerer looked at the elevator with glee and turned to the duo, like he was ready to give the answer, he sensed something in the corner and glowed in warpfire, a squirming shadow emerged from the darkness and frantically pounced. Zagor simple looked upon the heartless and held it in place with cruel malice. "Since me, my brethren and the cultists have stumbled upon this galaxy, we have seen these wondrous specimens that plague the worlds. The Heartless, creatures born out of pure darkness, nay, the very essence of darkness!" He looked at the shadow trying to escape and laughed. "Oh the horrors that would be unleashed with the proper... attunement."

The elevator opened and let out a ten man squad of large soldiers wielding weaponry. Their armor looked high tech and the pauldrons carried a symbol the soldiers were proud off, it looked like a demonic skull engulfed in flames. One of the soldiers twitched and laughed out in insanity as a more calm soldier with a dark glowing maul and a more horned helmet asked his superior. "Master Zagor, you sent the whelp to call us?"

The Sorcerer responded and addressed the squad leader. "Yes Gurak. I seek to demonstrate the seeds of my research. Watch." He had the heartless float to the center of the room, he spun his free hand downward, causing a cloud of energy to form. He blew it at the Heartless and had his men watch, the cloud seeped into the shadow and caused a reaction that was subtle. Tendrils crawled from its body and its limbs shifted, looking more horned, its feet resembled talons, spikes grew from its back and its left arm formed into a crab like claw.

Pete was impressed at the results. "So you are using the Warp to make the Heartless stronger! That is a neat trick."

Zagor signaled to Pete. "Wait! This research is not without flaws."

Pete wanted to know what the flaws were as he and Maleficent watched the Heartless's mutation spiral, its tendrils burst from its body and caused it to convulse in agony, its limbs split into many, it tore open a maw that had many tongues with a maw of its own. Darkness dripped from wounds and the mutations grew more unstable, its insect like humanoid form swelled and twisted, pulsing into many shapes, limbs, maws, spikes, like a heaping mound of clay. The form tore itself apart and faded in black mist. Zagor looked down at the empty center disappointed. "Each time, they are never stable! Yet when a Heartless seeks a Daemon... they become one. That... is my research." He turned to the duo and explained. "We are the Messengers of the Dark Word! A war band of Chaos Space Marines that seek to show the glory of the Great Gods!"

Gurak laughed in fanatical joy. "We will open the unbelievers eyes and show them what is beyond the veil! In the name of Lorgar, in the name of the Great Gods!"

Zagor listened with pride. "And we will see new truths that even he could not." He looked at Maleficent for a request. "We do not ask for much, we seek only the knowledge of the Heartless! In exchange-" The witch knew what the sorcerer requested. "In exchange, you will have the means to create an army that would wash over the light of the worlds! Such a concept that came only from what we heard and not seen." She humored the sorcerer. "And the knowledge of both powers could be useful to us." She conjured an orb in vile will. "What better way to do it than observe the darkness of the worlds?"

The orb glowed a dark green and showed Zagor many images, one of a sinister man in dark clothes offering a questionable deal to a fool, another of a red robed wizard committing a ritual most unholy, another of a mechanical man hording parts of a machine in prejudice zeal. Another of a woman in holy armor, burning a desert city. The last image caused Zagor to cringe, yet the intention of the image enticed him all the more. "You see this as what evil is?"

Maleficent broke into laughter at the last two images. "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! They think their deeds are the will of the holy light. Ho, ha! All of it!"

She nearly broke out of her elegance and found it all a sickening joke as Pete guessed. "They are not exactly practicing what they think they are preaching."

Maleficent agreed and tried to regain her composure. "They only spread the will of Darkness. Even their comrades in arms, the ones who share those believes, are less narrow minded than this." She sighed. "Yet they are just as ignorant of their own darkened hearts." She advised Zagor, who was finding a similar humor. "To understand darkness, you must understand evil. It takes many forms." She gave the Sorcerer the orb, who sensed that the orb was of things seen, things that been. He focused and looked upon a brown haired boy and a red haired girl looking upon the stars, a feeling of love. Then to an image of that same boy battling against a green giant. Then to an image of a blonde boy assisting with a discovery.

Finally an image of that blonde boy disturbed with guilt of a great sin, Zagor was almost in a trance. "As much as to understand Chaos! It comes in all forms as well, it is subtle... one would disregard the seeds sowed... but then... then." The orb shifted to an image of a seen long past, that of an ambitions silver haired boy that was turning against a younger version of the brown haired boy, the Master of Possession hissed. "Then it grows and blossoms." He broke into his own laughter, like he uncovered a truth most forbidden. Unbound and scattered in emotions. Pete nervously laughed with him and backed away, questioning Zagors sanity. He ordered the most elite marine that awaited command. "Gurak, my champion. I will spend much studying this, when I am finished, we will have more knowledge to obtain. Knowledge... you should obtain for me."

Gurak saluted his master. "I will await your call my liege!" He looked at the guests. "And what of them?"

Zagor found himself most amused and snapped his fingers, causing a dark rift to open, a corridor of Darkness. "They have proven their use as I predicted. But more can be learned from them." He asked his bargain. "You provide us with more knowledge on the Heartless and in turn, we will provide you with the knowledge of Chaos." He nearly forgot. "Oh, I nearly neglected a detail. When I said Chaos, comes in all forms, I do not mean just vile acts." He shivered in ecstasy. "That is how Chaos leads towards such a wondrous path."

Maleficent listened and agreed. "The long road to Hell can be paved with even the most noblest intentions. Even simple things could become perverted."

Zagor nodded to that. "Indeed. Now, I expect that you two have your own plans still? Should you become curious once more, you will hear the voices."

The duo gave their farewell, Maleficent expected much more than meets the eye. "As is with your own goals." She turned to the corridor and ordered. "Come! There is something I wish to observe before we return to the castle."

Pete followed the witch out, back in Traverse's outskirts as if nothing happened. He knew there was more in his mistress's mind as she made sure nothing was out of the ordinary. "You don't trust that Zagor as far as I can throw him, do ya?"

Maleficent turned to her minion with a contemptible scowl. "If course not you simpleton! I can sense his intentions long before words left his mouth. He see's us as much of a means to an end as we see him! We are to observe his experiments and provide only for that. Nothing more."

Pete snickered to the opportunity. "And then we use that info to teach those pipsqueaks a lesson they won't soon forget."

Maleficent snarled at Pete. "You fool, that careless thinking is what led to that Heartless's form twisting out of control. You had seen it with your own eyes, now imagine that being your fate?"

The minion gasped, cringed and shook the image away. "Ooohoo no! But if we are more cautious about it, this could make our Heartless much stronger."

Maleficent agreed and formed another plan. "That it would. Once we observe an... aspirants folly, we will pay a visit to the mansion of our wise old friend and acquire the knowledge of what he seeks. His use of data, could provide more... stable means for these experiments compared to the Sorcerer letting his break lose from their chains."

In the lane between worlds.

Ken looked forward to a revisit of Traverse as he asked his ship. "Maybe if we are lucky, Wanda might tell us more about Ana and the things she did in her battles. Brynhildr, do you think we might find some of the other guys out here and have a race? I think that is what you want to do since it felt like you get bored flying."

The gummi ship flashed a single light into the vast space and shined upon an asteroid, it wanted to make a mark and fired, doing next to nothing as Ken sighed. "Just leave that to me, in time we can figure out all the routes out here and the gate ways." The flashing lights dimmed, Ken repeated himself. "And with that, we will show why we are the fastest arou-"

FLICK!

The lights went out, pure dark remained, Ken blinked and took his keyblade out, wanting to make a flash light as he looked around. A faint flicker of a button was warning him of something and he let his light dimmed. "Bryn... what... is going on?" The ship was silent, the boy looked around to find in the distance right of the asteroid, a smooth, black ship with a white cockpit. A faint glow was seen with in and the dimmed ship was revealed, the guns under the coming jet glowed, like it was ready for a close range fire. Ken yelped and ordered.

"RUN!"

The Gummi ship turned in agreement and took off to the left, flying as fast as it can. Ken noticed the ship was going slower than expected and the jet closing in. Firing a distorting blow that caused the ship to flare up a warning sign. Ken felt himself sharing the ships vision and looked down to find smoke and fire. He looked at the jet and ordered. "Brynhildr, fire at this guy while I look for a way to lose him."

The ship fired at the jet with a barrage of shots, most missed while others glanced and caused a deep scrap of the hull. The jet vanished and Ken felt once more that he was in danger. He looked to his front and saw a split of asteroids one leads to the destination he wanted to go, the other lead to a flying Heartless fighter ship. He saw faint flickers of light and ordered. "That jet wasn't alone, fly towards those Heartless and fire at any that come after us!"

The Gummi ship obeyed and flew close to a black cruiser with silver highlights. It opened its hull and released twenty round ships with a Heartless sticking its head out. They fired on the ship that dodged and fired back to destroy four of their number. Brynhildr skid to the right towards a gate leading to a ring, dodging fire from pit black jets. Drawing the attention of the Heartless to where they attacked the pursuers. Drawing most of them away from their path and for many to suffer severe damage. Ken faced forward with a deep breath as Brynhildr flew past the gate and towards the rocky circle.

PEW!

The ship with the white cockpit appeared out of thin air with its gun ready. Ken glared and ordered. "GO FULL SPEED!" The ship flashed its lights at once at the order, Ken sighed. "You will know what to do when I say up!" The ship blinked a blue light and accelerated, the jet was still as it tried to aim, like the pilot was trying to predict the move. The weapon ceased its glow as the gummi ship came close in fast speeds. Ken laughed. "Uh huh! And you better-" The jet faced the ship and ignited its jets for a move, the boy yelled. "Up!"

The gummi ship flew upward and dodged the jet's desperate attempt at a counter ram. It flew past the ring and towards a darkened cloud. Ken ordered once more. "Now go into that cloud, no one will follow us past things like this!" The ship agreed and flew in, the starry void was replaced by a pitch darkness. Ken focused and looked around, finding nothing of note, not even the sight of the fighter jet. He looked through the front of the ship and saw white wisps flying around.

He was uncertain of what they were and waited, the flying wisps spun and circled, nothing more. Then a slight glow of orange came. Leading to a lightened space most familiar, yet it lead to a formation both were confused by. An asteroid that resembled a ring, in the center was a grey fog blocking the way out. Or seemed to, Ken felt something was behind it and asked. "Brynhildr, we lost those guys, but we are not turning back. Try... pushing against that fog."

ship hesitated and flew to the fog, feeling a faint push back, it pushed harder and went through, finding a sight more exciting. A whole world, one in a grey landscape, complimented with faint signs of castles. Near it was a white circle with the image of a path way to Traverse, the path glowed like a flame. Ken saw the safe passage home and looked upon the dim world, his curiosity sparked. "Hey... I Bryn, should we go take a look?"

The gummi ship flew towards the ring in her answer, Ken growled in protest. "Remember, if it is odd, we need to have a closer look and eventually report to someone of importance. We will never know what we miss if we just keep flying. Please? The last world wasn't all sunshine either."

The ship stopped and beeped, Ken nodded. "Exactly, I'll be fine. I'll be back if it is too much to handle, I learned my lesson from last time." The ship stilled in defeat and floated to the world. Ken felt the light shine and was engulfed. He found himself in a darkened ruins and was confused to where he was, he searched around for an exit and found a way out to a hill. The entire hill was covered in ashes and the hill itself overlooked a vast series of mountains. Ken was taken aback by the sight of the sun of the world, undergoing an eclipse and resembling an orange ring. He looked around and felt Cadia's Light in his hands, something was wrong. He looked behind himself to find a series of buildings built on top of each other, all in ruin. Everything, was in ruins. He heard the sound of fighting up the hill and climbed, wanting to know what the fighting was about.

At the top of the hill was a fogged shroud that blocked the gate, much to Ken's annoyance, he found a root that led to a ledge for him to climb over and tried just that. His jaw dropped to a sight of a field of ashes, scattered swords wedged into the ground and flowers. In the center was a knight in a cloak battling against a haunting figure, a large knight engulfed in cinder. The cinder knight held in his hand a metal coil for a fire that it was using as a sword. The cloaked knight held in his hand a claymore, he rolled out of the way a series of swings and a stab, taking his chance to attack with all he has. The cinder knight took the cuts and rolled back his coil sword sparked and formed into a staff, he raised the staff in the air and shot beams of light at the cloaked knight, who was struck to his back by the mighty blow. It changed it's staff to that of a pike, swung it at the cloaked knight and finished a combo with a pulse of power, sending the cloaked knight rolling in the ashes. The cloaked knight got up, saw the foe kneel to heal and took it as a chance to stab it in the chest with his claymore. The cinder knight was pushed back, he kneed and formed his pike into a curved sword as the ashen covered knight drank from an orange flash. The knight of cinder back flipped and went in for the kill, the cloaked knight rolled out of the way and struck a flurry of blows. The cinder knight tried to strike, the cloaked knight rolled back and to the right, Ken expected the cloaked knight to try and approach, yet he saw the cloaked knight avoiding the cinder knight at all costs and dodging chaotic fire balls that formed into lava. The cloaked knight dodged and struck again, the cinder knight fell on his knees and stood up, readying to stab the ground with his weapon.

The cloaked knight backed away and drank from an orange flask again as he watched the cinder knight ignite in flames. The coiled sword resembled a great sword of flame, Ken was speechless as he watched the cloaked knight avoid the mighty attacks, including a pattern of swings that were finished by a stab to the ground. He felt the heat from the pulse and wanted to look away, his heart felt suffering, like the cloaked knight wished to end the fight and how the cinder knight had nothing left to lose. The cloaked knight backed away and watched the cinder knight form a lightning bolt, sending it into the sky, the cloaked knight tried to dodge and was electrocuted, yelling out in pain as the cinder knight took advantage and slashed the cloaked knight towards a wall. The cloaked knight rolled back and watched the cinder knight charged a spear of lighting.

PEW!

He shot it at the cloaked knight, who rolled out of the way and to the foe. PEW! Another was tossed, the cloaked knight dodged again and with him close, struck again. The cinder knight backed away and gave the cloaked knight a chance to drink from his flask, Ken noticed a warm glow that healed the cloaked ones wounds. He wished to cheer, yet his heart told him to keep silent. The cinder knight tried again to unleash a flurry of swings, the cloaked knight dodged two and was caught in the blows, Ken heard another yelp of pain along with a yell of defiance. The cloaked knight got up and kept striking, avoiding the swings and striking when he can without care.

SLASH!

The cinder knight fell on his knees and gave a howl, he looked upon the eclipse sun in hopelessness and lowered his head in defeat. He collapsed in ashes as the cloaked knight cheered in exhausted victory. The coiled sword rested as a bonfire, the cloaked knight approached and focused on words written down. He took his flask and drank from it as Ken noticed the fogged door fading. He wanted to turn back, yet he went forward to see what was to happen, the cloaked knight placed his hand over the words and caused light to glow. A white haired maiden with a mask covering her eyes risen from the words. She approached the dimming fire and knelt before it, pulling it from the bonfire, it glowed with in her hands and she starred with in. The cloaked knight looked around to find darkness approaching, the knight looked terrified under his helmet, Ken could feel it. The whole world, the sun included, dimmed, the flame, along with the rest of the world, was dying. The boy nearly tripped over a sword and caused noise, the cloaked knight and the maiden turned towards the direction. Ken felt a gaze of shock and confusion, he was an outsider who had no knowledge of what was going on and had no reason to be involved. The cloaked knight readied his claymore and approached, battle ready. Ken aimed his blade and warned him. "B...Back away, I... I shouldn't be here!"

The knight heard and bitterly laughed. "You're right, you shouldn't! But where else do you have to go?"

The maiden silently sat and watched the flame grow dimmer as the knight yelled at the boy. "Fight like it is your last battle! Like it is going to be your last battle!"

The boy swallowed and fired, the knight rolled out of the way and towards him. He swung with his sword, Ken jumped back and fired, hitting the knight on the shoulder, he turned around to find a a world of darkness and red eyes glowing, like it was waiting for him to make that run. He squeaked. "Aaaaaaa."

He faced the knight that shrugged off the wound and drank from his flask. Ken focused on the flask and fired.

PEW!

The flask was shot off from the knight, who watched it dim in the ashes. He looked at the boy with a taunting joy. "Ha, ha, ha! You're smart with that cannon! Or is it a spear-" He shrugged. "Not like it matters now." He placed his sword away and let his hands glow in fire as he ran to the boy. "I will burn you off the face of the earth!"

He placed his hands together and slammed them into the ground as Ken tried to jump to the side. Ken saw the ground erupt in fire and lava, intense heat that knocked him onto the ashen ground, the knight switched back to his claymore and tried to strike at the ground. The boy rolled and fired at the knights chest, a beam shot through the armor and caused him to gasp in blood. He looked at him and saw a maiden crouching, her hands at her chest, his joy faded along with the rest of the darkened world and he spit the blood out. "I... never thought this feeling would... would mean something. Ha!"

Ken forced himself up and backed towards the dead bone fire. The fire itself was in cinders and the world was truly shrouded in darkness, Cadia's Light was the only light left. He faced the knight and asked. "Mean something... why...why are you attacking me? I only came because... because-" The knight roared out and rolled side to side to avoid any shots, he swung again, Ken parried and pushed him back, the roar of fury hacked, the knight grumbled. "Save me... save me your excuses! You came because you were curious, that's how you learn of the... the world." He shook his head and kept a lecture that nearly broke in breath. "That... that is the true reason you came, thinking every secret must be unearthed."

Ken had his weapon ready, he felt the sorrow in the knights words and lowered it. "...Yes... but you didn't answer... why did you attack me?"

The knight looked at the light of the weapon and back at the boy in defeat. "Because..." he shook his head and looked at the maiden. "Because I wanted to be selfish. Ha...ha. If you are some angel that came to help, you came way too late."

He gave his all in a thrust with his sword, Ken stepped to the side and lost his will to fight. "...The world just ended... did it?"

The knight swung sloppily, his sword landed on the ground, he fell on his knees and tried to keep a warriors courage. "It was ending anyways... that... that is why me and the Firekeeper over there planned this, help...help it end peacefully." He tried to get up, his gauntlet clenched in the ashes, like a flew of memories was flashing before his eyes, he couldn't take it anymore and was still. He lifted his head at the boy. "...And through this...I got scared, if...when... death comes for that last visit...would either of us be alone for that?"

Ken gasped and wanted to help the knight up. "You... tried to kill me knowing that I would defend myself? Come on, that's enough."

He lowered himself with his hand extended. "I can still get you to someone who can help you. We can talk it out. Come on." He looked back at the maiden who was glowing in an odd light, a light he was familiar with, he and the knight were a gaze. The maiden broke down into the light, that light was drawn to what was the bonfire, the knight felt a bolt of energy and dragged himself up, sprinting towards the light in the bonfire. "N...No, no, no, no, no!" He was gasping in a sob. "D..Don't leave me! Please!" He tripped and landed by the bonfire, he grasped the coil and looked for something, the boy followed, trying to find what to say and felt nothing coming out. The knight saw the coil envelope in the light and shift, forming into a hilt of something, he breathed slowly and grabbed onto the hilt. He felt a the light shining towards his chest, he was in a trance. He spoke to something not there. "M...My lady. What...what did you do?" Ken stepped closer and listened to the knights conversation, the knight took the words of a person not there... nay, a person talking to his heart. The knight stuttered and pleaded. "I...I'm so sorry. I... I just got scared, the fire is gone... if... we die again... that... could... be it." He looked behind himself to a boy that was there, a he felt relaxed at something and cried. "Mi... mi lady, if neither of us went at once... the other would just be alone. What does he have for us?" It looked like he was being comforted, he embraced something that wasn't visible. "I... don't want to. You... gave yourself to that heart... what else is left?" He listened, nodded and cried more. "Of... course." He readied to stand, pulled the coil and revealed its new form. It looked like a key that was warped by flame, covered in ashes and having nothing but a faint spark, dangling was a chain leading to a simple ring. The knight turned to the boy, nodded to the unknown whisper and went into a battle stance. "...Can he send the two of you to a better place? Does he even have the strength to do that?" He gazed upon the boy and held to the burned keyblade in a battle stance. "...I was going to find out anyways." He focused on him and spoke in a relaxed tone. "Boy... do you seek to save what is left of this world and lead it to better days? To let it see a better existence?"

Ken nodded and offered with his free hand raised. "Yes, now come on! I know a place that has a home for people that need one. I was going to go there before I came here."

The knight was taken aback by the offer and cried more, he laughed. "Ha, ha, ha, ha! Boy, you're not from here, you're heart is way to big to care like that." He stepped forward for battle. "Don't give this thing a reason to come back here, take it from me! Know that Benedict, died clinging onto the last thing of worth here!"

Ken's eyes watered as he readied for battle once more. "Benedict... that is your name?"

Benedict gasped and nodded. "It's one I gave to myself, please... remember it."

He yelled and leaped at the boy, who stepped aside and fired, Benedict swiped the blade and blocked the shot with a wall of ashes. Ken went close and swung with his blade, Benedict parried and pushed back. The boy thought to return the favor. "Benedict, before I take this from you, I want you know... my name is Kendry and... I wish I got to know you more."

He saw a smile under the helmet and felt gratitude. "Ha...ha... you are just trying to kill me with kindness! That old blade won't hold for long!" Ken pushed harder and gave it his all, nearly sending the knight tumbling, he trusted the sharp end of his keyblade into Benedict's chest. He heard a faint grunt and looked at the knight who was going limp, Ken whispered to him. "I called it Cadia's Light. It's a name I gave in respect."

Benedict dropped his blade into the ground and gave one more laugh. "Ha...ha... that weapon has a soul in it? You... gave it a soul?"

Ken nodded and patted Benedict in the back. "A lot of these things have one, I want it to feel like it is own and not just another keyblade."

Benedict choked at the kind heart ideal. "HACK! It would make it feel special." He looked at the dropped weapon and spoke of the name. "Fire Keepers...Wish. Go... grant it Kendry, light its...wo...wo...rld." He gasped out his lungs and let himself fall off the blade. Landing into the ashes. Ken's breath stilled, the knight has passed.

Ken looked at the keyblade in the ashes and picked it up, feeling a faint hint of warmth in the cold metal. The last spec of light with in the world. He was in a trance and stood still as a glow of light came. He found himself in his gummi ship, both keyblades in hand made it difficult to wield either or, he placed the Firekeepers wish on his side and asked his ship. "Bryn... take us to town." The ship was ready to do so and beeped for the boys attention. He looked out his window to see the world he left behind, fading into the dark. Nothing more remained save for memories of the worlds final throes. The boy felt the images come alive and crouched, crying. The ship silently took sail past the circled ring, to find something that would cheer its pilot up.

The sail was quick and silent, the colorful town ahead gave the boy some comfort. He grabbed the Firekeeper's Wish and Cadia's Light, the gun in his right hand and the burnt key in his left. "I...If I am to give Benedict that wish, I ought to learn how to use two of these. Bryn... log down that name... okay." The ship did as followed and blinked a light in a question the boy answered. "He was someone from that world." The ship understood and reached for the town. She flashed her lights to ask the boy if he was ready, he sighed and kept crying. "I... I am, I got to keep toughening it out."

Light shined around him and he found himself in the outskirts of the town. He approached struggling to keep both keys in balanced, finding Wanda finishing her round and yawning, she noticed him and gasped. "What in the... two of those?"

She approached to give the boy a lecture, Ken kept his tears calmed and tried to hold his gun like blade in balance, the woman squinted her eyes and realized the concept. "Either you have to use one at a time, or..." She stepped back, drew out a hand gun and a small sword. "Can you do that?"

Ken felt the sudden lecture and watched the woman aim her hand gun to the side of her hip, while drawing her blade towards her shoulder. He lifted Cadia's light to where it was buckled firmly in a straight direction, something he need to get use to, he spun the burnt key to where its blade was close to his body. He backed away lowered the burnt key and swiped it, causing a dust of ash to form. He aimed Cadia's Light in response and stopped, he felt a beat and bobbed his head. "Okay, okay. I can work it like this... just keep my distance." He greeted Wanda properly. "Sorry for the sloppy intro, I had a bad time coming here."

The General saw the distraught look on the boys eyes and thought to give him a hug. Ken felt the affection and a whisper. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Ken's keyblades faded away and he hugged back, he remembered a small detail and warned here. "There is some pirates or something out there in between the worlds. Don't get caught off guard if you go flying out somewhere. I nearly got killed."

Wanda gasped and let go to ask, her sympathetic face became a serious frown. "Was that the reason you cried not a long while ago?" Ken shook his head. "No, but I don't want someone getting attacked again. I... want to ask you about someone. What more do you know about Anatesis? I want to help her as she helped me."

Wanda placed her hand under her chin. "There isn't much besides we fought along side each other a few times. She was a Retributor Prime... a squad of stormcasts that would cave you in with their hammers. A front line warrior as you saw with your own eyes. But before you go wanting to do that, you may need to get stronger. Having another keyblade looks impressive, but maybe you need to learn how to battle with both at once. I wasn't going to attack ya... but next time you will meet someone who would."

Ken took the information in well. "I should... hey do you know anyone who knows a good place for me to practice on a more active target?"

Wanda pointed her thumb to the east. "At the top of the bell tower is a certain somebody who might be a bit interested in seeing that and he might know where you can do just that." She whispered to him with a ladies code. "Just be careful, he and his lady friend are having a moment and the sewers are off limits because of dangerous spiders."

Ken didn't mind and gave her a thumbs up. "I know not to butt in. Thanks for leading the way and warning me." Wanda smiled and wished the boy goodbye. Ken's moment of nostalgia made him nearly forget the turmoil of the other world as he found the bell tower, with two figures looking at the stars. It would be easy if he could jump high. He saw the tower a few blocks away and was ready to get going as he heard voices walking down that street, a blonde teenage girl in a one piece white dress with light blue eyes, enjoying a tender moment with a blue eyed teenage boy in a set of grey pants with white legs, a white vest with a red collar, a black undershirt and golden blonde spiky hair. The girl whispered to her boyfriend. "Even amidst the chaos, this town really is beautiful."

The boy agreed and looked back at the bell tower. "Yeah, even when they have to part for their own role in this, coming here was worth that."

Ken squinted his eyes at the sudden strangers, shook it off and thought not to be involved, he went to approach the road way as the spiky haired boy stopped to something and turned around to see the visitor. Ken sensed a tension and turned to meet, he greeted joyfully. "I'm trying not to get in the way of your date! But I agree with your friend about this place."

The spiky haired boy smelled something and his mood lessened. "Another one... picked by the keyblade." Pew!

To his sides were two keyblades, to his left was a mostly white keyblade with an angelic themed hilt and a tip of the blade that formed a blue star with yellow highlights, to his right was a black keyblade with a demonic themed hilt. Ken yelped and focused, to his left was the Fire Keepers Wish, lighting in a spec of ashes, to his right was Cadia's Light. He posed like he planned and stuttered. "I...I just got here and I don't mean any harm!"

The blonde girl nudged at the stoic spiky haired boy. "Roxas, let it go! He isn't lying."

She looked at the two blades and felt history between the two. "It's..." She giggled. "Actually pretty funny."

Roxas looked at the girl and gave a slight shrug. "That isn't why I want to fight him Namine. One of those two keyblades... no... both of them, felt like a heart was put into them."

Ken thought it was a compliment and smiled nervously. "But you never heard the names I gave them... or the name this one guy gave to the ashen one. I'm keeping that name out of respect. The Fire Keepers Wish." He showed the burnt key and focused on the keyblade resembling a rifle. "And this is Cadia's Light."

Roxas showed the light and dark keyblades respectfully. "Oathkeeper and Oblivion. One of yours was born from something... the other... came from death?" Ken saw Roxas wasn't going to back down, the spiky haired teenager from nowhere looked more eager to battle. "...Hmm... but does that make you any special?" He decided on something and charged in fast speeds, Ken yelped and side stepped from the step and slashed with the burnt keyblade, Roxas parried with Oblivion and struck with Oathkeeper, Ken tried to parry with Cadia's Light, blocking the blow. Roxas shoved and pushed Ken towards a wall. The blonde boy saw Roxas readying for another attack and swiped the burned keyblade, bringing a cloud of ash that blinded the foe. Ken stepped back and fired Cadia's Light.

PEW! PEW! PEW!

The beams pierced the cloud, he kept guard and waited, the cloud cleared and Ken gasped, Roxas blocked all the shots with both of his keyblades, the spiky haired boy hummed. "So that is your strategy? Are you any good with those things if someone tries this?" He skid in unnexpected speeds around the newcomer and made a dash from behind, Ken spun and parried with the burnt keyblade and Cadia's light together, the newcomer kicked back, pushed Roxas away and shot again. Roxas blocked the shot without much effort, jumped and floated in mid air. He spun his two keyblades and caused orbs of light to form, orbs of power shot out and pelted in a barrage. Ken squealed and ran side to side in an attempt to avoid them, seeing explosion of light where he went and nearly tripping, Roxas landed as the newcomer closed in and thrusted with Cadia's Light. The spiky haired boy dodged and backed away. "I see... your using two different styles?"

Ken was out of breath as Roxas charged, the novice spun his burned keyblade and used a cloud of ashes to mask himself. He jumped up with a trial of wind pushing up and was astonished, Namine guessed what happened as she saw a battle nearing its end. "An aero spell for... flying? Hmm-" Ken giggled and used the wind to fly back at a higher ground, he fired from the air and gave Roxas a reason to to jump out of the way, leaping from a building from left and right, Ken's joy cracked as he tried to fly out of the way. Roxas jumped at where the boy was flying and struck with both blades at the same time. Ken blocked and was met with continuous strikes, Roxas struck down with all his power and sent the boy falling to the ground. Roxas landed with a certain grace and let his keyblades vanished, the match was over.

Ken let his blades fade away and stuttered with his back against the ground. "Wha...What was all this about in the first place?"

Roxas folded his arms uncertain. "...I don't know, but... you are not even suppose to know we are here. Where... have you been?"

Namine looked at the scattered ashes and theorized her answer. "Somewhere that tested his heart. He... has said that is how he got both of those keyblades."

Ken looked upon the ashes and tried to forget. "Would... you two keep a secret?"

Roxas laughed a little and promised. "It would be safe with us."

Ken felt relieved and got up. "Cadia's Light came when I was doing something pretty brave even if it meant certain death. But Firekeeper's Wish, came when I was trying to run from some pirates that tried to kill me and wandered to a world I really, really shouldn't have. It was dying when I went in and it died when I came out... I met the only two people that were left. One was a Firekeeper that was focusing on a flame that was connected to that world, the other was a knight that loved her."

He nearly cried once more and stopped, Roxas and Namine gave him a gentle pat on the back, the girl understood the rest. "You saw to the end of that tale and through the Firekeeper's heart, that world gets to live on. There maybe more to the keyblade than that, but for now it's yours."

Roxas looked up the bell tower again and warned the newcomer. "But that doesn't sound like a happy ending. You are using both because of a promise you made and on paper, they would work... that spell is new for you and it can work with the style. But then this happened."

Ken agreed and shrugged. "Then I met someone with more experience with fighting with a keyblade... especially two of them. That ended badly."

Roxas agreed with that. "You will eventually meet someone who isn't doing it to check it out. Will you be ready then?"

Ken hoped so and went to the subject. "I will. I don't know what that... know you exist part is about or how it would be connected to... something I might tell you more about when I get to it. But if it means I get to meet people like you... I'm okay with this."

Roxas and Namine smiled to him with a mutual feeling, the girl advised him. "Some of the people you look up to might know."

She looked at the bell tower and gave more of the hint. "They know the most about us and could help chain this together."

Ken flinched. "And I know who is up there. Wow." He promised to the two. "I'll keep this to myself and if anyone asked, I went crazy."

Roxas hummed and looked to the south. "That could prove difficult. Thanks for making this walk interesting."

Namine nodded to the blonde boy. "This wouldn't be the last time we meet, I'm sure of it." Ken waved at the two. "I hope it isn't. Take care and enjoy your date." The two teenagers blushed at the blunt statement and parted ways into the unknown. Ken focused and spun with his aero spell, taking flight and jumping to the roof of the building. Reaching each one as he closes in to his destination.

At the bell tower.

Sora and Kairi looked to the stars unaware of the mayhem that occurred, it was like their focus was drowned out. The boy asked. "So depending on where your heart calls to would be your next stop? But... which Princess has lost that power?"

Kairi had no idea and felt many questions need to be answered. "It might depend on the shift in balance. Huff It feels like times ahead are going to get heavier."

Sora agreed and felt all the confusing details of the realms spinning in his head. "It... feels like these times never last." Something sparked in his heart and he looked to the bell, a hint of nostalgia connected and he felt he was in another plane, a large keyhole shined before him, he formed his keyblade and aimed to the hole.

PEW! The beam made contact and caused a shine, a pathway had opened, something calling towards another adventure. Kairi felt the feelings of discovery and asked. "A new pathway opened?"

Sora agreed and had a feeling in his gut. "It could lead us to those Space Marine guys and more. Hmm... when should we get going?"

Kairi sighed and looked at the clock tower to the west. "When that strikes an hour. It's half way there. But all that talk I hear about Aqua feels like that half an hour could make a diff-"

WOOSH!

Kairi yelped at a gust of wind that blew against her back, something landed and she felt questions were to be given. Sora was nearly taken aback by a familiar boy that looked to have an awkward feeling, he waved hello. "Riku told me about what you were doing. Where did you learn that?"

Ken blinked and realized the two didn't see anything. "I got into a fight that needed me to jump high and I... just learned a way to do it."

Two keyblades formed in his hands on a whim not his own, he cringed at one particular blade he would rather not show again, he laughed it off. "I found a way to make up for how dead I am when something is at my face and a way to make it easy to shoot!"

Sora saw the burnt keyblade and whistled. "You found a second keyblade? Cool!"

Ken felt blessed he didn't have to talk more about the blade's origins. "Now I need to find a place to mix all of this together."

Sora knew a particular area where that might be possible. "There is a world that does Colosseum matches that... might help. But those in the matches play for keeps."

Ken smiled widely. "Even better!"

Kairi thought the newcomer was acting overconfident and drew out her own keyblade. "You want to show that off as well? This seems way too fast for someone who just got that."

Ken jumped back and had a battle ready pose, one looking quite mobile, Kairi saw a point was made and relaxed. "Okay, I get what you are doing."

She made a quick dash and swiped, the blonde boy jumped back again and used the burnt keyblade to form a screen of ashes to block the girls view. Kairi jumped to the side and saw the boy aim his other blade, a demonstration was proven, so he refused to shoot. The girl felt teased, growled and gave off a glow, she flung with her keyblade on an instinct and caused a yellow star of energy shoot out of her blade and spin, Ken yelped and jumped to the side, dodging the star that burst into many and astonishing both him and Sora. The spiky haired boy asked. "Wh...How...How did you do that?"

Kairi realized her deed and looked at her keyblade, Sora felt dim witted and realized how. "What you were feeling with your heart became a power for you to use! That... was pretty big."

Ken listened and jumped towards them with his air magic. "The heart feeding power into the keyblade to make it do big things? I seen that myself! Its how Cadia's light can be the bane of evil spirits that might ignore its shots other wise."

Kairi snapped her fingers at the knowledge. "Wait... the heart giving power."

Sora pieced the knowledge together. "And since your heart is special... it would mean-" Ken asked the two. "Special how?"

Kairi gasped. "A Princess of Heart's heart is filled with nothing light, so things like that could hurt those of darkness more."

Ken tilted his head at a potential rival. "Or just do more to mess the poor dummy up. Those of Darkness... we are talking just Heartless?"

Sora felt an advantage against those creatures would be handy. "That is what they are made from."

Kairi agreed and knew the potential. "Creatures of Darkness... or those with evil in their hearts."

She spun her blade smugly as Ken put the rest together. "Or the undead... or... those things."

The duo know the boy was speaking of the daemons, Kairi was eager to try out such potential. "I ought to try that it out on the next person that messes with my friends."

She squinted her eyes at Ken. "I'm coming for you if I see you show off again."

The blonde boy expected the worse as Sora leaned on a wall to ask. "...But, how is any of that going to get better?"

Both rookies looked at the veteran, Kairi asked him. "Sora, how did you get better with the keyblade?" Ken agreed with her in question. "Any advise to give to us?"

Sora was cornered and he stuttered dumbly. "I...I... I don't know, I just... get stronger as I go."

Both rookies groaned in disappointment, if there was any hope of them getting stronger, it is going to have to be on the field. Kairi went back to watching the starry sky as Ken realized what he disrupted. "Eh...sorry about ruining the moment."

Kairi didn't mind. "You didn't really. But now... I'm at a loss."

Sora wished he had something to say in the matter. "We found out more. Are you going to be practicing that across town?"

Ken looked to the ground and shook his head. "There isn't a whole lot to fight and I heard going into the water way is a bad idea. I'll be getting out once I get some things off my mind." He smiled to Kairi with a promise. "When you want to battle, I'm in!"

The girl taunted him back. "I'll knock the wind out of you and make you see more stars than you want to count."

She blew a raspberry as the boy accepted a challenge and readied to jump, he stopped and asked. "Hey... I got a question before I go, do... you two see or hear anyone or anything that no others can? I'm interested in knowing."

The duo looked at each other strange and shook their heads no, Sora asked him. "Did... you... see that yourself?"

Ken blinked and answered. "I... might have. But it probably isn't too important right now. See ya."

He jumped off and used his wind magic to soften the fall, leaving the duo to think of the question and dismiss it, Kairi wondered once more. "But how did he get a second keyblade like that?"

Sora shrugged. "Must have been pretty special."


	8. The Bare Necessities

Under a storm cloud in the Realm of Heavens, Aqua felt Anatesis feeling jealousy towards Lorustro as the Drakesworn Templar focused on the mountain ahead. The thought of riding a dragon with scales like the night sky was a new experience for the Keyblade Master, Anatesis pouted at the Templar. "Thanks for taking us for the ride... show off."

Lorustro turned his head to Ana in a tone that was a mixture of pride and caution. "Anatesis, I am the one in few that know of this particular breed of Dracoth, those in the image of the night sky. For a dracoth in general to consider a Stormcast worthy of being their partner in battle... is an honor."

Lorustro was lost in thoughts and looked down upon his Stardrake. "There is no shame in asking for such a bond to be made. No shame in what you seek and to partake the Trials of Starwalking."

He sighed in disappointment. "Arreia considered my expertise far too rambunctious for the mission ahead, she considered me and Nightscale too bold for a mission that would finally, finally give us a reason to stand up to Nagash. If his evil was why you and the others were scattered though out the outer realms... you would be the one to witness justice finally being done. You had already ventured through a place beyond our understanding once."

Aqua looked at the distant mountain that was clear of storm clouds, yet was so tall that the summit seemed that it would reach the moon. "Ana, what he is trying to say is you are not someone to be lurking in his shadow. You are your own regardless of what is being done."

The jealous Stormcast pouted, her ambitions and lingering doubts rumbled with the thunder cloud. "Yeah... but who is going to lead those Retributors? They would be missing me."

Lorustro sighed and asked. "They might, even those two that got reforged way too many times. How are you going to make the next in line listen to you in regards to those needs? Are... you going to show off the Dracoth to spark interest? Or are you going to do more than... impersonate?"

Ana knew what he meant and smiled as Nightscale flew past the storm. "Maybe I ought to show through example. I'll think about that after the mission is done."

Aqua was amazed at the coming mountain and asked. "The dracoths are all at the summit?"

Lorustro nodded as Nightscale found a place to land by the base of the mountain. "They normally do, these mountains are more alive at the summit and there are many perils just for climbing. Some are thunderous and in a perpetual storm, others are constantly cloaked in ice... this one becomes weak in gravity and it can become VERY easy to just... drift off into space. If you panic during that peril... you might find yourself back in gravity's good graces... only to find yourself falling off the mountain. Getting there is its own challenge, the mighty Dracoth and especially the Stardrake are proud in nature as they should be and will provide another challenge."

Nightscale landed and lowered himself to let the three off. The base of the summit and the tales of the mountain gave Aqua the feeling that she was in a world most alien to her, the Stardrake curled up tail and all as he allowed Lorustro to rest next to him. He looked up the mountain and asked Anatesis. "Know your task. Return victorious Anatesis! You would earn the position of Templar by the end of the day!"

He placed his hand on her shoulder in a wish of luck, Ana looked at the five story wall that lead to the pathway up and cringed. "I shall Loru, make sure Aqua doesn't get bored." She approached the wall, gripped onto graspable ledge and climbed. Slowly reaching towards the first step as Lorustro looked away in fear of antagonizing his comrade in arms. In a few moments, Ana reached the top and felt the flat ground in relief, her knees shaking from the height. She stood up and looked down at the large drake and the small specks. She knew her journey began and she turned to the pathway leading to a small patch of stable ground, it would circle around the mountain for miles.

Down at the mountain, Aqua lost sight of the Stormcast and turned towards the Drakesworn Templar leaning on his drake. "I would have never known a place like this would even exist."

Lorustro placed his hammer down and folded his arms to ask. "The same might have been said for any of the realms you traveled. I'm not the best in tours and we are on strict times to just let a stranger like you walk off in this realm."

Aqua imagined a castle with a talking mirror and shook her head. "You talk about the Realms... Azyr, Ghur, Shyish, Ulgu. What... are they?"

Lorustro was glad Aqua asked. "They are the eight realm. Vast worlds bound to the winds of magic. Heavens, Beasts, Death, Shadows. There are four more that you ought to know. Aqshy, the realm of Fire. Ghyran, the realm of Life. Hysh, the realm of light and Chamon, the realm of Metal. The realms are in a constant strife, yet they always hold on." He asked interested. "Since you are not from any of them, I assume when you spoke to Ana about worlds, you are meaning habitable worlds that make up your realm. That talk about Kingdom Hearts tells me that it is the center of that realm. What you know of it?"

Aqua answered, figuring that the stranger might put some pieces together. "It is the heart of all worlds... the source of light that remained dormant. The only way to enter the place is through the key."

Lorustro pointed to Aqua's right arm. "The Keyblade?"

Aqua let her keyblade form and continue. "No, the original key all others were made after. The χ-blade. A long time ago, a war broke out because of that blade and the desire for the light of Kingdom Hearts... that caused the χ-blade to break, for Kingdom Hearts to seal itself away and for the worlds to scatter. The components of the χ-blade is of twenty pieces, seven fragments of light and thirteen fragments of darkness."

The Templar was drawn in by the story. "What became of those pieces?" Aqua finished with an answer. "The seven lights became hearts of pure light, the princess of heart... the thirteen darkness however... no one ever knows. But it could be hearts like that."

Lorustro sighed and guessed. "Thirteen hearts that have been blackened the most out of any of them? Sounds like a lot of trouble ended up coming because of that... or someone tried to retrace the tale to get that key."

Aqua agreed wholly. "Over a decade ago, an evil man tried to complete the χ-blade through other means and dragged a dear friend of mine into that scheme. Ventus is in a coma because of that man."

She looked depressed, the Templar wished to stop and asked her. "And that is why you want to return to your realm? To bring that vile man to justice for what he did?"

Aqua's depression became worse. "It's...not that easy. That man... took the life of another friend... he took his body and his will... Terra is still in there... and I need to save him... I... don't" She tried to hold it in. "I...don't..." Lorustro invited the woman to sit next to his drake as he finished for her. "You don't even know where to start because the other solution to that problem is not an option for you. It can't be one."

He stood aside to the underside of his drakes wing, Aqua felt her heart heavy and took the offer, feeling the wing be a comforting shade as the dragon growled in a similar tone. Aqua felt herself unbound, free from a realm that would have taken advantage of the weight, she cried. Lorustro felt it was expected and looked above the mountain in jealousy. "That's why Arrisa assigned Ana as she did, you need to travel back to your realm to set that right and what ever is in Shyish, is the key you need to get back."

He nearly laughed, Aqua ceased her crying at the pun. "Ha, ha!" She rolled on her back and rested her head on the dragons hand, looking at the stars. "...Is there anything else up that mountain?" Lorustro looked above and had disappointing news for her. "There is... but only a Stormcast who bested the trials up that mountain can really see it. If... when, Ana sees it, she would have many reasons not to tell... Sigmar would have to reforge a lot Stormcasts if they knew and none of us want that."

Aqua heard the term a couple times. "Reforge?" Lorustro sighed. "Yes, when a Stormcast dies in battle, Sigmar uses his power to reforge them back to life. But that always comes at a cost, that Stormcast loses a bit of his or her self... if they get reforged a second time... they lose even more to where they won't be... them anymore. No one ever speaks about what happens on anymore."

That was much for Aqua to consider. "Is there a flaw in his reforging to... cause that?"

Loru shrugged. "There has to be." He grimly joked in regards to the mountain. "Better the others don't fall into temptation and risk losing themselves over it. I only ever speak of the mountain, never the location."

The woman agreed and closed her eyes, feeling the twinkling light of the stars. "This is her trial anyways. Do you want to tell me how you and Nightscale became this close?"

Loru thought it wouldn't hurt. "I will only speak of that moment, not what we saw after. Aqua, a Stardrake is a celestial being and is said to be what a Dracoth could become. They only appear during a special summons and are as old as the stars." He petted the head of Nightscale. "I came to this mountain for a trial much like this one, with hope of meeting such a creature myself after hearing the tales."

At Traverse.

Sora, Kairi, Goofy and Donald took Wanda's warning to heart. The teenage girl asked. "Why would pirates attack like that?"

Wanda shrugged. "I don't know and that boy doesn't look or act like the type that would try to provoke others. If you see something trying to mask itself in the dark, fight or flight."

They felt it was sound advise, Sora wondered about the mystery. "Maybe they know something we don't. We will see what their deal is. Thanks for watching over the town."

The general appreciated it and gave her parting. "If you want to come back again, you know where to find this place. Good luck and may Sigmar's Storm light your way."

The group parted with the general and reached the outskirts, Kairi let Sora and his group know. "If I find something, you know that the gummi phone exists now. Sora understood as he was ready to go with Donald and Goofy. "I'll... try to figure out how it works."

PEW!

The trio were in the gummi ship, Donald saw the pathway and wanted Sora to focus. "She will be fine, we got to search the worlds for anymore that... don't fit."

Goofy agreed. "And look in between the worlds as well."

Sora saw a faint pink ship sail off to the north west and flew through the pathway. Hints of floral fauna greeted them along with heartless bats that tried to pounce, only to be shot down. Their path leads to an odd world looking like a jungle with a stone temple. Sora was ready to enter as Donald sensed something and readied his staff. "This world feels a bit different. You remember the World Order?"

The teenager stopped and answered. "Another one that we need to blend in?"

Goofy looked at the jungle and had memories of another. "The people in this one would think we look funny, but I don't think that is whats wrong."

Donald agreed as the light shined. "Be ready for this one."

PEW!

Rustle!

Sora was nearly blinded and looked around to find himself smaller than expected, standing near a root leading to a water was a pink headed duck with tips of light blue feathers, resembling much more of a duck. The blue hat gave away who he was and Sora nearly laughed, to his right was a rhinoceros with yellow skin, a green underbelly and a familiar muzzle, the green hat showed the boy what was and caused him to giggle. "Ho, ha! This is the world order?"

He noticed his own voice and noticed a tail that is his own, he looked upon himself to find himself with mostly black fur with a grey underbelly, his form was of a small monkey. He crawled and jumped to a nearby river to find the rest of his body, blue eyes and the fur leading to his head resembled brown spiky hair, blending in with his form. He formed a keyblade in his right hand and hopped around, practicing a mobile combat skill to suit his form. "Ha, look at us guys! We are all animals!"

Donald waddled to the pound, backed away from the pink head and quacked furiously. "Wrarrarack!"

Goofy looked into it and didn't mind. "Remember, we got to fit in!"

Sora agreed and felt something was watching him and his friends. He heard a click and jumped to the side on an instinct.

BLAM! The sound of a gun was shot, a bolt of darkness whistled through a bush. Sora turned as Donald flapped his wings for battle and Goofy was ready to charge, a half a dozen group of Heartless, resembling hunters with overly large guns appeared. Along with two green floating heartless that resembled fruit and a red floating heartless that resembled a red flower. Goofy was the first to charge into the mass of dark hunters, giving Sora and Donald time to deal with the floating magical heartless. With the monkey jumping and slashing as the pink head duck shot ice spells at the fire spewing flower. The mass of hunters stumbled and tumbled from the rhinoceros, the mages were knocked across to a tree, ruptured in black mist and released hearts. The party of three quickly dispatched the rest in casual fashion and concluded that the jungle had an issue of heartless to deal with. They heard a faint sound of an elephant and walked up the river to explore. Sora felt the heartless were strange even from the norm and asked. "Why are the heartless here... looking like that?"

Goofy lead the way on all four of his legs and answered simply. "They always reflect the worlds they are invading. You are asking why they looked like hunters instead of animals?"

Sora nodded as Donald wondered that as well. "There is something about the world order... maybe the heartless are here for something?"

That mystery needed to be investigated, they heard a question from a young child. "Bagheera, where are we going?!"

A lecturing voice answered. "You're going back to the man village right now!"

The child's voice protested. "I'm not going!"

The voice of authority responded in argument. "OH YES YOU ARE!"

The child's voice argued back. "I'm staying right here!"

The voice of authority decided on something. "You're going if I have to drag you every step of the way!"

The trio heard bickering and force, they approached the noise and heard splashing, the voice of authority returned, furious. "Oh that does it! I had it man cub!"

Splash! "From now on you're on your own! Alone!"

They heard the child's voice grumble and fade in the rustling. "Don't worry about me!"

The trio approached the aftermath of the scene, a bent tree and a bridge of a root lead toward a path way of rocks that had trials of water. Sora asked his friends. "What... was that about?"

Donald sighed and reminded Sora. "Remember, we are not to interfere with the events of the worlds."

Goofy agreed and followed the trial of water. "But funny enough there is a place in this world that might have what we are looking for. Is it even a good idea to find this... man village?"

Sora imagined the hunter like heartless and shook his head. "Not like this! Come on, lets find out what is happening before more trouble shows up."

The three followed the water and found something walking to a tree, a black panther. Sora jumped and leaped to catch up, seeing the panther look back with yellow eyes, not in a pleasant mood. "More nonsense."

Sora felt the feelings of resentment and asked. "Hey, we only heard commotion and found you. What happened?"

The panther growled and continued walking away. "Just a stubborn man cub that refused to grow up."

Donald flapped towards the conversation as Goofy found himself too heavy. "Man cub?"

The panther sighed and saw young animals. "A young human. I was to take him to a man village where he would be safe and grow up, the jungle isn't safe for him anymore. But if he thinks he belongs in the jungle... foolish man cub."

Donald listened and asked. "You are suppose to watch over him? Isn't it getting dangerous in the jungle?"

The panther looked back and reached to a branch of a tree. "I wish Mowgli would understand that."

Sora blinked and asked. "I don't think letting him off on his own is a good idea, even if he isn't letting you help him. Maybe we can... help?"

The Panther didn't see what the group would provide and tried to ask them to leave him be. "ROAAAAAAR!"

The sound of a mighty beast echoed through the forest, the Panther gasped, listened and was ready to run towards it. "He's in trouble! I shouldn't have left him alone!" Sora and Donald followed, with Goofy stumbling behind, reaching towards where the panther was observing and panting, he complained at what he saw. "Oh no! It's Baloo! That shiftless jungle bum!"

Sora and Donald followed and watched from above a piece of tree branch, founding a sloth bear playing a fist fight with a small, tan, black haired boy in a short orange, wear around his waist. The sloth bear was teaching the child something. "Weave em out now! Weave em out now look for an opening!"

The child readied his fists and tried to throw a punch that the bear dodged and continued to speak. "Keep moving! Keep-" The child nearly landed a hit and the bear laughed. "Ha, ha!" He simply tapped at the boy. "He's a dandy!"

The group watched the boy get sent rolling to a fallen tree. Thud! The panther sighed and chuckled. "Ha! Fine teacher you are ol iron paws!"

Baloo looked up at the panther like he was an old friend. "Oh, thanks Bagheera!"

The panther asked slyly. "Oh tell me um," his eyes shifted to the dazed child. "after you knocked you're pupils senses eh, how you expect to remember the lesson."

Baloo thought of it and looked at the child getting up, the teacher was lost. "Well I," he scratched under his chin. "I uh, didn't mean to uh... lay it on him so hard!"

The child got up unaware and nearly limping. "I'm not hurt! I'm alright!"

He acted like he was stronger than he was. "I'm a lot tougher than some people think." Baloo cheered the boy on. "You better believe it!"

Sora watched the bear and child have a spare once more, the child managed to upper cut the bear, insignificant it was. Baloo playfully pretended that the upper cut mattered, stumbled and fell on his stomach. The child got on the bears back, caused Baloo to giggle and tickled him silly. "Ha, ha! Help Bag..heera!"

Bagheera noticed Sora and his friends wished to join in and whispered. "Oh don't, its just what he needs, more confidence."

The playing eventually stopped and Baloo took more interest in the child. "Hey, you know something, you're alright kid! Now, what do you call you?"

Bagheera answered assertively. "Mowgli and he is going back to the man village right now!"

Baloo scowled at the idea. "Man village? They'll ruin him! They'll make a man out of him."

Mowgli looked up at the bear in a similar thought. "Baloo, I want to stay here with you."

Baloo agreed and patted the child on the head. "Certainly you do."

Bagheera asked Baloo in a condescending tone. "Oh? And just how do you think he will survive?"

Baloo repeated the question in a mocking tone. "What do you mean how will I thin ya- He's with me ain't he? And I'll learn him all I know."

Bagheera sighed. "Well that shouldn't take too long."

Goofy and Donald felt the burn as Baloo knew what the panther meant. He looked down at Mowgli and crouched. "Now it's like this little britches, all you got to do is." He clapped and readied a tune. "Look for the bare necessities, the simple bare necessities-" The onlookers realized the bear was singing as he continued. "forget about those worries and your strife!"

The bear and child danced as Sora and Donald returned to Goofy to discuss, Bagheera looked at the three and guessed the thought. "Good luck trying to tell them that this is silly."

The two didn't wish to say anything and grouped up with their heavy friend to discuss, listening to the singing. Sora asked the two. "We need to know why the jungle was getting so dangerous, Mowgli doesn't want to go to the... man village."

Donald agreed and looked at Bagheera, who was getting annoyed by something. "He knows, but he is pretty grumpy after all this." Goofy nodded and expected worse to come. "And all the Heartless, chaos and other baddies out here. The jungle is no place for him."

They saw Bagheera shouting something in paternal peril. "Mowgli look out! THUMP!"

Sora jumped to see what happened, a rock was moved and Mowgli was trying to eat an ant, the monkey had more doubts as Bagheera looked at him and silently asked him what he thought happened. Sora cringed, nodded to the panther and jumped back to tell his friends. "And I don't think Baloo is the most careful guy. We need to do something... or see what happens."

Bagheera let the three know. "You'll find out, eh... what are your names?"

The trio introduced themselves and the panther felt trusting of them. "Sora, Donald and Goofy. I'll get around to tell you why the man cub needs to go to the village shortly."

Donald hoped so. "Please do."

Bagheera heard something and paid close attention as the trio walked away, keeping with in contact distance of the only wise animal in the jungle. There wasn't too much occurring, save for rustling in the north western bush. Followed by the sound of something attacking someone, Sora readied his blade and looked around to see a heartless resembling a venus fly trap with a bloated stomach falling towards them, limp and having its stomach slit open, something stomped out of the bush to have a closer inspection. A hulking man in silver armor that had white pauldrons and a white helmet. They saw a symbol on the pauldron to their right, a blue serpent, the man looked upon the heartless that the monkey tapped on with his weapon, causing it to fade in black mist, the trio looked upon the Space Marine's weaponry, a simple knife the size of a sword, a back pack with several medical tools and small canisters of herbs. Several medical remedies. The Space Marine noticed and went to search the tree he was investigating. Sora sneaked behind and left his friends to wait, silently watching the marine search for a particular moss. "This would be used as a demonstration for the elder."

He plucked a small sample off and placed it in a canister, marveling at his craft. "A jungle world much more prosperous than I thought... such remedies that I had no seen so... personally in centuries pass. Emperor, bask your light upon this world." He went into a prayer and noticed the odd monkey with the sword, staring at him. The Marine continued on his self appointed mission. "Emperor, see that my battle brothers are uninjured as I tend to you're people. May my task be ever after." Sora stilled and crawled into the brush, letting the marine journey deeper into the jungle.

The monkey waited and reunited with his friends to ask. "That is one of the marines Hofneil mentioned. Pyriel... right?"

Goofy nodded and felt someone jumping off, cautious of the various life with in the jungle, Jiminy nodded. "That is the name of their... Apothecary... is he... staying at that man village?"

Donald cringed. "He would disrupt everything about the world if he is!"

Goofy flopped his ears and corrected his friend. "Unless... he knew of that because of his tech... why would he be out in the jungle?"

Sora crouched and flicked his tail uncertain. "Because he knows how to make medicine from the plants, that is how he is going to teach the man village about how to make medicine... with out scaring them away. He is following the world order in his own way. We need to find a the man village and talk to him." He chuckled. "At least... while we can stop looking like this." Donald agreed and saw someone coming. "We barely got it through to Hofneil, let's not push it again."

Bagheera arrived and wanted to walk away from what he considered foolishness. He saw the three and instructed them. "We are to make sure they think we are gone and listen. With luck for them, it will hold out."

He lead to a pathway as Goofy followed, with Donald and Sora following him. The rhinoceros asked. "Hey Bagheera, do you want to tell us what is so dangerous in the jungle?"

Bagheera sighed and took out the obvious. "If you mean why he has to go to the man village, a powerful tiger has returned to this part of the jungle. Shere Khan."

Sora asked by the name. "Sher Khan? What does he have to do with Mowgli?"

Bagheera knew the three didn't know and answered. "You must be young or without any elders of your own to not know. Sher Khan hates man." He lead further away. "For their gun and their fire. If he knows where Mowgli is, he would kill the boy and all who try to protect him. Even a wolf pack would be no match for the tiger." He sighed. "I wandered through these parts of the jungle myself and know of the man village. I saw Mowgli would have a pack to care for him when he was young, so that is why I agreed to take him there."

Goofy sighed in sympathy. "And because he had to leave all that behind, he done nothing but fight with ya?"

Bagheera looked at Goofy and felt similar kin. "It's difficult and he has to learn to let go, he will eventually learn."

Goofy nodded to that. "You just got to learn to be more patient, he'll get it."

The panther guessed from the advise. "You are a father your self?"

Sora's eyes widened as the rhinoceros answered. "Max is growing up and I haven't visited him in a while."

Bagheera sighed and advised back. "If it is because of your travels, then sooner or later he will have to move on to a new herd. It is what it is."

Donald flapped on Goofy's back and felt just as crestfallen. With in the path east, a familiar yell was heard. "Bagheera!"

The panther turned to the noise and smugly took action. "Well, it's happened! Took a little longer than I thought, but it's happened."

The four ran to a cliff edge, where the voice was coming from, Bagheera looked down and met a panicking Baloo that yelled. "BAGHEERAAAAAA!"

The Panther roared, backed away and felt the wringing. Baloo noticed the four and asked. "So you heard me huh?" Bagheera looked around calling for Mowgli's name as Sora looked around and asked. "What happened? Where's Mowgli?"

Baloo answered with a story slightly exaggerated. "They ambushed me, thousands of them!" He climbed up to the ledge, stood and readied his fists. "I jabbed with my left, then I swung with my right and then I-"

Bagheera interrupted with his patience thin. "Oh for the last time, what happened to Mowgli?"

Baloo answered more strait forward in familiar distress. "Like I told you, them mangy monkeys carried him off!" Bagheera looked to the distance on knowing of the monkeys. "The ancient ruins?"

He cringed. "Oh I hate to imagine what will happen when he meets that king of theirs?"

Sora gasped and asked. "A king? Who were they with?" Bagheera sighed as he was ready for travel. "Louie, a scoundrel of an orangutan who considered himself the king of the jungle! Come on, we got to rescue Mowgli." The four agreed and followed, who knows what kind of chaos is to happen in the jungle.

At Olympus Colosseum.

Ken looked behind himself and towards a grand gate leading to the arena, a place for him to practice his skills. He found a concerned Riku looking towards the north and approached calmly, gaining the teenagers attention as he looked confused. "Kairi texted me that you were coming. You said pirates tried to attack you?"

Ken nodded, the silver haired teenager sensed something, approached the inexperienced and had him hid behind a statue, Ken wanted to know what was happening as Riku signaled him to keep quiet. Stepping out of the door way to the Colosseum was a strange figure in black robes that had white highlights, the helmet looked to be a mostly white save for the facial visor. Ken recognized the pattern and his heart felt rage, Riku confirmed his suspicion and whispered. "Quiet and keep yourself calm. She sensed me before I even saw her."

The boy kept a glare at the figure that walked away unaware, when the figure was gone, Riku let him go and whispered. "I did NOT like how she was talking to the people here. She expected these people to know... something on their own. I heard more odd things showed up in the shores nearby. Come on."

He lead Ken to the arena, where a satyr argued with an large armored figure that had green skin, by the green skin's side was a large hydra like monster that had many scars regenerating. The Satyr refused the offer. "Oh no! We got a strict anti hydra policy after that rampage a couple weeks back! I don't care if it is a Kharibdyss, it looked like a hydra to me!"

The green skin stomped the ground and roared as one of the heads turned around, revealing to Ken and Riku something more like of a worm, it hissed and caused the other four heads to focus. The central head, largest of the five had a jaw hard to describe, yet it had lots of teeth. Both teenagers stopped in terror as the Orruk argued with the Satyr. "Come on Phil! The Aelves use these all the zogging time in theres! They give the biggest fights yet."

Phil listened and argued back. "And I heard you're... Bonesplittah friends were just going to eat that. I'm not letting you sell this just to let more of you brutes in."

A voice from behind asked. "They are finally back? The crowd had been missing the Orruks."

Phil turned around to see a certain Olympian looking up at the dazed kharibdyss and answered. "Uh huh and look what they brought in Herc We are not having this happen again."

Herc didn't mind and asked Phil. "We know I was busy when that Hydra attacked. I won't let that happen again."

The Satyr gasped and dismissed the notion. "Ah fine!"

He asked the Orruk. "You can put him in a pen along with the other big monsters we got. But we are only going to let a few of ya's in. Them Bonesplittahz got some hunting skills."

The Orruk held to a chain and smiled viciously. "This is going to get gud! Come on Kharib it is this or da dinner plate!"

The kharibdyss felt the yank, growled and followed the Orruk as Herc noticed Riku and a newcomer. "This tournament is looking to be longer than the last one. Riku, you're ready?"

The silver haired boy shrugged and wondered. "Sora really makes a name here? Just about, I sneaked this one here because he wanted to practice."

He looked at Ken and asked. "Care to show it?"

Ken nodded and let his keyblades formed, Cadia's Light gave off a glow as the Firekeeper's Wish sprinkled ashes. Both were impressed as Herc shook off a thought, Ken raised an eyebrow as Riku spoke to him. "A black heart wielding a false light and a key to ashes would lead the hearts of many into the abyss. That was what that creep came to." He quoted in sarcasm. "Warn us about."

He looked at the ashen keyblade suspiciously and asked. "But do you want to tell me where you got that? It reeks."

smelled the ashen blade and smelled ashes. Herc's shrugged off a memory as Phil had his hands at his hips. "Bah, just a wannabe sister freaking us out" He asked Ken. "You itching to sign up?"

The boy nodded. "Yes please! This is the place I need to learn to get better at. That greenskin looks tough."

Riku smiled at that. "And he is also contending to this. Follow me when you signed up."

Ken expected it had something to do with the ashen keyblade and followed the Satyr for quick sign up. "Kendry... this should be fun." Phil marked another name and let Ken follow the silver haired teenager to a waiting room.

Riku took a deep breath and asked with a harsher tone. "I didn't mean you're keyblade smelled bad. I meant it reeked of darkness! Where did you get that?"

Ken swallowed and answered sheepishly. "A world that was dying and after a knight attacked me thinking I would be his easy way out."

Riku gasped and asked. "Please tell me you meant a way off the world?"

Ken shook his head and felt his legs shaking. "No! Can we stop?"

Riku wasn't letting the boy off. "And you had to fight him to the death." He sighed and looked at the ashen blade. "You are lucky I don't sense anything vile lurking in it. Just darkness and ashes. Do you want to tell me more about it?"

Ken sighed and explained the events tying to a bonfire Benedict and the Firekeeper were tied to, how the bonfire became the keyblade in his hand. Riku raised an eyebrow at the details. "That bonfire was important to the world and you ended up having to pick it up? Alright... alright." He warned Ken. "You shouldn't have went into that world in the first place. Dark things like this would just lure you to more trouble." He sat on a bench to wait out the half hour. "You... also made the mistake of coming here knowing that I'm here."

Ken considered that a taunt. "Well let's see if I can wipe that smile off your face. Unless you got spoiled on my... trick."

Riku pointed at him with a wider smile. "Kairi didn't tell me... but I could be lying."

The blonde groaned. "Very funny. Hey, I want to ask since she and Sora didn't have the answer. Do... you see and hear things that are not exactly... there to anyone else. Those things being able to fight you and all that?"

Riku raised an eyebrow and asked. "A Nobody? It's rare that they do unless-" He shrugged it off. "I might know what you are talking about. But we need more information on that. Keep the thought."

Ken sighed and sat on a bench on the other side. "Fine, do you know who or what that robbed guy was... or what he was doing?"

Riku was more confused. "He is a she and She was talking down on everyone. If she was talking about you, I don't believe it... black heart." He warned him. "She might have goons here when we are done, you are not going off alone again. You got off lucky once and she would attack you again." Ken felt his skin crawling. "I was going to go home after this. Thanks for the warning." Riku appreciated it and focused on his gummi phone, sending a text to let friends of his know something.

In a mountain reaching up to the moon.

Anatesis was before a wide gap leading between her and a pathway to a field that lead to a summit that was far from her sight. From narrow ledges that had her at gravity's grip, to pathways that were upside down and had to be climbed like handle bars, she was understanding what the grand secret of the mountain was. "He calls it the Summit of the Stars."

She looked down at the crevice, seeing no floor and several yards of mountain, she knew it was a long way down should she fall. She looked around to find no other path, the flora on the other side looked like it had moon lilies glow under the starry sky. She puffed her cheeks and practiced a jump, something doesn't make any logical sense to her. "How was Loru able to get across?! This is too wide for any ordinary jump!"

She imagined a voice taunting down at her, bringing her to more anger, a familiar man's voice was imaged. "Oh, you couldn't figure it out so you turned back? What a shame, once again you have you chance right there and you didn't take it. Guess we will have to go back to Arreia and tell her you are still a Retributor."

Ana yelled to the crevice bellow. "DAMN IT LORU, GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" She looked ahead with determination. "I will figure this out or die trying!" To make her situation more taunting, a creature was seen in the distance, pursuing a deer that looked to be made of moon light. It looked like a bull sized, wingless dragons, with scales as black as the sky, its horns and spikes were white like the stars. It was with a pack of three that were hunting. They chased the deer to a distance the Stormcast was unable to see. Anatesis looked around to think of what the trick to making across was, she found a stone, grabbed it and threw it at the crevice, it simply fell into the chasm bellow. No invisible bridge, the Stormcast raised an eyebrow and went to another rock.

She threw it across and gasped, it flew much higher and wider than expected, it missed its mark and fell into the chasm, she discovered the puzzle. "Summit of the Stars, more like Gravity' Bane! All I got to do is jump... easy."

She looked ahead and felt the weight of her armor to be more in her calculations, that simple rock was much lighter compared to her. She shifted her eyes away in doubt, a jump is both the solution and an action of great risks. "Bet a fall would lead me all the way to that wall again. Loru would never let it do-" She heard distant growls and looked ahead, something clouded in the starry distance. The growls became protective roars, something was happening. Ana gasped, backed away and charged the gap, she bent her knees at the last moment and jumped. The weakened gravity and the strength lifted her across the gap.

THUMP!

She landed at the edge across the other side, realizing what she did and disregarding it as she heard fighting. She ran to the field to find three dracoths going against an odd creature, it's skin was all purple and scaly, it wore silver armor that had dark red highlights. It had the spine and talons of a dragon, it stood in an upward position, like that of a man. It aimed its left claw and let loose streams of darkness that resembled chains. The most right of the dracoths barked to the other two and jumped to the right to dodge, the left most dracoth charged at the monster in a fit of brazen anger as the middle one roared to the brazen one to warn him. The two that didn't dodge were snared in chains, the freed dracoth gasped at its kin and calmly glared at the monster that turned towards it and drew out a darkened axe, the front of the creature was as Ana expected, it resembled that of a dragon. It had red eyes and a maw of jagged teeth, its chest looked to have an odd pattern resembling two scythes with their blades together. The draconic monster swiped the axe horizontally and let loose a wave of energy, the dracoth jumped above and clawed at the monster that back handed it.

It closed in for the kill and swiped. BOOM!

A hammer parried and sent the Dragon Hunter skidding back, the dracoth looked to her side to find a Stormcast eternal landing from a sprinted charge. It looked confused and growled at her, the Stormcast looked at the chained dracoths and agreed. "We need to get your kin out first!"

The dracoth sprinted to try and pull the chains with her teeth, feeling a shock of dark power through its mouth. It let go and realized where the source of the power was from, Ana watched and focused on the Dragon Warrior recuperating and seeing the intruder. It glared back at the Stormcast and the dracoth and let loose a piercing. "ROAAAAR!"

The duo braced the force and knew a battle was to begin. Ana whispered to the dracoth. "I'll take this thing head on, you hit it from behind and let it have it!"

The dracoth's maw glowed as it waited, Ana dashed at the Dragon Warrior that readied a similar spell, the Stormcast jumped to the right to dodge and finished her charge, her hammer sparkled in lightling as she swung.

POW!

The Dragon Hunter jumped back from a blow like that of a lighting strike. Ana earned its attention, the Dragon Hunter leaped back with its axe ready and swung, knocking the Stormcast back and for her to try again. Hitting the Dragon Hunter's legs and causing it to fall over in a kneel, Ana struck it upward and watch it try to recover, it met a warriors scowl that was focused on one thing. "Get out of these lands!"

She readied a swing as the Dragon Hunter's eyes glowed, chains shot out and snared the Stormcast in a bind, Ana pulled and was exposed as the Dragon Hunter got up to attempt an attack. WOOOSH!

A mighty blast of a stormy cloud blew at the Dragon Hunter's back, the monster wailed in pain and felt something much sharper piercing his back, claws and fangs, the dracoth stuck with intolerable damage, Ana saw the Dragon Hunter exposed and jumped at it with a trust from her hammer. POW! The Dragon Hunter coughed out a wad of dark energy that splatted to the ground, it slowly fell apart in bleeding shadows, the shadows coiled out of the body and faded as the body itself faded.

Ana looked at the scene in confusion as the Dracoth landed and watched the chains fade from its kin. It roared to the one that charge in a lecture and caused it to step back in line, the dracoth that fought a mighty battle went to the dracoth slowly getting itself up and nudged with a growl of concern. The dracoth that seemed most timid hissed back an answer and looked at the Stormcast with its own question. The more brash dracoth agreed with his kin and squinted its eyes, he growled a question to Ana who nodded with a request. "Ai, I came to this mountain because of you!"

She lowered herself and let herself be at the dracoths judgement. "I seek one of you to be my companion for the battles ahead. To fight the enemies of order and goodness." She looked dry in the mouth and nervous, a long dream of hers was in reach, the brash dracoth snorted a cool breeze of clouds from his nostrils in consideration as the timid dracoth barked in a whine, it was clear these two dracoths knew each other. The calm dracoth saw arguing and stepped in between, hissing at the brash one and lecturing the timid one that was realizing what was happening.

The calm dracoth focused on Ana and roared at her, telling her to stand up. The Stormcast's eyes widened and she did as told, she asked. "I... thought to do that since I know I'm asking much. Guess you don't like people kissing up?"

The dracoth trio shook their heads in unison, the calm dracoth looked to be giving a faint smile, Anatesis smiled back fiercely. "Alright."

She pointed at the calm dracoth. "You are a mighty one, but I can tell you are the alpha of the pack! Would the others miss you if you come with me?"

The alpha nearly flinched as the timid dracoth roared in a request, the alpha tried to comfort the timid dracoth as the brash dracoth approached to take the duty. Causing the timid dracoth to roar at him and step forward to take the duty in its. They returned to arguing once more, the alpha growled and roared into the sky, spewing a storm cloud out of its maw and keeping both in line, it spoke to them about something as Anatesis felt she understood. "Their might have been a Stardrake you all looked up to that a big jerk made friends with! Lorustro! I came because only he knew the secrets of the place! I'm starting to get why he didn't speak much about ya, you are all kin."

The three gasped, the alpha dracoth decided and asked of the two, the brash dracoth agreed as the timid one tensed up and asked something to the alpha. The alpha nodded and vowed. The trio backed away from each other and charged to make a triple, unified head butt. The Alpha approached Ana to an agreement as the others looked up to the path to the summit. The Stormcast guessed. "You three want to see what is up there one more time before you part ways?"

The alpha nodded and stood by the Stormcast's side, the other two followed behind the warrior. Anatesis sighed and petted her new companion. "That was another secret that jerk wanted me to see. What in Dracothian's wing is so important that he didn't want to share?" She and three drakes climbed the path to the summit, the air grew thin and Ana looked around to find the atmosphere shifting. The four found the top of the summit with an orbital body hovering above, a moon. Ana's jaw dropped and wished to run ahead as the alpha warned her of something.

The Stormcast growled and guessed. "I call this Gravity's Bane for a reason. Gravity is at its weakest in the mountain and if I jump right now... I be on the surface of that moon." She looked up to find the cracks, rocks and craters littering the moon. If the thin air wasn't enough, Ana was left breathless at the thought, looking closer, she saw claw marks in one particular crater and imagined a story. "That's it... that is when he used the solar gems to met Nightscale."

The three dracoths nodded at the answer and gave a unified roar, down bellow, more roars were heard. Ana looked down to find thunder storms shooting out towards the moon, the trio joined and breathed at the moon. Causing a faint storm to surround and convulsed. A faint of a mighty dragon perching on the moon form, spanning wings that glowed in the light took the Stormcast by surprise. In moments, the image and the cloud faded, leaving behind the moon that slowly moved away. The Stormcast swallowed and looked to the three. "I... see, it isn't too often that the moon comes here."

The alpha agreed with a memory as the other two felt satisfied and lead the way down. To the base of the field where the lillies gave a faint shine, Ana looked down at the world bellow and asked the alpha on seeing the showing teeth as radiant as the moon. "...Moonfang, do you mind a name like that?"

The alpha didn't and lowered itself, Ana got on and watched her new steed give a respectful grunt to the others, who gave one back. Moonfang gave a smile and to Anatesis's surprise, dashed to a ledge and pounced on a formation leading downward, the Stormcast felt her heart racing and saw many ledges making a pathway down, only something with firm claws would make those jumps. "Ah rain clouds."

In a faint dream.

A familiar Grand Marshal, clad in dark armor stood by an unnconcsious white haired man in a black robe and watched him stir. "You better make this worth it!" The man slowly awaken, felt his hands on solid ground and sat up on his knees, revealing a set of yellow eyes that were shocked by the various dark imagery. "Wha...what is this?"

The warrior in menacing armor answered coldly. "Varenspire, my domain! With in the realm that connects the realms, the Eightpoints."

The man gasped as he looked upon the Grand Marshal. "A... world that connects to other worlds?"

The Grand Marshal pointed to him and corrected him. "Not all of them apparently! You should realize this more than anyone, Xehanort."

The man looked more astonished. "How... did you know my name?"

The Grand Marshal turned around towards a balcony. "The ruinous powers whispered it to me and spoke of how you would be the key to my conquest of the realms! Come, see the world that lies before you!"

Xehanort forced himself up and followed to the Grand Marshal's right, seeing the exit way of a mighty citadel that spanned cities and shifting colors, battling each other for supremacy. Fire glowed deep bellow and lead down a path of chaotic lights that gave way to shadows, howling and maddening whispers were the only sounds the man heard. He backed away at the chaos, panted and placed his left hand under his chin, going from horrified to intrigued. "Astounding, a dark realm that shifts and turned from the emotions of all."

The Grand Marshal rolled his eyes and faced towards the direction of the man. "That is the power of Chaos! I am the Everchosen of these powers, Archaon!" He faced more towards Xehanort with a warning. "You are far from home, yet this should not be new to you. That much the whisper speak of."

The observant face became a malicious smirk, Xehenort looked to be in agreement. "For this is the essence of darkness. But how am I here?"

Archaon chuckled and humored him. "Perhaps because the gods thought to keep you caged! Now you are bound no more, but before you continue your work with in the realm they seek to rule... you now seek to learn more?"

Xehanort laughed with the idea. "Ha, indeed. There are eight the Allpoints are connected to... and there are many hearts striving for something... survival, supremacy... what paths do they take?"

He felt a shine and felt a gate behind him, one that seemed to lead somewhere. He approached with curiosity as Archaon looked at it. "That is an Arcway, this one leads to a realmgate the cursed warriors of Sigmar have closed off. There is nothing for us there."

Xehanort listened and continued to approach. "Sigmar?"

Archaon nodded. "The... god king of Order! He rules the realm of Azyr and seeks to establish the concept of Order to the realms! He calls his home realm, the Realm of Heavens!"

Xehanort placed his hand on a stone and focused, sensing a history of use. "For such a boisterous name, the shadows lurk even in that realm? They strive for the name of good... yet so much vile has been done to maintain Order."

He caused a small gate way of darkness to form and watched it flicker out, Archaon folded his arms impressed. "So there is actually a difference between Darkness and Chaos? But you are without an army, you would be crushed if you set one foot there."

Xehanort turned to Archaon with a wider smile, one showing a sparking interest. "Perhaps, but with the simplest of emotions, not even the Realm of Heavens can resist the dark corners."

Archaon felt the man's memories and asked. "The veil is lifted from your mind... the abyss seems like a dream?"

Xehanort felt many conflicting, to where he had a head ache thinking about them. "Two...three...no... four. It this what it is like to live four lives? All of them so different... yet-" Archaon nodded and smiled under his helmet. "Now you see the madness! Khorne, Nurgle, Tzeentch, Slaanesh! They are all Chaos, yet what they seek... what they are, is divided!"

Xehanort asked on hearing the names. "And in this citadel, the power is undivided."

Archaon laughed at the idea. "In this citadel, the powers battle for supremacy! They battle to earn my favor! Now, you are undivided and seek a power far greater? The power from the realms beyond?"

Xehanort agreed to that. "Kingdom Hearts? That is the power the four Chaos seek? Typical, when one power falls... another comes to take its place."

He had another memory and asked Archaon. "Yet the balance must be restored. What... kind of power does Chaos have?"

The Everchosen raised his left hand and focused in the center. "Vast. You seek an agent to enact your will?" Reality distorts and bends as Xehanort remembered more, a sense of spite pooled into a black puddle. "This is what the four powers had learned from me?"

He focused and raised both hands into the distortion, causing the puddle to take shape. "Then they will witness the void made manifest!"

Jolt!

Aqua gasped awake from an odd vision, sat up and muttered. "Xe...ha...is still...using." She looked back and forth to find Nightscale and Lorustro looking down at her. The drake growled as the Templar asked. "Had a bad dream?"

Aqua felt disoriented and nodded. "...It's... about that man I talked about...and a...Ar...Archaon."

Lorustro and his Stardrake gasped. "By the... that ain't no ordinary dream unless you seen the later before... most never live to tell the tale."

Aqua felt cold. "...Were they things happening right now?"

Lorustro tapped his foot impatiently. "Maybe, or they are of things that happened."

He looked above to see small rocks falling downward. "If that man you mentioned end up spilling the beans of Kingdom Hearts to Archaon, we are all going to be in deep trouble."

The woman looked above and tried to calm herself down. "If they happened... then who knows what those two are going to unleash upon the realms."

THUD!

An image of two descended down above the massive wall, Lorustro's fear became a smirk underneath his helmet. "Then we are just going to do what we always do."

Leap!

Something jumped from the wall above and fell down in a glow much like a meteor. Nightscale shielded the two with his wings and watched a figure land with a mighty boom. A Stormcast on top of a Dracoth with scales much like the drake, Nightscale recognized a calm, semi elegant attitude from the Dracoth and snorted out clouds in a greeting. The Dracoth looked upon Nightscale and smiled tauntingly, like one would greet an old friend. It tilted its head and snapped its jaws in the air, Nightscale folded his wings up to reveal the two he was shielding as Anatesis regained momentum and boasted at Loru. "Ha! You thought I couldn't do it, did ya?"

The Drakesworn Templar laughed back. "Oh I thought you would! Yet this has only just begun. Remember your vow."

Ana agreed back with him. "I saw nothing else up that mountain. Nope! Definitely nothing I didn't find out about."

Her eye focused on the distant moon and caused Nightscale to laugh, Ana looked at the path down and asked. "Now to get all the way back to the city... Loru, is this one of your pranks?"

Nightscale ceased laughing and caused lighting to shoot from his nostrils as Loru asked. "This is one of-" He gasped and realized. "I... did not think that part through. Right...Dracoth's can't fly."

Aqua felt teeth gritting and emotions of awkward intent as she asked with a near laugh. "And no one who could help knows we are here. Don't worry, I know something that might work."

She drew out her keyblade, found a corner leading to a ledge and approached, she tapped the tip of her sword and caused a ring of light to form. The Dracoth raised an eyebrow at Nightscale and said something of interest, something that caused the drake to looked at Ana half impressed as Lorustro got on. "You gave your Dracoth a name already?"

Ana nodded. "Yep and it is a name fitting. Moonfang."

Aqua felt the ring and looked at the Dracoth's teeth that shined like the moon. "Beautiful. Loru are you sure you want to take the long way back?"

The Drakesworn was certain of it. "I like flying into the sky, if that can get you and Ana out of here and back to the city though, I wish to make sure that happens before I just take off and leave ya."

Ana sighed and gave Moonfang a nudge. "Come on then, there is a bunch of friends I like ya to meet! You and Nightscale will see each other again soon."

The Dracoth chuckled and walked toward the light, she and the Stormcast felt a vision of a city most golden. PEW! The two vanished and Aqua giggled. "I still got that."

She looked up to the mountain and wondered what kind of adventure happened. "Nightscale... Moonfang-" She shook her head and found it silly to think about. "No... there is no way a mountain like this would reach..." She was in thought and went to the light, was she so sure about the realms?

Pew! She let go of the thought and found Ana and Moonfang before a Stormcast on a dragon like creature that resembled a big cat. The Stormcast was a familiar one with a staff on her right hip and a large great hammer in her hands, Arreia hummed at the duo and looked at a two three man squad of wizard like Stormcasts on similar steeds; a three man squad of Stormcasts with spears, they were on top of a hound like gryphon creatures and a Stormcast with radiant wings and a nimbus like halo, he held in his hand a lantern. The Stormcast with the lantern stared stoically at the arrivals and looked toward a pack following him, five gryphon like hounds; one with black feathers and a white body with black stripes, another with blue feathers and a purple body, another with red feathers and an orange body, another with black feathers and a brown body, finally a gryphon like hound with pink feathers and blue skin. Arreia felt she had much to explain as she saw a winged Stormcast with a bow on his back, carrying a full set of armor for a Dracoth. "Ah, I see Aqua knows much about magic as well. Congratulations Ana, now for your next task."

The stormcast with the bow landed and gently placed the armor before the duo, with a request. "This would be best suited for a Dracoth in battle, Ana, if you and your Dracoth could?" Ana nodded and got off as she asked Moonfang. "Easy, this is a tradition. Would you wear this armor as you do battle with me?"

The Dracoth looked upon the armor and at the Stormcast, they looked similar enough, it lowered itself and let Ana place the armor on as Arreia stepped off her Dracoline and ordered her men loudly. "From this day forward, you will all address Anatesis as a Champion Templar! She will dive into the heart of Nagash's forces if he or any of them DARE attack us and deliver Sigmar's justice upon them!"

She looked at the Stormcast with a bow. "Nerax, our Knight Venator with you, you're star eagle and your luck stone, you will find any, any necromatic lords that would summon their legions and END them if they oppose us."

The bow men took a gracious nod of respect. "Of course Arreia, I will see that our foes would never halt our advance."

He saluted and caused an purple bird with blue feathers to form on his shoulder as Arreia turned to the stoic Stormcast with the lantern. "Tarnos, can you hear me?"

The Stormcast focused on her and nodded, the Lord Arcanum focused her eyes on an observing Aqua and whispered to her subordinate. "Tarnos, our Knight Azyros, with Sigmar's light in your hands, you and your gryph hounds will guide us to victory. Don't ever lose that shine of yours!"

The Knight Azyros saluted as a gryph hound with black feathers and a white body with black stripes nuzzled to him for attention, Tarnos went to petting it in a robotic manner. Aqua remembered something and felt depressed on realizing something as Arreia focused on three of the most elite Stormcast's on their steeds, to a feminine looking mage on an orange scale dracoline with a yellow under scales. "Sathea, you and alpha Envoker team would be with me as we lead from the front! Our magics will obliterate our foes in storm and fire!"

Sathea gasped and saluted with a light, feminine tone. "It would be an honor to fight along side you Arry!"

Arreia looked upon a more masculine Stormcast leading the other group of Envokers, he was on a grey scaled Dracoline with black skin. "Davas, you are to support our rear and make sure no one and I mean NO ONE, attacks Tarnos and Nerax."

The Stormcast flinched and looked at Tarnos. "We will see that Tarnos does not suffer again."

Arreia nodded and focus on the Stormcast on the Gryph Charger, another masculine leader of his squad. He wielded a javelin in his left hand and a hand cross bow in his right as he asked. "Lady Arreia, we will see that any enemy calvary that comes would be met with a swift end! I swear on that!"

The Gryph Charger squawked in agreement as Arreia smiled smugly under her helmet. "See that you do Eldriel! You are our Vanguard Palladors!" The primes returned to their calvary as the Lord Arcanium turned to Aqua and Anatesis, the later was half done adorning Moonfang. She addressed Aqua first. "Aqua... the Keyblade Master. I do not know what you are capable of doing, but I will be quick to find out."

She focused her sight on Ana. "You and Anatesis are to be like one unit until further notice! If you see something we need to know of, address it immediately."

Aqua understood as Anatesis finished settling the saddle guard and got on. "There could be a few, a foe I am familiar with could be up to something. Beware of monsters you haven't seen before." Arreia nodded and focused on the ready Champion Templar. "That is one of the reasons this is no simple escort mission. Anatesis... our Champion Templar!"

Ana and Moonfang looked at their commander, who wielded a mighty decorated hammer. "This Tempestos Hammer had been forged centuries ago for moments like this."

She presented it to Ana proudly. "Take care of it and it will guide you through many battles!"

SWOOP! A Stormcast with wings arrived and surprised Ana with his own request. "On behalf of the Lord Cellestant's orders, we request your old lightning hammer for the next retributor prime in line. You no longer need it."

Ana sighed and gave the winged Stormcast the hammer that had been with her for ages. "Uhhh. Always something. See that they take care of that, Vandax, it bested too many mighty foes for you to count and been to places beyond."

The Stormcast believed it and readied to take flight. "Tell us more when you return, it shall be given higher regards." He flew off as Anatesis took the tempestos hammer, feeling the weight that would crush her many foes. The Templar invited Aqua a seat right behind her. "You are to hold on tight, this is going to be a long journey."

The Keyblade Master took the offer and patted her friend on the back. "That hammer has seen a lot, its hard to give something like that up."

Ana agreed with her as Moonfang readied to follow the calvary band. "Sometimes that weapon is like a companion that is always with ya. I hope it doesn't get treated like any old hand me down."

Arreia overheard and asked. "That is why you are to address this to the chamber when we return. The tale of your descent into that forsaken realm is the stuff of legends and no hammer deserves to be treated like an ordinary one after that."

She yelled to her group. "Ana, take the center! Nerax, Tarnos, cover their rear with the gryph hounds! Davas, you had your order!" The winged Stormcasts position themselves behind the Dracoth as the pack of gryph hounds followed the Knight Azyros out of fierce loyalty. The evokers with the grey and black dracoline's followed as Eldriel and his vanguard palladors followed close from the mass group, Sathea and her own evocator squad followed Arreia, who took the lead towards the outskirts of the city, towards a large gateway.

Arreia turned her head to warn Aqua. "As you probably learned, the Realmgates are what connect us to the many realms in the cosmos, what we will see beyond may prove haunting for you. The Realm of Death, even entry would prove difficult for us."

Aqua understood as the gate became closer. "This group are mostly there for running... unless we find someone who might tell... him."

Nerax agreed and readied his bow. "Indeed, they are often arch necromancers, we elimnate him or her as our priority and their forces would crumble. However, I fear that isn't what we would face right at the Realmgate... the Flesh Eater Courts make home around there... the ghouls and their kin. I do not need to explain why it is."

Aqua cringed and held on tightly. "It's too obvious."

Arreia agreed with her and sighed. "We simply need to eliminate their Ghoul King and the rest will scatter. They are not aligned to Nagash, but you understand the threat they pose to simple travelers." The group arrived at the gate that gave off a glow, they crossed over the gate and felt the energy swirling around them.

PEW! PEW! PEW!

WOOSH! The band of Stormcast exit the realm gate on the other side, Aqua adjusted her eyes and looked upon a world with a eerie amethyst sky and an odd fortress, what was welcoming in Azyr became hostile in the realm of Shyish. The woman held on as the band took charge, being stopped by a collision of two foes, one was a deformed, bat like creature with two sets of wings. The bat vaguely resembled a human, the gruesome beast wasn't the primary focus, it was a large silver holy looking knight with two sets of feathery wings and two hand axes that were apart of the larger set. Aqua gasped as Anatesis saw a symbol on the knight, two scythes with their blades together and recognized it.

Aqua drew her keyblade out and shouted. "Unversed!" She jumped at the knight that turned around and tried to strike at the keyblade master, she fired an orb of ice and quickly dispatch it. The bat creature watched, hissed and barreled at her with savagery.

PEW! BOOM! Arreia and her front most evocators quickly scorched the horror into a smouldering heap with lightning, the Lord Arcanum barked at Aqua. "GET BACK IN FORMATION OR YOU ARE GOING TO DIE!"

Aqua felt her heart racing and watched a whole battle field, hordes of deformed humanoid fiends fighting frantically against a horde of silver knights with fist weapons and a symbol she all too recognized. Leading behind the monsters of both sides were larger monsters. One looked like larger versions of the smaller humanoid monsters, the other looked like knights duel wielding clubs. Colliding in the sky was a zombified bat like monster with a ghoul riding on top, battling against a royal king on top of a similar looking yet light brown bat that had golden angelic wings to counterpart the monstrous leathery ones. Aqua didn't understand anything as she went back to Moonfang, Ana reported. "I seen that symbol when I was doing a right of passage not too long ago! Aqua, what are the Unversed?"

Aqua swallowed as the Stormcast bolted to the wasteland. "They... they are creatures of darkness that reflect emotions. How did they-" She stopped as Arreia looked up in pity. "Of all the things they could have reflected on! Men, do not be fooled by their appearance, they are as foul as the Flesh Eaters they battle against if NOT more. I hate to imagine what the ghouls are seeing the unversed as."

Davas sighed and readied a spell as he followed behind. "I can only see irony Arry!"

Aqua's eyes widened as Nerax and his eagle looked for a particular foe of either side to shoot. The Knight Venator explained. "This is what makes the Courts that dangerous, all of them are delusional! They could be seeing these unversed as we see the courts... monsterous mockeries of civilization."

Arry rolled her eyes and kept her lead as she watched the bat bite its counterpart deep in the neck and fly down towards the southern grounds. The Ghoul King tore at its kingly counter part and tossed it aside, he saw the group and looked on as his monster readied a final blow. The Lord Arcanum yelled out to Aqua. "A Lord Exorsist told me about them a long time ago. The Courts cannot be reasoned with and if they know what they really do... it would destroy their reasons for existing. Pity them if you must, but do NOT show any of these savages mercy." The Keyblade Master understood and tried to look away from the battling.

THUD!

The large bat like unversed crashed into the ground and broke down into darkness as Arry warned them. "We may have that Ghoul King and his Terrorgeist after us! If he does, fire and do not stop."

Aqua readied herself as the Ghoul King tapped at the Terrorgeist and pointed to the group. He yelled out gibberish to his court that were overwhelming the unversed, a small ghoul turned around, gave something of a salute and hissed at the masses. The Terrorgeist took flight after the fleeing group, letting loose a blood curdling shriek as it was quickly catching up. Aqua spun her keyblade with sheer will and fired a trio of fire balls, scorching the Terrorgeist and enraging it more. He readied his talons to strike at the knights behind as Aqua aimed her blade in the air as the evocators and Knight Azyros aimed their weapons at the monster.

PEW!

Lightning struck from the sky and the front as light pierced from the lanturn, causing the geist to howl in pain. The Ghoul King glowed to form a protective barrier around his mount and growled, the Terrorgeist flew to a nearby tower, towards their exit out of the citadel Nerax shot his bow at the geist and sent his eagle to pounce, two arrows struck the tendon as an arrow bounced off the barrier, the star eagle had little luck with the same spot, the Terrorgeist slowed his fight and manuvered towards a bridge. Arry growled. "Crafty thing! Eldriel, can you and your vanguard strike him from the side?"

The stomcast on the Gryph Charger nodded. "We can, but he needs to be closer to the bridge!"

Aqua felt she had a chance to redeem herself and focused on where the Terrorgeist landed. "I got this one."

PEW!

She leaped in the speed of light, ahead of the Stormcast calvary that were astonished once more. Aqua landed on the head of the Terrorgeist that growled in confusion as the Ghoul King, pale skin and with razor sharp claws, a fanged maw and deranged green eyes, howled for the Keyblade Master's death. He swiped at her and was struck back by the blade, Aqua spun into a stormy twister and aimed her blade to the sky. Causing a thunder storm to fire a barrage of lighting at the two, the Terrorgeist leaped across the bridge and looked at the morsel that landed. Aqua had a closer look at the zombie, patches of brown skin, red sinew connecting the bones together and an inner skeleton. The Terrorgeist opened its maw to let out a scream that caused Aqua to feel her heart quack, she nearly hesitated and shot out an ice ball. Striking the Terrorgeist in its mouth and freezing it open, its tongue dribbled as the Ghoul King shot an arcane bolt at the woman, knocking her back and was distracted by her. Unaware of the many bolts striking the Terrorgeist in its left eye and the Gryph Chargers that rammed its neck. Javelins sank into its flesh as beaks and talons tore it, the Terrorgeist was knocked off the bridge and the Ghoul King hanged on for dear life, the monsters was thrown off balance and struggled to fly as it and his master were sent screaming into a void. The Gryph Chargers returned to the calvery as Aqua timed herself and back flipped, back to the back of Moon Fang, who smiled in approval as the Lord Arcanum ahead approved. "Excellent, we are not to stop until we are out of this blasted kingdom, we just need to get past the Orchards and make it to the wasteland ahead! Then and only then will we consider setting up camp."

Anatesis agreed to that and advised Aqua. "You may want to close your eyes when we get to the Orchard, it isn't pretty."

Arry agreed with her and continued. "It is called the Corpse Orchard... enough is said. Shyish is a realm of many heavens and many hells! This... is one of the hells."

Aqua sighed at that. "Let me know when we are past that." She closed her eyes and went into a meditative stance, if to drown out the horrors ahead.


	9. Following a Lead

On a mountain near a ruins of a jungle, a corridor of darkness opened up to let two dwellers of dark out. Maleficent had a scowl of disappointment as Pete followed to lightened the mood. "With all due respect your... vileness, that little info about those... how you call them, unversed were pretty neat."

Maleficent sighed and turned to her minion. "That was not the kind of data we sought. I am aware of the unversed, creatures made of darkness that are... more difficult to harness compared to the heartless."

She placed her hand under her chin in thought. "They are made from emotions, desires, formed into monsters. Much like... the fiends Sora and his friends are wandering the worlds just trying to understand. Perhaps... we can test this theory."

She formed a dark orb that gave a green swirl as Pete asked. "You are going to use some of that Chaos magic to make an Unversed?"

Maleficent shook her head and focused. "No, but the knowledge of Chaos could provide the foundation to create such a thing, a reflection of an innermost darkness."

The green image took form into a scene most buffoonish. An orangutan on a temple throne, he was presented with a upside down human child. The orangutan addressed the human carefree. "Ha, ha, ha! So you're the man cub," His eyes spun in different directions. "crazy!"

The child yelled out in frustration of something as he was held upside down by monkeys. "I'm not as crazy as you are! Put me down!"

The monkeys let go and the child landed in a thud, he got up and yelled more. "You cut that out!"

The orangutan lifted the child to his throne by the cloth around his waist and asked. "Cool it boy! Unwind yourself." The child thought wildly as the orangutan tried to maintain control, Maleficent raised an eyebrow as Pete asked nervously. "Uh... I think that thing broke, was it... suppose to show us a font of darkness for that little... experiment of ours?"

The witch looked at Pete with an astonished realization that he might have a point. "This is absurd, how could-"

The orangutan readied a tune and asked the human swinging fists. "Now come on, let's shake," he grabbed the boys hands for a forced hand shake. "Cousin!" The child asked just as confused as the observing seekers of darkness. "What do you want me for?"

The orangutan placed the boy at the left arm of his throne and answered. "Word has grabbed my royal ear-" he took a banana and had the child open his mouth. "Have a banana-" He squeezed the banana and shot the contents of the fruit at the child. "that you want to stay in the jungle." The child caught the banana and chewed a piece of it, agreeing with the monkeys request. "Stay in the jungle?! I sure do!"

Maleficent listened and her confused, annoyed scowl lightened in interest. "What does this ape want?"

Pete guessed by the words and actions. "That monkey is bargaining with this dumb runt for a reason."

They watched and listened to the monkeys bargain, an offer to the child a way to stay in the vast jungle, an offer the child wholly agreed with, even if it seemed neither really knew what was being talked about, the orangutan offered to speak of his motives, in a tune. "Now I'm the kings of the swingers ooh the jungle V.I.P. I've reached the top and had to stop and that is what's been bothering me." Maleficent's lightened scowl faded as she watched the buffoon pick at the child's hair for insects, she listened more. "I wanna be a man, Man Cub and stroll right into town and be just like the other men, I'm tired of monkeying around." He leaped across the ruin grounds with his band of monkeys as the witch put together what the orangutan wanted, a desire and wish that could go horrible right, the orangutan sang it out loud. "Oh- dee- do! I wanna be like you! I wanna walk like you, talk like you too! You see it's true! An ape like me." He was being annoyed by a monkey carrying a large leaf that he was using as a fan as he finished. "Can learn to be human too!"

Maleficent looked down at the distant ruins with a plan in motion. "He wants to learn to be like a human, in all their splendor." She cackled as Pete gasped and cackled with her. "So he wants to learn how it is to be civilized and not be a wild monkey while climbing up the ladder. It's never enough for em!"

Maleficent agreed and focused her staff into a shadow. "His desire for power and to be like them would be the grounds for our experiment." Her orb shifted image to a familiar trio traveling and fighting heartless with a panther attacking with stealth and a sloth bear attacking with sheer brawn. "And what coincidence, Sora and his friends are going to stumble upon this."

She chanted and caused the shadow to take shape. "Ambitious light casts a quaking shadow! Disastrous blight bask a beckoning power!" The shadows resemble something of chains and coiled towards the ruins as Maleficent finished. "GO AND TAKE SHAPE, TO MAKE THAT DESIRE INTO REALITY!"

The shadow pulsed and eight dark coils scattered towards the ruins, Pete tried to boast and sense a faint tremor. Maleficent turned towards what was behind her and sensed an anger unbound. Something was flying above, a creature that left her without words. A large, dark blue, wyvern like creature that had black spots as a pattern on its scales, its maw was gargantuan, its tail was short for such a reptile and its wings were muscular, far too muscular for the membrane to reasonably carry it. The two saw the underbelly of a white and the eyes to be an enraged pink. It looked down upon them and glared, like they disrupted something they had no knowledge of. It flew down at them for a mighty crash and growled with foul temper. Pete's forming laugh became a cowardly chuckle. "Hey eh... you lost?"

The wyvern kept glaring as Maleficent slowly backed to the corridor. "Pete, we should leave. Our business here is done." Pete asked as he tried not to lose attention of the wyvern. "Eh... we just got here, this guy don't look so-" he stopped and the wyvern looked insulted. Maleficent politely asked her minion with a sarcastic gasp. "You think you can battle this thing, go right on ahead, may you would prove the victor."

She turned to the corridor, leaving it wide open if to make a point, the wyvern scoffed at Pete, the goon knows he was talking false bluster and the wyvern knew it too. The minion turned to run to the corridor as the wyvern gave a mighty roar, he heard the sprinting. He jumped into the corridor and into the vast darkness, seeing the light close and panted in relief as Maleficent looked down upon him and verbally lash out on him.

SMASH!

The closed corridor pulsed from an intense force.

CRUSH!

It pulsed again, the two were intimidated by what was occurring on the other side, Pete asked. "No... that thing isn't beating up that."

The corridor pulsed from another blow and showed cracks of light. It relaxed and closed up as Maleficent calmly answered. "It would make darkness bend around it, in time it would forget about us and go somewhere else. It certainly doesn't belong in that world." She gestured into the void. "Come, we are to make preparations for that boy's friends that are scattered, providing this experiment delivers desirable results."

In the ruins.

Sora dealt a finishing blow to a huntsman of a heartless, clearing way for Baloo and Bagheera to sneak into the ruins hearing something singing in a friendly tone. "Now don't try to kid me man cub! I made a deal with you." The monkey, duck and rhino followed to hear more. "What desire is man's red fire to make my dream come true." They met up with Bagheera and Baloo with uncomfortable thoughts as to what was occurring, the panther listened to the last of the song. "Now give me the secret man cub. Come on, clue me what to do. Give me the power of man's red flower so I can be like you."

Bagheera whispered in learning the knowledge. "Fire, so that is what that scoundrel is after."

Donald imagined a jungle in flames and shook his head. "Does he even know what to do with it?"

Baloo growled at the monkey blowing his own lips together like a trumpet and readied his fists. "I'll tear him limb from limb. I'll beat em out a-" he gave in to the beat and was distracted by an urge to dance away. "MMM! Yeah, well man what a beat."

Sora growled at Baloo and whispered. "Cut it out and listen, this can get incredibly dangerous if Louie finds out how to use fire." Bagheera agreed and tried to plan as he looked at all the monkeys. "It will take brains, not brawn."

Baloo was lost in the rhythm and danced. "You better believe it and I'm loaded with both!" Goofy was annoyed and asked politely. "Would you listen to us."

Baloo snapped out of it and remembered the objective as he gave into the beats again. "Oh, yeah yeah."

Bagheera hoped so and whispered the plan to the four. "Now, while you all create a disturbance, I'll go rescue Mowgli. Got that?"

Sora, Donald and Goofy understood and realized Baloo was dancing away deeper into the ruins. "I'm gone man, solid gone."

Bagheera yelped out at a plan failing before it began. "Not yet!" He remembered he needed to keep quiet as Donald let the panther know they would keep a close watch on Baloo.

Bagheera hoped so and saw Louie with his make shift trumpet, a monkey with a leafy fan and Mowgli in the beat of the music. The trio sneaked away as Bagheera went to a doorway with a stone, panther like statue, the panther mimicked the pose and waited for the coming dancers. They passed and Bagheera reached for the unaware man cub.

SLAM!

The door was slammed opened, smashed Bagheera and a hidden Sora nearly broke in a mixture of laughter and frustration, Baloo was in a skirt of dried grass, a wig of dry grass and was wearing two coconuts over his muzzle to make it resemble a monkeys mouth. Donald pulled the monkey down and whispered as Bagheera recovered from sudden slammed door. "Don't let them know."

Goofy agreed and listened to Baloo's gibberish, gibberish that despite how ridiculous it looked, fooled King Louie into approaching and dancing with the sloth bear. The trio and Bagheera took their chance to rescue Mowgli, who was dancing with a monkey, frequently the unaware monkeys block their attempts. Both Louie and Baloo sang together. "I want to be like you! I want to walk like you, talk like you too! You'll see it's true, someone like me!" Both addressed one another. "Can learn to be, like someone like me!"

Baloo sang out loud . "Take me home daddy!"

Louie jumped all around and finished the song. "Can learn to be, like someone like you!" He patted Baloo in the back and caused the disguise to unravel, revealing the sloth bear to where all the monkeys would see it, Baloo was unaware and finished. "Can learn to be, like someone like meeeee!" He slowly realized his disguise was undone, everyone, from Mowgli who recognized the bear, to Sora, Donald and Goofy who's mind were destroyed by the question of how did that disguise even worked for so long.

Baloo spoke one word as reality came to him.

"Man!"

One of the monkeys yelled out. "It's Baloo the bear!" Another one agreed and yelled. "Yeah that's him, how about let's swing it in there!"

Mowgli went towards the bear that lifted him up and tried to run, only for a monkey to swipe the child away. Sora, Donald and Goofy jumped in with the primary objective of helping Bagheera and Baloo escape with the child. One of the monkeys handed Mowgli over to Louie, who was promptly bopped in the head by Baloo, who took Mowgli and tried to escape again. More monkeys swung at the vines as Donald whispered to Sora. "Watch this." He shot from his wings a stream of bubbles that pushed the horde of monkeys away, save for one that swiped Mowgli from Baloo and ran into Bagheera, who roared at him in intimidation and chased after him. Scaring the monkey off to Baloo, who was armed with a club. Sora figured because the Louie and his monkeys were not doing anything intentionally destructive, the bubble spell would be useful for a distraction. He aimed his keyblade and shot a stream of bubbles at the monkey, who slid under Baloo who slammed down with his club, right where Bagheera was running to.

THWUNK!

Bubbles blew at Bagheera for added insult to injury and Sora tried again at the monkey's path, causing him to slip and for Louie to grab the dazed man-cub. He ran from Baloo, who was readying his fists. Towards a series of pillars holding the ruins in place, the two struggled with the child and in a thrust of force, Louie tried to hold onto the pillar and broke it loose. The ruins began breaking apart, Louie panicked, let Mowgli go and tried to hold in the pillars place, to no avail. Baloo smirked, placed the dazed child down and tickled Louie to break his concentration, unaware of a group of monkeys charging at the bear with a battering ram. Knocking Baloo to Louie and pushing the Orangutan through another pillar, two were broken and both were holding on. Baloo smiled nervously and left Louie to hold the rest in, the ruins crumbled as Bagheera had Mowgli get on his back and dashed out, with him, Baloo and the strange trio avoiding rubble, Goofy broke through the bricks that rolled down at Sora and Donald as the two fired energy balls to keep themselves from being crushed.

RUMBLE RUMBLE SMASH!

The ruins fell apart and the group of six made it out of the ruins. The monkey with the blade looked behind to find Louie holding into a stone slab, the only thing left of his palace. Baloo and Bagheera both had a swollen black eye from all the chaos, the bear nudged at the panther with carefree joy. "Ha, ha! Man that's what I call a swinging party!"

Bagheera gave Baloo a silent stare as Mowgli was recuperating, the panther wished to request something as Sora, Donald and Goofy noticed something off in the ruins. The monkey guessed. "We need to talk about this, you go on ahead while we check something out."

Bagheera sighed and wished for Baloo to follow. "This includes you three as well. I know you three are not from the jungle."

The trio should have expected this from one of the more intelligent creatures of the jungle and checked the ruins. Finding Louie looking puzzled and confused at his ruined palace, unaware of a dark shadow shifting with in, they couldn't believe it. Louie looked at them and asked rather relaxed. "Come on cousin, I have not a pebble to ya."

Sora shook his head and nearly yelled out like the monkey he resembles. "Be ho, behind you!"

Louie turned around to the shifting shadows and looked more confused, a body formed in the darkness, a giant purple orangutan with a double chin and black fur arising. Louie gasped and jumped back as the ape placed his heavy hand on the platform, the monkey hollered in a panic as Sora, Goofy and Donald readied to face the creature, the keyblade wielder ordered. "Just get out of here! We got this!"

Louie swallowed and escaped into the wilderness, leaving the three to the ape like monster that revealed wears of ruins that were decorated like a king. The ape revealed red eyes and a marking resembling a black heart, he stood up to reveal more of its size and it looked at Sora's weapon. It looked around and grabbed a nearby tree, breaking it and wielding it like a club.

The trio had a flash back of a certain Orruk and knew what to not do, let the branch hit them. The ape looked to expected something and watched the three charge, he charged back and swung, Goofy jumped back as Donald flew above the club, Sora jumped on the club and made a series of jumps towards the apes head. Striking it as the duck shot a ball of ice, he felt a sharp horn on his knee and kicked. Sending Goofy back, the ape swatted with his free hand to knock Donald and Sora back, the keyblade wielder aimed his blade and fired fire balls at the apes belly. Causing it to grunt and observe, a faint grunt came from its maw. "What is this magic?"

The trio gasped at the thing speaking, the ape stood back and focused on his free hand, causing a spark of fire to form, the ape gasped and understood. "So that is how fire is made?" He caused the flame to fade and used both hands to hold his club, it sparked in fire, he asked the trio. "Show me to be more!" He barked in an order. "COME ON! SHOW ME WHAT YOU DO!"

Goofy shivered in a realization. "This thing is learning from us?"

Sora swallowed and dodged the apes swing that caused sparks to fly to the jungle. He struck repeatedly, the ape looked down at him as Donald focused and aimed his wand in the air to summon clouds that brought down rain. Quenching the would have been wild fire, the ape shifted his right eye at Donald as its legs readied something. The ape jumped back and swung his club down at Sora, the monkey dodged the brutal slam as the dark ape saw Goofy stand to defend. Sora tried to dash for an attack and the ape positioned his club to block the way, he thrust the club forward and sent the monkey flying across.

The ape gave off a smile and aimed his club to the sky. "Yes, YES! If rain takes the fire away!" The club gave off a spark and the clouds faded, bringing in a harsh sunlight, the heart gave the ape more to learn. "Then the sun will bring it back!"

The club burst into an inferno, the ape leaped in front of the three and slammed the club down, they attempted to dodge and were knocked asunder by a pulse of fire. The ape danced around in a joy of discovery, Sora and Donald forced themselves up and cast a unified healing spell. The duck quacked and focused to the sky once more, bringing back the rain cloud, the ape was angered and focused to the sky, sun light brightened and dimmed as the clouds swirled. The ape was distracted, Sora and Goofy charged at the creature, the rhino went for the knees as Sora went for the head. The keyblade struck the apes head and disoriented him as Goofy's charge caused it to fall on his stomach, dropping his club and gasping. He was exposed to a series of blows as the rain poured, the ape was panting and hollered in primal rage. Slamming his arms and legs all over the ruins, he used his left arm to lift his body up, the three free limbs fired a barrage of energy, the ape focused on the Sora's weapon and asked. "What is that? A weapon of great power?" Sora jumped back with a fear of what his words would bring. "Thi...this is a keyblade. It's something you can't copy." The ape focused and felt nothing, looking dumbfounded and his eye lids dropped to a worthy adversary. "You mean, you cannot teach me through showing me? Tell me more? Tell me to be like-" PEW!

A shot of blue, sizzling energy was shot from the distance, a large man in a white cloth robe held in his hands a pistol that had blue glowing coils cooling something off. The man had short black hair and a short beard and climbing up on a tree behind him was an orangutan hollering and pointing. The man nodded to Louie. "You were intelligent to alert me of this incursion!" He took out a large knife and charged, letting loose a roar.

The Great Ape looked at his torso and saw a scorch mark, he looked at the man interested. "A fire that burns through rain?" He looked at the pistol and asked. "A weapon that shoots fire? What is this?" He dropped to the ground and saw the technology. "Man, teach me! How do I make a weapon that shoots fire?"

Louie looked frightened at the questions as the man stoically stabbed the ape on its chest, causing a darkness to bleed out, the Great Ape yelled out in pain and stepped back, he jumped high above and slammed his hands at the man, knocking him into the ground. Thud! The ape looked at the man in anger. "This is what man is like?!" He looked at Sora and his friends with more anger. "THIS IS WHY YOU REFUSE TO TEACH ME?!" He stomped and thrashed across the rumble of the ruins, Sora cringed, unable to find an answer, the ape looked at the distraught eyes and stopped to ask with a growl. "You, fear me? You, hate me? This is why you refuse? This is why you fight?" The ape calmed down, nodded his head to a decision. "What... is that?" Sora took a deep breath and asked back. "There is more to being like us than wanting power or knowing those things. Is it really worth that?" The ape blinked and answered uncertain. "I...don't know." He looked confused and concided. "Then show me why you fight me!" He jumped back towards a mountain and howled, Sora readied his keyblade and waited, the Great Ape jumped back with a glow of darkness and readied to slam at the monkey.

PEW! A light flashed and Sora was on the other side of the ape, that gasped and fell, bleeding more darkness as the monkey landed on the other side. Sora saw the Ape was still and went to his friends, not once taking his eyes off of the creature. It's eyes focused on him, the Ape whispered. "You fight... for them? The jungle?"

Sora nodded and answered. "Yes, we fight to protect this jungle." The Ape was in thought as his wounds bled and his body faded. "...I...harm the jungle... that is why you fight me... that is why I can't...be..." Goofy and Donald cringed as they saw the Ape cease his answer, gasp in a realization and looked to the sky in defeat. "I see... I'm not and never will...ha... ha."

He relaxed satisfied by the knowledge and let himself return to the void he spawned, leaving behind the rumble as the trio looked at the tree with a confused Louie and to the man pulling himself up, he was confused more by the three's words in comparison. "What in Holy Terra are you?! Why do you speak like you did?" The trio stopped silent, the man looked upon himself and question his sanity. "...This jungle affects the mind."

He turned back in memory and looked at the orangutan with the same questions. "What is this planet? What are you my friend?"

He hummed and left back to the jungle, with the man out of sight, Sora looked to Louie and asked. "Did... you know him?"

The orangutan listened and hanged down from the tree with his long limbs, answering an interesting mind. "He is the big man who was teaching the man village the way of the plants." He used his free hand pointed at a particular plant, "He was lost until he met ol King Louie." and pointed to himself. "So I dropped a few bananas to the village. You wanting to know his big secret too?"

Donald and Goofy shook their heads as Sora looked on confused. "I'm not sure if we do. Or if he wants to know of ours." The trio looked each other and back to Louie, who had little information of the grand picture himself. "If he doesn't want to stay in the jungle, then he ought to unwind and think about what he wants." He felt slightly disturbed from one detail. "But does he want to be like us?"

He scratched and heard hollering calling to him, Sora felt the tension and shook his head. "There might be a reason for him to be like... that, but... none of us want to be like him."

He was lost on thought as Louie had an interested in him. "But... is there anyone who wants to be like you?"

Sora thought of a few and smiled a yes, he and his friends had an idea for some of the more hostile people they met, they smiled up to Louie in thanks, the keyblade wielder had an idea. "There are, but we need to show them. Thanks for the tip, but what about the ruins?"

Louie had little worry on that. "I'm still swinging, that ain't bothering me. See ya around cous."

He went swinging into the trees into the unknown, Donald and Goofy felt what the solution was, the rhino asked. "Sora, you're not thinking about teaching those guys about hearts are ya?"

The pink head duck agreed. "That feels like a very bad idea."

The monkey shook his head. "Hofneil and the others won't get it right away if we just talk about it. But maybe if they look into the worlds and then what is in their hearts... they might lighten up, we got to at least try showing them."

His friends felt it was the only real solution, the boy felt concerned for a couple other details. "It might also help us if there are more of us out there that know more on what to do in sticky problems."

Donald knew what Sora was talking about and had a slight complication to address. "But Sora, you're not a teacher."

Goofy agreed and felt Louie's words in his head. "But maybe Sora doesn't have to be one. We ought to try something once we all get together again."

Sora agreed and focused on the current issue. "We should, but lets go find Bagheera and Baloo, lets see if Mowgli is going to be alright."

At a world with a large castle and a village.

Kairi felt her heart leading her and the light shining around her. Finding herself in a snow blown forest that had but a faint sound, a woman shouting. "Papa?!" "Papa?!"

Kairi heard horse hooves and followed, to the sight of a woman on a horse. The woman was in a long, blue coat and had strands of brown hair, she was looking around in search of something as Kairi waved. "You're looking for someone?!"

The woman gasped at the red haired stranger and felt she could trust her on an odd instinct, she approached and asked. "I'm looking for my father, he is lost out here in the cold if I don't find him."

She looked more worried as Kairi promised her. "Then I'll help you look for him! What is your name?"

The woman answered as if her heart was connecting. "Belle, yours?"

Kairi gave hers. "Kairi." She closed her eyes and felt faint thoughts towards the west, she followed her senses. She and Belle reached to a split path leading to two directions, both holding emotions of searching. Belle went to the south and let Kairi know. "I'll go this way while you look the other way!"

The princess felt a heart devoted to those close to her and went to the north west, finding little to nothing save for a few grey wolf heartless that tried to pounce on her and were quickly bested. She heard more howling and snarls as she reached a dead end, turned around and readied herself, finding a pack of six circling around her. She readied her blade and waited for the six to pounce, pounce they did. She dodged and countered with a slash, knocking them back and seeing them attack as one, she jumped out of the way, focused and flung, letting loose a star of energy that made impact and caused the heartless to rupture, letting loose the hearts with in. The girl felt more confident in herself and looked around for more clues, sensing the thoughts around, someone was around. "You seek your potential, oh Princess of Heart?"

Kairi felt the soothing whisper and looked, she felt an immense danger and readied her blade, the voice asked. "One is a novice who thinks he is unique, one stumbled down his path to glory yet learned of the dark and finally, the one who is there to save the day and had mastered so much on his own. This leads to you! The one of purest heart and has the most potential to smite the darkness that plagued the worlds."

The sense of danger worsened, Kairi felt like the words were caressing her, she heard something crawling from a corner of her mind, a faint blue image that she barely made out. It resembled something centaur like, with crab like claws. The image vanished as the voice asked. "What is it you dream? What is it you toil for? Why?"

Kairi felt a presence behind her and turned around, seeing a sight that caused her to jump back, in addition to the image she saw, she saw blue scales, pale skin that convulsed with the snow in an odd pleasure, a head of an aardvark, a body mostly slender and reptilian, a loose tail with a scorpions stinger. Horns on its head and straps that held in a sensitive sight of the torso, on its right side was a long row of exposed breasts, on the left side were a flat chest. The sight of the adorned monster made Kairi uncomfortable, the fiend drew out a tongue and sprinted to her. The girl swung her blade and knocked the fiend back, it backed into the snowy forest and disappeared. Kairi watched the fiend running side ways across the trees and felt something coming to her left. She swung and parried it's right claw claw, the fiend tried to upper cut her with its left claw. Kairi back flipped and focused, she aimed her blade that gave a stars glow and fired a small barrage of stars.

The stars caused the fiends skin to sizzle and burn, the fiend gasped and moaned. Staggering in bliss as it waddled to Kairi to attack her again, the girl dodged the claws and narrowly avoided the stinger like tail, smelling a sweet scent and feeling the surroundings distort. She felt compelled to approach the daemon, her sense of danger lessening, she shook her head and felt her mind in a dream like state. She slashed the blade in an instinct and struck the fiend's head, causing it to skid to the left. Kairi felt nothing but confusion and yelled in her distorted mind, her keyblade glowed brighter, she slammed the blade to the ground and caused white flowers to erupt and bloomed.

POW!

Light pulsed and caused Kairi to hear an unnatural shriek, she turned behind her and saw faint, unstable pink energy dissipate. She felt light headed as another image appeared before her, one of a blonde girl in a single white dress, she was shivering as her sandels barely protected her feet from the snow, she yelled out. "Kairi, Kairi wake up!"

The princess gasped and looked at the girl, was it another illusion? The girl sighed, closed her eyes and stood further back. "Come on, wake up before Belle gets worried." Kairi felt her perception clearing and looked more at the girl. "N...Namine? What... happened?"

Namine approached Kairi and let her lean on her shoulder as she answered. "Even here... even to you. If you ever hear whispers like that again, even if they make sense, ignore them. That's one of the powers of chaos we keep hearing about." Kairi shivered more as Namine calmed her down and kept her warm. "I think I know which one and how it was affecting you. Slaanesh." She placed a finger on Kairi's forehead. "That seems to be how chaos affects others. They strike at your mind and pick apart what is in your heart, no matter what it is. If we just leave Belle here... and you know who she is, she would be just as exposed... we need to figure out why a daemon like that is stalking these woods. Not just dealing with the heartless."

Kairi felt the warnings and sensed something in the distance, a smell most intoxicating, yet repulsive. "Then... we just need to go with Belle and help her out with her issues."

Namine sighed, glowed and promised her. "If anything tries to mess with your mind again, I'll be there to help you! That is the least I can do." The girl vanished and the smells lessened to none existence, Kairi felt she was grabbing onto nothing and was slow to understand what Namine did, she went south to find Belle lifting a short old man in green clothes, placing him on her horse as Kairi focused on him.

BLING!

Belle saw green light glow on the man and looked to find Kairi finishing a spell. She felt the man a little more warm and thanked her. "Come on, we need to get Papa out of here and somewhere warm." She invited Kairi to jump on with her, it was going to be a long ride.

At Olympus Colosseum

Ken spoke out loud the name of his foe. "Prophet Beast Chompah?! What were those Orruks doing?" Riku had little idea and watched a knight with a claymore make quick work of a large pink humanoid that was riding on a mammoth like monster. "Apparently all of these guys besides Garland and a couple others work under a... Dragon Hackah. There is no point asking any of these guys, Ogors, Bonesplitters or the Ironjawz." He looked at the five Ogors eating their weight in snacks, the sixty tribal Orruks that were barely wearing anything but loincloth and bones, alone with the few elite armored Orruks, they were howling for a similar thing, absolute destruction. "It's no wonder this is becoming more problematic."

Ken asked as he watched the Mammoth focused his tusks and formed icy canon balls to pelt the knight, as a last stand before the knight shifted his sword into a hammer and slammed it into the ground, sending both the mammoth and ogor flying off the arena. "As crazy these guys are, you don't sense anything else in them besides... fighting and with the Ogors... eating. How do you even do that?"

Riku saw the end of a battle and kept a cautious eye on the knight. "I did some stupid things and got too much into darkness. It... is still there. Sorry for how I acted with that... Firekeeper's Wish. Something about that... Bonfire in your story feels... wrong."

Ken sighed and stood up to prepare himself. "You didn't want some dummy repeating the same mistakes. I get that. Good luck fighting this Aesmare."

He felt a chill as he looked to a rafter in the north, finding a red haired woman in light dark clothes, giving off a predatory stare at an Orruk in tribal clothes and towards him. The stare felt even more tense, Riku felt the obvious. "I don't need luck, I have to beat her. Just focus on your match."

Ken felt a confidence boost and entered the arena, where he awaited a dancing mad Orruk that wore a tribal mask and had on his back a cloak made from the fur of some kind of beast. The Orruk howled as he readied a staff and shive. Ken focused and formed his keyblade duo, he began with a quick shot that the Orruk dodged and growled. "EEEEHA! MANTA, MANTA, MANTA!"

He chanted and glowed green, he readied his fist and threw a punch in the air. Ken saw for a brief moment a rain of glowing green fists. The boy gasped, tried to dodge and was punched in the stomach by the mighty fist. He was sent falling down with a jolt of pain and rolled up on his feet. He growled, shook his head and made a dash, his keyblades glowed and switched positions, Firekeeper's Wish being on his right hand as Cadia's Light was on his left. Beast Chompah giggled at the sight and glowed a green barrier, he charged after the boy and flailed his weapons wildly. Ken felt a pulse of air and flew behind the Orruk, he swung with Firekeeper's Wish and felt the blade to leave a sting, something as basic as a metal blade. He thrust Cadia's Light as a finisher, stabbed the Orruk and pressed a trigger, sending the Orruk falling on his stomach.

Ken closed in and saw the shot was a good compensation, the Orruk roared a bestial vigor, stood up with his arms and kicked the boy back with feet that gave a glow of clawed feet. POW! Ken had easy footing as the Orruk ranted. "MANTICORE, MANTICORE, MANTICORE!" The Orruk glowed leathery wings and took flight, a glow resembling a scorpions tail formed as the shaman chanted. "MANTICORE! MANTICORE! MANTICORE!"

He stabbed at where the boy was, Ken flew under and used a burst of air magic to reach the Orruk, he repeated his blows and watched the Orruk fall down in a spin. PULSE!

The Orruk punch the ground and let himself be consumed by the bestial energy, he resembled a spectral lion with a tribal mask, leathery wings and a scorpions tail. The audience gasped as the giant beast pounced at the boy. Ken yelped and circled to the beasts right side, letting loose a flurry of ashen swings and using the air magic to push himself afar from the scorpions tail. He switched keyblades and aimed Cadia's Light for a rapid fire barrage, the Manticore felt the sting and backed away. He skid side by side in a charge and readied a swipe, Ken swung his ashen blade horizontally and blinded the Manticore as he swung, Ken flew to the Manticore's right and licked his lips as he aimed his rifle with one hand and closed his left eye for a shot at the mask. PEW! PEW! FLING! The mask was shot off and landed near the arena's edge, leaving behind a face resembling a pigs snout and a mouth full of fanged teeth, the Manticore let loose unstable energy and let out a war cry that caused Ken to cringe in pain as a loud shout blared his ear drums. The Manticore pounced and Ken focused a charged shot. PWOW! BOOM! The Manticore was shot in the face by an intense beam, the Orruk shaman was knocked off the spectral form and landed in a thump, the Manticore faded as the Keyblade gave off an odd smoke. The many in the audience did not care and cheered for various reasons, Beast Chompah got up, panicked and went for his mask, placing it on his face as the victor left the arena and back to the stands.

He found Riku speechless and for him to guess. "...How did that shaman turn himself into that?!"

Ken wondered and sat down. "I heard those guys eat monsters they hunt... do you think that big guy might have been one of them?"

Riku was not going to question shamanistic logic. "I heard THAT was the leader of all these guys." He pointed to the howling savage Orruks and a larger Orruk with a two handed axe, the Orruk had an eye patch and blue tribal pant. "while he is their second in command. Their hearts are not darkened, but they feel nuts."

He stepped up for his part. "I'll be right back."

The silver haired teenager was next to enter the arena, where the woman in odd gear approached, having a gauntlet with glass like shards and a pistol that had purple crystals, they were not the reason Riku was convulsing. He smelled something with in the woman with elven like features, a sadistic smile and purple eyes that were nearly serpentine, her words were soft yet dripped in venom. "So a gladiator seeks to protect the mewling whelp! This would be refreshing."

Riku gagged and readied his keyblade, he dare not give this thing, who gave off aura of a heart of depraved delights, the satisfaction of seeing his distress. The woman leaped above and aimed her pistol at Riku, the boy seemingly vanished as a dark beam shot at him. The woman stoically looked around and sensed something appear behind her, she turned to parry with her arm length gauntlet and was struck to the floor. Riku glowed an aura and shot off balls of light energy, the woman saw the energy and skid underneath. She sprinted a leap like a viper and swiped at him, pew! He vanished once more and the woman aimed her pistol behind her. "Clever trick prey!"

POW!

She felt something struck at her hand, a foot, she turned around and found her prey was above her and made a back flipping kick. She landed and turned to keep her sights on Riku, she panted and slowly examined for a weakness, she saw a mixture of emotions in his eyes.

Fear, anger and disgust, she gasped and asked. "What... have you seen?"

Riku shook his head in silence and floated in the air, giving off a glow as he lifted his keyblade upward. He launched himself at the woman who jumped out of the way and tried to strike, finding him vanish in a flash.

PEW! PEW! PEW!

Riku dashed from a flash of light and vanished, then he did so again and again. Causing the woman to yell out on shock and land next to him, Riku ceased his glow and stabbed the ground with his keyblade, causing energy to erupt and strike the woman in the front, sending her flying to the ground in a thud. She tried to get up and spit out a curse. "How would a worth-" She coughed. "worthless mon-keigh do that!"

She growled in a mixture of battered pain and humiliation, she sighed and laid still in defeat. The human audience were silent save for one boy clapping, Riku turned around and hissed at her. "When you wake up, get out!"

He returned to the rafters and to a thankful Ken, the boy realized something. "Wait a minute, I'm going to have to fight that?!"

Riku looked at him coldly. "It's better me than her! Remember what I said about that keyblade?" He pointed at Firekeeper's Wish, Ken looked still in fear. "...That... its dark in its origins?"

Riku nodded. "There is being that and there is... her. That keyblade is nothing compared to her."

Ken looked to have his mouth wide, Riku took a deep breath and sat down. "If she isn't stupid, she would take my advise. She shouldn't be after you here anymore."

Ken asked. "Was she... working with that robed guy?!"

Riku wouldn't be against that. "She didn't show up until that Farseer did." He stopped himself and watched a conclusion to the first round, a large Orruk with a large ax stepped in to confront a large brown minotaur that roared. "You told Lord Hades to zog off?!"

The Orruk smiled maliciously and looked at the larger foe eye to eye. "And that wimpy git sent ya! My boys iz having some steak tonight!"

He grabbed his axe and charged with a bellowing.

"WAAAAAAAAAGH!"

In a wasteland leading to ruins.

Aqua felt herself out of her trance and saw a faint orchard behind, she looked ahead to see the Stormcast Army reaching to ruins with erect obelisks. Arreia signaled her group to halt, observing all around and ordering. "We will stop here for a moment. Aqua." She took out a bag of rations and tossed it at her. "Rest up before we continue. Beyond these these obelisks is a waste land that would span for miles. I..." She confessed. "I don't have much of a plan beyond that. We are far away from any of Nagash, his forces and those ghouls though."

Aqua took her stash and felt her blood pumping as she looked back. "I... might try something. But..." She looked at the stoic Knight Azyros with pity, she sensed a stripped heart as she watched the knight ready meat for his gryph hounds. "I was told about what happens when a Stormcast gets reforged. Tarnos is among them?"

Arreia cringed as she had her soldiers keep watch. "It was inevitable someone told you. He died once protecting a gate in the Realm of Metal from a Tzeentch incursion and another just recently. A battle Ana may have told you about. We are lucky he was still able to do this for all his hounds."

Tarnos lowered himself and watched the hounds eating, it was the one piece of his heart that shine, Aqua guessed. "He really loved these gryph hounds."

Arreia nodded. "That he does, before he became a Stormcast, he spent most of his life in Ghuur with a pack of bone raptors. He knows how to tend to animals, he still does."

Davas over heard and let Tarnos know. "Back there wasn't much of a battle as it was... an escape. You and your hounds will have a moment to shine soon enough."

Aqua couldn't stand what she was listening to and asked. "Was there any way to fix him back? Look at all of you, does this look-" She stopped as Arreia sighed. "If Sigmar was able to fix the reforged, he would have. In the end, all that is left is our duty." Aqua took a deep breath, looked at her right hand and let a keyblade form. "...It's... just his heart that is broken. What... can be fixed?"

She approached Tarnos with her weapon ready, the mass of Stormcast flinched as Anatesis got off of Moonfang, the five gryph hounds looked at Aqua and stood ready with a series of angry squawks.

Ana grabbed Aqua by the strap on her back and yelled out. "Aqua, if you go near Tarnos his gryph hounds will attack ya! What are you doing?"

Aqua turned to her friend and answered with a crestfallen frown. "I... I want to see what is still in his heart. Maybe-" Davas asked with an optimistic hum. "Maybe you can find what can be put together. His first reforge was so long ago and you know what happens on the second one. None of us know about... you attempted something like this?"

Aqua stopped and answered. "I know of this, but I haven't tried it yet... not until I figure out how... but Tarnos and Ventus have two different conditions. Maybe if I can put together Tarnos's heart... I would be able to help Ventus when I get back home."

Arreia was confused under her helmet, she pulled it off to show her ruby eyes and a face questioning Aqua's decision in a baffled manner. "That is what you can do with a Keyblade? Of all the outrageous..." She was stopped by Sathea asking gently. "Arry, what if it works? We would finally have a way for Sigmar to fix all of them."

Arreia stopped and asked. "And what if it doesn't? We tried everything and there is a detail Sigmar hadn't told us yet."

Sathea looked up to her superior and took off her helmet, readying something that made Arreia grow cold. "Don't! Don't do this to me, I'm your officer! Don't you dare give me tha-" Sathea took her helmet off and revealed a feminine face with a scar on her neck, leading to her shaved scalp that revealed a brown, short pony tail, she had silver eyes that looked pleading. Arreia felt struck as Ana whispered to Aqua. "I think they were close comrades. That's why Sathea's trick works when trying to talk about ideas that have nothing to do with battle."

The Keyblade Master gasped and nodded. "Ah!" The Lord Arcanum fought the look back with a scowl, she directed at Aqua with an order. "One condition! Only if the gryph hounds allow it! They only allow those they trust to go near Tarnos! If they are not going to let you near him after hearing THAT, you can forget about it and get back to your break."

The gryph hounds stubbornly stood their ground, Aqua sat on her knees and asked with a smile. "I... am doing this because I want to try something for a friend of mine. But your master is hurting, I want to help him."

The gryph hounds kept still, took the words to heart and barked to each other, debating on something. The five looked back at Aqua, their stare didn't lessen, they stood aside and waited, one with black feathers and a white body with black stripes squawked at her. Ana felt she understood. "They want to see if you can do it before chasing you away from Tarnos."

Aqua took a deep breath and stood up as Arreia nearly cracked a hopeful shine. "That is more trust than they would give if this doesn't work. Good luck."

Aqua felt the wishful hearts of the Stormcasts and approached Tarnos with her keyblade, she focused and caused the blade to glow. She aimed at the Knight Azyros's chest.

PEW!

A beam shot at his chest, the Tarnos gave a nudge and stilled, a light consumed, Aqua's vision, she opened her eyes and found herself floating above a realm gate, where a group of Stormcasts, humans and dwarves battled against a horde of darkened warriors. Coming at both sides were a horde of spiders. One particular Stormcast shined a lantern against a massive blue bird demon that had pink feathers, in a last attempt to vanquish a great enemy. A man on top of a large, yellow lizard that was adorn in black armor charged at the knight, slicing him in two with his mighty axe.

Aqua saw a scarred soul float to the heavens above, skeletal hands glowed around and peeled at him. The keyblade master glared and flew at the hands, striking them back and causing them twitch. The soul glowed with a halo and sparkled in lighting.

PEW!

Aqua felt the storm and found herself falling to a citadel, one underneath a floating black pyramid, she saw clouds of storm fighting from the claws of vile specters. Aqua focused her keyblade and shot light at the specters, she flew to the storm and felt a sparking soul in her grasp. Then came four in a similar struggle, Aqua struck the specter down and seized the soul fragments, they sparked together and crackled together, forming into a blue heart, it looked to be part of a larger fragment, she thought to herself. "More of his soul is out there... what if-" Her thought was interrupted as the tempest of souls wailed in agony, each fragmented and scattered, little different from the rest, they flew up towards the black pyramid, she felt an impossible task and sighed. "How long had it been since he first died?"

She felt comfortable with retreating with her claim, the experiment had to work, as she focused, she saw a faint shadow floating down from the pyramid, a skeletal man in grand, black, regal attire, on his shoulders were spine like tendrils that shifted and turned, on the left hand was a tome and on the right was a massive staff. He looked down at Aqua in a glare of hatred and hissed. "THE SOULS OF THE STORMCASTS BELONG TO ME! ALL SOULS BELONG TO ME! YOU ARE A FOOL IF YOU THINK YOU'RE EFFORTS WOULD AID THAT FOOL SIGMAR!" Aqua saw green eyes glow as she kept her focus, the lich looked at the keyblade and glowed in a flurry of souls. "YOU ARE FROM THE REALM OF HEARTS?! YOU'RE SUFFERING WOULD BE LEGEND!"

He laughed and reached out to Aqua with a spectral, skeletal hand. The woman felt light shine around her, sending her to a void with a forge bellow, she took a deep breath at her escape and let herself fall with the heart in hand. She landed and looked around to find a collection of images roaring and squawking, five large feathered bird like dinosaurs of white plumage, along with five gryph hounds Aqua was familiar with; one with black feathers and a white body with black stripes, another with blue feathers and a purple body, another with red feathers and an orange body, another with black feathers and a brown body, finally a gryphon like hound with pink feathers and blue skin. They along with a vast amount of squawking echo'd, Tarnos certainly had a long history with gryph hounds, not just the five. Aqua placed the blue heart on the forge and jumped back, she aimed her keyblade and let it fire a beam.

It caused a chain reaction, the heart crackled like a white bolt of lightning and let loose a mighty.

BOOM!

Aqua felt herself knocked far and into reality. Like she was struck by lightning, she was slammed across a pillar and was dazed, Ana gasped and ran to her. "Aqua, what happened!" The keyblade master tried to get up and watched the Knight Azyros sit still. Like something awakened with in, his halo faded and he held his head. He grumbled as the stripped gryph hound approached him and nuzzled, a heavy breathing was heard and a deep, other wordly voice spoke. "Zeb?!"

The gryphon gasped as the blue feathered gryphon joined in, the Stormcast more openly addressed it. "Zephy!" The black and brown gryph hound joined in with more joy. "Hrafn." The red one bolted at him for a tackle and was called. "Bolt." Finally the pink one that slowly approached among the rest. "Nimbus... ha... ha." He gave attention to them all with a great hint of affection, Arreia was in disbelief. "...No way! We got to be-"

Eldriel chuckled and kept looked away from his watch. "We are not, I think we might have gotten Tarnos back with us."

The Knight Azyros looked at the Vanguard Pallador and tilted his head stoically and asked. "I always been here."

Sathea cringed and placed her helmet on her head. "Some of him at least." She asked Aqua. "His first reforging was a long time ago, you were only able to recover the most recent damages I assume?" The keyblade master wiped something from her eyes and answered. "Parts of his heart... his soul, were all lost in a stream. His soul wasn't damaged by the reforging, someone was taking bits and pieces of it! A skeletal man you might have mention has to be behind it... does he have a black pyramid?"

The Stormcast gasped and Arreia cringe to order. "Nagash! He was the one responsible for-" She stopped, an anger worthy of a Stormcast boiled. "He was responsible for all of that... and he saw you?!"

She focused as the evocators joined in, Anatesis warned Aqua. "You might have just pissed of Nagash, in his realm. As if we haven't had more reasons to keep going."

Arreia calmed down and looked at Aqua proudly. "He hasn't noticed us, thank Sigmar... but now his whole army is going to come after you!"

She looked at the keyblade for the answer why as Aqua didn't care. "I been hunted endlessly for a decade, he isn't new." Ana agreed to that and got on Moon Fang. "Yeah, but you rather be back in the Realm of Darkness than you would with what Nagash wants from ya!"

Aqua felt a rage in the far corner of the realms and focused her keyblade towards a door way leading to the wasteland. "And he let his anger loose. I... I think I can make sure we don't get lost."

She calmly meditated and felt visions shifting and turning, a grassy plane with vast mountains, in front of a starless gate was a stone resembling a heart and a familiar lich arriving, with a man in red robes being bound by a tight collar and a bone spike. He focused a spell that drew in souls and ordered. "SOULBLIGHT! DESCEND UPON STYGXX AND SLAUGHTER ALL WHO INTERFERES! NIGHT HAUNT, FIND THAT GIRL AND BRING HER SOUL TO ME! SO BE THE WILL OF NAGASH!"

She felt a cave way near a crypt that was not far ahead and opened her eyes, she aimed her blade at the gateway, her keyblade shined for a path. "Nagash is in Stygxx with some... stone at a Realmgate! I found a place we can reach to, but we need to be fast." Tarnos shook his head and stood in her way. "To go there, would be what he wants! Stop before you fall into his clutches."

Arreia rolled her eyes and ordered. "Welcome back Tarnos. But he is planning something big and we need to stop him! If Aqua's heart is leading her, then it will get us all through a safe enough path to where his forces won't matter much. That stone... if it is about hearts, could be Aqua's way of getting back as well. I do not plan for any of us dying on this mission, but it is very likely!"

She looked at the rank and file troops as Nerax tugged Tarnos away with an apology. "Our forces are not meant to take Nagash head on. We require a strategy to get the stone and undo what ever plan he has... this... is our best one."

Tarnos looked upon his ready gryph hounds, who looked at him with fierce loyalty, he nodded to them and readied his lantern. "Then we will see through this together!"

He flew out of the way as Nerax looked above to find a green cloud forming, no, a flock of specters. He signaled to the Stormcasts, who mounted up and readied themselves, Aqua fired her beam at the gate way and caused it to open a keyhole, leading to the grassy plane on the other side. She jumped onto Moonfang as Arreia ordered her troops. "They are closing in north! Aqua, will this close on the way out?"

Aqua promised her. "I'll make sure it does!"

Arreia smiled and yelled out. "We ride!" She lead the way through, followed by her second in command, then Ana, her charge and Moonfang, followed by the knights, gryph hounds and rear guard evocators. On the other side, Aqua saw the cloud of night haunt flying down to the key way. She aimed her blade and shoot a beam as a knight of shrouds on a ethereal steed was moments away from reaching through, with a group of wraiths. The key way shined and closed the way out. Out of the crypt, they found the vast field that lead towards a mountain way north west. Charging towards the east was a vast swarm of sixteen bats, two ten man calvary of crimson knights on crimson horses. The army skeletal, rotten dragon with glowing yellow eyes, on top was a man in crimson armor and a lance. Arry readied herself on an order. "And here comes the calvary! Come on, lets bring these vampires back to the earth!"

In a house covered in snow.

Kairi watched Belle tending to her recuperating father, he slowly woke up to a girl with long brown hair tied into a pony tail, in a simple blue town outfit with a white under dress he asked on questioning reality. "Belle?" The girl shh at him and gently let him know. "It's alright Papa, I'm home."

The father and daughter gave each other a gentle embrace, the man spoke in relief. "I thought I never see you again!"

Belle returned in kind. "I missed you so much."

They let go as the man asked confused. "But the Beast? Did you... how did you escape?"

The girl giggled. "I didn't escape Papa. He let me go."

The man scowled at the thought as Kairi felt she knew who Belle was talking about, the man asked. "That horrible Beast?"

Belle answered back. "But he is different now, Papa... he..." Kairi answered with her. "I... might have heard about him from a friend. He doesn't sound bad."

The man looked more surprised and relaxed. "Who else could have been allowed in that castle?"

Belle knew exactly know, felt the connection and tried to answer as her bag shook and opened, letting out a mirror and a chipped tea cup, its handle was like a nose and there was something of a face. "Hi!" He jumped towards the man as Belle giggled. "Oh a stowaway."

The man recognized the tea cup and laughed with his daughter. "Oh, hello there, little fella. Didn't think I'd see you again."

The tea cup turned to Belle and asked. "Belle, why'd you go away? Didn't you like us anymore?"

Belle wished to answer as Kairi felt a familiar voice in her mind, crying. The princess excused herself and left to a corner, she felt her vision shift and saw a sight that nearly broke her, Namine on a lonely chair, looking distraught as a symbol looking both masculine and feminine whispered in a harsh, condescending tone. "Why do you mask yourself in her shadow? Why do you shield her from us?"

Namine refused the answer as the voice became worse. "You are nothing! An illusion, a voice, a nobody. If she knows the truth." Tears streamed down as the voice turned into a tone of venom. "If she knows what you done to him, why he never came back-" Kairi growled at the image, drew out her keyblade and stood in front of the symbol. The symbol's glow ceased and formed eight arrows, an eye of most pristine silver opened to gaze upon her, she nearly broke her scowl on the small feeling that she was under the gaze of a god. The voice gasped smugly. "Oh, you were listening?" Kairi felt the words in the back of her mind hiss. "You know more than anyone what we were talking about, go ahead, ask her."

Kairi glared at the image and aimed her blade at it. "I don't care if I do, get lost!"

The eye's pupil widened, the voice scoffed. "Would you still be protecting her if you knew. HA!"

Namine felt more guilty as Kairi focused a beam, she hissed back at the voice. "GET OUT!"

PEW!

The beam pierced into the eye and caused it to vanish, leaving behind a symbol that faded, hissing back in contempt. "FINE! Continue this foolish resistance, it won't matter in the end."

Kairi kept her guard and went to a crying Namine, she gave the girl a hug and patted her on the back, the image shifted to a familiar island. The blonde girl was still as Kairi let go and perked. "Forget what that thing told you, I don't care what you did. You're my friend and you will still be my friend." Namine looked doubtful at a truth as Kairi continued. "If what that thing said was true, it wouldn't change that." The princess thought more and gasped at a detail. "This is what you are putting yourself through so THAT doesn't go after me."

Namine looked up to find eyes dripping tears, the embrace continued, she hugged Kairi back. "I...needed to do something."

Kairi giggled at Namine with an attempt to give advise back. "If you hear those whispers again, ignore them. They are just trying to mess with you, if they are... I'll be there, I can do that for you."

The pep talk calmed Namine, she smiled and looked at the sun. "Thank you." The sound of a riot was heard, Namine gasped and warned Kairi. "I think Belle might have had a life outside of that Castle Sora talked about. We need to find out what it was about." Kairi felt her vision returned and heard more, a familiar old man explaining something and being mocked.

She stepped out of the house to find many towns people with torches and pitch forks. In a dark corner was a muscular huntsman in a red shirt, enjoying the havoc as an even more elderly man watched some towns guard carrying Belle's father a cart labeled for an insane asylum. Kairi looked at a defensive Belle being harassed by the huntsmen and felt the many words being aimed at Belle's father to be grating. The huntsmen tssked tsskd and spoke towards the towns girl. "Poor Belle. It's a shame about your father!" Belle pleaded with the man. "You know he's not crazy, Gaston."

The man hummed to something that he had well planned. "Hmm, I might be able to clear up this... little misunderstanding."

Kairi's mouth dropped, this whole thing was indeed planned, Gaston offered his bargain. "If..." Belle asked. "If what?"

Gaston answered in a whisper. "If you marry me?"

Belle gasped in disgust. "What?!"

Gaston continued and went closer in his harassment. "One little word Belle, that's all it takes."

Belle pushed him away with her answer. "Never!"

Gaston dismissed it and walked off. "Have it your way!"

Belle watched the guards carry her struggling father off to the crazy cart and thought of an idea. She rushed in the house to get something as Kairi stood out of the way, trusting a fellow princess's instinct, in a few moments, Belle ran out with a mirror and pleaded with the town. "My father is not crazy and I can prove it!" The towns people looked on as Belle asked the mirror. "Show me the Beast."

The mirror glowed and she shined it to the town, showing the image of a brown, rugged beast giving off a roar of anguish. The mob gasped on in horror as Gaston squinted his eyes in suspicions, a woman in the crowd asked. "Is it dangerous?!"

Belle approached the mob and looked at the image of the mirror with a hint of longing. "Oh, no, no he'd never hurt anyone. Please I know he looks vicious but he is really kind and gentle." Gaston felt envy as Belle finished. "He is my friend."

The huntsmen interrupted the woman and had her face him. "If I didn't know any better I'd think you had feelings for this monster."

Belle shook the man off and stood up. "He is not a monster, Gaston. You are!"

Kairi gasped and cheered for Belle. "You tell him!"

Gaston gritted his teeth, took the mirror and shouted to the town. "They are as crazy as the old man!" He yelled to the towns people. "The Beast will make off with your children. He'll come after them in the night!" The towns people fell for their fear as Belle and Kairi saw a town falling to deception, Gaston yelled more. "We are not safe till his head is mounted on my wall!" The towns people cheered with him as he yelled his wishes. "I say we kill the Beast!"

The town cheered in agreement, their superstition giving in, Kairi readied her keyblade and felt a familiar girl's hands on her shoulders, she turned her eyes to Namine, who whispered to her. "If we do that, we would make the towns people more afraid."

She looked as Gaston was singing a tune. "So it's time to take some action boys, its time to fight!"

Namine shook her head in disgust. "He still needs to be stopped, maybe we still-" Gaston threw the torch into a hay pile and caused it to ignite, he continued to spark the town peoples fears to follow him and help him in murder, Belle had it and tried to wrestle the mirror off of him, Kairi went to try and aid, both were pushed away and overwhelmed by the angry mob. Gaston saw the two ladies rebelling and concluded verbally. "Well if you are not with us, you are against us!" He ordered the eager towns people. "Bring me the old man!" Kairi thrashed and struggled as the towns people threw her, Belle and the old man into a basement as Gaston continued. "We can't have them running off to warn the creature!" Belle and Kairi felt the basement door close and tried to push out to no avail, Gaston finished with a question. "We will rid the village of this beast! Who's with me!"

Kairi kept pushing as Namine appeared from the shadows and advised her. "Just...wait, once the mob is gone, use the keyblade!"

Kairi understood and whispered to Belle and her father. "Just give me a moment, I got something that wouldn't make a scene."

She aimed her keyblade as Belle's eyes lighten to the idea. "Of course! But we need to hurry." They listened to marching leaving, Kairi focused her beam and heard the sound of something whistling and rolling, she stopped and heard something chopping something at the door, no, crashing. She jumped back to find an odd wood cutting machine roll into the basement and shatter on impact. Seeing a chipped tea cup hanging on a spring with his handle. Kairi and Namine looked at each other awkwardly as Belle and her father readied a plan. Namine smiled nervously. "Or, that can happen." Her smile was more determined. "When in double, someone finds a way."

Belle asked Kairi. "I know where the castle is, we need to get there before it is too late." Kairi let her keyblade fade and thought of something. "I... don't know much of this little trick I can pull. But it could help, remember that... healing spell I did?"

In the land of Stygxx

Nerax aimed his bow and flew from behind at one of the group of blood knights, his arrows struck one of the knights in the heart as the eagle swooped the knight off his horse. Tarnos shined his lantern and caused a knight to howl and fall off. Exposing the rest for the evocators to focus a spell, Arreia focused in the palm of her hand a mixture of arcane and lightning, it sparked like a super cell, the Lord Arcanum looked back at the blood knights with a smile. "Watch this!"

BOOM!

A bolt of lighting struck the pursuing knights and caused two more of them to fly off. Aqua saw the dwindling numbers and readied a fire spell to finish off an injured knight as the evocators combined a combined shot of lightning bolts to weaken another. PEW! PEW!

Dashing to the dwindling knights sides was cross bow bolts and javelin throws followed by three gryph chargers and five gryph hound charges that quickly dispatched the riders. Aqua jumped to the full group of ten and spun, the blood knights growled as the leader of the group hissed. "What is this blood try-" Magic glowed and created a mighty twister, causing the ten to be lifted up and spin in the wind, they screamed and wailed as the vampire lord on the dragon focused his own spell, summoning a stone crypt wall with moaning zombies reaching out. Anatesis growled and turned as the calvary turned around to face the dragon taking a deep breath. The Champion Templar had Moonfang leap with all its might at the dragon's chest to blast and blast a breath of lighting along with piercing with its talons, Anatesis slammed her hammer on the dragon's face. Causing the steed to fall back to the ground and try to fight the dracoth off with its sword like claws, the dragon tried to bite into Ana and missed with two chomps, he bit into Ana on its third try and caused massive punctures as the knight stabbed at her with his lance.

The flying blood knights scattered, their leader laid battered and was crushed under two flying horses with two of the riders, the remaining seven charged at Aqua with their swords and hooves. The Keyblade Master side stepped with a flip and fired a fire ball barrage, taking two more down and leaving the five to receive a charge of six dracolines. Arreia focused to the dragon and charged an arcane bolt that was significantly weaker than her previous one. "Ana, watch out!"

The Champion Templar sensed the power and ducked from the dragons maw, causing it to receive a blast of arcane power that fractured its skull. The knight leaped off and sprouted wings of a bat, looking at the field to find a foe aiming close range magic missiles at the bats, Aqua.

Nerax aimed his bow and warned Aqua. "Vampire lord at your seven!"

The Keyblade Master turned around to find the vampire charging to her with his lance. She side stepped and readied a blow as the vampire landed and raised his hand up. Causing a barrier of blood to form in a wide radius. The Vampire looked at her with a mixture of hunger and a warriors vigil. "In all my years, I had not met someone who was able to cripple a squad of my elite calvary like that on her own." He gave a polite gesture. "Even less so one who was able to anger Lord Nagash much so! I am Count Asema of the Dragon Warriors, you?"

Aqua dared not let her guard down. "Master Aqua! Run while you can or you will pay the price."

The count kept his wings in flight, tossed his lance aside and drew out a sword, he gave a respectful bow to her as he watched the stormcasts fight against his bat horde and undo his spell. "I'm sorry Master Aqua, I cannot do that. You are the kind of warrior that would sate my appetite, in more ways than one."

He looked down upon her and expected her to understand fully what he meant, he and dived down with his blade aimed for Aqua's heart. The Keyblade Master dodged and countered with a close range fire slash, causing the vampire to growl and howl. He kicked forward and charged a spell, firing an arcane bolt at her for small damage, Aqua floated towards the left and fired magic missiles of her own, knocking the helmet off to reveal a bald head with bat like features. He snarled and focused his gaze on her to hiss a curse.

"Boiled veins."

Aqua felt a warmth in her veins, a warmth that became something boiling, that boiling became something that caused her to couch and fall over, her very body shook out of control, her fists clenched and she felt pale and numb. She sweated as the vampire felt a spell that worked. "Ah with a simple word, your blood betrays you." He approached slowly. "Even the greatest of warriors falter to my curse! Consider it an honor to die by that and my blade, rather than the jaws of some beast."

He readied his blade as Aqua felt her body trying to get up, the battle wasn't over, she tried to force herself up and showed the vampire a sight he didn't expect, her eyes were blood shot and she kept an expression determined for something, the vampire smiled impressed. "There is something driving you... even as my curse destroys you, that something is driving you." He readied a frontal stab and asked. "Before you die, tell me!"

He charged as Aqua focused her blade, lowered herself and shot at the vampire like a ray of light. The vampire felt the thrust and an intense burning with in, he coughed and looked down to find the keyblade puncturing his chest, blood dripped from his maw as he felt his flesh burning from with in, Aqua whispered to him. "The people I carry on in my heart."

The vampire put it together and felt more light pulsing through him, the pain became much and he began to howl, his blood barrier died down and let a battling stormcast through, Ana charged in first to watch the vampire rupture in light and burn, scorching into a fire ball and pulsing out in light, leaving behind a skeleton that crumbled into dust. Aqua fell on her knees and was shaking as Ana picked her up and asked. "That vampire did a number on you! Are you breathing."

Aqua felt her blood cooling and nearly went limp, she gasped and looked up to the mountain. "I...I'm still alive, huff, huff."

She breathed slowly as Ana saw to her having the front seat of Moonfang's back. Arreia and Nerax looked around to find nothing of note, save for a gathering of specters over at the mountain and the sky shifting, in the amethyst sky came stars that shifted to the face of grinning frog with red eyes. Both were speechless and looked to the mountain, something was happening. The Knight Vendator asked the keyblade wielder. "I believe divine intervention has graced us. We should consider taking Dracothian's blessing and win this day."

Arreia agreed and asked Aqua. "Do you know any magic that can keep yourself holding on for a little longer? Another battle has begun."

The woman focused and gave a pulse of green light that shined across the band, they felt their wounds healing, Aqua nearly passed out and felt the relief, she kept holding on and focused on the path ahead. "We... we have one more before this can be over. What... is happening over there?"

Arreia had her dracoline begin the charge as she felt a necromancy chanting. "It is how you and Ana escaped the Realm of Darkness but with the force of a full army! I'll explain our strategy along the way." She ordered. "Hurry, before that Necromancer finishes his spell!"


	10. The Battle at Death's Door

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, if you really like Aqua and even some of the Stormcast characters, you're going to REALLY hate Nagash.
> 
> He is THE most evil character in Warhammer's setting and it says a lot, most of you KH fans who never heard of him should know, I might still be sugar coating just what kind of evil this psychopath is capable of.
> 
> Enjoy.

During a late night in the jungle, Bagheera finished giving Baloo a lecture as Sora, Donald and Goofy were in full agreement with the panther. "And further more, Mowgli seems to have man's ability to get into trouble and you're influence hasn't exactly-" Baloo watched over the sleeping child and shh'd. "Keep it down you're going to wake up little buddy. He's had a big day. He's a real socceroo." He looked at Bagheera carefree. "You know it ain't easy learning to be me."

Bagheera scoffed at the notion. "A disgraceful performance, associating with those undesirable scatterbrained apes?" He looked at the child in concern. "I hope Mowgli learned something from that experience."

Mowgli hummed a familiar tune in his sleep, Baloo recognized it with pride. "Ah, that's my boy."

Bagheera walked away from the nonsense, leaving the trio of visitors to watch Baloo use a leaf to blanket Mowgli, its clear that despite his carefree attitude Baloo DOES care for the child. Bagheera asked Baloo as he was at a distance. "Over here, I would like a word with you."

Baloo did as Goofy and Donald stood guard of Mowgli, the bear was annoyed. "A word? You're going to talk some more?"

Sora looked up and suggested. "I think there is something you need to get." Bagheera agreed and suggested to him. "The same for you. I... think I understand where you came from."

The trio looked astonished as the monkey asked. "You... do?"

Bagheera nodded. "You three are not from the jungle, I... only need one of you here."

Sora approached with Baloo, ready for the panthers words, Bagheera focused on Baloo, feeling heavy about what he is to say to Sora. "Baloo, the man cub must go back to the man village. The jungle is not the place for him."

Baloo went for some grapes on the tree and voiced back. "I grew up in the jungle, take a look at me."

Bagheera looked at the swollen black eye and cheek and pointed out the bruises. "Yes, just look at yourself, look at that eye."

Baloo looked at the reflection and marveled it. "Yeah, it's beautiful ain't it?"

Bagheera looked in the reflection with him and scoffed. "Frankly you're a disreputable psyche!"

Baloo pointed out with the bruised eye. "Well you don't look exactly like a basket of fruit yourself."

Bagheera scoffed at the reflection as Sora voiced in what he understand. "You both got hurt trying to rescue him from those monkeys. You both care about him but-" Bagheera appreciated the input and asked Baloo for his attention. "Baloo, you can't adopt Mowgli as you're son?"

Baloo felt shocked and asked. "Why not?"

Bagheera sighed to one of the details. "How can I put it, birds of a feather should flock together. You wouldn't marry a Panther would you?"

Baloo shrugged to Sora like he had no idea what Bagheera was talking about, the monkey shrug back, the bear answered. "I don't know. Ha, ha! Come to think of it, no Panther ever asked me."

Sora thought it was a good point and asked. "But I think... he is talking about how he needs to be with his own... back to the world he belongs. Come on, take this more seriously."

Baloo was more annoyed and scratched his chin. "Oh stop worrying you two, stop worrying, I'll take care of him."

Bagheera sarcastically responded. "Yes, like you did when the monkeys kidnapped him."

Baloo scratched his back on a tree and asked. "Can't a guy make one mistake?"

Bagheera disagreed with a statement that left Sora in thought. "Not in the jungle! And another thing, sooner or later Mowgli will meet Shere Khan."

Baloo stopped scratching and asked. "The tiger?! What's he got against the kid?" The panther answered. "He hate's man with a vengeance you know that! Because he fears mans gun and mans fire."

Sora remembered the heartless around the jungle and even the Great Ape and what occurred. "That... must be the source of the darkness in the jungle... all of it is something... man has."

Baloo understood that and pointed out. "But...little Mowgli don't have those things! He wouldn't even think about them."

Sora agreed and looked at his friends behind. "He wouldn't, but most... do."

Bagheera had another detail in regards to the looming danger. "And even if, Shere Khan won't wait until he has the chance to learn of it. Just one swipe."

The danger was enough for even Baloo to take seriously, parental fear was felt. "Well, well, what are we going to do?"

Bagheera answered. "We will do what is best for the boy."

Baloo agreed, ready for the instruction. "You better believe it, you name it and I'll do it!"

Bagheera finally had the point shown to Baloo. "Good, then make Mowgli go to the man village."

The bear heard the two words once more. "Are you out of you're mind, I promised he can stay in the jungle with me!"

Bagheera pointed out. "That's the point, as long as he is with you he's in danger! So it's up to you."

Baloo asked nearly loud enough to wake the sleeping. "Why me?"

Sora answered that. "Because the kid isn't going to listen to Bagheera... he needs to hear it from his buddy." Baloo was backed in a corner of the argument as the sun risen. "I love that kid, I love him like he was my own cub."

Bagheera asked the bear. "Then think about what is best for Mowgli and not yourself!" Baloo felt distraught and asked. "Well can't I wait until morning?" Bagheera felt a heavy heart at what he finally go through to Baloo. "It's morning now."

There really wasn't much time to decide, it was a now or never, Bagheera had Baloo ready for the morning trip. Leaving just him and Sora, Bagheera asked. "You and you're friends... came to the jungle for a reason?"

The monkey looked at the bear that was waiting for the child to wake up. "We... did, you know we are not from this jungle."

Bagheera sighed. "Or any jungle, you have something man uses."

Sora thought of what as Bagheera pointed it out. "A weapon, do you think anyone in the jungle uses that? Or magic? You're not really a monkey are you?"

He calmly looked at Baloo, who was looking back with a heavy heart. Sora took a deep breath and answered. "No... me, Donald and Goofy... are not what we look like. We... look like this because of how... how."

Bagheera helped him finish. "Because of the world outside of jungle. Like the man village?"

Sora felt it was a good comparison. "Like... the man village, to Mowgli... this jungle was the only world he knew... despite... how he came from that man village. It's... like the people me and my friends are looking for, there is a world only they know... and they can't stay in this world."

Bagheera felt he understood the concept. "And that is why your journey may take you to the man village. A world away from the jungle and a world far from the man village. Just-" He chuckled and looked at the monkey with a small smile. "How long are you and you're friends going to use those silly disguises? Hmm?"

Sora looked at Donald and Goofy feeling something amiss with Baloo, the monkey smiled back at the panther. "...If... you promise to keep a secret, we will show you the truth when we finish helping out with Mowgli... in case some heartless or any outsiders try anything funny." He stopped and realized what he said, Bagheera kept silent to the error and asked. "Outsiders, hmm."

They watched Baloo gently waking Mowgli up. "Mowgli... Mowgli, um... it's time to get up."

The boy slowly woke up. "Oh...yawn! Hi Baloo."

The bear was hiding a heavy pain in his heart. "Hey, rub that sleep out of your eyes. You and me uh... we got a long walk ahead of us."

Mowgli perked up to another eventful day with his Papa Bear. "Swell, gee we will have lots of fun together."

Sora tried to hide a cringe as Baloo pretended to agree. "Sure uh..yeah... yeah."

He lead the way. "Alright let's hit the trials!" He gave his parting to the panther. "See ya around... Bagheera."

Mowgli gave his parting in blissful innocent. "Well, goodbye Bagheera, me and Baloo, we got things to do."

The two walked off as Bahgeera hid his own heavy heart. "Goodbye man cub and good luck."

With Baloo and Mowgli out of sight, Sora looked to Donald and Goofy like he committed a great sin, the duck noticed and asked. "Bagheera, what did you and Sora talked about?"

Sora looked to Bagheera and answered. "I... kind of told him about where we were from and what we are."

Donald gasped and quacked. "Sora, we were not suppose to talk about that."

Goofy agreed with that. "We are-" He swallowed and knew Bagheera was right there. "Uh-oh, eh."

The panther spoke in Sora's defense. "I know you are here for you're own reasons. That is what some...World Order is about. You... wouldn't have the tools that you do if you were from the jungle."

Sora sighed. "He is one of the smartest guys we met. It... is already too late for us to hide it from him."

Goofy sighed and looked to the water. "Hyeah."

Donald hesitated and sighed in defeat as Bagheera looked like he heard something. He turned around and found nothing, his ears shifted, he heard something yet again. "...Did... you hear that?"

Donald listened and heard nothing. "...You are hearing things?"

Bagheera looked around as Sora heard something shifting in the leaves, he drew out his keyblade and felt a whisper in his mind. "He knows about other worlds, that is the law between man and jungle. What lies beyond the veil of the abyss? What would happen if the abyss stares back?"

A fire sparked under Bagheera's shadow, the panther turned to face it and was intrigued, it shifted from pink to blue, growing larger and taking on a shape indescribable. Sora and Bagheera heard the voice in their minds. "What knowledge would you know? What would you gain from those secrets?"

The image stabilize and took on a form Sora, Donald and Goofy were familiar with, a Pink Horror, one that was adorned with many grimoire, eight flames formed around the party of four as reality shifted in the parties minds. One of an island Sora was familiar with, one to a medieval city Donald and Goofy were familiar with, one to a high tech city most alien to the four and one to a vast ocean of scattered rocks, Bagheera shook his head and rolled his eyes at the daemon. "Of all the-" He asked the daemon. "That is what I was afraid of, this are just worlds I wouldn't understand, I'm not of them. Tell me something, what were you even doing in the jungle?"

The daemon shifted their vision back to the jungle or a jungle most unsettling, one engulfed in a wild fire that was fueled by shadows of people battling each other. "We seek he who would bring this to the jungle! He who they know." He pointed to Sora, Donald and Goofy, who felt a glow of light shifting, "They who understand the nature of the worlds!"

The trio shined and revealed an image Bagheera was less than surprised to, a human, dog like person and a duck like person. Bagheera shook his head at the daemon. "And that is why they were trying to keep it a secret. It doesn't involve me and neither is the man you speak of. That is why Sora and the others are trying to take him back to where he came from. The jungle doesn't involve you either, so why disturb it?"

The daemon stilled as the eight danced in mischievous, malevolent pattern. "We are the messengers of Change! We seek to change the order of the worlds and deliver wonders to their hearts!"

Sora readied his keyblade as Donald took out a staff and Goofy with his shield, Bagheera felt he seen enough. "And you wouldn't be a great influence to the worlds either. You bring a destructive power to the jungle, fire."

The daemon caused the fiery image to intensify, the flames shifted into faces of distorted screams, the daemon asked. "And who do you think gave man the gift of fire?"

The pink horrors flickered a barrage of pink flames, the four dodged and Bagheera scoffed. Sora took the charge at the central daemon as Goofy bashed his shield at the dancing horrors and Donald focusing an ice spell. Bagheera sneaked into the shadows and clawed at one, causing it to split into grumpy blue horrors. The large daemon floated to the center and focused into the sky. "The knowledge of the world! Of light and darkness! These are the tools of change, of chaos!"

A black and red emblem darkened the sky, shadows dropped in droves, Sora and his group knew more trouble was coming. "And heartless too?"

The daemon chuckled and danced. "How does man learn to destroy with the knowledge of fire? How does knowledge change the nature of man? They are the answer."

Sora pulsed in light and dashed into the seven horrors, causing them to split into fourteen blue horrors, followed by another dash that split the fourteen into twenty eight brimstone horrors. Bagheera cringed and asked Sora. "What are you doing?!"

The boy answered the panther quickly as he readied for a finishing swipe. "Getting rid of these guys before this guy summons more heartless!" Bagheera focused on the daemon summoning and sneaked into the shadows, he pounced on the daemon for a mighty swipe as Goofy bashed the two blue horrors into brimstone horrors. Sora's keyblade shined into a pillar of light, he swiped the brimstone horrors into oblivion as the daemon shrieked at the claws.

The daemon vanished and appeared from the flames, he fired bolts of destruction at the four. Heartless landed and surrounded the four as the daemon laughed maniacally. "What fuels the desire for destruction? What fuels chaos? They know and they will show you!" The twenty shadows crawled towards the four, one focused on the herald. "Show them the nature of man!" The heartless kept still, disobeying the daemon, he looked at them and ordered. "Attack! Why do you resist me?"

Sora shook his head and expected the worse. "It's... like how fire can get out of control. You talk a lot... but you don't know anything."

A shadow pounced on the daemon and clawed, the daemon shrieked and flailed. "N...no, this was not my gift!"

Goofy and Donald saw the shadow dripping into the daemon, darkness consumed the pink fire and caused it to wail as it struggled. It's flailing stopped and the body sank into the darkness, causing the form to shift into a disk with a face, the disk glowed blue fire and the face resembled a cyclops with a fanged maw. The shadows ignited into fire balls and flung themselves at the four. Donald and Goofy looked at Sora as they stand in a glow, readying for something the boy was well aware of. He jumped in between and stabbed the ground, causing a circle that shot four beams of light out of the ground, it engulfed the flaming heartless and snuffed them out, leaving behind the disk that spun to reveal its back. Revealing a stoic face that shot lightning bolts, Bagheera dodged and clawed, causing the face to spin out of control, like it wasn't deciding on which face to use. Sora slashed at it and caused it to crack, it dissolved into a black mist that twisted and turned. Causing the distorted image to return to the jungle it was.

Yet the trio were in the forms they were, Bagheera looked upon the three like it was a truth he was deciphering. "So this was the reason for this World Order?" He shrugged it and asked. "You should change back before someone sees you, it isn't time yet."

Donald focused his staff to transform himself and his friends to the animals they were, a voice shouted to the distance. "Wait a minute, stop!" The four recognized the voice, Baloo's. They followed to the pleas for someone stopping and listening, along with calling the name. "Mowgli!"

Bagheera and the trio caught up with Baloo, the panther asked. "Now what's happened?" Baloo stuttered his answer. "Y...you're not going to believe me, but I used the same words you did and he ran out on me!"

Bagheera stuttered back. "Well, well don't just stand there! Let's separate! We got to find him."

Sora offered. "We will go with Baloo, Bagheera, do you know anyone who can help?" The panther nodded and readied to leave, Baloo went towards where Mowgli ran off to and felt a voice Sora heard, a voice that caused Baloo to feel more urgent. "He doesn't want to change! He wishes to stay in this world. Why do you not let him make this world his own?"

Sora readied his keyblade and called out to the voice. "Baloo doesn't want to hear any of this! Stop hiding in the shadows, daemon and fight us!"

Baloo looked across a tree and jumped back. "Wha in the rotten-" Sora turned around to find a pale vulture with loose green feathers, flying down to let out a buzzing noise. "Why do you seek to take him to a world he knows not of, isn't he happier here?"

Baloo waddled back and felt something wasn't right. "Look pal, I didn't want it either, but Mowgli can't stay in the jungle! He is a human!" He pointed to himself with his claws. "I'm a bear!"

The vulture chuckled and flapped its rancid wings. "And you became kin! Think of that before you continue searching, why let it end?"

Baloo scratched his stomach at a question he thought about, he shook his head and decided. "Because that is what is best for him! That's what."

Donald quacked and warned Baloo. "Stop listening to this thing! It's just making it worse."

Goofy agreed and bucked as six diseased vultures swooped down and laughed in unison. The central vulture broke down in flies and took form. A voice rasped in the minds of the four. "Do you know, what will happen if you bring the Corpse worshipers back to their worlds? What will happen if you bring the servants of Order back to their realms? What will happen if you bring the child back to the world of men?" A fly flew to the right of Sora and Baloo's neck, buzzing questions that caused a faint fear. "What can change a heart? To where the world left behind would be but barely a memory?"

Both swatted the flies away as the form of the vultures shifted into an image that made the four feel a sickness in their hearts, pale corpse like demons that caused the floral to break down in decay. Sora, Donald and Goofy focused on striking the three to the right into oblivion as Baloo realized fighting those things close was an unwise idea, he grabbed a boulder and threw one at the ones to the left. Crushing their bones and watching one of them climb up, ignorant of the pain and laughing. He shook his head at the daemons. "Now that aint right."

Sora saw a shadow crawling from the tree and underneath the larger daemon, that looked down and noticed. "Is this what the shadows hunger for?" He laughed and raised his arms in the air. "Then let them feast on this bounty!"

The monkey fired a beam of light at the recovering daemon and watched it fade into unstable mists, piecing together knowledge learned. "They... really are alike?"

He felt like he was going to have nightmares as the darkness consumed the laughing daemon, causing its body to shift and take form, fly like wings grew from its back and its talons sharpen. It's eyes became a trio of glowing yellow, it's maw opened to resemble a fly's proboscis. Baloo swallowed nervously and looked for another boulder as Sora leaped at the nightmare and slashed at its face. The fiend swatted the monkey off as Goofy charged, the fly buzzed high to dodge and blew out rancid wind at Donald, who waddled out of the wind and watched the trees break down. The duck shot a fire ball and knocked the fly to the ground, giving Baloo the chance to throw the boulder, swishing it and causing an unstable black mist to evaporate. Sora was shaking at the sight and hoped the thing really was dead, Donald whispered to him. "That thing is gone. Baloo, don't listen to those things. They are just trouble."

Baloo agreed and was more worried of things like that being out there where a child would run into those, least of all a tiger. "Oh man. We need to find Mowgli before Sher Khan or any of those freaks do. If anything happens to that little guy, I'll never forgive myself." He searched the brushes ahead. "We just got to find him!" He called out with paternal fear fueling his heart. "Mowgli!"

Sora slowly jumped forward and joined in. "Come on, we heard Baloo!" Donald and Goofy joined the keyblade wielder in the search for the lost man cub.

At a path to a castle.

Kairi, Belle and the old man entered past the bridge way and found the aftermath of a mostly failed invasion, severally inexperience towns people embarrassingly were overwhelmed by something of a defense force. The old man jumped off to try and investigate as Belle looked up to find one particular fight still on going, Gaston beating at a brown rugged beast the woman recognized, the Beast looked down near defeated and sparked as he saw Belle. Kairi felt a heart that was drenched in despair, reignited, that reignition gave the Beast a reason to fight back against Gaston. Kairi cheered for the Beast. "Come on get him!"

Belle shook her head and got off the horse. "Let's go Kairi, before this gets worse."

Kairi jumped off in agreement. "You lead and I'll follow."

Belle had her horse watch over the old man and stepped in to find a variety of furniture and appliances acting triumph over intruders, with little time for an explanation, she lead towards the upper east wing and was nearly caught off guard of what was with in laying in bliss. A group of six, feminine creatures with crab like claws, the pale skin and symbols on what was assumed to be wear caused Kairi's breath to lessen, she and Belle were disturbed, even more from the mocking laughter. Belle asked out loud. "What are these things doing here?!"

One of the fiends turned her head to the princesses gasped and broke out to a ghastly, banshee like shriek. The other five twisted from laying to upward and sprinting to them, Kairi yelped and swung with her blade to send out a spinning star of light energy as Belle focused and caused a barrier to form around the fighter.

Two of the fiends dissolved in a mist, letting out a hiss of frustration as four clawed at Kairi, either being parried or deflected from the barrier that popped. Belle thought of another spell and caused Kairi to attack in faster speeds, the keyblade wielder struck two more and was stuck fighting two that twisted like an intoxicated fool. Kairi dodged one and felt a claw scrapping her right hip, a sharp pain was felt, Belle charged at the fiend that looked at her slightly crimson claw and tried to lick at it, taking a book and bashing it in the head as Kairi struck the fiend that wasn't distracted out of existence. The books blunt was heavy and the fiend fell towards the floor, fading away and leaving Kairi to look down at her injured hip, finding a rather wide cut wound, she felt her spine tingle as Belle let loose a healing spell to close the wound. The book wielder agreed with the thought. "That... was disgusting."

Slow clapping was heard as a pink mist mixed by a darkened aura approached, it took form of a demon like the others, its horns were curved upward and her face looked elegant, alien like, the fiend spoke a gentle tone. "Such a show of brawn and brain, to rush so brazenly in for sense and want."

Belle felt poison near tipping from the words as she ordered. "You're not welcome here, leave!"

The demon looked at her amused. "Perhaps later, the play of prides fall is soon to begin. Oh the delight."

The demon slowly walked as Belle realized who it was talking about. "Gaston?!"

The demon giggled as something formed from its hands. "Oh how ignorant is he. To inspire a simple village towards something... barbaric, to speak not out of heroism but out of selfish pride!"

Kairi and Belle felt something slither near their shoulders and something flicking a forked tongue at their ears. "To go against the Beast, who's heart and soul strengthened from love! Who out of a strong will, would put a fool in his place." The ladies swatted at the feeling and found nothing there, the demon's gaze felt fixated upon their very essence as it asked. "Such noble souls, to come in defense of such a beast! The pinnacle of love and bravery! Such a radiant heart that shines above all others." The face distorted to a craze. "Will they remain pristine when I carve them out?"

It flung something, Kairi and Belle tried to dodge side to side and felt their chest lashed at, nay, lashing at their souls, the image distorted to long whips, the face changed to one with its lips closed in between, yet giving off a sickening smile, its eyes focused on Kairi. "Will you reach you're wants? Or will I claim your heart for the Dark Prince!"

Kairi focused her mind away from the pain as Belle flipped her book and whispered. "I know which spell should help you keep up with that! Hurry!" She let loose a haste spell that gave Kairi the speed to close in between, she jumped past a flinging of whips and struck the demon through its chest with her blade, the demon gasped and shivered in delight as it vanished. Kairi looked around as a girls voice warned her. "Its on top of you!"

Kairi turned around to find the demon floating in the air and glowing, causing the room to distort, many colors shifted and the girls mind drifted, the demon opened its maw and let loose a choir of high pitch laughter, hoots and wails, Kairi felt a splitting head ache that left her near exhausted. She felt a green light ease her mind and swung with her blade at the evil before her, she fired four stars at the demon and caused it to fall to the ground, it spun on its feet in a dance, the whips coiled around its body in preparation for an attack. Kairi readied to block with her blade and closed her eyes, feeling a protective shine that tried to push back, she opened to find lashes flying, Belle glowing with her own barrier. WOOSH! The demon stopped its spin and lashed at the two, fails scratched the hall and the demon asked more excitedly. "Is this something you were taught? Or was this something you scrounged from the shadow of others? Is this what you want? To be a shadow of one greater?"

Kairi backed away from a question striking at her mind. "Cut it out, you don't know-" She stopped before the words left her tongue, her eyes widened at what the demon was preying upon. "Get out of my head."

The demons whips vanished, it pounced at Kairi with a aether like dagger ready to plunge. "NO! NOT YET! WE KNOW WHAT YOU SEEK!" The girl felt a valorous glow and thrust. JAB! Her keyblade struck the demon's abdomen, it gasped in silence as the girl flung it to a wall, like a piece of wet cloth, the demon moaned and slithered on its feet, unaware of a yellow eyed shadow lurking from behind it. "You will never surpass the two if you do not give in! You are the star that lights their way." It howled. "SHINE!" A heartless pounced on the demon's back, it hissed and clawed at its predator. "GET OFF ME YOU PARASITE!" The darkness wrapped around the demon, like strands of hair, the demon ceased and felt something causing it to still in terror. "N...No." It raised its left hand in the air, like it was reaching to something, only to sink into the shadows. Reforming as a still form of what it was, yellow eyes glowed and focused on Kairi.

It sank into the ground and in the speed of a lash, struck Kairi in her stomach, sending the princess flying to a wall and for Belle to scream out in shock, she grabbed a broken table leg and tried to attack, the shadow vanished and flew to the upper right end of the hall as mist. It's body reformed and swung in mid air to the left, then right, then left, in a hypnotic pattern, Belle shook the gaze off, picked Kairi up and tried to form a protective spell, to no avail. Kairi gritted her teeth and focused deeper into her keyblade, letting loose a slash that was fueled by various flowers, hitting the mist that reformed into the twitching demon. It tried to limp to a window, Kairi charged and struck the demon in the head, causing it to dissolve into mist and for the rest of the body to fall limp. It faded and left two battered ladies that felt an evil presence draining from the castle. The two went to the room to their right to find a table with a glass case, with in was a wilting rose that was down to two petals, one was dropping and another looked to be little better.

They heard a deep growl from out the window. "Get out!"

They searched out to find the Beast having bested a whimpering Gaston. Belle called to the Beast. "Beast!"

The beast turned around, his protective anger turned to a comforting disbelief as he climbed to the window. "Belle?" Belle helped the Beast reach close, hand and hand gently touching. Beast asked. "You came back?" Belle moved his paw close to her the side of face in affection.

JAB!

Something pierced the Beast's back and he roared in pain, Gaston pulled a knife out in vile opportunity, the Beast flailed and caused the huntsmen to lose balance. Belle held onto the Beast as Gaston tipped and fall into the frozen chasm bellow, screaming in certainty of his demise.

Belle pulled the Beast onto the balcony and was in a panic, laying him on the ground as the rain poured. Belle's eyes dropped with the rain as she saw bleeding, the Beast's breath lessened and his eyes gave off a faint glass, he looked up at Belle and asked. "You... came back?"

Belle assured him with a fear of what was. "Of course I did! I couldn't let them."

Kairi readied a healing spell and felt something behind her looking at the rose, besides a sentient teapot, grand father clock and candle, was Namine looking at the rose on its last petal, questionably. Kairi felt something with in her heart, telling her to wait. Belle focused her will and gave off a glow of golden, it... wasn't doing anything, Belle whimpered more in confusion and embraced the Beast. "This is my fault, if only I got here-" The Beast tried to ease her. "Ma...Maybe it is...better this way." Belle didn't wish to hear that and kept soothing him, regardless if her healing spell worked or not. "Don't say that, you'll be alright, we're together now."

Kairi questioned why the healing spell wasn't working as Namine concluding an observation as the rose's last petal was near to snapping. "Something in this world... is allowing this to happen, Belle's heart... is doing something."

Kairi looked upon the dying Beast that was giving a last words. "At...at least I got to see you, one last time."

He went limp and caused Belle to break down in tears. "Please, please don't leave me." She rested her head on his chest. "I love you!"

The rose's petal fell a second after the words were said, a pink light shined down from the heavens, followed by many of various colors, the Beast floated in the light, his body twisted and turned, losing his fur and bestial features, taking the form of who is very much a prince, with long light brown hair. His body was let down and he was awakened from near death, he looked upon himself, stood up and turned towards Belle to reveal blue eyes. He recognized the woman and asked with a lighter voice. "B...Belle?"

The woman's tears became that of joy as she approached, Kairi felt a heart shining with her own and felt a hand tugging, Namine whispered. "I... think we are not needed here anymore. Should... we leave them alone?" Kairi knew the couple were about to kiss and walked towards the exit.

At Olympus Colosseum.

Kendry closed his eyes and looked away as an Orruk ard boy boss was lifted by the Kharibdyss may worm like maws and was being pulled apart as he struggled for his life, the human audience gasped as the central head let down a purple, toothed tongue that wrapped around the Orruk crushed it in brutal fashion and swallowed him whole. The Orruks yelled in a frenzy. "BOO!" "BIG BOSS SHIELD BASHAH GOT ATE!"

The Ogors were more amused. "DID YOU SEE THAT CRUNCH!"

Riku looked at the hesitate keyblade wielder and advised him. "If you have to fight that, just run if you can't win! Getting made fun of for giving up isn't worth... that."

Kendry opened his eyes to see the Kharibdyss and saw a stone billboard change, he looked to be whining louder. "Oh no! No, no, no, no!"

Riku saw his own name next to a Garland and looked down to cringe, cringing at the competitors misfortune. "Eeeeh." Ken knew he was next, held onto his two keyblades nervously and stepped down. "I...I'm just going to try something... he... tried to attack that thing head on... so-" He jumped off and mumbled. "What if I just shoot... it isn't like that looney shaman. Yeah-" The Kharibdyss focused on the scent of more prey that entered the arena.

Phil wiped his face with a towel at what was happening. "And... lets see if the kid can show us why he is a lot less stupid than that Orruk." Ken heard a harsh whisper from the satyr. "Take a dive kid and trip out of the arena, it be less embarrassing."

Ken growled, sweated and watched the Kharibdyss let loose a howl belonging to the abyss. He aimed Cadia's light at the monsters chest, causing only a faint tickle. The Kharibdyss charged as the boy let loose air magic and flew to the other side, the Kharibdyss swung its spiked tail and caused the boy to nearly loose balance, nearly skidding out of the arena. The Kharibdyss turned around as Ken focused his ashen blade and flung a cloud of ashes at the many heads. Causing it to stumble and give the boy time to fly towards its rear. He had the image of snickering and slammed his hand on the ground, causing a light to glow and to bring out a large blue spider with green stripes, its long legs gave Riku memories as a Goblin with tribal wear and a envenomed spear saw the lights and yelled out. "FOR DA SPIDAH MADAH!" The spider's many eyes nearly bulged out at the foe and the maw clicked, the the Goblin looked at the size and whistled. "Eh... who wanted us to fight that?"

Ken yelled out. "I DID! Do something that can help!"

The Goblin turned to the boy, saw his fear and burst into laughter, he let his spider pounce on the Kharibdyss's and bite down hard, the Goblin stabbed in unison, the Kharibdyss howled in pain and shook, throwing the duo off towards Ken, the monster turned around to confront the three. The goblin whistled. "We mades it maaaaaaaad!" He looked at the swollen wound and looked at Cadia's Light, it had a blade facing downward as well as forward. He snapped his fingers and asked the boy. "That thing look like it can cut in reaaaaal deep!"

Ken looked at his blade and dismissed it, the Kharibdyss made a charged with its limp leg. The boy squeaked and ran to his left to dodge as the spider crawled tot he right. Missing the many fanged tentacles, the boy saw one detail that wasn't armed with maws that would devour him. He gasped. "It's... underside... maybe."

The Kharibdyss roared in a bestial frenzy and turned, his central maw went downward and hissed, Kendry smiled to his last resort before bolting out of the arena. He focused Cadia's Light and charged, causing a bright red glow to shine, he pressed the trigger harder and let loose a bright beam that shot the Kharibdyss in its throat. Causing it to back away and lift its dominate head, coughing from the equivalent of a hard jab to the throat. Ken dashed towards the monster and skid on his back, readying the downward blade and reaching underneath the monster. He sank the blade deep in its flesh and felt himself sliding, the beasts howl became worse as the human audience gagged at violence.

Ken realized what he did as the blade went loose and he slide to the other side of the monster. Turning around to gasp in horror and confusion, gems and bile poured from the exposed stomach contents of the monster that wailed and flailed. The goblin laughed on his spider as both vanished, the Kharibdyss turned to Ken and tried to attack in rage, it fell limp and swiped its maws in a death throe, Ken ran to the left and backed far away from the monster that gurgled out a fluid from its many maws. The Orruks were in more disbelief. "HOW DID A RUNT LIKE THAT KILL IT?!"

"IT STAB EM REAL GOOD IN THE GUT!"

"Look at the sparklys!"

The gems were something to consider, Ken smiled in his greed and approached the many gems, he poked around with his gun like keyblade for a closer look, not wanting to put his hand in something dripped in acid, something in particular dropped out, a familiar stone with a symbol of many heads. He took out some cloth and wrapped it around the stone, unaware of a faint light from with in the dead Kharibdyss, it floated out of the stomach and towards the stone. He looked more into the pile of many gems as a panicked voice whispered. "Get out of there!"

He turned around to find a half impressed Riku bewildered. He left the carcass behind and jumped back in the stand as the staff came to carry the body away, asking half disappointed. "Who knew that thing had treasure in there!"

He turned to the pile of gems and thought of it more. "I... need a bigger bag."

Riku coughed and shouted at him in an attempt to not laugh. "You killed that thing and all you can think about is munny?"

Ken nodded to the idea with a face relaxing from an adrenaline rush. "I collect movies and I be set for over a year!" He looked at his cloth wrapped stone with a close second. "But a summon stone would do. I think it would summon that thing again."

Riku crossed his arms to an x and shook his head. "Don't do that here!" He sensed with in the cloth. "You also hold that things heart!" An Orruk over heard and laughed. "BWAAHAHAHAHAHA! NO HE DON'T!"

SMACK!

An Orruk ard boy was sent flying out of the arena by a large Orruk brute, the teenagers watched and listened to an audience fighting each other, Kendry guessed why the Kharibdyss let him have it. "It's... so that stone can work?"

Riku nodded with his own guess. "Or because that is something that happens when someone dies. Their heart leaves the body and goes... somewhere." He saw that he was next to battle as the staff washed and picked up the many gems. "But this tournament has gotten brutal ever since those Orruks showed up. First that minotaur, now these two in around... five minutes."

Ken agreed and tried to shake the screaming out. "Dragon Hackah is crazy! Someone needs to beat him before he tops beating the bones out of someone with their own arm."

He cringed as Riku spoke something he already told the boy. "And I didn't sense a thing from him! No light, no darkness... just... that." He jumped out of the arena. "I'm going to call Sora and the others when I drop you off, they are a problem if they are allowed to stay here!" He went into the arena that was cleaned of a mess and watched the door open to let Garland approach.

The knight laughed in amusement and stepped in with his claymore and let an amulet of his shine. "This was much more thrilling than the last tournament! Ha, ha, ha!"

Riku listened to the sinister laughter and drew out his weapon. "How would anyone enjoy that?!" Garland answered clearly as his blade shifted to two, they glowed in fire. "That rush when you're foe displays great strength, the trading of blows, the meer thought of who will be the victor!"

He dashed at Riku in a blazing speed. "AND WHO FALLS!" Riku dodged the slashes and pulses of fire, he parried and kicked Garland back, the boy shook his head and fired dark fire balls back. Garland fused his blades back and formed a hammer. "I'LL CRUSH YOU!"

SLAM!

Riku felt a tremor underneath his feet and was sent flying from a mountain that erupted, he caught his fall and dashed at Garland for a flurry of slashes. The knight reformed his claymore and swung back, the boy jumped and stabbed downward. The knight's claymore shifted to a lance, the knight took the blow and jumped up with a tornadoes force, he thrust downwards like a blunt gale. Riku tried to dodge and was blown away by the wind, nearly knocked down on his knees as Garland relished the battle and shifted his weapon to a spike and chain, the boy vanished and attacked the knight from behind, who rolled and flung his chain, causing it to form a tidal wave. Riku slashed against the wave and caused it to split. Garland twist the chain and caused the blade to slam down, letting loose a geyser that the boy had to dodge again. Riku knocked the knight back and panted as the chain retracted to the blade. Garland was ready to attack again as Riku sensed a faint scent in the air, something of hot copper. A heavy spark of red lightning shined and an aura pulsed, both battlers heard furious snarls, something was coming. Ken gasped at the pattern and yelled out to both. "GET OUT OF THERE! NOW!"

Reality tore, a large black hand forced its way out to make way for the rest of the body, a large winged demon in crimson and brass armor, it was crawling into reality. Ken took his keyblade and aimed as Garland was in terrified awe under his helmet, he took his blade and charged foolishly, the boy in the audience yelled out shrieking. "GET HIM OUT OF THERE, GET HIM OUT OF THERE, GET HIM OUT OF THERE, GET HIM OUT OF THERE, GET HIM OUT OF THERE!"

Riku saw a glow of light from the gun like keyblade and charged to try and stop Garland. The demon looked down at the knight and swiped him in the palm of his hands, Riku slashed his keyblade at the fist and was punched back by a crack of a mighty, burning whip. The beam fired and made contact with the forming rift. Causing it to glow unstable in the dark RIPPLE! RIPPLE! BURST!

The rift pulsed open and dropped the demon off, it felt something pulling and tried to fight against it. POW!

A torrential chain punched it in the face and rolled around its neck, Garland laughed maniacally. "YES! Let us engage in endless glory demon! Ha, ha, ha, ha!"

The demon struggled from both forces as Riku tried again, shooting fire balls that caused nothing to the demon. He cringed and looked away as Ken tried to aim again, shooting an intense beam that caused a sizzle and for the grip around Garland to tighten. The demon tripped and was dragged into the darkened rift howling, a snarling voice became tangible. "NO! NOT AGAIN! ROAAAAAAR!"

The demon was dragged into the darkness with Garland in hand, the rift shifted and bled. It ruptured in a dark shower. Ken jumped off and towards the rift, trying to focus on his blade again as Riku stopped him. "DON'T OPEN THAT!"

Ken yelped. "But...but, that guys trapped with him and it's my-" The silver haired boy pointed at him. "If he didn't rush in that wouldn't have happened! Don't open that corridor to the Realm of Darkness! He... is gone...where did you get that idea to close the rift?"

Ken looked worried sick for the knight lost in the darkness and threw up in stress, he coughed. "N...Nagash...trying that. That...that demon looks like-" He shook his head in horror. "Ana..." Riku cringed at a complication. "One problem at a time, if we leave now, we would cause a scene." He had a phone ready and guided the boy to the stands.

At the outskirts of a jungle.

Sora, Donald, Goofy and Baloo listened to a thunder storm coming and the sound of singing, singing that was certainly friendly. A child singing along with the voices was comforting, Sora asked. "Mowgli is over there. Come on, lets get him before this storm gets worse." They followed to the louder voices, that of four, interrupted by a deep loud tune. "That's what friennnds arrrrrrrrrrrre foooooooor!"

Baloo became cold and rushed the branches away, that was a voice he recognized, yet the trio didn't. The voice applauded. "Bravo, an extraordinary performance." The voice kept a suave tone that was more unsettling. "And thank you for detaining my victim!"

Donald gasped. "That's-" The four voices panicked and one yelled. "Gimme room, gang away! Run friend run!" The child's voice asked foolishly. "Run? Why should I run?" The suave voice asked back smugly. "Why should you run? Could it possible that you don't know who I am?"

The child answered with an attitude, the group were closer. "Oh I know you alright, you're Sher Khan!"

The suave voice made the group's tension worse. "Precisely, then you should also know that everyone runs from Sher Khan."

The child's voice responded against it. "You don't scare me, I won't run from anyone!"

Baloo stuttered and kept pushing. "Little buddy get out of there!"

The suave voice sounded semi admiring. "Ah, you have spirit for one so small and such spirit is deserving of a sporting chance. Now, I'm going to close my eyes and count to ten, it makes the chase more interesting, for me!"

The voice counted down and the four saw a tree with a quartet of vultures. One with light brown feathers covering its eyes, one with blonde feathers, one with dark brown feathers and one that was bald. They were horrified, the voice counted. "One, two, three, four" They found Mowgli and a Bengal Tiger, to the groups horror, Mowgli wasn't running, he was getting a stick. The tiger, Sher Khan, noticed and turned towards him. "You're trying my patience!" He counted faster and Baloo made his charge. "fivesixseveneight, nine, ten!"

Sher Kahn pounced and gave a mighty roar with the bolt of lightning, Mowgli realized he was in over his head, something grabbed Sher Khan by the tail and landed right before the boys feet, a frightened Baloo who yelled to the boy. "Run, Mowgli, run!"

Sora, Donald and Goofy readied to battle with Sher Khan. The tiger growled at Baloo. "Let go you big oaf!"

He swiped and caused Baloo to try to dodge, the trio dodged and watched Sher Khan chase after Baloo. The sloth bear hanged on for dear life and made it difficult for the trio to attack. The two's struggle reached for a tree, where the tiger circled around and bit into the bears bum, causing a yell. Mowgli went in with his stick as Sora went with his keyblade, swatting the tiger on the nose and doing little damage. The man cub yelled at the tiger. "Take that you big bully!"

Sher Khan growled and chased after both him and Sora. Goofy and Donald tried to attack and were thrown off by all the movement. Baloo tried to hold on to a tree branch and was turned around, he was losing his balance. Three of the vultures swooped down to carry Mowgli and Sora to safety, the bald vulture let Baloo know. "They are safe now, you can let go Baloo!"

The sloth bear refused. "Are you out of you're mind, there's teeth on the other end."

A Baloo was pushed against a branch, caused Shere Khan to recoil and slam back at the bear, both were against a rock. The tiger grabbed the bear and tossed him aside with vicious murder. "I'll kill you for this!"

Donald saw the tiger clawing at the bear trying to dodge, gasped to an idea and focused on one of the dry tree branches. "Goofy, Sher Khan is afraid of guns and fire... right?"

Goofy chuckled to that. "That he is, hiyuck!" Donald gave a glow at a branch as Goofy charged at Sher Khan. PEW! A ball of fire struck at the tree and caused it to blaze, the vultures fluttered down from the sudden burst, the bald vulture yelled. "Fire, that's the only thing ol stripes is afraid of!"

The blonde vulture pushed Mowgli towards a plan. "You get the fire, we'll do the rest!"

The vultures flew at the tiger, Sora and Goofy tried to join in, Sher Khan clawed at Baloo's face and sent the bear falling down to the ground. The many pushed back against the tiger that swiped at them. "Stay out of this you mangy fools!"

The vultures kept taunting as Sora and Goofy were doing minimal, enough time for Mowgli to sneak behind the tiger with a flaming branch and tied his tail to it. Sora smiled at the tiger at a battle reaching an end. "Look behind you punk!"

Sher Khan did and his eyes glowed in fear, he leaped to try and shake it off and caused the fiery branch to dangle in front of him, a gift to scare off even the mightiest of beasts. Fire. Shere Khan tried to swat it out of its radiant glow to no avail and ran with the fire tied behind him, chasing him to the outskirts.

Sora slowly breathed and smiled to Donald to quick thinking as the vultures flew to a tree and watch the tiger disappear, the bald vulture laughed. "Well that's the last of him!" The many vultures laughed in victory. "El stripes took off like a flying comet he did." "Come on let's go congratulate our friend" All except for the one with feathers blocking his eyes from the others, he watched Mowgli try to get Baloo. "Hold it fellas, now's not the time. Look."

Sora, Donald and Goofy looked at the scene of Baloo laying still, a frantic panther that heard the whole noise, looking mentally torn at what might have happened to a close friend. Sora gave off a faint green glow and focused on Baloo, hoping for the best. The rain poured as the man cub whispered. "Baloo, get up, oh please get up."

The bear wasn't moving, the group worried about the possibility of what the blow did to Baloo. Bagheera looked on at a grim conclusion as Mowgli had tears forming, he spoke like a wise parent would teach to a child. "Mowgli, try to understand."

The boy asked confused. "Bagheera, what's the matter with him?"

Bagheera answered in a way a child would understand. "You got to be brave, like Baloo was."

The visiting trio looked at each other in doubt, did the healing spell even work? Were they too late? Mowgli understood what Bagheera was saying and cried more. "You don't mean... oh no. Baloo."

Bagheera had his paw over the child's shoulder in grief. "I know how you feel. But you must remember Mowgli, greater love hath no one, than he who lays down his life for his friends."

Sora was convinced the worse and felt the depression creep in, Donald had a wing on his shoulder as Goofy noticed Baloo stirring, he chuckled and let the two know as Bagheera gave a mourning speech. Baloo was waking up, Bagheera was not aware. "When great deeds are remembered in this jungle, one name would stand above all others. Our friend, Baloo, the bear." The woken up bear sniffed. "He's cracking me up."

Sora and Donald heard that and perked as Bagheera didn't notice. "The memory of Baloo's sacrifice and bravery, would be forever engraved into our saddened hearts."

Baloo listened more heart warmed. "Beautiful!"

Bagheera was nearly finished. "This spot where Baloo fell, will always be a hallow place here in the jungle. For there lies one of natures noblest creatures."

Baloo had but one desire on hearing that. "I wish my mother could have heard this."

Bagheera whispered to Mowgli. "It's best we leave now, come along man cub."

Baloo got up to yell out. "Hey don't stop now Baggy you're doing great, there's more lots more!"

Bagheera gasped and turned around in disbelief, blabbering gibberish in an attempt to figure out how long he been listening, Sora Donald and Goofy nearly laughed with the group. Mowgli was over joyed and hugged the bear. "Baloo, you're alright!"

Baloo laughed with him. "Ha, ha! Who me? Sure I'm am, never felt-" he felt a sharp pain. "better."

Sora, Donald and Goofy walked off towards the wilderness to discuss their next plan. Goofy asked. "So now Sher Khan was scarred off, how are we going to start getting rid of this disguise and search the man village?"

Donald guessed. "With that Space Marine there, you and me won't make it any easier if we did."

Sora sighed and had his hands at the back of his head, at a safe distance. "Maybe we can practice now, we should make sure Mowgli is back where he belongs before we get Pyriel to come with us." The trio glowed back to what they were, Sora was uncertain of what to say. "He is as confused as the others... so maybe I should do the talking." He smiled nervously, talking about other worlds beyond just one and dimensions is difficult for people that relied mostly on technology and logic for their problems. "Hey... uh... you're Pyriel right?" He nodded and expected an answer. "Yes, we were looking for you and some others you might have called Battle Brothers... of the Iron Snakes?" He expected more questions and continued, unaware of something Donald and Goofy were still about; they saw a large, dark blue, wyvern like creature that had black spots as a pattern on its scales, its maw was gargantuan, its tail was short for such a reptile and its wings were muscular. It perched on top of a hill and looked down upon the three. Sora answered in his practice, unaware of the danger he is in. "It's a bit confusing, but we might know how you got here. We want to help you all get home before this gets someone hurt. If you have something you need to do here, let us know before you come with us." He felt satisfied and noticed his friends trying to warn him of what was looming at them.

The wyvern looked annoyed, Sora turned around to find a muscular monster with wings that were too small to really help fly, the three readied their weapons, the wyvern growled at the challenge and despite all logic, flapped its wings and took flight. It roared down upon them and flew down with its fists ready. Sora turned and yelled. "RUN!"

SMASH!

The wyvern landed and charged with its destructive bulk. Donald and Goofy scattered as Sora jumped high and shot a barrage of ice spells, it hit the wyvern on the head and caused it to shiver. It shook its head and jumped back, it inhaled, Goofy jumped in front of Sora as Donald jumped behind, the shield bearer yelled. "Sora, its gonna blow!"

Sora braced his keyblade and caused a barrier to form, shielding them from a loud, high pick roar that caused the ground to blow. The wyvern barreled at them and readied its left wing like it was a fist, the trio jumped to the right and felt the force swipe where they miss. The wyvern swiped at them with its tail, tripping them and leaving them prone, it raised both fists for a devastating smash as a large shadow formed. Towering over the trio and slightly taller than the wyvern was a giant with a heart shaped hole on its abdomen, small wings and tentacle like hair. The trio knew a heartless of large proportions when they see one, what more problems they had to deal with. The heartless looked upon the three with yellow eyes, something that angered the wyvern. It slammed its fists next to the trio and jumped at the heartless, crushing it under its bulk and giving it one of the most brutal beat downs ever given to a heartless, the dark creature never stood a chance as it was pinned to the ground and had its face caved in. The heartless dissolved and left a small dark doorway with smaller heartless crawling out, the wyvern glared at the hole and slowly approached it, ignoring the trio. The corridor of darkness slowly closed, the wyvern roared at the heartless and caused them to burst, it charged with ferocity, the corridor neared its close and to the trios surprise, opened wide to let the wyvern through. With the thing on the other side, the corridor slowly closed. Sora was more confused as he and his friends laid still. "Did... that thing just... went through like that?"

Goofy shivered and sat up. "A better question, did that decided to open up for it? Corridors..." Donald finished. "Don't... do that."

Sora felt comfortable with the end result though. "But now its gone, would anything or anyone want to get in the way of something with that kind of temper?"

His friends shook their heads as Donald theorized. "Could be why it can flies as well." He laughed at the absurdness. "try telling him that he can't fly." The three agreed it was out there and finished their plan. Ready to be back to their disguises and finish business in the jungle.

At Olympus Colosseum.

Ken made quick work of an Orruk Brute that was riding on a foul tempered armored boar. With blinding ashes and quick shots, the boar fell over tired and knocked the Orruk off, the green skin chased his steed back to the gate. The boy was declared the winner and someone to go to the semi finals, he jumped up with pride in his smile as Riku kept himself stoic and serious. "Him and that Bonesplitter with the axe were pretty easy. Though I think that one was resisting your stuff a lot more than we expected."

Riku kept a watch on the brackets and counted the time down. "You lasted longer than I expected."

Ken looked at the brackets shifting and felt accomplished in himself. "Just two more battles for the both of us before we can leave."

He saw names take form as Riku felt his patience at an end. "Kairi found out something about our you know what that she isn't wanting to talk to us about and Sora is still doing I don't even know."

Two particular names are scheduled to fight each other, the silver haired teenager looked at the blonde boy that was envisioning a one sided battle, they parted and confronted in the arena. Ken readied his momentum as Riku calmly lifted his sword and faced it forward.

The silver haired teenager vanished as Ken used his air magic and jumped to the other side, dodging a lightning fast attack. He aimed Cadia's Light and shot three beams, each one on counter to Riku's movement. One made contact and caused the veteran to cringe, he spun and shot out a barrage of fire balls. Ken squeaked and jumped into the air to avoid the barrage, firing five small shots. Riku vanished once more, the blonde boy blew the wind back to dodge another attack and readied the burnt keyblade. Ken pressed hard on his primary keyblade and waited, his weapon gave off a glow. He snickered moved towards his right to aim and saw a faint stream of shadows, he quickly spun to the left and had a charged shot ready for Riku at point blank range.

POW! SWOOSH!

Riku leaped into the air with a roar, Ken backed away at fast speeds from the downward stab and watched him vanish again. He turned behind and found nothing, realizing he was faked out and spun back wards with his burnt keyblade, creating a shield of ashes that dazed his opponent. He aimed his primary keyblade and rapid fired, Riku sighed, aimed his blade to the air and hovered out of the way. Ken knew what was coming and focused his air magic right as Riku vanished. Dodging the various charges and shooting downwards for glancing blows. PEW! He saw another vanish and how high he was flying.

THUMP!

He felt the blunt of a keyblade at the back of his head and was free falling, he was knocked to the right, knocked downwards, knocked to the left and a was spinning to a brief blow that halted his fall and caused him to land on his back. Dazed and finding himself unable to move.

Riku was declared the winner as he walked to the opponents right and crouched down. "That was hard to predict, can you get up?"

Ken sighed at a positive and tried to. "It doesn't hurt that bad, it like being the one who gets shot out... repeatedly." He stopped and cringed as he felt the blunt pain all over his sides, Riku noticed and asked. "That should be the fight kicking in."

Ken nodded and pushed himself up. "...Ow!" Ken limped out of the ring, felt the pain wearing off and felt sore. "I'm going to see if there is any snacks. I'll be back to see you fight Dragon Hackah." Riku let his keyblade fade and went to the rafters for his final round. "Keep working on it, maybe we will finally let you in on some secrets."

Out of the Colosseum, Ken stretched and conceded to something. "I knew that was coming." He looked back to ask. "Ana is in deep trouble if she didn't beat that monster... but Riku knows more that I don't..." he shrugged. "Eh, just be glad you are doing something." He looked at a stall of merchandise to a particular celebrity and shook his head. "Just focus on your level, that's all-" He felt a faint, gentle voice in his mind.

"In the alley."

He looked to his right to find an alley and a woman he recognized with a high tech gun aimed at him.

PEW!

Ken dodged and tried to cast wind magic, feeling his mind too exhausted, he aimed Cadia's Light at the attacker, she climbed up a column and reached the roof. Ken stumbled back and aimed high, seeing the woman jump up to fire her blaster, he dodged to the left and shot the gun off her hand. The woman smiled widely, like a wolf upon prey, she showed her spiked gauntlets and kicked the air to launch herself at the boy. Ken screamed and jumped back, swiping his burnt keyblade to let loose a cloud of ashes, the woman pounced to a face full of ashes that blinded her vision, she snickered and took a needle out. "That won't save you!" Ken aimed his primary keyblade at the fast turning woman and charged as she had her gauntlet near his arm.

PEW!

He shot her across the head with a beam of light, she back flipped, landing and spun to reposition herself. He fired more shots at her limbs and caused her to kneel. Ken refused to stand close to her and asked. "I thought Riku told you to leave! We know you are working for that Farseer, why are you after me?" The woman looked up with her fangs bare and her purple eyes striking at his soul as she pointed at Firekeeper's Wish. "A black heart wielding a false light and a key to ashes would usher in a great evil. What exactly are we seeing?"

Ken growled at her. "I found this keyblade because you chased me to that world after that prophecy was seen! You're boss still tried to kill me and she sent you to finish the job!"

The woman gasped and hissed. "And why would I care for what a mon'keigh says. You followed the bread crumbs of fate and it brought you to me." Ken backed away as the woman sensed his fear and continued. "Tell me, how did you're superior lecture you about that thing? Dark? Dangerous? I noticed him looking upon it cautiously even before that Bloodthirster came tearing its way out of the warp?"

Ken refused to answer. "He told you to get out and he knows a lot about dark things than you! You're one of them!"

The woman's smile worsened to a truth. "I am the viper that makes you scream for death! I am the shadow of Commorragh. I am wickedness made flesh and you-" Ken shook his head and fired a charged shot at her abdomen, causing her to kneel in pain and wail, the boy warned him. "Then get lost! We don't need anymore of that here or anywhere else, come on it's not worth it... tell you're boss that we can work it out... that's what I keep hearing with things like those Orruks going on."

The woman looked at the boy with immense hatred and felt many were looking at her, like she was the one who caused the fight, like how she failed to even do that, she gave off a black glow in refusal. "You and your whole species are NOTHING compared to us!" She crawled and tried to attack, Ken stepped back and sighed, defeated at reasoning with her, yet he refused to fire, she balked. "To compare us to those green skin buffons! To think you're kind are an equal?!"

Ken felt racism and looked at the glow worsening. "Seriously, stop that... something is happening to-" SWIPE!

Ken stepped to the left and felt a slight tear on his right elbow, it was a light scratch, yet the cut was deep. It was bleeding and stinging, he cringed and yelled, drawing his burned keyblade and hitting the woman across the head. "OW! What is wrong with-" The woman pounded the ground with her free hand. "I AM LADY AESMARE OF THE GLADIATORIAL ARENA! I CAN'T LOSE TO A JUVENILE MON'KEIGH!" She dragged as the darkness enveloped her body. "I REFUSE! I REFUSE!"

Ken's eyes widened as her body became a pitch black, her upper torso twisted to have two sharp looking talons, a full wavy set of black hair and a lower torso of a snake, her tail was barbed and her eyes glowed yellow. Her maw opened to reveal viper like fangs, she lunged at him, Ken tossed ashes at her face and rapid fired, sending the Shadow Serpent slithering back and firing shard spikes, the boy rolled to his right and fired again. The Serpent dived into the ground as a shadow and caused the many columns shadows to stretch towards the boy, he saw faint images dashing in the shadows, nearly dizzying him.

JAB!

He was struck in the back and felt the sharp prick, the Serpent was attacking from any angle, he couldn't figure out where. He looked at the burnt keyblade in ashes and watch it let loose a grey fog. He nodded and stabbed the ground, causing a grey mist to cover the shadows in a five foot radius. Found a wall, the Serpent crawled out and slithered in a prideful anger, Ken charged his primary keyblade with a firm grip as his foe tried to strike. PEW! The heartless was shot in the head and landed back, it bubbled and let loose a black mist as Ken shot again, making sure the heartless stayed down, it faded in the mist. He felt safe at another battle for survival as a masculine voice yelled out. "What are you doing?!"

He turned around to see Riku running to him, the silver haired teenager saw the bleeding wound and even sings of a stab wound, Ken answered without much of a care. "Defending myself because that evil lady didn't take your warning and left... I know people don't get covered in that dark stuff and turn into a heartless just like that!"

Riku looked astonished and went into his bag for a blue bottle with a green star. "Ken, take this!"

The green star floated up and shined at the blonde teenager, he felt less pain and his cuts healing, Riku had the boy follow him back to the Colosseum. "She had way too many problems and was so arrogant she refuse to see it."

Ken shook his head. "Worse than that, she knows it and she doesn't care. When are you going to fight Dragon Hackah?"

Riku raised three fingers. "In three minutes, he made quick work on some Centaur and is screaming something about the Keyblade. You want to know just why that... thing we saw was making me on the edge?"

Ken thought of it and remembered a mention. "That... there was another person in the Realm of Darkness? That friend I think is the one I think you are all worried about."

He let his keyblades fade uncertain, Riku nodded and added another detail. "And we heard of things like... that, messing up the Realm of Darkness. You can guess what that place is. It's someone who was a hero from what we heard and she needs to be out of there."

Ken blinked and asked. "Just like Ana? No one was telling me that because there really isn't anything I can do right now and none of us know the kind of time we have?" Riku sighed. "Exactly, but you can fight enough to at least... be there to do something."

The two returned to the Colosseum, Ken went to the audience with a decision. "I still want to know more, I got a lot of questions, but I think I'll find those answers. Try to knock that smile off the Orruk's face! He is loud!"

With him under watch again, Riku went to the arena to confront the coming Megaboss, who stomped towards him with his eyes on the blade. Jump! POW! The Megaboss growled at Riku and asked. "You tink that little keyblade and you little tricks is going to outsmart me?" He yelled at his audience. "WHO IS THE BADDEST?"

The Orruk with the sticks chanted. "DRAGON HACKAH!" The Megaboss listened to a combined chant as he looked down at Riku's keyblade. "I'm not losing to those puny things again!"

The trumpet blew and the Megaboss roared.

"WAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Riku imagined how a friend of his defeated the Megaboss and vanished, he appeared behind the Orruk and had his keyblade ready to swing at his back. The Orruk turned around with the knuckle end of his hand swinging.

SLAP!

Riku felt the back hand and dashed back, the Orruk charged at him with his axe. SWING! Riku leaped high to dodge the blow and struck the Megaboss's face, causing the Orruk to back away and jump towards the right, the boy was impressed and taunted. "Guess Sora knocked some brains into you! Is that all you got?" The Orruk glared, jumped to the left and leaped at the boy with his fists, Riku jumped back and vanished for a strike at the Megaboss's exposed skin. He dodged the back hand and shot dark fire at the Orruk's face, Dragon Hackah cried out like a child under a tantrum. "NO, I'M NOT LOSING TO THAT AGAIN!" He stomped the ground and sensed something, his anger became a dumbfounded, toothy frown, he looked up and pointed. "Oi, the sky is acting up again!"

Riku shook his head and snickered. "Oi, that's the oldest trick in the book!"

Dragon Hackah looked down on him offended. "That's what the last brute said before he got squished by a big rock!"

He charged at Riku head on, showing his preferred strategy of a one on one fight, Riku jumped out of the way and felt a pulse, cringing at the idea that the Orruk was telling the truth. He looked above and watched in horror at a dark crack in the sky, something was smashing through something. The Orruk shook his head and asked. "You knows what's going on?"

Riku answered and stepped away from the shadow of the crack. "Something... is forcing its way through a corridor in between... worlds."

The Orruk looked confused and back up. "Between... dat ain't no Realmgate!" He laughed deeply. "Then again, this ain't the realms, is it? There is a whole nothah place you don't want us to knock over?"

Riku didn't expect a big brute to figure that out. "...How did you?!"

SMASH!

SMASH!

CRASH!

A pathway of darkness busted open to let out its passenger, something with thick muscles and blue scales, the pathway closed behind the figure was punching the dark aura. BOOM! The arena felt the impact and cracked, Riku and the audience had a closer look at a wyvern to find a massive jaw and black spots, Riku had his weapon ready and looked at the Orruk that was in awe. The boy couldn't believe it, the Orruk and this monster came from the same world?! The wyvern glared at Riku to scare him back and focused its attentions to the Megaboss, it charged at Dragon Hackah. The Ironjawz yelled over the moment as their warlord jumped to the right to dodge and jumped on the wyverns back, with his foot on its head. "Ha, ha, ha! Now we gets to smash ya all!"

The wyvern shook its back violently and took flight with its stubby wings to shake the Megaboss off, who yelled at him. "COME ON! WE GET'S TO SHOW THEM WHERE THEY CAN SHOVE ALL THAT WORLD TALK!"

The wyvern looked up at the Megaboss and perched on the outer edge of the Colosseum, the audience scrambled to escape from the foul tempered brute that looked into empty space. It roared and punched into the space, making a crack of dark energy. The Megaboss gasped and ordered. "NO!"

He pointed to the arena. "THERE! SMASH THERE!"

The wyvern felt a but a blunt tap on its head and flew to the arena with the drawn in Orruks and Ogors. Riku felt something in his heart telling him something, he let his keyblade fade and jumped back, the wyverns concerns has nothing to do with the people of the world. The wyvern smashed his fists to the ground and caused a black crack. It raised both upward to try again and caused darken holes to open up, out of the gate came more ogors and orruks, being drawn in instinct to the cracks, the forces in the audience were still and climbed off to observe something they longed for. The wyvern punched once more, causing a corridor to open, an unknown abyss towards another place, the Dragon Hackah looked at Riku and yelled. "EI! This what you alls been talking about with other worlds?" Riku refused to answer, the Orruk looked down at the forming abyss and ordered the wyvern. "Well, don't just stand there! Let's smash all of this black stuff to bits and get back to a propah fight! Ghur, ere we come!"

The wyvern perked at the mention of such a place and jumped in fists first, the vast horde heard the name and dived in. Ogor's on mighty beasts, Ironjaws and their own mounts along with the Bonesplittahs rushed in with glee. Riku placed his hand under his chin to a discovery. "So this is what their hearts all want... they want to return from where they came... just to fight as they use to. But... why does this feel right?"

Ken jumped off and went to him to yell out. "Why are you letting these guys into one of those... things? What are they?"

Riku answered with confusion of his own. "A corridor that connects between worlds. Like how we use a gummi ship to travel."

Ken blinked. "They would just show up in another world and cause troubl-" he stopped and looked at the abyss, he felt something in his heart asking something to him. "...This... is something they need?"

Riku nodded and watched the last of the howling horde jump into the corridor that closed up. "This... would take them somewhere. But... at least they are gone from this world... maybe they will be in one that can better handle this."

Ken thought it maybe and asked. "Do you know someone, anyone that can put together this? We... don't just allow something to happen because..."

He stopped himself as Riku felt there was one reason. "Or... it isn't exactly our hearts asking us to do this."

Ken held his head together in a head ache and asked. "It's the heart of the worlds asking us to let it happen. But... where are the worlds taking them?"

Riku felt a head ache of his own. "I'll ask someone who might know."

Ken hoped he does. "But the one thing we do know that would help, that Orruk left the match so... does that mean you won this tournament?"

Riku turned around to see a satyr managing a particular detail and blew at the wind to an anticlimactic end. "I... might have. The guys are just going to point the... complication of this."

Ken sang the word. "Default!" He broke out of song. "Even if you still fought that brute. I think you're buddies would at least get that."

Riku looked to the sky and felt annoyed by more. "Sora and Kairi would. I hope that dummy finishes soon so I can give both of them the whole story."

In the jungle.

Sora, Donald and Goofy caught up with Baloo, Bagheera and Mowgli. The bear carried the child on his back and told the panther what happened. "Too bad you missed the action. You should have seen how I made a sucker on ol' stripes with that old left up in his face." He playfully nudged a fist on Bagheera's cheek, annoying him, he looked up and Mowgli and at the trio of strange animals. "You wanna know something, we're good sparing partners!"

Sora smiled at the harmony as Mowgli agreed with the bear. "You better belive it."

Baloo forgot about something and smiled at the man-cub. "Yes sir, nothing that nobody is ever going to come between us again."

The group remembered an objective as a faint song was heard, drawing Mowgli's attention. Baloo let the child down to have a look, the group followed to see the source of the song, a small black haired girl in a purple dress, carrying a jug on her head. She left a village with straw roofs, Mowgli asked. "What's that?"

Bagheera saw a long goal nearing its reach. "Why it's the man village."

Mowgli shook his head and pointed at the girl. "No, no, I mean that."

Baloo tried to have Mowgli look away from the girl. "Forget about those they ain't nothing but trouble."

Sora looked at Donald and Goofy on hearing the words, they laughed with each other at what was happening, there is more than one way to convince someone to go back home after all. Mowgli pushed away and walked closer to the small lake with the girl using the jug. "Just a minute, I never seen one before."

Baloo tried to persuade the man cub from being drawn to the sirens song. "So you seen one, so let's go!"

Mowgli responded back as he climbed up a tree leading to a branch over the lake. "I'll be right back, I'll have a better look."

Baloo tried again as Bagheera stopped him with a soft spoken suggestion. "Baloo, let him have a better look."

The group watched the child climb on the branch, obviously love struck. A twig snapped and the boy fell into the water, catching the girls attention and causing her to giggle. Mowgli tried to swim towards the otherside of the lake, embarassed and hiding. The girl kept singing as the onlooking animals observed, watching Mowgli try again to approach as the girl filled the jug, carried it ontop of her head and walked back to the village, holding the jug with just one hand. The jug tipped, spilled and rolled back to the lake, right by Mowgli. Baloo scowled. "She did that on purpose!"

Bagheera sighed with a smile. "Obviously."

The group watched Mowgli take the jug, refil it and tried to give it back to the girl, immitating the behavior and carried it over his head. He followed the girl to the man village and turned around to see the world he was leaving behind; seeing Baloo, who was concerned about how the boy was leaving and Bagheera, who wanted him to continue his adventure. The boy looked at the girl and was charmed into going in, nearly dropping the jug and followed in. Baloo couldn't believe it. "He's hooked!" Bagheera sighed. "Ah it was inevitable Baloo, the boy couldn't help himself, it was bound to happen."

He looked to the man village satisfied by the outcome. "Mowgli is where he belongs now."

Baloo looked at the village in acceptance. "...Yeah, I guess you're right. But I still think he would had made one swell bear."

He turned to the trio of animals with appreciation. "Thanks for helping on the way."

Sora, Donald and Goofy appreciated it as Baloo suggested. "Well, come on buddies, let's get back to where we belong and get with the beat!"

He readied a tune as Sora had to refuse, him and his friends stepping behind a tree blocking the view of the village. "As fun as that sounds, we... got something to confess."

Baloo blinked, scratched his chin and guessed. "I know, you're not from this jungle, that had to be a fine ride here."

Bagheera looked at the bear with a mellow smirk. "It must have been."

The trio closed their eyes and let themselves shine, revealing their true forms and causing Baloo to stare confused; a human and two animal like people. The bear looked to blank space and back to them. "Well you're not from the jungle alright. But why you showing me this?"

Sora took a deep breath and answered as he leaned by a tree. "We were looking for someone who might be in that village to try and take home. If we just showed up like this, it would have been confusing for you and everyone in the jungle. Maybe even confusing for those that live in the man village."

Baloo hummed and licked his lips at an understanding. "Well, well, that's like what we been doing already."

Goofy agreed and raised a finger to give pause. "Hyeah, it sure is. But this is business to outsiders, that was why those heartless and daemons showing up."

Baloo shivered to that. "You talking about that overriped weirdo? Don't they know that they ought to get lost?"

Donald felt that was the point. "They do, but they don't care. They want to throw the jungle and the world outside into chaos, the heartless get drawn to that... they would get drawn to those that know of those daemons. That's why the man we are looking for can't stay here."

Sora nodded to that. "That's... why you and Bagheera can't come with us."

Baloo sighed as Bagheera nodded in understanding. "That is why our paths must part. You have you're own that you want to protect."

He took a deep breath and smiled. "Well, no matter where our paths go. I wish you the best of luck."

Baloo nodded to that and smiled to the three. "Ya know something, even if you're didn't come from no jungle, you all are swell."

He laughed as the trio appreicated it, Sora saw the shine in the two and promised them. "It doesn't matter what jungle or village we are from, in the end, we are all connected by what we share together." He felt resolved about something. "That's...what we are going to try to teach them... that has to be something event they would get." The two animals wondered what the human ment, Sora waved the duo off. "Even when we are apart, no matter how far away we go, we will always be connected."

Baloo looked at the man village with pleasant memories holding on, he sniffled. "Now that's just beautiful, so you're talking like this isn't even a goodbye. Yeah... it isn't one."

He sighed as Bagheera remembered a tune. "It wouldn't be a true farewell, not so long as we have each other in our hearts, life goes on."

The two readied to part as Donald and Goofy realized what Sora planned. Baloo sang a familiar tune. "Look for the bare neccessities, the simple bare neccessities!"

Bagheera joined in. "Forget about you're worries and your strife!" They sang together and walked back into the jungle, back to their every day lives. "I mean the, bare neccessities oh mother natures recipes that bring the bare neccessities of life!"

Donald and Goofy relaxed to the tune as Sora began walking into the man village. "I'll go find Pyriel and get him out of here. You two... try to wait."

Goofy led Donald away and asked Sora. "We will be at the gummi ship."

The boy stepped into the village to find a familiar large man in robes, looking down at Mowgli with interest as he grounded something up and looked upon a adult woman with the girl. "If you give him this, it should cleanse him of any aliments that might have came from the jungle, mosquitos, infections and its ilk. For a youth to come from the jungle is a true testiment towards survival."

The adult was given the bowl of medicine and guided the two children towards a hut, leaving the medicine man to return to his self appointed task, he looked ahead to find Sora, someone looking vast different from the people of the village. Sora sensed suspicion and asked. "Excuse me... are you Pyriel? An... Apothecary of these Iron Snakes?"

The main raised an eyebrow and grounded something up. "I am him and I am one of many. Why is it that you ask?"

Sora answered with his hands behind his head. "I heard from you're captain, Hofneil, that you and two others like you are lost. It's... hard to explain here."

The Apothecary stood up, nearly towering over the boy, he stoically requested. "Then come, there is much the natives would find difficult to understand, it is for the best they do not." Sora followed the Apothecary to a small hut in the outskirts of town, it was definitally odd smelling, one of medical spices and herbs, with in was a secret Sora wasn't surprised by. A make shift closet and rows of labeled jars. Pyriel walked to the closet and explained. "There is only the bare neccessities I require to perform my duties to the people of mankind. For what is mankind of hindered by disease? You have came either from a place far beyond the reaches of the Jungle... or?"

Sora answered slowly. "Or...I came from another world. Me and my friends came from different worlds, if you... meet them, could you promise not to attack them?"

Pyriel reached the closet's covers and asked. "They are like the beasts that lurk with in the jungle, intellegent for what is expected... yet not human? Yet... not a xenos or a mutant. My work in this village is already finished, they know enough of medicine and how to acquire it to sustain themselves. That is why we are here, Sora... do you notice why?"

Sora guessed. "With how close we are to the exit, no one would notice if you left... but it looks like you helped these people a lot."

Pyriel undid the cover and showed parts of armor. "I have, but... if you just help them for needs... such as food or medicine, you would have only helped them for a day... and that is generous calculations. If you teach them about how to gather food or to acquire proper medicine, you have helped them for life. By then, you would not be missed."

Sora puffed at the words. "But... they would miss you. You are okay with just... leaving?"

The Apothecary readied to take off his robe. "If they do miss me, than they will use the knowledge to carry on my impact." He turned his head to the boy. "You are told what we are. We are the Adeptas Astartes, humanities guardians, this is our task, to guide and protect them."

Sora nodded and felt the words connecting. "I have... its like what you're captain tried to do for another world. This is... the connection you have to the people around you?"

Pyriel agreed and expected Sora to look away. "If you would call it that. I wish to rendevous with my Battle Brothers and you wish to uncover this... mystery?"

The boy looked away and realizing the man was about to change attires. "Yes, but... just trust me in how it might seem weird for you. Some people you may know act way too out of line."

Pyriel wondered why. "Thus is why you feared my own actions? I will observe, then render judgement."

At a mountain leading to a gateway.

Aqua and the band of Stormcasts raced up to find legions of the undead doing battle against a vast army of lizard men, dinosaurs and a large black and red, four legged lizard with stone wear. Leading from the rear where two floating thrones Aqua and Anatesis were familiar with, nay, most of the Stormcasts were familiar with. Nerax saw with an eagles vision. "It... is. Dracothian truly gave us his blessing, the eldest, most ancient of the Starmasters... leads these Seraphon! Aqua, he maybe far away-"

Arreia sensed immense power and shivered as Davas and Sathea looked towards the distant thrones, like something compelled them. Aqua felt a faint croak in her mind, one most ancient and one more recognizable. "Champion of the Light, we have come to maintain the order of the realms! Nagash cannot be allowed to enter your realm! He would undo all!"

Aqua focused on the war beaten pathway, where a familiar lich feeding souls into a heart stone that glowed in pink. Specters pulled with chains, a horned man in red robes, he hanged from the neck and was placed upon a skeletal dragon that ignited in a dark green glow. The specters dropped the chains and caused them to sink into the dragon, they faded in a thin veil. The keyblade master drew her weapon as a familiar ribbit echoed. "Nagash must be stopped if you have any hope of stopping the Great Enemy of All! May you're heart radiate brighter than the stars!"

Anatesis tensed her wrists and held tight to her hammer as Moonfang snorted out thunder clouds, Eldriel and his group of vanguard looked across the battle fiend to see two spectral steeds carrying important figures leading the undead horde. One steed was in crimson armor and had upon it, a woman in black armor, giving off an unnatural charm. Another was in dark blue armor, ridden upon by a skeletal mage in matching armor, they were distracted by the lizard men as Eldriel whispered. "Nagash is certainly taking the effort for this, Neferata and Arkhan are called to his sway. Hmm."

Nerax agreed and looked upon the path. "If... we just charge in, the Mortarchs would most certainly notice us. Lady Arreia. Should we? Dare we?"

The Lord Arcanum twist her hands. "We... just need to get that stone... we will see that the Mortarchs are occupied for a time... least for mantaining control of the undead. We will charge as one. Tarnos, Nerax... stay close behind us! Aqua, NO ONE is fighting Nagash alone!"

The group listened as Aqua readied herself, they charged across the path and avoided the many bodies being flung. The Mortarch on the red armored steed looked at the group, smiling and readying a spell, she gasped and looked up to find a purple sun shining dread full power upon her army. She focused her power in that as her steed flew. The Mortarch on the blue armored steed readied a spell to maintain the army. A barrage of comets fell to bombard the many, they were distracted.

Before the gate, the lich caused the heart stone to glow and open a door way, souls screamed into oblivion as the hooded man glared at his master. The lich ordered. "GO MY MORTARCH OF SOULS! LEAD THIS ARMY OF DARKNESS INTO THE REALM OF HEARTS AND CLAIM ALL IN YOUR PATH!"

Aqua and Anatesis looked at a pool of forming darkness ahead, many black skeletons filled with dark mists risen from the shadows, one turned towards its master with familiar yellow eyes. The hooded man yelled out in a choked, raspy voice. "We ride my eternal warriors! So is the will of Nagash!"

The dragon of darkness took flight and flew into the gate with the skeletal horde marching, skipping across the moving shadows towards the gate, woe be the world they march. The lich hovered towards the gate, seemingly unaware. Arriea gasped and signaled to the band, Nagash was aware of them! The lich casually aimed his hand at them and caused the ground to crack, Arriea ordered.

"JUMP!"

The band jumped, the ground ruptured to let out darkened hands that reached out to grab the many, some held onto a gryph hound, the rank and file troops and Nerax, who aimed with his bow as Aqua focused her keyblade on the trap and fired a beam that formed into a tidal wave of light, washing over the darkness.

Nagash turned back to glare at the war band, he fired green beams of energy out of his eyes, causing the group to trip at the power. Aqua landed on her feet as Moonfang jumped to the far left, the rest of the band were in formation to the right. The lich's gaze was upon Aqua, who was looking upon the stone, Nagash gave a smile and held the stone closely. "You saved me all the effort in hunting you down! You aligned yourself with souls that were meant for this realm."

Arriea and her dracoline yelled in unison, the lord Arcanum barked. "Our souls were bound for Azyr in the eternal struggle of all! We know you strip us of them when we are reforged!"

Nagash ignored her and aimed his right hand at the group, causing a twister to form. The evocators focused their will to hold something down, the lich made sure Aqua saw the stone. "A whole realm tied to the hearts of all! A whole realm bound by light and darkness. Where the mortals will is bound to their hearts, their wants, their bonds, all of it a breeding ground for corruption!"

Aqua held to her keyblade as Tarnos and his gryph hounds readied to attack, Nagash's eyes looked upon the repaired Stormcast and his hounds, causing black shadows to form, skeletal beasts. "Would it not be better for that realm to be cleansed of that corruption? The mortals very nature, spawned these."

The beasts attacked one Stormcast and his forces, Nerax shot at the monsters to aid his comrade as the lich asked Aqua. "You know of what this corruption can become! The very thing they spoke of, Chaos! If the mortals go unchecked, they would only let the ruinous powers in. The ruinous powers would devour the souls of those who live in that realm. To think, my watchful eyes have seen the path to this realm... after a mundane struggle in another. Connecting it all... is but a simple heart." He looked down at the stone as Aqua felt his intent, there were many truths he was hiding.

Ana and Moonfang growled in unison, the templar had her hammer ready. "Watchful...Gryphon Droppings, you were just looking for another place to conquer!" Nagash laughed deeply and mockingly. "My, such insight, if the mortals cannot contain their own wickedness, someone has to make sure they do. Less the Powers of Chaos make them into their eternal slaves! Before they disrupt the order of the realms!" His smile hissed at the keyblade master. "Like what you did, bringing a Stomcast part of his soul back!"

Specters swirled around him and his low tone risen to fury as the skeletal tendrils on his shoulders shifted to a strike. "THAT SOUL BELONGS TO M-" POW! CLAW WOOSH!

Anatesis and Moonfang pounced on the lich, a mighty hammer, a blast of lightning and mighty claws pushed Nagash back, he swatted the two back. Aqua dashed and charged a barrage of fire balls, a tomb on the lich's hip glowed and the fire fizzled out, Nagash readied his staff and swung it down at her. Aqua flipped to her right and struck the lich. Nagash felt sharp pricks on his back and let the souls surrounding him to knock the vanguard of Gryph Chargers back into the Evocators that lost focus and tried to quell a mighty twister sucking in souls. Nagash tossed his staff in the air and drew out a blade, he swung it at Ana and struck a mighty blow as Aqua made a dash to the hand holding the heart stone.

POW! Nagash felt the sting and caught his staff as a bound soul caught the stone. He saw a faint glow with in Aqua and focused on a spell as a Mortarch yelled out. "Lord...The Seraphon are pushing us!"

Nagash looked to his direction to find Arkhan confronting a giant dinosaur and his legions falling. He pulsed and caused the vast opposing army to slow down. "CAN YOU EVEN HOLD THEM FOR BUT A MOMENT! THESE CANDLES TIRE ME!"

Arkhan pushed back and brought in more of the undead as Nagash caused more undead shadows to form, one was a collection of bones formed together into a giant with two large scicles. Nagash floated to the gate with the stone in hand, Aqua growled, raised her blade into the sky and caused a barrage of light orbs to erupt and pelt the creature. Nerax whispered something to his bow and fired at the creature, causing it to fall over.

Ana and Moonfang jumped to Aqua's side, letting her on as the Templar ordered. "Come on, we are not letting that bag of bones escape!"

The Dracoth jumped into the gate way, a stream of souls with in lashed at the ladies, they parried them back as they found the green glow giving way to a void, into a familiar darkened realm. With in a corridor of darkness, a keyhole of light shined to the far end and pushed the lich back, Nagash fired his gaze at the force and roared as Aqua locked on at the heart stone and vanished in light. She was in reach, Nagash noticed and back handed her. POW! "AGAIN YOU TRY TO DENY ME! BEFORE I LET YOU TASTE OBLIVION-" The specters clenched their talons on the stunned Aqua, she struggled and tried to break free as Nagash threatened with a lower tone. "I will make you watch as I bend your light to my will! You're soul will be mine for the rest of eternity and I will laugh at your anguish!"

PEW!

A beam of light shot from the keyhole at Nagash's back, two more shot at the specters, vaporizing them and freeing Aqua, the keyblade wielder shook her head. "Even the realm doesn't want you there! Let that stone go and give up!" Nagash reached for Aqua's head in refusal, the woman back flipped out of the way as Moonfang and Anatesis charged to strike, annoying Nagash to where he presented the stone to Aqua. "You seek this for yourself? To finally return to the realm of hearts and set things right? You think you can repel the tide of Chaos that even now, crash down upon those you love?" He starred at her soul and whispered. "I know you wandered endlessly with in the depths of hell, longing for a miracle!" He had it close to Aqua and had the Stormcast and her steed held back by the many souls, he saw the woman's eyes water on a realization. "A miracle for you're realm, for those who longed to see you again! To once more be home." Aqua rushed at the stone and tried to take it, Nagash gripped his talons on the heartstone and caused it to crack, a vile, wide toothed smile formed around the skeletons jaw. The heart shook from the pressure.

CRACK! It shattered into eight fragments, seven scattered across the endless abyss. The lich held a small pebble in the palm of his hand, a purple one with the symbol of a down ward scythe, he took sadistic pleasure in Aqua's misery. Anatesis and Moonfang heard all of it and watched the lich dropped the pebble on Aqua's feet. Nagash felt the corridor distort and laughed at her. "That miracle is as shattered as you!"

PEW! PEW! PEW!

The keyhole flickered and ruptured into a barrage of light as Ana and her Dracoth roared in unison, shoving through the ghosts and hitting Nagash in the stomach. Attacking with a ferocity of a hurricane, a flash of light shoved the four out, back to the entrance of the gate way. The lich looked up to find his army struggling to hold on and a comet crashing down upon one of his Mortarchs, sending the crimson one falling to the ground. POW! Nagash was hit upside the head by the hammer and watched a full group of stormcasts charging at him, an Nerax had his bow and eagle aimed, Tarnos was flying head on with the calvery, seven dracolines had their claws ready, the gryph chargers and gryph hounds readied a leap. The Lord Arcanum was the first to see what was done, Aqua fell on her knees and was trying to hold onto a pebble, Arriea gritted her teeth and had a spell ready. "ATTACK!"

The many readied swung, a twister of souls and darkness blew down and blew at the small band, Nagash jolted his head down at Ana and taunted more at Aqua. "This is how you're miracle dies! How you're heart will drown for the rest of eternity!"

He inhaled and blew at Ana with spectral energy, knocking her off her dracoth and knocking her off her hammer. Nagash inhaled and caused a spectral image to yank out of the Stormcast, Ana yelled out in pain as she watched her soul be ripped out, a holy light held the soul in as Nagash forced more of his power, chunks untethered. Aqua was breathing heavily and saw a heart shaped spear of storms tear apart, tears formed and she gritted into a rage, a voice yelled to her. "ARE YOU ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN AGAIN?!"

Aqua dashed and yelled back. "No, NO!"

POW! Aqua struck Nagash into his chest and flew him off of The Champion Templar with the Dracoth frantically clawing, the group saw what happened and let loose their various powers. Nagash parried back with his twister of souls and focused on Sathea for a soul draining, Arriea gasped, pulled three flashes and yelled. "All of you, jump back!"

The group saw the crystal like flasks and jumped away baring Aqua, Nagash saw and felt a desperate blast of thunderous spirits blow at his face.

He raised his hand into the air and summoned a wave of spirits from the ground against the mass, he felt another stab in his side and floated away from Aqua. He swung his staff determined to break the lost light, Aqua leaped above the staff and slide at the lich's neck. Nagash fell onto the ground and fired an eye beam, making direct contact with her.

PEW!

STAB!

Nagash felt the cursed keyblade pierce his chest again and was hoisted to towards the center, looking at Aqua in the eyes, finding a mixture of tears and burning hatred, a once proud paragon reduced to a mental disaster. Nagash sneered at her. "What would your friends at home think of you now! To find you're soul... your heart torn." He laughed spitefully, Aqua placed both hands at the hilt of her blade and caused an odd thing to glow in Nagash. Her blue eyes meeting as sickly green evil, the lich felt a burn like that of the sun. "Wha... what are you doing?!" Aqua ignored the question and watched more light burn, she radiated like a star.

PEW!

Nagash was shot into the sky by a pillar of light, he screamed and flailed as he watched his skeletal form rupture in the holy power, the burn covered all of his body and he wailed. "N...no! I will not be...I will not be defied in my realm!"

He tried to cast something and felt his hands pushed back, the legions of the undead looked up to find their master bursting, Nagash squealed high in the amethyst sky.

BOOM!

The body exploded from a halo of light, parts of the lich scattered all across the sky, much to the horror of the more sentient lieutenants as something smouldering fell out of the sky. Thud, a jawless skull with a large crown, it's eyes smoked and glowed green.

Aqua's legs felt like jelly as they guided her to the the Stormcast laying still on her back with a pained expression. The dracoth looked above to hiss and nudged at her partner, giving a whimper that wasn't that much different from the rest of the Stormcast. Aqua knelt and sensed the damage, a stormy light dimmed, she slowed her breathing as the war band nearly shook in unison, of grief, anger and denial. A Mortarch looked at the group and aimed his staff. "They... shattered, DESTROY THEM!"

The mass of the undead threw themselves at the band, the evocators and Arcanum glared at them and with a combined aim to the heavens, caused a twister of hammers and a comet to crash down. A glow in the heavens struck down upon them.

POW!

Light flashed and in an instant, the band found themselves with in a golden fortress. Before them was a figure of stormy light that held a glowing staff, feeling what they are feeling. A gruff, but soft spoken voice asked Aqua. "...So you're the lass the winds told me about?"

The keyblade wielder looked behind her with memories flashing before her eyes, before her was a man in golden armor, he had long brown hair and a beard to compliment the Norse like atmosphere. Aqua tried to say something and felt only air leaving, Tarnos looked upon the man. "Sigmar, there is hope for Ana!" He looked down at Aqua with a plea. "Aqua... please!"

Sigmar looked at Tarnos and yelled out. "I don't think it is as simple as how it happened with you. That lich tore that big a chunk out of the both of them." Aqua shook her head and tensed. "N...No, I'm not letting this happen."

She readied her keyblade at Anathesis's chest, Sigmar gasped and asked. "You heard me?! Nagash didn't just pick at something delicate in ya, he carved at you! I can feel it."

Aqua looked at the man with a burning determination. "And if I don't save Ana's heart, that monster would...would-" Sigmar and the stormcasts backed away, Arriea swallowed and ordered Aqua. "What you did for Tarnos, can you do this for Ana?"

The keyblade master felt her heart calming. "I... can!" She focused a beam of light on Ana's chest and felt herself dropping, finding herself high in the sky with ten specter of Nagash floating around, laughing with blue sparkling orbs.

Aqua made a quick effort to smack the specters down into the clouds and taking the orbs, feeling parts of a soul uniting in the orbs. She felt herself falling down into the cloud and holding the orbs tightly, lightning caressed her and onto the orb, yet she felt more energy. The sound of a hammer was heard and she felt herself land on top of something, a black dragon with star lit scales. Flying her past a mountain and towards a town in flames. It was littered with bodies and symbols resembling an eight pointed star, one survivor had an axe and shield in hand, a woman of average height, she had tanned skin and a black braided mohawk along with grey stormy eyes. She balked at horned figure in black armor. "Ha after how you butchered my family? I sooner die like the rest than join you lot!"

Aqua gasped as she saw the horned figure on an armored steed that barely resembled a horse and more like a thing of nightmares, the figure was offended and readied his blade as Ana swung her hand axe and sunk it into the warriors shoulder, getting it stuck and as the warrior tried to stab her.

BOOM!

A bolt of lightning struck Ana, causing her to disappear and leave behind an electrocuted warrior of chaos. The warrior looked at Aqua and glared at her, Aqua nodded and put together what she saw. "...This was what drives her to fight?" Land, scratch, scratch, something landed by her side, a familiar Dracoth without a rider. Aqua jumped on as the warrior of chaos yelled and had his steed charge.

Clawing the dracoth and biting down, Aqua swung at the warrior of chaos and watched an inferno flash. Leaving behind a void and the sound of thunder, booming like a hammer on a forge, Aqua found herself at the base of a stairway and with the dracoth looking up, towards a sky covered in a storm cloud. The dracoth smelled something and sprinted up the stairway, higher and higher till Aqua felt a thin air, this had to have been a recent memory to be so vivid. Lighting sparked with in the collected fragments and let loose in a light that fueled the clouds, the light cleared and left the keyblade wielder at the summit, with two images that left her inspired. A moon so close that she could jump and be on its surface and in a crater on the moon was an anvil. Aqua looked at the eager dracoth and asked. "Was this... what Ana saw on the mountain Moonfang? What she was jealous of Loru about?"

The dracoth grunted, smiled at Aqua and showed fangs that matched the moons glow. Aqua smiled back, looked at the moon and jumped, landing on the odd surface in a flip and with the anvil in reach. She placed the fragments on the anvil and aimed her keyblade. Light sparked again and fired, causing the anvil to rumble with thunder and in a light that she was familiar with.

BOOM!

Aqua felt herself back in the palace, being flung to a wall along with a dracoth, the Stormcast band looked astonished as Sigmar blabbered. "Wha... how in the." He calmed down and answered Aqua's unspoken, dazed question. "That started stirring when Moonfang was glowing."

Aqua's vision returned along with her sense of balance, she sensed something spark and looked at Anatesis's still body. Something was glowing, yet she would not move, confusing feelings of a calm and doubt mixed as the Lord Arcanum sensed something and gasped. She looked upon Aqua and had her approach. "...I request I study that bloody keyblade! What ever you did, fixed what Nagash did to her soul." Aqua refused and approached. "This one is too special to give away. But... why is she still... dormant?"

Sigmar sensed a radiating spark and wiped something from his eyes. "That's because I am not moving fast enough, you might have repaired her heart, but her body took a mighty shock from Nagash. Now, you are doing this for something called a Heartstone?"

Aqua gasped and showed a pebble that glowed an odd purple color, like it was calling something to it. Sigmar took it and examined it closely, he sensed a great power and let go. The pebble floated in mid air, the God King yelled out to Aqua. "It's a big ol piece of Realm Stone! Someone had been messing around with a Realm Gate long enough that this got made... Lass, I think I know what its doing, try thinking about someone back home and use that... Keyblade on it. If you are tied to the realm this thing is connecting to... then you might be able to find the other fragments." Aqua tilted her head as she felt the stone calling to her. "It... still has that kind of power?"

Arriea hummed in doubt. "That... isn't what Sigmar meant. Right now, its just a piece of realm stone that loosely connects this realm to yours... so loosely that you would be lucky if it's power does anything. BUT, if you're heart really wants to go home... it... could deliver interesting results."

Sigmar had an eyebrow raised and went to pick Anatesis up. "H...Hurf! I got an even bigger one for ya about where the pieces are. That color right there means its tied with Shyish... how many pieces broke?" Aqua remembered. "Eight...eight... realms." Her eyes glistened as she focused her keyblade. "The other pieces are across the other seven?"

Sigmar nodded. "That's where your quest is going to take you. Now I got to talk to Grungni about the other thing."

Tarnos flew to Sigmar's side with his worn gryph hounds and asked. "May...we come?"

The god hesitated, looked at the Stormcast with a similar aura and grunted. "You should, just make sure those five behave."

He glowed in lightning and ordered the Dracoth. "Moonfang, you help the lass with this like you did before. She is going to need all she can get!" The dracoth growled confused as the gryph hounds went with the two. The eight images faded in lighting and shot out of a window in a boom.

Arriea sighed and approached Aqua with a stern tone. "I think I know what Tarnos wants to tell the Smith god... but that isn't important now. If you have friends that would like to know where you are, experiment with this stone. Do so before Sigmar comes back, please." Aqua closed her eyes and aimed her blade, the stormcasts watched a heart shine out of her chest and to the fragment. Something shifted and shot a beam at the blade.


	11. A Connection

In the outskirts of Radiant Garden, Riku tried not to think about the silly notion Ken spoke of. "Bryn likes to talk as well, ever time she flashes those lights... it's like a pattern you just... get."

Riku rolled his eyes and responded. "Because someone made the mistake of trying to talk to-" He noticed something distorting in the town, a familiar aura that made his heart beat hard. Ken turned around, noticed and gasped. He burst in air magic and talked fast. "I'm getting that!"

PEW!

He flew to the town, Riku gritted at the hasty choice. "That's a-" "Riku, are you seeing that?"

The boy turned around to find Kairi tired from an adventure and answered. "You... know what that is?"

Kairi nodded and ran to the cragged passage. "Come on, we need to hurry and figure this out."

In the town, people were running for their lives as a frenzy of eight crimson daemons pursued them.

PEW!

PEW!

BLAM!

One fell to a small beam as another had his skull blown off. Tahm and Perkins saw the six approach as Elric screamed his frustration out. "For the Emperor!"

Thompson stuttered and felt the deamons looking at his soul as he shot with his just as inaccurate partner. "That...heretic brought these daemons here!"

SWOOSH!

PEW!

PEW!

PEW!

SLASH!

They felt a gust of wind that blew two of the demons off balance and watched laser beams shoot three of the others down. The sixth bloodletter was knocked towards a pole by a slash of ashes, fading in red mist along with the others. The guardsmen stopped their firing and saw Ken with a brave scowl at the demons. The boy yelled at them. "GET OUT OF MY TOWN!"

The two bloodletters turned towards the boy and charged in a flash. Swoosh! Ken jumped on a pole and fired, killing the last two demons. With that adverted, he looked to the rest of the districts to find strange manta rays to the west, an odd cannon firing skulls at the east and for added insult to injury, the central district had a swarm of soldier like heartless that had axes for hands, swinging aggressively at the civilians, the boy asked. "How did this happen?!"

A digital beam shined and rushed at the heartless, yet were doing nothing for the demons. Riku and Kairi arrived to see the town in chaos, the Commissar ordered the teenagers and had his men ready for an advance. "You will leave the heretic responsible to us, focus on the dae-"

Riku growled. "Someone let these loose?! Where did he go?!"

Tahm refused to answer as Riku gasped. "...He wants something out of the castle?!"

He turned to Kairi with a decision and ran to the castle, stopped by a loud shot of a gun to the air. "YOU WILL NOT PURSUE THAT HERETIC! He is far too dangerous for juveniles to face."

He yelled to his guard. "FORWARD, IT IS BUT ONE OF THEM!"

The guardsmen saluted as Riku gave off a burst of a mixture of light and dark. "Heretic... you know of this guy! What is he?"

The burst of power stopped the guardsmen that chose to ignore him and march to the castle, the Commissar felt intimidation wouldn't work and answered. "A heretical astartes! A Chaos Space Marine! It is far beyond even our skills and it is a champion."

Riku was willing to take his chances as Kairi wanted to follow him. "Hey kid, do you have the town covered?"

Ken snipped a couple heartless and gave a small salute. "Working on it!"

He asked Tahm. "Riku knocked me silly not too long ago and I think Kairi talked about trying something new as well. You can come with them if you want to!"

The Commissar cringed at the thought of being ordered and watched a large rhino like demon get sent flying by something from the east. The demon crashed and broke apart, the Commissar ordered to his men. "We are escorting them and taking the front line! Move!"

The four ran towards the east as Ken finished snipping the odd heartless and took his chance to look cool. "I'll get the west and try to see what the damage is. If one of these things hurt my mom."

He growled and flew to a building, Kairi whistled and asked Riku. "I'll tell you what I found later. What happened?"

Riku figured and took the charge. "He got stalked and fought instead of running. Come on, we got to stop this... Chaos Space Marine."

The two ran through the districts and found Leon and Yuffie doing battle against six demons that Kairi was disturbed by, daemons of Slaanesh riding what looked like lizards with an aardvarks face. She had memories of the fiend that attacked her and had a glow, Riku vanished and appeared behind a demon, cutting it into oblivion. Two more were shot by lass fire and one was executed by a bolt pistol. Kairi glowed and flung a tide of stars, causing another demon to sizzle. The remaining three riders and steeds turned to the duo, the feminine daemons gave a shriek at Kairi as their steeds leaped.

BANG!

A gun sword fired to finish the injured demon off as a metal star slashed in another.

Riku and Tahm finished off the last two demons with sword slashes. Leaving Leon to recuperate as Yuffie cheered. "Good timing! We got a heartless and demon outbreak all over the town."

She looked around and found odd trumpet like heartless bouncing in, they had a strange, purple color and their horns had fanged maws. They swelled and let loose high pitch noise that hurt the groups ears. They all covered their ears as Yuffie screamed. "EEEEOW!"

She vanished in a puff of smoke and swung her weapon at the trumpets, stopping their noise for the others to attack and slowly best them with digital light clearing out the foes. Hearts fluttered as the group looked around to find nothing in the district and went north. Leon barked what he saw. "Aerith and Merlin were being chased by a bunch of dogs, right towards that... thing! Does anyone have a plan?"

The Commissar had one and lead the way. "Be prepared to go to war governor! For this is what the Great Enemy has wrought!" The group found it madness as the three guardsmen yelled out with misguided confidence. "Charge!"

Kairi breathed heavily as Riku sensed something more going on. "We need to stop those four before they get killed! Come on!" The keyblade wielders went to the upper east as Leon and Yuffie followed. Finding Merline and Aerith using a variety of spells to support Tifa, who looked a reptilian hound with a brass collar with ferocity. She looked at the blue eyes and notice a chariot with a fleshy underbelly, shifting skulls with in the flesh and a demonic maw.

It was driven by two bloodletters that howled and hissed. "Give us the magi! They cower behind you!"

Tifa was cornered by a pack of three hounds that snarled to the magic users, they pounced at her. PUNCH! KICK! CRUNCH!

One was punched in the throat and was sent falling back, another was kicked and lost all of its teeth as it disappeared and the last one missed as Tifa jumped above and kicked down on the hound. Obliterating its skull and leaving it dead. Elric babbled and aimed at the injured hound for a quick kill as the cannon aimed at the muscular woman, the bloodletter on the right snarled. "Such strength!" The one on the left hissed. "You're skull upon his throne!"

Tifa dashed to the right to dodge a shot of a burning skull and jumped at the neck of the odd chariot, she gave it a round house kick and caused the canon to crack. The bloodletters looked astonished, the crack worsen and dripped in blood, a mist of rage erupted as Tifa punched two times and shattered the neck, causing the machine to fall into the ground and sink in, with the bloodletters crawling out and falling in. The Commissar lowered his weapon as Yuffie cheered to Tifa. "WOOH! Kick em into next week!"

Tifa sweated and looked towards the castle, moving a strand of hair from her eyes and asking. "That's this place done. How many more are there?"

Leon answered near tired. "We have the bridge bellow where those two from the castle are fighting for us... thankfully and the study... that's where that freak ran to." Merlin swallowed. "And he spoke about... altering some of the heartless he brought."

Aerith nodded and heard explosions to the west. "The claymore could handle the heartless fine, but we have nothing for the...the..." She shivered as Tifa let her lean on her back. "Our magic does nothing for those dogs, it only makes them more angry. Did he... count on that?"

The Commissar requested to the committee. "We will deal with the heretic astartes, focus on the outbreak in town before it spreads and corrupts the landscape!" The explosions became worse as Riku wondered what was happening. "What did... we got this. Thanks for holding on."

He ran off to the castle as the imperial guard followed, Kairi sighed. "The west side... might be crazier than what we saw here." She asked Tifa. "How did you break that?!"

Tifa flexed her answer. "I'll tell you later, get going!" Kairi saw the muscle and ran off, leaving the committee to patrol.

At the west side.

Ken shot a fast manta down and watched it vanished, he felt his wind magic fade and was rolling against a particular foe, a heartless with upward curved horns, blue gloves and a raven like cloak. It aimed its gloves and fired a barrage of blue destructive bolts as another was hit the boys way by the sound of metal, Ken turned around to find his mother waving and wishing him luck. The boy rolled his eyes and ran to the heartless magi for a cout de grace. He grabbed a loose rock and threw it at the dancing magi, it paused and caused the rock to float, Ken growled. "Teach you to throw my shots back!"

He aimed Cadia's Light and fired. PEW! PEW! BLAM! The magi was shot in the stomach and fell over, showing a flickering heart. The energy poured to the gardens and caused it to distort, trees ripped from the ground and spun as multi colored fire erupted. A figure most massive emerged, something that caused Ken to weakly scream. "Aaaaaah!"

It had six metallic, crab like legs, an upper torso of pink flesh. With armor resembling a dark red, its demonic fanged face looked down at the foolish mortal and aimed its right arm, that had a large sword and guns sticking out from its flesh. Ken ran to the left, where a large metal claw await.

PEW!

POW!

SMASH!

Ken jumped and fired, doing little to no damage, if he attacks that thing up close, it would crush him if he was lucky. He heard feminine screaming at something and blushed embarrassed. "...Mom what are you doing?!" The cyber demon charged and swung his sword. Ken rolled left and right, the claw dug into the ground and tried to trap the boy who felt a surge and shot himself into the air for an aero jump to an upper ledge. It was his last effortful attempt to dodge. Something with red robes slowly approached with a nozzle like gun in hand and a loose coil. PEW! It shot a bright beam of fire at the monsters rear, causing it to howl and explode from its lower, engine like end. It turned around slowly to find a tech priest looking up at it, right in the eyes. The tech priest beeped. "Return to the hell that spawned you, Soulgrinder!"

Ken watched the death machine raise its claw up and focused, he gasped and jumped to the ground hands first, thinking about a creature of dreadful might. PEW! The ground glowed and shined a pillar of light, in the light, came the Kharibdyss that howled. It's dominate head smelled the warp smoke and lunged at the Soulgrinder with its four tentacle like heads, its wrapped its arms in a hold as the dominate head bit down at the Soulgrinders head with a fanged maw. It clawed at the monsters back and punctured an engine bellow. Warped energy leaked and blew a fuse as the Kharibdyss's dominate head crunched again and pulled, tearing off the head and leaving bloody stump. Magitinus took his chance and fired his gun, blowing a hole that caused the machine to rupture in fire and fade. Vanishing and leaving the Kharibdyss to land, the five heads looked upon the priest and drooled, Ken ordered. "No, he helped us!"

The monster growled and vanished in light, Ken watched the distorted trees return to where they were in a flash, the landscapes distortions faded, yet there was a presence somewhere. Ken looked up to the castle and to Magitinus. "Thanks for the shots." He let his keyblades fade and asked. "Anymore around here?"

The tech priest pointed to him. "You stay away from the bridge and leave battling those slugs to someone else! This changes nothing!"

Ken expected a grudge and changed to plan b. "Then... is everyone okay?"

The tech priest sighed and slumped. "Aside from those attacked by heartless, the abominations focused on those that could fight."

Ken noticed Leon entering and waved hello. "I got this one down! The watery growl was something I summoned!"

The rest of the committee followed, Merlin adjusted his glasses. "Another summon?"

Ken giggled. "It was as big as a house!"

Aerith sighed and asked the boy. "Tahm kept insisting that we should let him storm the castle for the man responsible for all this. Will you and Magitinus come with us?" The teenager nodded to that as the Tech priest let his gun cool, it was time to confront the source of the chaos.

In the castle.

Riku, Kairi and the Imperial Guard entered a study and found a man Riku recognized. One with blonde hair, green eyes, a lab coat and an icy blue shield, he yelled frantically. "Don't take a step closer you-" SWIPE!

PLOP!

A malformed blob of darkness pounced to the ground and shifted, limbs stretched to hold its form, eyes that did not belong opened and spiked claws erupted. The teenagers froze in fear of the monster as Tahm gagged and yelled to his guard. "KILL IT!"

Pew! Pew! Pew!

The blob was pelted by gun fire and gave something that would be considered a wail, or a scream or a gurgle. The limbs shifted to crab claws, the blob crawled and flailed, Riku slashed as Kairi thrust at the creatures eye, a flowery star pulsed and sent the blob waddling on its back, it shot a lamprey like maw from its chest and aimed it at Kairi in an instinct.

PEW!

A pillar of ice impaled the monster, causing it to dissolve into mist, the man laughed smug at the kill and looked at the group. "Do you just run into obvious dangers?" He shrugged as Riku identified the man. "Vexen?!"

The man looked confused and impatient. "What kind of... you're lucky we don't have any time." He looked at a high tech passage way. "Ienzo ran after that fanatical lunatic while I was dealing with... that Shadow Spawn."

Tahm raised an eyebrow. "Shadow Spawn?!"

The scientist tried to run to the passage, Riku stopped him. "None of us are letting you run off! That's... the name that... astartes gave the heartless?"

The scientist nodded and warned them with a feeling like he was surrounded by bull headed fools. "That was what he claimed his master... created and named based off of a monster they know about. Hurry along... and know that astartes is armed."

Riku trusted the man less and asked the guardsmen. "Follow Vexen, the last thing we need is him behind us!"

He, Kairi and the Commissar took the lead as the annoyed man felt like he was being treated like a criminal, Thompson nudged to him. "Well there is a reason, we will sort it out later."

The group went into a computer room, the front lead were met with a grenade thrown at them, the man in the middle jumped ahead of them and used his shield to block an explosion. The teenagers felt a point was made and advanced to find a large, armored man in dark red armor, his helmet showed a top knot, his large pauldrons showed a symbol of a flaming skull and the symbols of an eight pointed star gave away his allegiance. He held highly by his arms a silver haired man in a lab coat, it looked like he was throttled, parts of his hair hid his right eye while the other was swollen and closed. The Chaos Space Marine glared at the group, tossed the man aside and balked. "Worthless whelp! I will make you scream the password after I crush these fools!"

The blonde man cringed and dashed to catch his partner as the marine took out his maul and charged with a yell, Riku and Kairi felt the weight and jumped out of the way to the right as the Commissar jumped to the left, the guardsmen were knocked across the hall from the force of the swings wind.

The marine aimed his free hand and caused a barrier to form, he taunted the guardsmen. "I will make you WATCH your Commissar die lap dogs! Then will you know the Dark Word!" He took out his bolt pistol and aimed, a fire ball shot at his back pack and caused the marine to focus on another threat. Riku. The boy backed up as the Marine readied something, the marine jumped and slammed his maul. Riku dodged and was tripped by the force of the impact. Tahm fired his gun at the marines back and caused nothing. The young scientist crawled to the computer as the older one stopped and asked. "Ienzo, you knew what this man was capable of, what were you doing?"

The injured scientist tried to stand up and failed. "COUGH! P...Password...claymore... An. He watched the marine being attacked by the keyblade wielders and shrugging them off like they were nothing. "E...Even, the password. BlizzNaClCHO...13."

The marine listened and taunted. "THAT WAS THE PASSWORD?! FOOL!"

The marine charged to the computer to type, ignoring Riku's blows, the marine growled and grabbed the boy by the head. "Annoying."

Riku was lifted and kicked for his life as he felt the tight grip around his skull, Kairi knew what the marine was doing and gave off a golden glow, she charged and upper struck the marine, causing him to loose his grip and turned his head in a howl. The marine jumped back with his maul glowing, Kairi didn't relent and struck again, sending the marine falling to the right. Kairi's glow faded as Even went to the computer to type the password, taking a chance to taunt the marine. "Not for what your crazed master wants you imbecile!" He pressed the button and caused pillars of digital light to appear. "An... associate of ours helped us with a program for those like you or those pets you send loose. You will be our experiment for its efficiency."

The disk rushed to the marine and punched the marine upward. The marine was in a corner and glared. "No matter, I came to retrieve the information of the Heartless. That I have!"

He focused on Kairi with his free hand and pressed his weapon on a wall, causing a corridor to open. "Princess of Heart! You will be the key we need to unleash hell! Taste a hollow victory as you fear the name Gurak, Champion of the Messengers of the Dark Word! Champion of the Word Bearers!"

The security system pulsed as Kairi's mouth opened wide, the marine jumped into the corridor. Riku was on his back and tried to recover from a near death experience as the girl helped him up, Tahm looked at his frantically clawing man and the barrier fading. "If you mention the name of that war band, I will execute you on the spot! Understood?"

The trio stood up, Perkins asked. "What name? We only saw a heretic!"

Thompson and Elric nodded and forced themselves to forget, Even cringed and went to Ienzo. "Don't overreact, he won't be returning."

He helped the young, injured scientist up, Ienzo looked at Riku and breathed heavily like his life was in danger. "Wh..." He addressed Kairi. "Thanks for coming when you two did."

Riku wasn't pleased about being ignored as Kairi guessed. "That upgrade was meant for those... things and for people like him. What happened?"

Even didn't wish to spell it out. "Everything you saw was what came rushing through the door and was observing the library with... something and sent more of those nightmares lose! Right before we would begin installing the upgrade on the program."

He asked Riku. "You can thank us later, now...what did you mean by Vexen?"

The boy shook his head confused and waved his hand down. "Ah forget about it."

Step! Step! Leon, Yuffie and Tifa entered the room battle ready as Aerith followed, Ken was the last to enter with Cadia's Light and Magitinus with his strange but effective gun. The tech priest looked at the computer and signs of use and asked. "The Program, it worked in purging this heresy?"

Even sighed. "Yes, it got rid of the towns problems. Now if we can apply this to the outskirts."

He turned to Kairi with another question. "But everything else we used against him didn't work, except when she attacked she was actually able to do something. How?!"

Ken raised his hand to the answer as Kairi gasped to say it. "It's what my heart and keyblade were doing as one. It is pretty strong against-" Her eyes widened as the blonde boy blurted out in a disturbing thought. "Against creatures of darkness and those with great evil in their hearts, it definitely works against them."

Kairi and Riku looked to each other at the horrifying discovery, the silver haired teenager asked the two scientist. "You were not exaggerating when you of all people called him a looney?"

Ienzo shook his head and wanted to lay down. "He talks about things that made Tahm threaten his own men if word got out."

He asked Tahm. "Could you please leave." The Commissar nodded and ordered his men to follow. "Do not speak of it for long!"

With them gone, Ienzo spoke more. "Gurak was screaming about a master, Dark gods that he also call... Great gods."

Leon rolled his eyes at placed his sword on his back. "And he declared war if we don't kick certain people out of town."

He looked at the tech priest as Riku asked Kairi. "His Majesty and his teacher need to know about this."

The silver haired teenager asked Ken. "What the hell was going on out there?"

The blonde teenager answered. "A big cybernetic demon. That was what the hell this guy let loose! It had mechanical legs and everything."

Kairi cringed and asked. "A Defiler?!"

The tech priest hushed the princess. "No, it is something the heretics call a Soul Grinder." He pointed to Ken. "And he summoned a larger monster to finish the job."

Riku laughed at the insanity. "Like he should with that power!" He and Kairi looked at each other in a decision as Ken volunteered for something. "I'm going to keep an eye on the town before something more crazy happens. Riku, would you mind telling me what the heck is going on after you and the others finish business! I like this town and now we got more than just demons and heartless on the loose!"

Riku agreed wholly with the novice. "Oh we will! We are now dealing with people who are using this power! Come on Kairi, Sora is finally done and is waiting." Kairi followed Riku out, leaving the only other keyblade wielder with frustration. "Now would someone please tell me what else happened in the town, all this talk about programs makes my head spin."

At the mysterious tower.

Sora finished a report on the latest event as Goofy and Donald stood aside with Jiminy writing down the details. "And then Pyriel saluted Hofneil and went to patrolling the town."

Mickey and Yen Sid looked at each other over the story, the wizard asked. "You should not break the world order under any circumstances, but you met a wise person that eventually learned the truth and then you met another that understands more than he seems. That is also why they were not easily influenced by the sudden arrival of the daemons. You are certain no new pathways opened?"

Sora shook his head. "That world lead to a dead end. Maybe if we look to a world that already showed up a while ago for the last two Space Marines." He sighed. "We got to help them get back home."

Riku and Kairi ran in with many thoughts and words escaping, Sora heard babbling as Mickey asked. "Calm down, we got your message a while ago. Did you find more at Radiant Garden?"

Riku and Kairi slowed themselves, the boy answered. "We learned about who is using the powers of Chaos along with the Heartless and they are ready to go to war with them!"

He cringed and turned to Sora, the signs of a warning in his eyes was enough for even Sora to realize the danger his friends had been. Riku warned him. "If you meet a Chaos Space Marine... that looks like those Space Marines but more evil looking, don't fight him head one! He will kill you easily." Sora tightened his fists in anger. "What did he do to the town?"

Kairi answered with a scowl of her own. "He let loose terrible, horrible things as a distraction and attacked us the instant we tracked him down. He was taking everything we got at him and wouldn't even budge away! What's worse." She looked around and didn't want to sound like she was bragging. "That thing we talked about with my keyblade... has some truth in it... it was the only thing that knocked that dark worshiping Marine down. His name is Gurak."

Sora was impressed for a moment and opened his mouth in horror, Kairi and Riku let him knew the feeling was mutual, the silver haired teenager had more grim news. "We also found out about what was happening in the Realm of Darkness... remember kid that saw that daemon and the Stormcast? The same Stormcast that charged that daemon into the realm? That same daemon showed up again and another is trapped, did... Anatesis actually beat that thing away?"

Mickey gasped and looked horrified. "OH NO!"

He looked at the group and feared the worse. "That means we can't wait anymore. Aqua is alone in there and the other person that got stuck in there is in it even worse!" Riku growled and shouted out. "Mickey, the only way we can get INTO that Realm without getting torn apart is to go into a full scale war! We have lunatics worshiping this stuff and there is another daemon that is like that Defiler that would have killed us. The only people who would know about war CANNOT be trusted because they have too many problems to be a help in there! It isn't even that we can wait, but are any of us ready?"

Mickey agreed back. "No we are not! That is the worst part."

Yen Sid felt something and looked to the center of the room, a purple energy glowed, taking the form of a spectral heart. Three specters formed, the teenagers backed away and readied themselves. WOOSH! A great force pushed out of the room, light and lightning crackled. The images took shape into something not really there, one was a dragon like creature the size of a bull, with black scales that had spikes as white as the moon, another was a mage in a full suit of silver and blue armor, looking confused as she took off her helmet to show a blonde woman with ruby eyes, her frown twisted in confusion as her eyes focused on the central specter, a specter Mickey and Yen Sid feared they would have never seen again, a familiar blue haired woman with a keyblade aimed at something. The woman placed her blade down and was astonished, she turned to the warrior with good news. "It worked! Never doubt." The dragon barked and looked out the window, wondering what kind of world was out there, the large figure ordered the dragon. "Moonfang, we are here for an experiment and we have NO idea if that Heartstone fragment would work for long."

She looked at the woman with a tease. "Well Aqua, this is finally the progress you wanted, make due while you can, for you may not get another chance!"

Mickey was speechless as the teenagers pinched each other. Aqua looked at Arreia and to the two, she breathed heavily and yelled. "Mickey?!"

The mouse's hands were shaking, his eyes faced away in guilt. "I...I...I'm sorry that I disappeared and never came back...I-" Aqua was willing to sweep that under the rug. "That doesn't matter much now."

Yen Sid asked nearly breaking out of his stern demeanor. "How...you... actually escaped the Realm of Darkness?"

Aqua nodded to the wizard. "A warrior named Anatesis appeared along with some... problems that were crawling into that place. You won't believe me if I said we had help getting out from a large frog that controls the stars." She focused on Mickey with urgent information. "You're majesty, I know what is happening, some evil is creeping into the worlds to bring Chaos... an evil that can strike-" She points to her head. "And" She points to Mickey's chest. "But I am still nowhere close to getting home. Me along with Ana, Arry and many others found something that can help me, a special stone called the Heart Stone. It was being used by an evil necromatic god until we interfered... that god shattered the stone and the fragments are scattered not in just one realm but seven in total." She looked behind herself and saw the purple glow. "We're using of the fragments."

Riku and Mickey knew the kind of god Aqua was talking about, the mouse asked. "An evil...Nagash?! A general named Wanda told me about him."

Arreia folded her arms and was in a stoic tone. "Just take our word for it when we call him an evil god. Nagash got what he deserved when Aqua rammed that keyblade into his heart... if he ever had one."

Aqua turned to the Stormcast and agreed with a harsh, venom dripped tongue. "Someone like him, never did!"

She turned to an astonished Mickey, she wasn't apologizing for her words. "There was no one you know that is so petty, self entitled and vile at the same time. He might have sent a force of his into a world, beware of any heartless that looks... undead, they are lead by a Mortarch of Souls. It is a threat to us all!"

Mickey and Yen Sid took the warning, the wizard looked at the Stormcast and asked. "Many who suspected the occurrences or seen them spoke about this... Anatesis. She accompanied you from the Realm of Darkness and to the realms beyond. Where is she?"

Aqua kept herself from crying as the Stormcast answered for her. "She is with Sigmar, the God King of Order and the one who created the Stormcasts. She fell from our battle with Nagash when that lich tried to tear out her soul." She had her hand on Aqua's shoulder and kept a leaders facade. "It took a miracle, but this brave one repaired the broken pieces of Ana's heart. Now Sigmar is seeing to repairing her body." She smiled with pride. "I know hearts are a big concept to you and this realm. But Ana's shined brightly among all of us who went into Shyish."

Aqua knew she had little time to talk and agreed. "Hers did, like a thunder bolt in the sky." She asked. "Eh...Arry... you forgot something."

The Stormcast gasped and agreed as she introduced herself. "I am Arreia, a Lord Arcanum of the Hollow Knights. I formed our band to go into Shyish."

She looked to the dragon looking out of the window. "That is Ana's Dracoth steed, Moonfang." The dragon grunted, turned to the mouse and wizard and smiled to show why it had the name. It noticed odd people and approached them as the Lord Arcanum wondered what the behavior was about, she focused on the two. "To think this is what a sliver of the Heartstones power can do. With just a sliver, those with strong ties to others in the Realm of Hearts could make contact."

Aqua nodded and continued. "But only as... a spirit, a projection. I'm still a ways away in a realm called Azyr. Once I find the other fragments-" The thought was overwhelming as Mickey smiled to what the goal is. "Once you find them and put the stone back together... you will finally be home."

The hope was much for the mouse and wizard, who looked to each other with that hope lighting the way. Aqua wondered what Moonfang was doing and turned around, seeing the Dracoth smelling three teenagers that she vaguely saw. She tried to have a more observant look as the purple glow flickered. In a flash of light, she, the dracoth and Stormcast vanished. Kairi looked at Mickey and Yen Sid speechless as Sora breathed deeply. "That... was... cool!"

Riku agreed and was in a mood as just as cheerful. "Aqua... actually got out of the Realm of Darkness?!"

It was much to believe, he reminded himself. "There is still someone that is trapped there... so we still need to figure out how to open the way without getting killed." Sora asked. "Who?" Riku answered with little knowledge. "A knight named Garland. I wonder if the corri-"

Mickey noticed and asked. "The corridors of darkness are connected. Did... anything happened with that?" Sora, Donald, Goofy and Riku remembered a monster. The spiky haired teenager answered. "Oh yeah, some tough dragon ran into one that was closing. It... opened up for him."

Riku's heart raced. "It...how would force just... do that?"

He explained more of the monster. "It didn't just appear on the other side of where the Corridor takes it, it smashed its way through. Then some Orruk Megaboss jumped on its back and had it smash a way out for him and his whole... gang."

Sora knew who Riku was talking about. "Why did you let that happen?"

Riku answered back with confusion fueling it. "I don't know, something wanted me and that kid to just... let it happen!"

The boys turned to a just as confused Kairi that shook her head. "There was something I found out while checking on Belle. We... kept saying that Chaos is tied to Darkness... right?"

That was the theory, Jiminy asked. "Heartless are drawn to the daemons, so that is the idea we thought about."

Kairi agreed with that. "And they are... but...is Darkness and Chaos the same? I... found out some odd things that were messing with my head."

Mickey's eyes widened as Jiminy written down a detail. "Chaos isn't exactly Darkness. One would be a force that affects the heart and what is with in." Mickey nodded. "But it is like what Aqua said about Chaos, you don't have to be a darkened person for it to mess with you. They have another way of doing it."

Kairi asked as she remembered the uncomfortable imagery. "You're head isn't safe." She asked the boys. "I need to find the others princess's before Gurak does."

Riku remembered that detail. "He and these... Messengers of the Dark Word... or Word Bearers, know that the Princess's of Heart are important and how! Kairi is the only person here who can fight one and it doesn't take much for them to figure out not to fight her alone." He had an idea of who might have the power to battle such a foe. "...Our greatest help is just a train ways away."

The group approved of the plan as Yen Sid placed his hands together. "They are, but these are hearts that have been scarred from warfare, if these Word Bearers are attempting to harness the powers of darkness, our allies would suffer the reversal of our own problem."

The teenagers understood with the plan, Riku organized the three groups. "Sora, Donald, Goofy, keep looking for Hofneil's Battle Brothers, it takes a Space Marine to know how to battle a Space Marine. Kairi, if you find more than one of those Chaos guys, get the Princess and anyone she is close to, then get out of there... or make sure they NEVER enter that world. I'll go get some info out of our... buddies."

He sighed at the few positives. "Mickey, is that... thing you keep talking about needed right now?"

The mouse shook his head. "We still need to save that knight, but now help is coming. It is a power only a Keyblade Master can use without too many dangers. Seven realms...sound like whole worlds."

Yen Sid agreed. "Aqua's journey could span with in a week... a month... a year... maybe much more. That is time we do not have. Sora, Riku... you may leave the preparations to us." He looked at Kairi with apology. "Sora and Riku have been through many battles, the journey they will take once we are ready is for them alone. But... I see you have more experience with the keyblade and with battles."

Kairi knew one solution to her problem. "When I finish up, there is one person that I know is getting stronger and might finally have the chance to help us instead of being told to stay put."

Riku wasn't so certain. "That isn't his problem right now, someone out there wants him dead because of some prophecy they started and are dead set on because of what he picked up. That's why he isn't going out alone."

Kairi and Sora looked at each other and figured out what that something was, the princess asked. "That... burnt keyblade?"

Riku nodded. "It isn't something dangerous... but what if he picks something up that is?"

Sora felt odd about the keyblade. "He... didn't tell us where he got that keyblade."

Riku faced the door with a huff. "And it is best we don't force him. Come on, no one is waiting."

He left as Donald and Goofy were wondering and followed Sora out. Kairi left last and left Mickey to think about what he heard. "It's big out there, who knows what is found in the corners of the worlds."

Yen Sid agreed to that. "But why a keyblade?"

At Radiant Garden.

Ken held a dvd case and giggled. "I liked how this didn't involve the main characters of the films." His mother spun a finger around her head. "And an interesting character as well, the Mandalorian's are some of the scariest people in the galaxy."

Ken agreed with the show mentioned. "Who knew a bounty hunter would be that nice of a guy off work. So, they made a program that would shoo out stuff like... THAT if it shows up. But would it really keep out that looney I heard about?"

The mother shrugged and took the dvd. "Maybe or maybe it will make their lives a nightmare until someone comes to kick them out. Shame everyone is too busy to go along with you for another adventure. You came back like a sort of super hero flying around like that."

Ken admitted with pride. "But that Riku guy already made a point! When I battle someone or something that is tougher, the outcome is the same."

The mother growled. "That jerk turned you into a tennis ball! At least he was nice about it. You got into a fight with another because you have those things... two of them!"

Ken let his keyblades form and smiled. "Yeah but if that Roxas guy never showed up, I wouldn't have made that idea to use aero to fly around. You can learn a lot from losing."

The mother shrugged and walked to the house. "But getting knocked down like that can... embarrass yourself. Think about that, before you do something more dumb like-" Ken got it. "I know, if I fight HIM! I need to find a A game, I'm so close. Just... I want to make him SWEAT!"

The mother bopped her son on the nose. "You didn't land a hit on one pro, you got some hits on another to where he had to think of a strategy, just make sure the third time you fight... you don't end up falling in a spectacular way. If you can find someone who you can trust to not ditch you, get out of here and get good! If not by tonight, I'll have dinner ready."

The son blushed and looked around. "I'm going to ask any of those four if they want to go on a trip. They know more about what is going on than us." The mother nodded to that. "They are your best ticket out of here. I think they are at the tavern trying to drink away what they saw... don't rush it."

The two parted ways, the boy went to the tavern to find Tahm holding in a head ache as his men were drunkly talking about a tank. "I bet we... would blow the next batch back to sssshpace with a Leman Russ."

The Commissar sighed slumped his head to his hands on the table. "We don't have one guardsmen, nor would I issue the order to use one."

Ken blinked and knew those four were in no talking position, he walked backwards out. "Those guys are too smashed to be of any help now."

He tapped his foot and felt something was staring at him from the west. He turned around to find an odd charming sight. A blonde woman with light blue eyes, a blue, well kept shirt and a pair of black pants. Two strands of her hair stood out like antenna, she looked incredibly disappointed and realized the boy was staring at her. "...What are you looking at?"

Ken answered and nearly stuttered as he realized what he was doing. "I wasn't looking at anything till I noticed someone noticed. I need to stop bringing these two out." He tried to put the two blades away as the woman insisted. "Nah, hiding that is just dumb."

She asked instead. "How did a kid like you cause so much in so little time? Some loser a town over did nothing but talk about... someone with a light and a key of ashes." Ken jumped back and tensed. "Black robe?" The woman nodded. "She wears a white helmet?"

Ken nodded back. "Claims she can predict the future?" The woman winked. "You're not as dumb as I thought you were! That Farseer kept speaking in riddles, about how that light and that key would bring many into darkness and had already brought some down that path."

Ken glared at her. "And you were sent to kill me like the LAST one she did?"

The woman gasped and shook her head, snarling in an outrage. "What kind of question is that?"

She lost her patience and yelled. "A pink haired man with flowers! You seen him around?"

Ken shook his head and refused to turn his back. "That was why you listened to that and went looking for me? Uh-huh! What else are you here for?"

The woman nearly sparked in annoyance. "Like I will tell a wimp like you! Are you going to keep asking dumb questions or are you going to go run back to mommy and daddy?" Ken posed his battle stance. "Not until I get more answers! A witch sent a monkey hating viper from the shadows after chasing the monkey to where they wanted him to be! If you're not going to answer me, you can tell that Farseer THAT and tell her where to shove it."

The woman's lips tensed, her eyes analyzed and she raised her right hand in front of her. "How about a better idea." Ken's eyes widened as he watched sparks fly, a yellow keyblade formed. The tip of the blade had three long spikes, the hilt had a set of eight and the long blade was mostly blue save for the more metallic bits. The woman position the hilt of the blade to her left shoulder and position her left arm behind the rest of the blade, the boy sighed at another fight he got himself into as the woman answered. "How about I break you into staying out of something idiotic!" She gave a mocking giggle and spun, using her full strength, she flung her weapon and sent electrical spikes to the boys path. Ken jumped to the side and fired back, shooting the woman on the shoulder and causing a sting.

The woman flashed like a lighting bolt and appeared next to the boy, swinging her blade like a circuit. Ken blocked with his burnt blade and felt his hair standing, his fingers twitching from a numbness. He readied his legs and used a burst of air to jump back, he shot another beam and hit the woman at her knees. She jumped back and aimed her blade to the sky with wicked laughter. A cloud formed and shot a wild stream of lightning. Ken danced against the bolts and was struck by one, he yelled out. "YEEEEOW!"

PEW! PEW! PEW!

Ken saw the faint lights and rolled to the left, the lightning returned, the boy growled and stabbed the ground with the burnt blade, enveloping himself in a cloud of ashes. Avoiding the strikes and having a shroud, the woman nearly snapped and flung more spikes into the cloud. A small twister formed and a red glow radiated. BLAM!

Like a bullet, the boy shot out with his primary keyblade ready for a thrust, he spun and fired three burning beams.

POW! The woman was shot back and landed on her feet, she jumped to the right and crackled with her blade, she aimed and caused a net of lightning to snare. Ken was still and felt every nerve in his body light up, his teeth gritted and it was like he was in a constant twitch, his actual heart nearly breaking to a different rhythm.

He clenched to the burnt blade and flung a mixture of ashes and sizzling cinders. Falling with in the cloud and panting as he was on his knees, on the other side of the mists, the woman was in a similar pant. "C...Come on, just run away already!"

He used the wind and faced the voice, he shot out and swiped, causing a thud as he spun on his back, broke his flight with a brick and jumped on his knees. His eyes were like a swirl of jelly from the movement and aimed his weapons as the ashen fog cleared, finding the woman on her knees trying to get up. She looked up to find both and sighed. "Why couldn't you just lose?"

Ken answered just as angry. "Because the last person like you was calling me a monkey and kept scaring me to kingdom come about her enjoying what she was trying to do."

The woman glared at him, let her keyblade fade and stood up with her hands in the air, like a surrender. "That stings as much as I think it means. That riddle me and a few others were told of hinted at that the key to ashes lead people down to darkness, wielded by someone with a dark heart. If what you talk about was what that Farseer had in mind for the problem... that she pushed along anyways, what's going to stop a bigger idiot from coming after you. What's going to stop another."

She quoted. "Viper, from slithering in the grass?" Ken sighed. "That viper turned into a heartless when she just wouldn't stop. You're stopping because I wasn't the kind of person you wanted to run into?"

The woman sighed. "I... was hoping coming here would have helped me find Lauriam, that there was someone responsible for him disappearing. It sounded-" Ken lowered his eye lids exhausted. "Like you wanted to find the bad guy in this. I'll be honest, a pig was more accurate with predicting things and there wasn't a single word... just... images." The woman gasped and laughed at the silly notion as the boy continued. "A town under the stars, a town I grew up in was just like that and it didn't change at all when I visited it. Dark ring... the world I got that ashen keyblade at, had one as an eclipse. the rest... would come as they follow."

The woman believed it. "A dark heart... all I see is a light heart kid that got scared. But... now you are in another problem." She pointed to a particular house. "If you just ran back home, that would have been the end of it. There would have been NO way a scaredy cat would have been able to handle that kind of darkness. Now two of my... buddies, would need to see this to believe it."

Ken placed his primary keyblade's tip on the ground and leaned. "And how would I know this isn't leading me to somewhere that would mean-" The woman pressed a finger on the boys lips and answered. "A crazy nun with a flame thrower refused to tell a wannabe rock star and a gambler anything important and they got scared of asking for. So I gambled, if this was a trap... that nun would have been the one to have allowed it."

Ken sighed and lead the way. "Bryn will get us there... unless you got a ship of your own." The woman smiled nervously. "I... took a black coat and gambled in another way."

She introduced herself. "I'm Elerna, the town isn't that far away. What's yours?" Ken introduced himself. "Kendry, now lets get out of here before someone who heard that shows up."

At an Inn with in a golden city.

Aqua was escorted to the Duradin's Cradle as Arreia kept an impatient Moonfang under control. "Easy girl, we will talk about you're new charge when we get back to the chamber."

She smiled at a satisfied Keyblade Master and looked at a necklace with a piece of the Heartstone at her chest, the purple stone was at the bottom. "Me and my evocators require a days worth of time to prepare for your journey across the realms. It is but a piece of realm stone you seek and they could be anywhere. Just because you finally got to talk with old friends and let them know you are safe, doesn't mean you would get home easily. In the mean time, Lorustro had agreed to assist you with a particular task as you travel. This he claims to owe you and Ana for not being there. The Heart Fragment of Azyr." Aqua lightly laughed. "He thinks that thing is up the mountain?"

Arreia raised a finger and advised Aqua. "No... he believes the stone fragments are in a place of importance... a place that is emotionally charging... that is how the things you call hearts work. Because I think you are referring to the mind, a heart has a different purpose that you should be aware of."

Aqua blinked, realized what the Stormcast meant and laughed louder. "Ha! That would be a way look at it... and I think you might be right in a way. If I don't tell Loru first, he needs to know that he didn't have to do that, but I'm grateful."

Moonfang barked a promise as Arreia agreed with her. "Loru is a proud one as he and Nightscale have every right to be! He only hears the stories of you and Ana and he thinks if he had been there, things might have been different for Ana. Fortunately, most of the the Alliance of Order are scattered through out the realms, we will tell you just what to expect and who to look for if you need some companions." She gave Aqua a permit and requested. "Show this to Boreld, every possible luxury you could need would be provided till morning. It might be a long time before you would have anything resembling a luxury again."

Aqua took the slip and felt exhausted. "Thank you." She wondered another detail. "But... who else was Mickey with?" She smiled at the thought. "He was trying get back in the Realm of Darkness to look for me."

Arreia shrugged as the Dracoth followed her away. "It was certainly late to do that, but you're realms are preparing themselves. Focus on you're objective, the worries would come after you can finally take action." With the two departing, Aqua went in to show the dwarf maintaining a clean bar the permit slip, Boreld tossed Aqua a key and let her know. "I got feast in a few hours, you're room is the same as before and since this is talking about what SHE thinks is a luxury, you might want to save it as the last thing for the day. Stormcasts or not, they still know what the common folk want... just to an extreme."

Aqua yawned and thanked the dwarf. "Do you know anyone from the other realms?" Boreld tapped the table with his finger. "There are two cousins of mine from Aqshy and Chamon! The Fyreslayers are the most hotblooded bunch you will lay eyes on and the Kharadon might be you're best help in Chamon if you want to get anywhere. But that don't come cheap! If you're going to head there... let's just say this city won't be the only thing you will pass out on. Actually, try to think of how that. No sense you being in one strange place and getting flung into another." Aqua considered it with no knowledge of where to start, she went to her room to think about it and laid her back on the bed.

Her mind drifting into an endless void, with in, a vision came. One familiar and of burning anger, Archaon stood out of his balcony with his flaming sword, in disbelief over something. Approaching by his side was Xehanort, questioning something. The Everchosen took a deep breath and clapped to the distance. "Regardless if the Seraphon had to unleash everything just to distract him. No mortal has displayed such will, especially to defeat Nagash." He tilted his head to Xehanort. "For someone you had no plans on seeing again, she had assisted all of us well by riding us of that Necromancer for a time. For he would have sought to enslave all life in the Realm of Hearts. Then how would we have fulfilled our goals?"

The dark researcher nodded in agreement with the Everchosen. "And Nagash sought Kingdom Hearts for a purpose so... vain, self entitled." He gestured with his left hand. "But... with all due respect, Master Aqua didn't just stop Nagash. She obliterated him with all the fury she could, scattering him through out all of Shyish, vengeance... is a powerful emotion." He sighed and looked down to the infernal wastes. "It is a trap even the strongest of hearts fall into... if we allow her to continue on her quest, she would be that great of a threat to our plans."

Archaon gasped and laughed. "You mean she would seek vengeance upon you and make that, you're fate!"

Xehanort clenched his fists and ignored the mockery. "That's absurd."

Archaon continued and looked him in the eyes. "You have made many enemies through out those four lives! Aqua, knows you. The denizens of the Realm of Hearts witnessed first hand the outcome of you're deeds, they know you're name in fear and hatred. Yet... she is the one you fear the most, not even the heroes that vanquished you twice... make you quake as much as I see it."

Xehanort backed from the Grand Marshal. "Because unlike them, Aqua has actually set back a crucial plan, one... single action has set me back for many years and ended one life. Giving way to a desire that was simply to reclaim all along. Those you called heroes made a mistake that I was in no power to foresee, they will not repeat that again."

Archaon was amused and gave a sinister smile. "But that mistake lead you to the very darkness you sought after. Made manifest in the tides of Chaos! Now you are torn between further study and returning to the Realm of Hearts to begin again?"

Xehenort smiled back at mutual kin. "Yet you keep suggesting we wait while another force of Chaos make rise. If they were Chaos, have we not aided them?"

Archaon answered as he looked to the twisting sky. "For the mortals that seek Kingdom Hearts have different interests to my own! Do not forget who freed you from that hell, who is allowing you to do your craft here. The way to the Realm of Hearts is much easier for us compared to her, she just wanders in her Purgatory."

Xehanort looked up to the sky in agreement. "You underestimate a heart Archaon, especially one who has wandered in the darkness of Hell for years and endured. Through two forces, he will make sure she continues to wander in her Purgatory. In realms beyond her dreams."

The Everchosen hoped so. "She nearly faltered once, she will falter again."

Aqua jolted awake, back to reality, why do the vision return if to stress her out. She stood up and looked at her necklace, one fragment out of eight. She left her room to explore what else the Inn as her mind wandered. Realms of the elements, nature itself and even realms of light and darkness, they hold the key home. She went for her pocket and pulled out a familiar charm that gave memories, a silver metal flower with blue gem like petals.

It felt like a continuous cycle, wandering from one place, finding a glimmer of hope and taking that chance, only to find herself repeating the actions, just to take another seemingly small step towards. She took a deep breath and heard flowing water, despite the cycle, she managed to escape one forsaken realm and be with in a realm that, while otherworldly, was welcoming. If it was not for the denizens of the realm, would she have even been able to see an old friend of hers again? She followed the sound and opened a door to find a rather simple yet large artificial hot spring, she widened her mouth and placed the charm back into her pocket. "...Just hold on a little longer."


	12. Disruptive Chaos

In a city under a sunset, Sora and Riku watched Hofneil and Pyriel grow stoic on the mention of the name Word Bearers. By a tunnel where no one was watching, Resira looked upon Riku and Kairi to ask. "We are very familiar with those heretics, why do you endanger yourselves before us to know more about them?"

Riku answered as he watched Sora, Donald and Goofy realize telling this to those of the Imperium was an unwise decision. "Because they are going to mess up our worlds if we don't stop them. Just one Space Marine was able to throw a whole town upside down."

Resira faced her eyes to the sky, shook her head and looked to the boy in defeat. "That is what normally happens along with a cult that erupts from the infestation. But given the time he had and how no one in that town seems aware save for a few, this is a typical raid."

Hofneil nodded and answered with her. "Just one member of the Word Bearers, would corrupt with only their voice."

Sora felt a chill as Riku agreed back. "They prey on the desperate and stupid to follow along with the... insane idea that the darkness they worship would bring any good. So much... that their words can even affect you?"

The Space Marine clenched his fists with a memory of zeal. "I slew a Dark Apostle exactly like that. Be fortunate you only dealt with a sargant."

Riku and Kairi cringed as Sora asked. "I heard Kairi was the only one in that fight that was able to hurt him, but also that means we are dealing with people who... not only sound out of our level, but are the biggest problem out in the worlds. We need to stop them before they try again. Is... there anything you can do to help us?"

Resira walked towards a tree with her answer. "That is the task we carry out in this simple town, seeing that the seed of Chaos never plants its roots here. But to fight a war band."

Pyriel agreed to warn the group. "To fight a war band at our power is suicidal, with only two of our battle brothers out there and no word of another squad across the worlds... we would likely fail."

Hofneil looked in a trance and asked. "Sora you say there are more of the Imperium at Radiant Garden? Among those that wish to give their service to the Emperor?"

Sora had his hands behind his head and answered. "Even if they don't know about him, there are people there that would help you guys out. Maybe... after we find those last two, Dabriel and Nathaniel... a marine with a missile launcher and a marine with... a big sounding gun." Hofneil considered the strategy. "If you multi task, you will be overwhelmed. Is there a way to make contact with them?"

Riku answered with his eyes never leaving the more aggressive sister of battle. "You can leave that to me, shouldn't be that difficult now that Radiant Garden has a way to keep those daemons out, those four got nothing better to do."

Resira nodded with her duty in mind. "The people of that town certainly have such brilliance to make something that would repel both the Heartless and the Daemon. Or... at least the lesser."

Riku guessed the term. "Lesser... those smaller daemons we been fighting most of the time? You are not talking about the bigger ones? The reason we visited the tower in the first place."

Resira shrugged. "It is good fortune we are not speaking of this near an Inquistor. I seen that disaster once, it takes much for a greater daemon to appear and woe be those who battle against them. You do not require a program to banish them back, you require an army, the most faithful in the Emperor and... an amply supply of weaponry to reliably do it. Due to... the nature of these worlds, they would be as likely to appear as a heartless of great power? Meaning it appearing would require... more than just heretics summoning one."

The teenagers nodded to that as Sora worried. "Just... people at a moments weakness, giving in." He asked Kairi. "Are you sure about you're next stop? It's easy to get lost in Agrabah."

The princess nodded with her own fears. "Jasmine is in a palace, its obvious." She asked the Adeptas Sororitas. "How... did you learn about that? Any authority has been pretty hesitate to tell us and you are just... a Sister of Battle."

Resira refused to go into the details and blew to the wind. "I'm just a survivor. Nothing more than that." She wished to return to her patrol. "But continue you're duties, heresy grows from idleness."

Hofneil and Pyriel agreed and nodded to the group, the Apothecary advised to them. "It would be wise to not let those locals know anymore about Chaos, tell them the minimum if it occurs for the weak of hearts would easily fall into temptation and repeat the horrors you saw."

He went to the town as Hofneil gave his parting. "Not just Chaos, but the Darkness you speak of. May the Emperor's Light continue to guide you!" With them gone, the group had their own parting, time is of the essence.

In a terrace in the town.

Ken was lead to a table near a building being renovated, a man with brown standing up hair, light blue eyes and casual ocean blue wears, was telling a story to a man with light blonde hair, blue eyes, facial hair and a simple black suit. "I'm telling you Dorlu, we are never going to get to do anything as long as that crazy woman is around. One misplaced word and we would wish we never woken up."

Dorlu was ready to say something, notice Elerna glaring from behind crossed, he dryly laughed. "Like what you just did Medy?"

Medy yelped and turned around terrified, seeing Elerna with her eyes squinting in a scorn, the man blabbered. "I..." He cringed. "P...please wait, I can-" Elerna interrupted him and focused on the teenager. "You are so lucky I know who you were really talking about! I found our so called black heart that had been doing to oh so terrible deeds of getting into trouble like this and fighting back."

Dorlu listened to the sarcasm, looked at the less than trusting teenager and asked. "Someone that finishes what is started. Are our introductions necessary?"

Ken sighed and kept his ground. "I overheard you're names...Dorlu. Who were you talking about anyways?"

Medy swiped his hand over his own throat as Dorlu advised the teenager. "A pointless, dangerous gamble. So long as we play by their rules. If you see a woman with a flamethrower or this man in... a rather stylish set of armor, they are under a self proclaimed duty of keeping the town spotless."

Ken tilted his head. "It isn't that they did anything right now... but you have a gut instinct that if we keep doing this, we are just going to get into a fight we won't be making it out of. I already got into one today thank you very much."

He introduced himself. "Kendry's the name and I guess the person responsible for all this drew attention just so she can show this to you."

He looked at Elerna with a question bubbling in his mind, the woman answered. "No, I'm the only one of the three that has... that. Medy knows some water magic and Dorlu knows how to talk to people and gamble as a power. But why us?"

Dorlu looked around and felt there was enough time. "Is it not obvious ma'dam? It is because we were the ones who woke up with no memories in between a... gap. That and Lauriam's disappearance entirely... makes anything related to that riddle of our concern."

Ken squinted his eyes at the two. "Like I told Elerna, I have nothing to do with you guys. You want a more reliable prophecy that can show you what you need to know, I know a pig that's more trusting than a weirdo that tried to see me dead! Three times now."

The men looked at Elerna in terror, the woman corrected the teenager. "Two times, you would have been telling me what I needed to hear before I sent you home crying."

Ken heard footsteps and turned to find a highly armored woman with short black hair and an odd tattoo, by her back was a flamethrower. He turned back to find the trio looking away and being inconspicuous, left to the attention of the woman that approached to examine him. She asked highly. "You are a traveler?"

Ken nodded and looked closer at the wears, recognizing them. "I'm Kendry from Radiant Garden. Do... you know a guy named Tahm?" The woman remembered the name. "A Commissar? A official with a hat? What do you know of him?"

Ken answered back. "I met him and his guard. They help keep watch of the town and are part of the reason I got this."

He raised his right hand in front of him and showed Cadia's Light, a keyblade resembling a weapon Resira recognized. "What... how has a humble lasgun become that?"

Ken wondered himself. "It's a pretty cool gun and its helped me a lot after it became this. I know you people are trying to help keep the places from going crazy again" He took a deep breath and smiled to her. "Thank you."

The woman's mouth opened in a moment, closed to a stalwart smile and let out a question. "What is you're name child?"

Ken introduced himself like with the others. "Kendry, yours?" The woman humored him and continued her patrol. "Sister Resira of the Sacred Rose. Stay under our curfew and beware of the shadows. Someone will tell you before we have to meet again."

The boy knew who to talk to and waited until she was gone, he turned to the group as he saw her disappear and asked. "That was the lady you were talking about? She is with this Imperium and most are LIKE THAT! A mechanical weirdo at my hometown REALLY hates me for having this keyblade."

He let the blade fade and saw Medy ask annoyed. "Now they think having something like that is a crime?!"

Ken shook his head. "Only the tech priest thinks this and it took a while from everyone, Tahm included, to get him to back off! So, I heard there was a fourth one of you that is missing and he is that Lauriam guy... friend of yours?"

Medy looked at Elrena. "More of her's than ours, we are... trying to figure out the... gap. But-" He stopped as Dorlu took out a pack of playing cards. "But, it is awfully specific that the... Farseer would be so frantic about the prophecy to US than she would to the... authorities. A black heart wielding a false light and a key to ashes would lead the hearts of many into the abyss... Elrena thought the prophecy meant Lauriam met that black heart and fell to darkness."

Elrena looked at Ken with something trying to leave her lips, she pointed to the hand that had the keyblade. "He calls that keyblade Cadia's Light and it fires what you expect from the name. He also has another keyblade that if it wasn't for the Farseer, he would have never went anywhere close to it and pick it up."

Ken let another one appear in his hand, a burnt keyblade that gave a red glow, he felt the heat and was astonished, the sprinkling ashes was enough for the two men to conclude something, Medy laughed at Elrena. "Well, awfully nice of you to ask this kid to come here."

The woman crackled in electricity. "Shut it, does this kid LOOK like someone who would cause something that terrible? We were being played."

Dorlu agreed with her and shuffled the cards in preparation for something. "Like two high pairs against a low three of a kind. But... what was the point?"

Ken looked up to the buildings paranoid. "To lure me out here instead of back home, knowing that I want to get answers from THEM! If they think I am that big of a deal, they should have went to someone NOT as shadey as you guys." He realized what he said. "No offense."

The trio let him knew none were taken, Medy felt like the words were deserved. "There was some guys coming around doing something about... the reasons Resira was here. Did she tried talking to them already?"

Ken nodded. "I'm not telling any of you where I got this keyblade." His eyes watered as he kept a strong tone. "I got told enough that it came from a very, very, very dark place and what happened... hurts to think about. But... this is the first time I saw it glow like this." He looked at the glow. "That Farseer is up to something beyond just me being a big problem."

Elrena agreed with him and was drawn in to the keyblades glow. "...She wanted us to make a scene! But... where did she go?"

The two men shrugged as Ken noticed Elrena's gaze and cause his blade to fade, Dorlu asked. "If someone hears about any of this, her plan would have succeeded. Kendry, you are aware that the curfew Resira spoke of is very strict. Always right before sun down. She also enforces that what ever we do save for the more... private matters, is to kept open. If you go to her about this ordeal, she might know... and would enforce her... duty into more extreme measures."

The boy stilled his tongue as Elrena agreed with the silent answer. "It sucks for all of us and-" She pointed at Ken's shoulder to enforce an idea. "If you go out there again, that will also be part of the Farseer's plan." She glared at Dorlu. "And I'm NOT going back through that corridor again. So Ken... you're thinking what I'm thinking?"

The boy put the puzzle together. "Everyone I know has their hands tied up, you all are as in much of a mood about this as I am and you-" he looked the woman in the eyes. "got reasons to do more than just sit around. But do we even know where to look?" Elrena buzzed her answer. "Nnnope... and do you really want ol' me to tag along?"

Medy cringed and tried to yell. "Don't an-" Ken coughed as his face twist. "I shouldn't, I don't want to, my teeth still clack together and if I don't know better, these people are scared of you! Do I want to know why?"

Elrena laughed as an instinct. "Ah, ha, ha! Like I tell you even if I wanted to." Her smile became more sadistic. "But it gets boring in here and you are crazy with that gun when you get cornered. So do we really have a choice?" Ken gasped in a foolish attempt to talk as Elrena answered. "How about you go get ready for that curfew and think about it over the night? Think about it long and hard."

Ken growled from the taunting and looked to Dorlu's cards. "A long while ago my mom brought me over, while she played at a poker tournament. It isn't just having two or more of the same number... high or low, that makes a hand good. A two, three, four, five and six would beat three aces and if it is that along with matching symbols, you're better off pushing the full pot in right at the end. It makes them either continue or be at a bad disadvantage. I asked way too many questions after that."

Dorlu knew this was so the boy would have the last laugh. "But do you know what kind of hand you have now?"

Ken nearly laughed sarcastically. "Two adventures, two close encounters with getting murdered and being tired to being told, stay home. That's after going all in!"

Dorlu clapped in applause as Elrena realized the boy was standing up to her, Medy smiled in satisfaction at the shocked scowl on the woman's face. "I think he blew you're fuse."

Elrena grounded her heel and her smile at Ken lightened. "Not like he was bluffing. There is a reason why he has keyblade." She asked the boy. "Just... know this is a quick game, we really don't want to get on those Imperial's bad sides. Do you got anything to make it more... interesting?"

Ken reached for his pocket and took out a blue gem. "What if I told you I got this as a... booby prize from cutting open the stomach of a big hydra monster?"

Medy and Dorlu had their elbows on the table as they gaze in a mixture of greed and disbelief, the gambler asked. "So you delve into the maw of oddities. I do believe we can make an equivalent wager."

He placed a glistening bag of silver dice on the table as Medy cringed and took out red pearl. "Fine, I never liked this color anyways."

Elrena sighed and searched her pocket, finding a plush, electrical looking winged cat doll, a note with a pressed rose and one she was most hesitate to wager, a charm with a rose, cat like creature and a yellow flower. She placed the cat plush and asked. "This was a limited edition." The men question such a wager as Ken placed his hands together to join the game. "I seen a Moogle selling catalogs of those things. I believe it."

At the outskirts of a city in the desert.

Kairi cautiously approach the gate and counted. "They might ask about where I took Resira, it shouldn't take to-" POW! BOOM! SLASH!

Kairi heard fighting, gasped and ran through the gates to find the towns people having a right, nay, not just them. Towns people, nine heartless and even guards in desert wears, fighting against one another in a craze. One of the guards snarled at a merchant tossing fruits and hard seeds at him. "We tire of you urchins and you're trash!"

He slashed the fruits away as a merchant with a turban glared back. "If you have done something about the street rats, we wouldn't have had to litter around the repugnant!"

He took out an iron orb as Kairi notice something floating above a building, it looked to be a simple man in tarnished clothes, flailing and chanting, he was in dark red. She flung her keyblade at the man and knocked him out of his chant, causing the fighting to in fact worsen, with merchants and guards going from hurling insults to yelling incomprehensible gibberish. The heartless noticed her and twisted into mages with long black robes that had a red symbol of a familiar emblem and burning blue eyes. The nine heartless gave off malicious smiles, eight scattered through out the city as one glowed his hands and hovered above, playing like a kid with strings. One of the guards turned toward her like a puppet and yelled, with his eyes looking gone from reality. "You, I was told about a girl like you coming here and talking with that barbaric criminal." He swung his sword. "Razoul will be pleased by you're answers. You are under arrest!"

He ran to her as Kairi knew what the heartless was doing, it was controlling the inhabitants towards these acts. She jumped to a stall and used a tarp to bounce to the puppet master. It opened a single blue eye and in a flash, Kairi felt she was upside down, her attempt at an upward swing became downward, she landed in the confusion and tried to run right to avoid the rampaging merchants, she ran left instead and was bopped on the back by a cactus, she yelled out in pain and pushed the merchant away, regaining some balance and trying again, reaching the heartless and striking it down, releasing a heart and cause the disoriented merchants and guards to stop what they were doing and waddled in a head ache. Kairi looked at the guard that attacked her and asked. "What's going on? This whole city is in anarchy!"

The dazed guard shook his head, saw the girl clearly and jumped in shock. "You... you came and washed away that pryomaniacs fire." He saw the district in shambles and realized. "Then we investigated some commotion in the dregs... that is when we heard the chanting and then... nothing." He looked to an northern street. "The Sultan, he must be warned!"

Kairi heard more havoc all across the city. "Wait a minute, do you even have an idea of what was controlling you?" The guard tapped his foot stubbornly. "Well if you figured out how to stop the last crisis, I would like to see you try a better plan."

Kairi growled and had one. "You're friends might be controlled as well, slow the merchants and guards down, but do not kill them if they try to kill you. There are not themselves."

That much the guard listened to. "Then it is who was responsible for the chanting that must be punished! Fine, go!"

He went to the east and left Kairi to explore the west, much like previously, there was fighting of neighbor against neighbor, with the puppet master, laughing in amusement. Kairi focused and shot a flowery disk at the puppet master slashing its stomach and exposing it to a fatal blow. The town's people stopped and were in a similar stupor as near an alley way, a man in odd red robes was panicking, Kairi saw the exposed skin to have an odd scar. Looking like an eight pointed star, the culprit was found and a city guard noticed him, snarling in justified anger. "YOU! No one causes chaos here and gets away with it!"

The culprit yelped and ran down the alley, Kairi heard deeper, louder gibberish to the north, she followed towards a merchant district and found a vested man with a curved sword parrying against a large, more muscular towns guard that was forced into an evil smile that was mixed with rage.

The man taunted the guard. "What's the matter Razoul, finally lost you're marbles after that incident."

The guard struggled to answer, looked annoyed and swung at the thief. "S...Street rat, fire. S...Sultan! You! You!" He wailed and wasn't even focused on the thief that looked up to find the puppet master dancing. He jumped at him and was given a daze, landing and wandering around aimlessly as the guard yelled. "The...pr...you...you...my."

The thief tried to gain balance and guessed. "...The palace is... in danger?!"

Kairi couldn't stand the confusion and jumped on a tarp to gain a higher ground, the puppet master was distracted by the amusing fighting and was struck down. The guard fell on his knees and tried to shake off his daze as the thief made a rush to the east, noticing the stranger and asking Kairi. "Thanks for coming when you did. The whole city gone nuts, I think those weirdos at the dreg were causing this."

The girl asked the man. "That's what I heard and I think I know who they are working for. They are just trying to get to the palace?!"

The man knew that made too much sense. "And used Razoul and the merchants as a distraction!"

The irritated guard captain forced himself up, saw the thief and took offense. "That was what I was trying to tell you, oh so clever street rat! Well Aladdin? I'm waiting for a plan."

Kairi argued with the man. "All we heard was gibberish, this isn't just an attack. They are after Jasmine first and foremost!"

Aladdin looked pale and wanted to lead the way, he noticed blue mist sparkling around and a large net carrying six puppet masters, it formed into a lasso and flung them at Kairi's feet. "One half a dozen trouble making heartless ready for ya So-" The blue lasso noticed the girl and shifted into a large blue humanoid with a beard, he apologized in an instant. "A... never thought another big hero would come in to save the day." He shifted to an interviewer. "But how is that possible?" He shifted to his original form and answered with glasses and an intelligent sounding accent. "She could be a friend of Sora's, further questions will be asked after the palace is cleaned up."

Kairi shot a six star shower to quickly take down the heartless, Razoul guessed one crisis was adverted and regrettably asked Aladdin. "Well someone has to tell the fools. Would... would you and Kairi slow these madmen down?"

That they were going to do as the thief waved him off. "We will leave some scraps for you to arrest."

The guard captain took the taunt and ordered. "Don't get yourself killed, the Sultan and the Princess will not be pleased if I allow that!"

He grumbled and went south, leaving Kairi and Aladdin to charge to the palace with the Genie snapping his fingers. "One looney begone coming right up."

Aladdin took the moment to ask as he saw someone being surrounded by a swarm of twenty bandit like heartless. "Was Genie on the mark?" Kairi answered and felt a power ahead. "Completely, names Kairi."

The two enter the palace gates and found a woman with long black hair, a regal, two piece green dress, a golden necklace and ear rings. Trying to push her way against two of the bandits as two men chanted something to cause a blue distortion to occur. Kairi and Aladdin jumped onto the fray and quickly took out the heartless swarm with sword slashes and in Kairi's case, flowers of light energy. The Arabian princess tried to go to the distorted gate and was pulsed back by a pillar of blue fire. The men floated to the flame, realized something was wrong and struggled to hold on, the one on the left shrieked. "What... what did we get wrong?!"

The one on the right felt his grip loosened. "This... this isn't what Gurak said would happen, we release the... exalted master of flames to wash our enemies away."

They slipped their grip and cried out for help as they were drawn to the fire, body and soul twist and burned, causing a multi limb figure to dance and release a trio of fire into the sky. It spouted out more fire and faced the trio, the princess stilled at the terror as Aladdin stood in front of her. "Sorry it took so long for me to scamper here Jasmine, everyone was going crazy."

Kairi had a realization of what happened to the cultists as Jasmine nearly pleaded. "It's even more terrible here, a warlord came charging into the palace after-" Her mouth was dry as the flame monster shot blue fire upon them, they dodged and saw a red parrot above dropping a large bucket of water, annoying the daemon and distracted it for Jasmine to continue. "After I refused to go with him, Aladdin, he is after my father!" She glared at the daemon blowing pink fire. "We... need to get past this monster first!"

The flame monster paused and stared at the princess, it formed a smile and asked. "Monster? Now that is rude." He flew to the air in a pillar of flame, burning the ground to cause many creatures to crawl out, six pink horrors and three smaller creatures like the flamer. "But if you insist on passing through and changing the fate of the sacrifice, you are best to hurry and cross the flames!" The humans knew the demon was fooling with them, the flame monster giggled as the pink horrors laughed hysterically and the smaller flame monsters aimed. The flame monster taunted. "Step into the fire!" A large blue rain cloud formed above the monster, he looked up distracted and was drenched in torrential rain, the flames dimmed, yet the crater twisted. The flamer looked at the three with a more malicious tone. "Will you cross the flames and hurry? Or will you quench the flame and delay?"

He blew the flames, the three dodged, Kairi fired stars at one of the smaller flame monsters, causing it to sizzle as Jasmine tried to find a blunt object to throw, the keyblade wielder shook her head and yelled. "That isn't going to be enough! We need to beat these daemons fast."

The flamers shot out and flew at Kairi like small jets, the princess jumped to the right and swung, causing the more injured flamer to fall limp and smoulder. The pink horrors fired a barrage of spells that knocked a scurrying Aladdin to the ground, they crawled to him with a gibbering cackle, Jasmine felt cornered and gave off a faint glow in a burst of protective vigor. "Get away from him!"

She aimed her hand and caused an infernal tiger to shoot, scorching through the rain drenched field and across the mass of horrors. Trampling them as they split into twelve blue horrors, then to twenty four brimstone horrors that faded in the rain. PEW!

The tiger faded as Jasmine looked at her hands in shock, Aladdin tried to get up, nearly drooled and paid attention to an astonished flame demon. "N...Wow that was beautiful." He caved his scimitar through a stray demon as the larger flame demon yelled in annoyance and shot blue fire at Jasmine. The princess dodged and found the wall to turn into simple wood that burned. POW!

A bolt of lightning crashed and struck the flame demon down, it slithered and aimed his limbs at the couple, with its lower half aimed at Kairi.

Kairi raised her blade to the air and caused a swirl of fruity stars to send the third flame demon falling to the ground and to cause the larger demon to yell as its flesh melted from the light. "You will never burn through me! This is all according to the great plan."

He shot the flame and watched three barriers form around his victims. POOF! A genie dressed as a man from a fire department as he held a hose with sweet smelling water dripping. "Not today pal! Begone!"

The hose shot the water, the demon was drenched and flailed in agony, his flame smouldered and his body blistered, popping patches of fiery smoke with distorted faces. "Ha, ha, ha, ah, ha, ha, ha!"

The demon laughed in mindless triumph, the opened ground distorted back to closing as the fiends faded in mist, the rift calmed, Jasmine noticed Aladdin completely infatuated and snapped her fingers. "Aladdin, my father!"

The thief jumped and agreed. "Right... did that thing called him a-" Kairi answered and lead the way. "A sacrifice!"

They ran into the palace, Aladdin waved to the genie. "Thanks for the help Genie! We got the front."

The genie wished them luck and flew to a window. "Just distract him for a tiny second Al."

Jasmine lead the way to a throne room, where a figure Kairi recognized was dragging a short man with a large beard and turban, in royal yellow. A familiar Chaos Space Marine reaching to a rift surrounded by eight cultists chanting, the man grabbed various things and tossed them at the marine. "Now unhand me! My daughter isn't going with anyone, especially not to y-" The marine lifted him by the legs and glared at him. "There is more than one way to obtain a Princess's heart and YOU will be that key by free will or by the will of the Great gods!"

Jasmine and Kairi glared at the marine and glowed in a unified power. PEW!

Kairi shot a glowing flower as Jasmine felt the uncontrollable power burst out, going into the flower and causing it to turn into a three petal swirl of fire. The marine turned his head around, looked horrified and aimed a glowing pistol at the flower. POW!

His shot didn't mattered, he was sent flying towards a doorway to the throne. The cultist stopped their chanting, looked to the three and to the dazed man, one with a mask yelled out. "Ah, ha! We need the Sultan for the ritual! We will earn Tzeentch's favor today, ha, ha, ha!" He ordered them. "CHAAAAARGE!"

The dazed marine tried to get up as a result, Kairi and Aladdin went into the fray to push the cultists back as Jasmine's legs shook, she went to her father and dragged him away, she heard frantic foot steps and looked behind her, finding twenty people in similar cultist like attire, a particularly bald one panicked at the disrupted ritual. "You fools, you damned us all!"

He looked at the Sultan getting up and shielding her daughter. "Just, just get out of my palace."

The cultist looked defeated to a plan and tried to go after him, Jasmine punched the cultist in the face and tossed him back to the crowd, the sound of people charging and slashing pushed the cult in a corner. The cultists looked to the furious marine and despaired. The marine yelled. "IMBECILES! ALL OF YOU!" He glared at Kairi in particular and drew out his maul as he aimed his free hand to the air. "I told you I would unleash hell! Now witness the powers of darkness!"

He shot out streams of dark energy at the disoriented cultists, Kairi and Jasmine had a sweat at the pure dark with in the tethers. The cultists were shot by the energy and in unison, they twitched, glowed in darkness and broke down into shadows. Gurak taunted. "EVEN THE MOST PATHETIC EXCUSES FOR MESSENGERS CAN BE MADE A GREATER USE! NOW YOU WILL ALL DROWN IN A TIDE OF DARKNESS!"

The rift compressed into an orb and floated to the center of the throne, the remaining group were horrified as the shadows were sucked into the orb, letting the many guards in to witness a blasphemous work. A demonic twister of shadows merged and crawled all over the orb, Kairi held to her blade and refused to show fear as Razoul and his bumbling guards nearly dropped their weapons. She looked behind and yelled. "Get the others out of here AND RUN!"

The guards tried that and met the heartless swarm flying at them, a massive broom with a blue glow appeared to sweep them back, giving them time to get the bystanders to safety, Jasmine yelled out to Kairi. "Come on, there is no way you can fight that!" Aladdin agreed and watched something in a window stepping out of dark cloud. "N..Not alone. Kairi, this is insane."

The girl agreed as she heard something click, Gurak looked up and saw but a flash of light. Poh, poh, poh, poh! Something heavy fired at the tide, pelting the heartless core, blue energy blocked the tides reach from the fleeing group, Genie appeared and yelled out to Aladdin. "If you think that's crazy, its about to get much worse! Get on out of here and don't look above." He whistled to Kairi. "This is you're last chance before someone rolls the dice," He cringed. "It's about to get very ugly."

The princess refused and stood by his side. "No, I know this guy and I want to be sure he is stopped."

The tide shifted and blew at the figure above, the figure jumped in the light and fell downward as the Chaos Space Marine gripped his maul and muttered. "You didn't!"

STOMP! The figure landed on the ground as the Genie conjured a suit that resembled someone Kairi knew and formed a keyblade shape weapon with a lamp at the tip. The Genie squinted his eyes at the Chaos Space Marine. "Listen buddy, no one turns Agrabah into a looney bin and gets away with it. My pal from the desert also got a beef with ya for doing something like this-" He cringed at the stories. "Too many times!" He whispered to Kairi in a warning. "Never ask!"

The blue barrier formed to block the bystanders out, the tide rushed and pushed against it to no avail, Kairi felt comfortable in fighting the madness as the figure glowed under the light, a Space Marine of the Iron Snakes that held a mighty sized gun with a long series of clips. He glared at the Gurak with righteous fury. "The source of all this...a Traitor to the Emperor."

The gun was coldly aimed as the heartless tide swarmed to him, Kairi and Genie focused a spell that distracted them from their prey and caused them to swirl into an orb, their attention changed to them. Gurak rolled out of the way of the guns fire and yelled back. "Blind lap dog! You will not disrupt my task, the god's themselves demand their hearts!"

He charged the marine and struck him in the head with the maul, sending the astartes to a wall. BASH! Kairi and Genie fought the massive swarm that tore across the throne as Gurak tried to strike the marine and was kicked back with a mighty boot. He watched the gun roar and fire, punching his armor and pushing him to a wall, the Chaos Space Marine yelled gibberish and tried to fight back as he looked at his heartless tide scattering. There was a complication in his task, he looked at the marine and attacked like a rabid beast, the marine rolled towards the tide and fired again.

BLAM!

Gurak felt a bullet pierce into his skin, a rupture of blood splattered through his back, he fell on his knees and screamed in anguish. "N...No, no! I will not fail them! M...Master Zagor! I...will-"

BLAM!

Gurak was shot in the head, his helmet came off to reveal a bald face with a yellow tone in his skin. He had green, reddish eyes and marked on his cheek was a symbol of chaos, a fanatical fear of his fate stared back at his executioner. The tide shifted and flew to the ceiling as a tornado, drawing in many shadows and glowing blue and pink in the center, the tide rushed at Gurak, who stared back at the abyss. He smiled and raised his arms. "Yes...yes! Embrace me oh Dark God's! Give me one mo-"

WOOSH!

The marine was swiped by the tide, a pool of darkness opened from the ceiling, the tide flew in as the trio heard maniacal laughter. "Ha, ha, ha, ha. Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

The marine with the gun aimed at the tide, trying to aim for the traitor astartes that had no more cares. The tide crawled in the crack and the corridor closed, the marine took a deep breath and looked to the two that looked to have done much, he walked to them with a hope in his vizor. "This...Genie, told me much about what is beyond the desert. He promised that he would guide me towards one who would aid me provided that I listen. A warrior of the thing you call the Keyblade... I never expected that warrior to be you."

Kairi looked at the mess, the battered helmet and the smoke coming from the gun, a smile of pride formed. "I... never expected help like you to arrive. That loon did everything to turn the whole place upside down." She tapped her head to remember. "What name did he use...Hofneil... you're captain, called you Nathanel. What... kind of space marine are you?"

The marine felt honored and answered with a nudge. "So he has spoken of me? I am that Nathanel he spoke of. I am but a simple devastator." He walked to the battered helmet, picked it up and glared at it. "It is never enough for these traitors! Long have they turned away from the Emperors light and chose to side with Chaos. A simple word... is all it takes for the Word Bearers spark an inferno." He crushed the helmet with his hand and asked. "If these Messengers of the Dark Word are as stranded as me and my battle brothers... in this galaxy. Then you will have my word as a Space Marine, they will be purged!"

Kairi was nearly blown away by the testosterone and looked to her corner to find Namine signaling her with a warning, if there was one certainty of the Space Marine, their solution to all their problems is with violence. "That is why you need to come with me, we need your help and while... we don't see eye to eye with you or the Imperium, but these wack jobs would endanger everyone we care about. We will stop them... then try to find a way to get you all back home." She had her free hand at her heart. "I swear upon that!"

The Marine was pushed back by such noble words and advised her. "Do not make such promises. But... before I go, the town." He asked the Genie. "You are certain that only those cultists were responsible for that? Once a cult rises, it often roots."

The Genie answered calmly. "All those guys were the only ones that came in and they were the only ones that came out, everyone else that was attacking were scrambled to kingdom come by the Heartless they... made."

Kairi gasped. "The puppet masters?!" She remembered familiar heartless with axes and crimson, heartless of the colors of the Slaanesh daemons and the sonic screams. "...How?! How would they make something like that?"

Genie shrugged as the Marine guessed. "By influencing the heartless with the ruinous powers? You know what this means? We cannot delay, for they will attempt something more dire than this! What is you're name?"

Kairi gave her name and asked. "We should double check so that way this doesn't happen again." She thanked the Genie. "You came so sudden, but thank you for finding Nathanel and helping us set things right."

The Genie appreciated it. "Nothing to it!"

Kairi felt a shine and stepped to the hall way, to find herself in an odd cloudy place, golden light shined and she looked above, a keyhole. She aimed hey keyblade to the sky in her trance, like something was calling to her.

PEW!

A beam fired, the keyhole glowed and in a flash of light, she was back to reality, she felt a path had opened, finally she can advance beyond.

In a Gummi Ship with in the lane between.

Sora, Donald and Goofy were bored with nowhere to look. The boy sighed. "Most of these pathways have closed up for now and we got no clue to where Nathanel or Dabriel are at. Hmm."

Goofy agreed and advised Sora. "Remember, if a heart calls to another, it will call to them."

The boy looked across the many stars. "But when they don't it's gets so boring. Mickey isn't telling us know about that... thing, it sounds like Aqua is going to all those places. Riku and Kairi actually fought the guys causing this mess too."

Donald quacked to warn Sora. "And they warned you not to fight them! Come on, let's focus on what we need to do."

The gummi ship stopped at a particular planetoid that had a colorful carnival. The trio looked out the window and found something new to explore. Sora smiled to another entertaining adventure. "Well... we haven't been to here before."

Donald and Goofy looked at each other as Jiminy scratched his scalp. "...But where did this come from?"

Sora shrugged. "One way to find out." The lights shined and the four found themselves in the entry way to a carnival with a large boat floating on a moat. They heard the cheers of many young children and saw a search light shining their way, the four backed away and realized the carnival had a security system. Donald raised his staff and cast an invisibility spell. "Something tells me we were not suppose to be here... Sora, should we?"

The boy felt an aura of wrongness and the voices with in. "...They're not suppose to be here. A carnival... like this... in the middle of nowhere. Come on, let's check it out."

The four sneaked in to find a wild carnival beyond their wildest dreams, rides of reckless abandon, flashing lights and tooting noise. With in was dozens upon dozens of unruly young boys, partaking in every debauchery a young child could ask for.

A tent where they can beat each other up, the smell of cigars, children drinking what the four hoped was root bear, Sora felt a shiver in his spine and looked back to see the gate was closed. "...This place... it is just full of bad choices."

Goofy watched a house being destroyed from with in as Jiminy tapped his head to remember something. "Should... we try stopping this."

Donald agreed to that and looked to the north to find a large, elderly looking man with green eyes. He was in a thick red jacket, brown gloves and a semi jolly appearance, he talked to a pale, slender woman with black hair and odd black eyes. "This always works, you're boss will be satisfied and I'll get my pay. If you have any... objections, go look around and see."

The woman looked towards the chaos with a stoic gaze. "And these delights could be much more than what they are. The only price I request... is if you allow to do so." She smelled something and looked towards the invisible four, like she could see them, Jiminy slowly remembered and focused on the man. "That...could that be the-" He jumped and held his hat in as he whispered. "Sora, we need to get these boys out of here fast! No good every comes from that Coachman!" Sora looked at the cricket and asked as the woman slowly approached, confused yet agreeing.

He turned to take a step and found the odd woman standing before him with the stoic smile. He jumped back and caused his friends to do the same, they readied to defend as a voice whispered in the boys mind. "The Keyblade's Chosen One... such an odd title for one of many!" She tilted her head in a most alien manner as the four froze, the woman placed her hand under the boys chin and looked from top to bottom. "Many came before... many came after. What makes him special? Why does one seek...seek."

The black eyes shined into silver iris's, black serpent pupils stared at the four, this woman is not one of reality. They felt themselves tanding on glass and looked down to find a mirror surrounding them, they looked up to find a feminine figure with crab like claws, a fanged maw and elegant downward curved horns. She let a pale purple tongue drop as she gave a demented smile.

PEW!

The four felt a purple light shine bellow and found themselves in an odd palace with a sandy floor. The walls having distorted faces looking to be in a combination of everlasting pain and pleasure. An image of disturbing proportions made more as Sora turned to say something to his friends and felt something caressing his chest from behind, complimented by a flicker by the ear. "AAH!"

He threw it off and turned to find the very demon jumping back with a face resembling a teenage girl that was brutally rejected at an instant. Donald and Goofy stood in front of him ready to protect, the knight let the boy know. "We got ya back!"

Donald quacked to the demon. "Get away from him!"

The demon caught her land and back flipped, keeping the face of a teenage girl that was incredibly crossed, the face looked down and formed tears. "Why?! Why would you reject such a simple wish?"

The face was nearly convincing and that was what caused Sora to back away with his face shaking and in horror. "We... we didn't come for this weird... thing."

The demon's eyes went upward as the lips whispered. "You came here out of a sense of adventure, then you came to disrupt my masters... bargain with that strange man." She looked to the void on the left to ask. "Is he even human for doing this?" She dismissed it. "A... Pleasure Island, such a fitting name... a place for a young mortals delights. It is as alluring as it sounds."

Jiminy shook his head and whispered a warning. "Don't listen to her, Pleasure Island is nothing but a trap."

The demon kept a teenage girl's sweet smile as she whispered back. "He is not wrong." She giggled. "As that... man said, give a bad boy enough and he will make a jackass of himself."

The giggling became a hysterical, sadistic cackle as Jiminy's faded memory became a more vivid one. He jumped off and tried to search around. "Tha...Sora, we need to get out of here and stop that Coachman, now!"

Sora readied his keyblade and guessed. "If we... get rid of this daemon, it will break us out of here?" That question his heart rang as truth, he charged at the speed of light and slashed at the daemon that back flipped to an erected pillar of sand, she smugly asked. "If you can, the scope of that man's plan is oh so much worse despite how his first crime is exact." She gave a glow that caused the four's vision to distort, the palace looked more like an island and the demon's appearance became something more unnerved racking, keeping the girls face and adding more features most feminine, complimented by silver hair and traits more masculine. Sora heard a whisper both masculine and feminine. "We know." The four kept their guard from the confusion illusions as they heard distorted screams of pain all around.

The demon formed a sharp shard and fired, slicing through the three fighters and knocking Jiminy into the sands, there was little a cricket could do and he hid in Sora's pocket as the three felt the pain. Sora lost his patience and tried his light dash, striking the demon that looked to be enjoying the pain, he let loose a quick series of slashes and knocked the demon into the sands. She disappeared and sank into the sands, Donald watched the sand sink and pull and aimed his staff. "Sora watch out!"

PEW!

Out came a fire ball as the demon pounced from the sands, knocking her in the air as Goofy charged with his shield, she flew back from the blunt damage and distorted their reality, summoning an odd spiked chariot being driven by two aardvark like beasts. The demon landed with grace, giggled and had its hands at its hips. "So now you are getting serious?" It tsk, tsk and yelled out. "Here comes you're pain." The beasts snorted and sprinted, pulling the chariot of spikes across the sands at alarming speeds, at Donald and Goofy. The two cringed at the speeds as Sora rushed the beasts out of the way and struck the chariot, pushing it back to a wall, a light sparked and caused the demon to distort back to the fiend it was a moment before dragging them into the mess. She howled and drove the chariot around, ready to ram at Sora. "We won't let you leave here alive! Let us carve that pretty little face before we make you bleed!"

She licked her fanged maw at the delightful thought as Goofy raised his shield up, Donald jumped on and spun to form an airy tornado and Sora jumped into the twister. The group flew out of the way in a tornado, avoiding the daemon that formed a painful looking shard, Goofy asked his friend above. "Are you sure you want to jump into those spikes?"

Sora looked at the most vulnerable target and answered. "It's our best shot in ending this weird nightmare!"

Donald gave Sora a glow of ice and yelled out. "Let em have it!" Goofy and Donald pushed Sora into the air and he spun down at the driving daemon that aimed in her frenzy, she saw the spinning hail stone, cringed and wailed. SLAM! She was crushed into the chariot and disintegrated. Their vision returned and they found the carnival barren.

Jiminy jumped off to look around as the trio tried to block the memory of the battle out. "Where...did all the boys go?!"

Sora felt disturbed and sensed a faint shadow. "I... don't know, but... what you said doesn't make it any better."

He followed his senses to a bar, where a lone, black haired boy in a torn up school uniform was blatantly cheating with a slot machine, being given shiny coins as he licked his lips. He tore apart a wrapper from the coins to reveal chocolate. A temptation of greed and gluttony. Sora and Jiminy approached the kid to snap him out of it, the cricket yelled. "Hey, stop playing with that."

The child took a bite out of the chocolate coin and pulled the leaver in refusal, Sora stopped and held on, looking at a face covered in chocolate and moments away from throwing up. "You heard him?! Enough is enough!"

The child puffed his nauseated cheeks, took his coins and wanted to count them at a table. "What do you know! I been at a streak all night."

Jiminy had a lecture coming. "We know because chocolate has to many sugars and other things that will make you like you are... plus I don't think you would have as much luck with a real slot machine."

The child placed the coins on his table, tried to argue and gagged, a faint stream of dark power. "How... how did you figure that-" He vomited, looked humiliated and noticed. "Urk. Where... did all those wise guys go off to? I can't eat all this by my."

He vomited again, the dark power grew stronger; Sora, Donald, Goofy and Jiminy realized what was going on, the cricket pleaded. "You're parents must be worried sick and this place can't be good for you if it does that."

The boy tried to deny it and looked down at his hands, they glowed in blackness, he tried to leap off the chair and yell, yet he was too weak to even do that, he looked pale in a realization that something was happening to him. Sora looked back to Donald and Goofy, who were uncertain and terrified of what was happening. A faint, merciful voice in his mind asked. "You know what is happening to this child and he knows. Why would that Coachman bring them to this fate?" Sora looked back to find the image of a thin, pale humanoid looking from behind the child in pity. Donald asked from behind. "Should... we do something to stop this?"

Sora realized his friends were not seeing the figure, Goofy watched the child's body shift in the darkness. "If we don't... he-" The voice blocked the words out and the figure looked at Sora with odd colored tears in its eyes. "He along with so many others have partaken in so much debauchery than their hearts could take. You withdrew him from that and now his heart is taking the full weight of the force." The terrified child crouched and shivered in fear as the voice asked. "But, you can still spare him the fate of the others if you hurry. You can spare the many if you hurry. Do you know, what needs to be done?"

Sora wanted to deny it as he and his friends watched the child's body become engulfed in shadows, a heartless was taking shape. His blood felt cold; Donald, Goofy and Jiminy looked to him with sorrow. He knows what the better outcome for the child was, the heartless formed and vomited without control.

BOP!

Sora quickly struck the heartless and caused it to fade in black mist, his senses heightened and he felt much more sqirming and greedy emotions.

Donald and Goofy helped him out of the bar as Jiminy noticed. "Sora, do you know where the others are?!"

Outside, Sora felt a growling voice ask. "Is it not obvious? You can smell it!" The three watched the teenager's eyes light up into a cold yellow, he glared to a door across the carnival. The three watched pained tears trickle down Sora's cheeks and a familiar veil of darkness take hold. The voice approved. "RIP THAT COACHMAN APART!"

Goofy tried to say something and was the first to notice Sora vanish in a blinding veil of darkness, Donald watched the body quickly took a blacken glow, still very much resembling the boy. Jiminy's breath lessened. "Oh...that... is-" Goofy agreed. "That... can't be-" Donald believed it. "I thought that went away after that-" The form confused them and they followed. Sora's mind drowned out in an inferno of fury, it had been ages since he lost that much control. The door was locked, yet he didn't care, he dug his hands into the doors lock like they were claws and flew them aside. He dashed in to find a cave like storage room and an interrupted Coachman overlooking a vast swarm of heartless being sucked into a rift that had eight points. Next to him was a robed space marine wearing a demonic skull and three ornaments of burning skulls. One had burning red fire and had crimson red markings smelling of blood, one with burning green fire and was encrusted with filthy grim, reeking of decay and one that was at the center, it burned in purple yet looked most pristine. The sorcerer clenched to his goat like skull staff and looked upon Sora. "Even with her aid, you're plan seemed to have a complication."

Sora pulsed and caused a blacken keyblade to burst from his body, he aimed the blade at the rift and fired a black beam. The Coachman gasped and watched it make contact with the rift and close it off in a dark explosion, he gave a taunting smile and flicked a match. "Just dumb luck ol chap! How about we settle for half?"

The Sorcerer had a wiser scheme and caused a corridor of darkness to open and for the surrounding to distort into warp fire. "Or I can accommodate your escape! Leave nothing behind save for their distant-" WOOSH!

Sora pounced, stabbed the Sorcerer in the stomach and flung him to a wall, the Coachman nearly dropped his pipe, tipped his hat and watched a pillar of fire knock Sora to the ceiling. "If he doesn't get ya! Toodles!"

He made a dash to the corridor as the Sorcerer floated back to his feet and glare to allow his escape. "...You may continue to serve you're use." He tapped the base of his staff with the bleeding wound in his abdomen closing, he looked to be smiling as Sora landed and gave him a feral death glare. "The Keyblade's Chosen one, a paragon above all overs, so easy for the Blood God to hold into his sway!" Sora shifted through the shadows and tried to strike as the Sorcerer walked to the other side of the room, towards the caged heartless swarm. "Listen to Khorne's voice boy, for he demands justice for this atrocity!" He raised his hands in the air as Goofy and Donald entered, the heartless swarm that mindlessly scrambled for escape burst into a pillar of demonic fire. The duo and cricket dropped their jaw as Sora looked between Sorcerer and the heartless twisting into an infernal storm. The Sorcerer taunted him more. "You can still end their suffering, but then I would escape justice." Reality distorted around the Sorcerer. "You're choice matters not, it will all be according to the Great Game!"

Sora frantically looked between the two and seeing the heartless twisting and turning, knowing what they use to be, caused him to let out a distorted roar. He flung his blade at the infernal storm and watched the Sorcerer blink out of existence with a malicious laughter. A ball of volatile darkness formed out of the blade and into the infernal storm, sinking with in and rupturing, causing the storm to explode and scatter the many heartless asunder, they dissolved one by one into the darkness. The cave distorted in fiery explosions as Donald, Goofy and Jiminy avoided the obstacle course and reached to the boy on his knees, shaking, the darkness faded and left behind someone that was breaking their hearts, Sora crying.

The larger of the three tried to shake him to the falling apart reality. Donald tried to talk the boy out of it. "Sora, we need to get out of here!"

Goofy ducked against a pillar of flames. "And fast!"

The boy was in a still, what he witnessed was an act of great evil, an evil took advantage over him and relished in it. He felt a stronger shake from behind and a voice of a boy asking. "Sora! You know that what happened was... indescribable. But you need to snap out of it, the worlds coming apart."

Sora gasped and felt himself in a familiar beach with in the void, a spiky haired boy with similar blue eyes had him in an embrace. "It's okay to let others know what you feel. Both of those punks need to answer for this, but that won't happen if you try to bottle it all up. That is how that... thing takes a hold... that darkness that will always be apart of you."

Sora breathed deeply and hugged back. "...I know, that thing is always going to be me." He let go to find the familiar boy wanting to cheer him up. "But you can keep it sleeping away so it won't bother anyone, you know more than anyone how to do it. Now... wake up." Sora felt his reality returning and smiled back. "I...do, thank you Roxas." He was back in the inferno with Jiminy yelling. "Wake up!"

The cave was on the verge of collapsing as he felt a surge of aid reaching for him, he allowed the surge to take hold, he and his friends felt a light shine, when they came through, they were on the gummi ship that was flying away from a planetoid collapsing into a fire. WOOSH!

The four looked back to watch it implode and left an orb of fire that faded away. They faced forward and thought about what occurred, Jiminy broke the silence with an urgent thought. "We need to let his Majesty know of this... would... the Space Marines know of that guy? His color is like-" Sora answered with mixture of guilt and rage. "The Word Bearers we heard about... he... has to be who is leading those guys... or the boss of that Marine that attacked. Was that thing even-" Goofy shook his head. "It's sometimes best not to think about it, he isn't a nobody and even if he was, there wasn't much there to hold any of it back. Hiyuck, you know." The group agreed and let the ship sail across the void.

During a gorgeous sunset in Twilight Town.

Ken was gibbering in outraged insanity before an Inn near a train station. "I had three tens an two jacks right there! Then Dorlu came at me with three queens and two nines!" He squinted his eyes over a lost gem. "And that's after the last hand where he was doing nothing but bluff until Medy got reckless. He left him for the wolves."

Elrena growled annoyed. "He is good at playing us and you played too honestly."

Ken slowly accepted a loss. "But fair play is fair play." He looked at the watch. "And we got ten minutes to get inside an inn before those guys come out to place a no fun allowed post."

He felt something shiver and asked. "So that plan we had to go out and look for both you're friend and that Farseers group. Still good for that?"

Elrena squinted her eyes at him. "You still don't get that I'm bad news for you?"

Ken asked back. "And you know I shouldn't go out there alone?" The woman answered back. "A reason to keep watching you're back? You're crazy." She looked up to find a red glowing star ignite and flicker away, she dropped her note book at a feeling and went to pick it up. "It's always like a full scale war is coming."

Ken blinked and asked. "The guys I met act like that is all they live in. I would rather avoid that happening myself."

Elrena smiled back to him with an agreement. "Finally someone that gets that. I haven't had that feeling in a long time-" Ken noticed someone coming and asked. "Do... you know about what is going on now? It's a lot scarier than some run of the mile heartless and it's the reason my town got attacked... and how. A bunch of really crazy people is letting loose something that I'm not talking about in case Resira and her group are listening."

Elrena imagined people clashing against each other and shook her head. "No, we don't. If you want to talk about that, wait until tomorrow when we are out of here." She walked into the Inn. "Night and try not to have nightmares."

With her gone, Ken waited in fear of looking like he was associated, he let his ashen keyblade form and felt tempted to try something.

Stab!

He planted the keyblade on the ground and watched it scatter a bed of ashes, its glow shined faintly, like a campfire nearing its final moments. He felt welcomed by the flame and noticed someone arriving with a figure he didn't expect, a hulking figure in silver armor and armed with a large gun. "Holy-" By the man's side was Kairi, who cheered to the man. "Welcome to Twilight Town Nathanel, you're battle brothers should be around here somewhere."

Nathanel looked down to Kairi in respect. "They will find me before long, this town feels as peaceful as it looks. I'll talk to them about what we are doing here as soon as Dabriel is found. This whole galaxy... is nothing like what we called home." He looked at the boy with the fire place and asked. "It looks to be near evening, it's best to finish what you are doing before too long."

Kairi insisted to the marine. "Come on, I know him."

Ken didn't mind and waved hello. "I was going to turn in anyways. Shenanigans lead me here as my new hub. How did you find this guy?"

Kairi giggled. "I didn't, he found me after a Genie set up a wish of his and a wish that might help us understand these people a little better."

She openly confessed. "These guys do mean well but our issues with them... isn't because of them. It's because of the place they spent their whole lives in. They will figure it out eventually."

Ken looked at the marine more trustingly. "Nice! It's about time that happened. I didn't see you're guys around Nathanel, but I HAVE heard they patrol near the tower and the forest leading to the manor. Thanks for helping us."

The marine nodded and walked off. "I will know where I'm at before my brothers do. Thank you for you're assistance child." With him gone, Ken faced Kairi to ask more questions and notice another girl to the right of her, he gasped and asked. "Hey Namine, where did you come from?" Kairi looked to her right to find the blonde girl smiling at him in good will for her answer. "It's complicated, but where Kairi goes, I go." Kairi was more confused in the matter. "But... how is this happening?"

Ken had no idea and crouched to the bonfire. "Apparently only a handful of people can notice those like Namine. There is another... that I'm kind of surprised isn't here."

Namine approached the glowing metal and felt the warmth. "Only when the person he connected with is around. What are you even doing here in the first place?"

Ken shrugged. "If Riku didn't tell Kairi already, someone tried two times to make sure I was dead and might have tried a third one by taking advantage over people. Naturally, I'm done with that and want it to end, that is how I got drawn out here." He asked Kairi. "Why the curfew?"

The princess answered with a sigh. "That was there idea and it makes a bit of sense with all the scary things we heard about with the guys responsible for the attack at town. The Word Bearers like to make cults and if ONE guy was able to make that happen, then a bunch of people that get caught up in that would make it worse. I... came back from seeing worse. No one in Agrabah was apart of it... but the war band came with their own sneaking in."

Ken had it remembered. "That might be something I ought to tell these people I met, least so they can get it and stop worrying about that. They are not exactly friends, but its better than getting snipped out of the blue."

The girls cringed as they sense another coming, Namine agreed with the idea. "That idea would quell the curiosity in their hearts. I never thought you would use a keyblade as a fire pit."

Ken looked at the glow. "I never thought that it would start glowing on its own. I don't know where I got the idea... but I'm glad I did this." He snapped his fingers to a missed opportunity and asked Kairi. "It's crazy, but it sounds like you had pretty big adventures and started kicking a lot of butt. Shame you came at a bad time."

The princess growled and thought of the challenge. "All that and you lost to Riku, do you really want to get knocked over again?"

Ken accepted the challenge. "Hey I actually kicked some bully's behind before I came here! I finally did it, so it's not like I'm slacking either!"

Eye beams of intense rivalry collided as Namine noticed a trio arriving, Sora looked at the start of a battle and yelled out. "Come on knock it off!"

The two rivals heard the unusual, looked at him and noticed something was wrong, both cut the rivalry short, Kairi went to Sora and saw distraught in his eyes. "Sora, what happened?!"

The spiky haired boy didn't wish to talk about it, Kairi looked at the bonfire and signaled to Ken to stand aside. The blonde boy agreed wholly. "It isn't much, but looking at the fire makes me feel better."

Kairi escorted Sora to the warmth of the flame as Goofy answered. "We ran into big trouble and it was too much for any of us to handle."

Donald nodded to that. "It was messed up."

The memory made the boy still, the fire's faint warmth felt like someone was patting him on the back of his shoulder. Ken cringed and thought of news to lighten the mood. "No one is making you talk. But Kairi found something or someone that might make you feel better. I heard you were looking for them."

That news perked Sora's mood, he looked at a proud Kairi and asked. "Really?! You found a-" Kairi nodded. "Nathanel, we only have one more to find. I think I also found another pathway after driving off one of those looneys."

That impressed the boy, he tried to think of something to say and looked at the sunset, Ken noticed a familiar boy appearing to watch and turning to him with a signal. Namine followed to an alley way as Roxas pointed to the blonde boy and had him follow. In the alley way, Roxas asked. "You have no idea what Sora and the others saw recently, it caused him to lose himself."

Ken closed his eyes in belief. "It involves Chaos and the Word Bearers? It's a big reason these people gave everyone in town a curfew to follow and NO ONE want's those guys sneaking in and bringing it here."

Roxas nodded and looked crestfallen. "We are not talking about the dark or even the excuse of being nuts in the head."

He shook his head as Ken imagined the horrors witnessed. "That's why I didn't tell anyone about the details of Firekeeper's Wish other than Riku... people end up having it much worse." He worried. "Is Sora going to be okay?"

Roxas and Namine looked at the group looking to the sun light, the girl answered. "I... think he will. So long as he has friends to talk to."

The spiky haired boy agreed with that. "And someone to know about what happened." He assured Ken. "Where you got that blade sounded more like bad luck that you thought you had to do something about at that point. Just... take our word for it, don't focus on fighting anything that looks... loose. There are pretty big monsters out there."

The blonde boy in the brown jacket shivered. "Tell me about it and now I think someone thinks I'm going to do something horrible." He felt a question bubbling. "I never really got to figure out why... this is happening. All I got told was I might be... literally talking to nobody. Yet here you two are."

His brain felt swirled as Namine thought of it and felt as confused. "If you... think you can't find an answer to that, just drop it. It's sometimes better to do that than to keep digging around."

Ken asked back. "Like figuring out what this Farseer's prophecy is all about? That might be easier to figure out, but that mean confronting the Farseer."

He looked at the distant couple talking, both looked at the bonfire like keyblade and thought of something. Roxas warned the onlooking boy. "While you're here, I think it is time you finally show that thing to someone who would know A LOT about keyblades like that."

Ken notice more questions being passed. "And you two only know the name of the guy I made that promise to." He took a deep breath. "I...think I can talk about that, if Sora can push through worse... this should be nothing."

Sora and Kairi got up to find Ken talking with two particular people, Roxas and Namine gave a silent parting and walked back to the two. Leaving the boy more confused as he felt ashes across his hand.

PEW!

The burnt blade returned to his hand and he realized what was coming, Kairi was the first to ask. "It's pretty late, but... where did you get that?"

Ken asked back with a more stomachable idea. "It's going to take a long time for me to tell you all the details. Do you know anyone who can have a better look at it? Riku says it stinks of darkness and at the same time... it doesn't feel like it."

Sora and Kairi looked at the blade confusingly, the spikey haired boy knew of one person. "There is someone who knows more about keyblades than any of us. But what you said might not be that good of an idea to show off."

Ken didn't care so much. "If I tell you the details, it might make it easier to get the dark part... it's a pain for me because once I took the blade and left, that whole world just faded to the dark."

Sora and Kairi had a text about something, taking an interest as the girl asked. "I think we all need to hear it from an expert. Should we wait until tomorrow before we all get going?"

Sora felt it was the better idea as Ken answered. "I also wanted to know what else is going on. Can I get a clue about who you all are worried about in that place be-" Ding! Ding!

Ken felt like something stirred and went to the Inn. "Curfew time, got to follow the big rule till these guys go away!" With him gone, Sora and Kairi smiled at each other nervously, got to make sure the locals know no one is getting any special treatment.

During a morning outside of a golden cities gates.

Arriea showed Aqua an ordinary gate way as part of an experiment. "We suspect the Heartstone fragments to have one common connection that could provide better aid than going through a realm gate. We know the stone seeks completion and that it calls towards its kin. So perhaps if it connects to a fellow heart that longs for it, you're Keyblade could... lead you to a proximity with in the realms and maybe more."

Moonfang approached and gave Aqua a pendent of a stormy grey gem, she felt an odd power as she asked. "And this is...a kind of summon stone?"

Arriea nodded and looked above to find a Stardrake landing, with a particular Stormcast on to report. "I created that using the knowledge of the heart, Moonfangs scales and my knowledge of the arcana. For when you go to places when Moonfang would be... counter productive in you're journey and for when you need her the most! It's yours."

Aqua obtained the pendent and felt a great power, she felt a dragon's trust in her as the Dracoth looked to the sky. The keyblade master promised her. "I'll call on you as soon as I can, I'm not sure if this realm I have in mind is suitable."

The Stardrake landed as a Drakesworn Templar jumped off with a report. "No shard or anything up in the mountain, even the local Dracoth's didn't see a glimmer." He folded his arms and asked Aqua. "Which realm are you heading to next? What realm wouldn't you want to ride on the back of a Dracoth?"

Aqua took a deep breath and answered. "Chamon." She looked across the vast city. "I... think I know how to travel the Realm of Metal. Boreld told me that it might be familiar for me."

Loru asked loudly. "Boreld?! He is a duradin, of course he would know the realms his people reign in! Oh yeah, you are trading one ordeal for another."

Arreia sighed and looked at her subordinate. "Loru, don't discourage her." She looked at Aqua and aimed her staff to the gate. "But he is right! As grand as this city is, it is mostly a place for our military and the grounds we trend are NOT for you to trend. That was why we brought you to places you would get comfortable with. In... any of the cities the Kharadon Overlords reign... you would finally be away from our eyes, but their concern is mostly about their own stability. Providing you have the coin, they will aid you without question... but their cities."

She gave Aqua a gas mask and an oxygen tank. "The resource they call Aether Gold is what rules over all. They need to survive and it could be hazardous for your health."

Aqua took it and considered it as she asked. "But... there is another detail I was warned about."

Loru answered for her. "You will see it to believe it. Try not to pass out upon entering it Chamon... or the cities the Kharadon call home."

Arriea nodded with one more. "And if you are unfamiliar with technology, it may take you a while to relearn. They believe in that over magic and you're talk about hearts may not be so convincing. If this doesn't work, we would aid to a point... but unlike Shyish, having a wa rband would prove... counterproductive due to the allies you would find anyways."

Moonfang and Nightscale nodded to each other as Aqua placed the stone fragment into the door way and watched it float in mid air. She aimed her keyblade and felt the word Chamon in her mind.

Pew!

A beam shot to the fragment and caused the the pendent to give an odd glow, to the upper right of the pendent glowed grey and caused the doorway to glow. The pendent shot itself to Aqua and rested in her hands. With the path laid out, she approached and listened to the four wishing her good luck. She stepped across and her eyes adjusted, finding herself in a city looking more grey and filled with short dwarves in strange, steam punk armor. The feeling of a different altitude threw her balance off, the sight of a cloud blowing through a large building towards her left showed her just the kind of place she entered. Amazed by the realization she was in a city with in the sky, she wandered to the right, towards something arising and was stopped by a grunt from her eft. "You looking for something lass?" She looked to the noise and found a dwarfen man in a seal tight, slightly blue, steam pun suit, on his left was a staff with scopes and lens, on his right was an odd device that seemed to be for navigating. She nearly fell from the altitude and was met with an indifferent stare. "...Well? I got to get my fleet ready for the next big aether gold mother load. Tell me what you're doing or I'm going."

Aqua swallowed and answered. "I...I...just got here, I'm... looking for something important."

Her blade glowed, she pointed it to her front and turned toward her downward right, giving the strongest glow, the dwarf sighed and barked. "How you do that without a Realmgate?! Bah, come on, I'll get ya to my office before you keep embarrassing yourself!"

The dwarf was certainly not in the mood to help, yet he offered, she regained her sense of balance and followed across the many business, industrialized streets and even something confirming her suspicions, a steam punk air boat. The dwarf lead her to a doorway leading into a hull. "We... really are in the sky? This is what-" The dwarf looked back at her and answered. "You really never been to this place before? If you tell me how you got here, I'll start listening."

Aqua started with what her pendent was capable of doing. "It's... much to take in, but I came from a place beyond the Realms and I'm trying to get back. I have something called a Heartstone fragment that wants to be built back together and it can take me close to where the next fragment is."

The dwarf guessed the rest. "And it took ya to Barak Zilfin because that is you're best way of finding that fragment. I say the stone has a good eye if it had one!"

He found his office and let Aqua inside, an office with all kinds of odd maps, green lights and a look out the window to a vast landscape that shined like platinum, many lakes gave a shine of copper and a mountain to the far end of her sight erupted molten steel. "They were not kidding when Arriea and the others call this the Realm of Metal."

The dwarf agreed with her. "That might look all pretty down there, but that isn't the reason we flew over here. It's the next big vein of aether gold, but-" Aqua sensed a shrewd smile at her. "If you tell me WHAT realm you hopped out from, I might not have to tell you a bout how business works up here in the sky."

Aqua answered as she felt a simple desire. "I traveled from the realm of Azyr and met a dwarf named Boreld that runs an Inn, do you know of him."

The duradin placed his hands together. "I know his cousin and yeah. He is a crafty one with what he gives." He raised one finger. "He starts by just giving ya a room!" He raised a second finger. "Then if you want more... that's when you start coming back to try the." He raised a third finger. "Deluxe package. It doesn't take much to satisfy a Stormcast, but when someone lesser goes... they are hooked! He learned from his life among the Kharadon." He laughed and asked Aqua. "Then you have an idea what I be asking for... something like a ride to where you want to go. Something everyone wanting to take a toll has to give."

The woman gave a scowl. "Munny?"

The duradin misheard and nodded as he took out a book. "Yeah lass and yours from the realm beyond is as useful as a grots droppings here! Thankfully for all of us we were setting up for an expedition towards one of these."

He showed her an image of a golden yellow cloud, Aqua rolled her eyes and listened to a heart bound by business. "A big ol cloud of aether gold, it's our fuel to keep crafts like the skyports floating among other uses for it. You got a mask to handle breathing the stuff we breath." He looked at the pendent and notice the color it matches, pointing his thumb towards the keyblade. "and the means to battle some... minor pests you come across. We got the fire power and navigation to move over through-" he showed her a picture of a squid with wing like fins, a winged three headed monster with the head of a lion, goat and serpent, a large shark with wing like fins and an image that Aqua voiced out. "sky monsters and the skaven. Hmm."

She knew the dwarf didn't really need her for the operation, yet he was practicing the act of an equivalent exchange, she assists and they would assist. She looked the duradin in the eyes, she felt him laughing with her. "You are proud, yet this was what I expected from someone who's desire is gold and flying."

The dwarf shrugged with his hands together. "That's the way of the Kharadron and I think this is a better option for the both of us compared to say... letting you take your chances on foot. But I think the properties of the stone brought ya here because you need to be here to get the other fragment." He spun his thumbs and confessed. "That's a loophole we both are now in and you got to start learning about realm hoping in case you get into something like this."

Aqua took in the deal. "If you just help me without asking for something, it would have been little better. But... when?"

The duradin answered. "In around an hour."

He extended his hand for a shake. "I am Halvek Aethergruff. The... fifth finest nagivator in Barak Zilfin, I'll go tell my crew that we are making it ri-" WRRRRIIIINIG! WRRRRRRING!

Halvek stood up with his weapon ready as a duradin in a steam punk suit built with an anvil ran in to yell. "Halvek, that bloody thing is coming at us this time! We are manning up the Aerial Ultilizer and blow it back to the pit it came!"

The Duradin took his staff and followed. "Then don't start without me Durod! Let's finally kill something with it!" He asked Aqua. "Wait here... or don't! This beauty was finished a couple days ago! Go back the way we came and make a straight by the fork in the street. That's where that steel gremlin keeps showing up!"

The two duradin left, Aqua did as followed and found herself hanging by the ports edge, right above a hole in the hull that was being attacked by something. It looked like a type of wingless bat with a full body of steel armor, it sucked upon something and munched as something flew from its right, a ship with many small guns, firing upon it. The creature took nothing, looked behind and belched at the ship with a cloud mixed with darkness and yellow. Something doesn't feel right, she aimed her keyblade and shot a fire ball, it pelted the creature and caused it to look up, revealing a face that looks like a golden circle with an arrow leading up. It disappeared in yellow mist that flew up to her, Aqua back flipped and watched the cloud fly to confront her. The figure leaped out with a body of steel, showing a symbol on its chest she was familiar with. "An Unversed?!"

The Steel Gremlin barreled at her in all fours, Aqua side stepped and struck, her blade did nothing to the armor. She focused and fired a barrage of beams in a rainbow pattern, causing the Gremlin to back away and open its maw, shooting an orb of yellow cloud. The woman dodged and fired an ice ball, the Gremlin was knocked to its back, a weakness was revealed, she shot a fire ball for additional damage. The Gremlin rolled and showed chipped and scorched marks, it inhaled the cloud and it's armor glistened into a radiant gold. Aqua fired a fire ball and noticed the monster simply charged through, taking little to no tarnish.

She spun to the beast in a frigid veil and knock it back, the Gremlin jumped to a building and shot a barrage of dark bullets, Aqua flipped to dodge and shot lightning bolts from the sky, causing the Gremlin to fall off to the ground. It's golden armor shifted to that of copper, it laughed in triumph and charged to attack. Aqua fired her fire ball, it simple absorbed the heat, she fired ice and the creature ignored it. She fired lightning and the creature touched a poll, letting the lighting flow from his armor to the poll. It jumped to the building to resume its attack as a large blue and yellow boat with copper highlights, a blimp like crows nest with a particular Duradin overlooking on top, a duradin in similar steam punk armor and a vacuum, a duradin manning a gatling gun and a particular engineer fixing a burn mark. Halvek ordered on seeing the copper. "FIRE!"

Boom, boom, boom, boom!

Tick, tick, TINK!

The Gremlin was shot across the street and had its fleshy dark chest exposed, Aqua dashed to it, jumped and focused an orb of light to drop upon it. BOOM! The Gremlin was shot and fell over, breaking into darkness and revealing a massive cloud of yellow mist. The boat flew towards it as many, many Duradin smelled and looked upon the cloud. "Is that aether gold?!"

The boat spilled out a trio of Duradin with vacuumes as Halvek took out a mega phone and barked. "That aether gold is property of the United Airlords! Get you're own!" The duradin vacuumed the gold up as Halvek asked Aqua. "Meet me back in the office... we knew that bloody thing since early yesterday!"

At the night in Twilight Town.

Riku entered with a trio of guardsmen nervously following, Tahm was behind them with Magitinus as he asked the teenager. "This is unorthodox, if the... unofficial authority deems a strick policy, it should be followed."

Riku turned to the Commissar with a correction. "Even if meeting the people you're allies with is important?"

He looked to the anxious tech priest. "Even when you are insisting to meet a medical expert about something? A rule can be broken."

Elric whispered to Riku. "Shh! Don't ever say that in front of Tahm, we don't want to pick up bad habits when we get back home."

The Commissar nodded to his guardsmens statement. "We had committed so many violations that returning home might be the least of our worries. But if it does the Emperor's will, there is no sacrifice too great."

Stomp! Stomp! "Riku, who are these-" Riku stepped aside and looked at the Space Marine with the power sword. "These are the five that been helping out with the town I talked about. The guardsmen want to take their service elsewhere and maybe this would be the best place for them."

The silver armor of the Iron Snake Captain glistened under the moonlight, the guardsmen kneeled before the space marine as Tahm stepped forward to kneel. "Lord Hofneil, it has been long overdue!"

Hofneil insisted. "Rise Commissar, the survival of you and you're men have been of you're own doing."

The four did with a zealous duty as they watched an Apothecary and Sister of Battle arrive. Magitinus tapped his mechanical fingers together. "To think that the most rebellious of spirits ended up bringing our salvation."

Resira over heard as Pyriel corrected the tech priest. "If it wasn't for them, we would have been wandering the galaxy while the actual heretics bring chaos to the worlds."

The sister of battle nodded in agreement. "That much Nathanel has told us. The great enemy of mankind lurks in the shadows and despite all odds and protocols." She gave a glancing stare to Riku. "They agree and seek our aid. We can wait until the larger scope is burned from the galaxy before we focus our attention elsewhere."

The teenager nodded to her. "And Kairi told me a lot of things Nathanel experienced from one world. Along with... what this Chaos warband has up their sleeves. Those guys attacked Radiant Garden so no one would want any of them back, Traverse Town has people that despite being more open about knowing Chaos exists are good people at heart and the underground is a death zone for any cult that is stupid enough to hide there."

He doubted the common sense of the great enemy as Pyriel voiced another detail. "And with the World Order, a Chaos Cult of any kind would be as obvious as-" He looked towards his battle brother, the guardsmen, sister of battle and tech priest. "Us! This would mean that this town is the only major one we know of that would be suseptable. We need to find Dabriel and then focus on our primary objective to snuff out the spark of war."

Resira took a deep breath. "Find the heretics and burn them!"

Riku heard the hateful tone and placed his right wrist at his hip. "Extreme, but sometimes that is what needs to happen when there is no other choice. Pyriel... the Tech Priest is trying to talk the people at the other town into upgrading prostetics and he heard you were here. Do... you have a minute to help out?"

Pyriel gasped to the idea. "It is a standard procedure in the event of catastrophic injuries from battle or to quell mutations!"

Magitinus agreed as his lens glowed yellow. "And they should consider our... designs."

He asked the teenager. "Permission to borrow you're ship? It will be back in the morning?"

Riku didn't mind as Hofneil approved of Pyriel's task. "Brother Apothecary, go and lend you're expertise."

The marine and tech priest gave their thanks and walked off, Riku gave his parting to the group. "The big rule here is don't hound down on the towns people and let them know you are trying to help. Too many of you crossed the line and the complaints I hear about come from people that normally like being out at night. Keep it that way." He left and gave Resira a moment with kin. "He considers this excessive?"

Tahm shrugged. "The civilians back at the town seemed content enough and the program has all but rendered us... unnecessary. We are this close to purging the galaxy of Chaos, surely you can abid to their terms."

Resira scoffed at the idea. "You wouldn't be saying that if we had the Imperium's might at our aid like we use to. What has the worlds done to you?"

Hofneil stood in between. "Enough! What matters is we do not have nearly as much resources. If the population sees no reason to rebel and are cooperative with us, then our actions do matter." The sister closed her eyes as Thompson raised his hand. "Permission to ask?"

Tahm allowed it. "You may speak." Thompson took a deep breath and asked. "If... we are able to get back... would anyone really care where we been? We are fighting the enemy with those that agree to at least that... right?"

The group nodded as Tahm realized something and gasped, he looked down at his bolt pistol and answered. "If someone does... would it have been what we wanted?"

Resira nearly laughed and went to her patrol. "The Inquisition would have question all of us and only the Space Marines would have any chances of making it out in one piece! Us bending the knee to these people, cooperating with... I don't even know if they are xenos or mutants. I'm surprised you didn't execute you're men already Commissar. If the roles were reversed between you and them, would you're changed ideals be tolerated?"

Tahm exhaled from his nostrils as the guardsmen looked at him scared for his life. "It... is for survival, nothing more matters save for anything that would... truly change us. You're faith in the Imperium is as strong as always sister."

Resira went to the street and took the compliment. "And it would be wise to keep a close mind. Come, we have to maintain the peace for the night... perhaps schedule shifts now that we have more aid."

Hofniel agreed and walked to the train station. "That will be assigned come morning. Tahm, you and you're men should ready for a time."

The Commissar saluted and faced his guard with an order. "You heard him, we have allowed ourselves to slack off, but now more than ever this town needs us!"

In Chamon

Aqua sat in Halvek's office as Durod counted fifty ignotes of gold bars. "This looks about right. All the Aether Gold that greedy thing stole before and now." He turned to the human with something akin to gratitude. "You made it easy for us to get that back. Guess we could give some slack if we want to."

Halvek drew a calculation and corrected his subordinate. "Endrinmaster Durod, you know the gold rush can't wait for anyone. This changes our plan a wee bit." Halvek asked Aqua. "Well you done us enough work to where we might pull a few strings. We need to deliver this by the deadline and see that things like that Transmuting Gremlin never comes back, if all that is met, we would be back at our original schedule. Would you hold it out until that?"

The human felt it was tolerable. "This thing... ate you're profits and you were... more focused on protecting that. But that's no ordinary monster compared to all those you showed me. That's an Unversed... how it came-" The navigator finished for her. "How it came to be is a big mystery only you can get, if you can't figure it out you might as well forget about it. That isn't important now. Now, you showed me that you're keyblade can trigger a reaction with the Heartstone's fragments that would attract each other, but you got to go pick it up first." He looked to his scope. "That can help us navigate to it, but it does nothing about navigating everything else that would stop us. That is why we need to get more of the crew ready and risk Ol' Bountiful into the mix. I warn ya, she been apart of the crew for decades, don't expect the crew to take it lightly if anything happens to her."

Aqua raised an eyebrow and asked. "It's like that Ironclad except it is much older... are you sure you want to risk that?"

Halvek walked to the door and watched members of his crew come to take the aether gold away. "Ol' Bountiful was me father's airship, a Frigate he let me opperate with when I was small. I don't use her unless I know there is going to be all sorts of trouble that would cut a lot more from us than just a lost profit. This doesn't change anything if we find any aether gold along the way though, so you can consider that the second half of you're work. I got's to think of me speech to motivate the crew. Durod, let her in on what to expect."

The Endrinmaster nodded and took out a projector. "Fortunately, you got the gear to work with us, but there might still be things you need to know before sailing." The projector showed an image of a duradin with a balloon like jet pack, flying into the sky with a boat like the ironclad she saw, except it had a smaller haul, different guns and a structure on its balloon like device.

Outside and leading down to a vault, Halvek had his men carry the massive ignots as he written down his schedule. A fellow duradin approached, holding a tank on his back as he asked. "So now we caught up, we are multi tasking our prospects while making sure the lass is where she needs to go? Why the change of heart?"

Halvek answered proudly. "Speed and profit Jararr, her being around makes me feel like we are traveling into two, very confusing realms together and we can't have that. She can aid us while we aid her and when business is concluded, she would be gone and we can pack in more of these beauties."

The small group reached the vault for a deposit, Jararr wasn't arguing with the results. "Just like always with in the realms, you're fleet got word and are suiting up right now. Any special recommendations?"

Halvek had one. "I'm taking a voidstone, just in case. Send word to Durod that he need to be in that suit before we go back in the air. No one would be dumb enough to get in our way by then."

Jararr whistled as the ingots were deposited. "Even an Orruk would think twice."

Halvek hoped so and took from a cubby a black stoned orb. "Or they would think we are inviting them over for tea. I'll see that our pride n joy's are ready."

The two parted and the duradin went deeper towards a docking station, so much effort for a job that seems mundane. Halvek entered alone to see two important airships in peak condition, the ironclad and frigate side by side, he whispered to the both of them. "Just like pa would have liked. All of us in this gold rush together." Clap! Clap! Clap!

"You all really have yourselves set up around profit and progress, that is the only thing you're heart desires over all."

The navigator turned around with his staff ready, he yelled out. "Who's tresspas-" Choke!

Halvek felt a hand reach for his neck and lift him up, he kicked in the air and saw a faint view of red and black as a void consumed him. A rush came, Jararr, among many others came rushing in, finding a dropped staff and a departing shadow, he gasped. "What... sound the alarm!"

At an Inn in Twilight Town.

Riku was in the lobby with Sora, Kairi, Goofy and Donald to discuss current events. "And now it's like the whole part is here. Sora, are you sure you don't want to talk about what you saw?"

The boy shook his head as Jiminy answered. "The Sorcerer is a different story, but I know of that Coachmen, this isn't the first time he did something like this and got away with it."

The group had cringe, Kairi closed her eyes and requested. "Let's stop talking about that in detail, Gurak yelled about a Zagor. Sora, do you think that Sorcerer fits the bill as the one behind this?"

Sora nodded. "He has to be, he is the one who knows about daemons and the heartless. Do... any of us know where his hideout is?"

Riku took one candidate off the list. "If it was that castle, there would have been a lot of nobodies here. We need to talk this to Mickey and that wizard for any way of finding more clues. It's about time we know what they were trying to do." He asked the boy and girl. "And to kill another bird, that kid finally went out of the way to tell you that... the burning one, has something fishy going on at least. A keyblade that came from a world being swallowed up in darkness... WHY was the world being consumed by the darkness?"

Goofy had one idea. "Because... the worlds heart was consumed by it first?"

Donald felt that made sense. "That was why Sora had to close the keyholes."

It was one explanation, but a detail doesn't add up, Riku took a deep breath. "But... he never spoke of a keyhole. Just... two people overlooking a fire, the kid didn't even name the keyblade... a knight that lived in that world did. One that was scared of dying alone. So much of that sounds and feels like it isn't a kind of keyblade we would let free... and he used it as a fire place when it showed it can do that."

Sora and Kairi agreed that it doesn't connect, the spiky haired boy asked. "If it is a keyblade that came from darkness... why does the fire feel... welcoming?!"

Kairi snapped her fingers to another idea. "It isn't the blade or its powers! That has to be the reason no one besides Riku sensed anything wrong. Would Yen Sid be able to figure out what is wrong with it?"

Sora nodded to that. "He will. We... also have another problem."

Riku guessed. "What that Farseer's deal is. It drew the kid back out here and none of us know anything of why would a kid be a problem to her if she didn't do anything."

The notion was tiring to think about as Sora concluded the night. "I wish can do something about that. We might find a lead tomorrow."


	13. Pursuit

At a docking station in Barak Zilfin, Aqua listened to a duradin with a drill launcher. "Something kidnapped Halvek?! How is that possible?!"

Durod was in a steam punk suit with a balloon like device, giving the final touches to The Aerial Ultilizer and Ol' Bountiful as he answered the most confused. "He paid all his debts, he respected the admiral and he never messed around with anything he shouldn't! There isn't an explanation to why someone would take him without any of us noticing him coming."

A duradin with a back pack watched and asked the most guilty looking. "Unless someone was slacking off at the moment right when he left Halvek to have a moment with these two. I was right there... how-" Aqua turned to the duradin. "Jararr, something or someone found a way in there... but... who would have been able to-" Her eyes widened to a possibility. "Xehanort?!"

That was the first time the crew of the United Airlords heard of such a name, Durod landed on hearing the name. "That is as much of a Chaos" He quoted in disbelief. "Sorcerer's name if I heard it. But that don't make any sense, all the aether gold Halvek had been around would let him see the power at work and sounded the alarm." He clapped to an idea. "But then that... Unversed didn't show up till recently, so he ought to be someone Aqua knows about."

Aqua tapped her forehead confused. "If... he was taking action, he would have went for me first... why Halvek?!"

Jararr thought of a possibility and yelled at the top of his lungs. "That bastard sent someone to get him! But why make him disappear?! It be quicker to just kill... bah, that's just dumb nonsense from a Chaos War band, everyone is out for themselves before anything productive!"

Aqua sighed in defeat. "And you don't think it is from a chaos war band. Who could he have in the Realms to do this?!" She looked at the frigate with a vow. "This is a trap for me, where ever Halvek is... that is where they want me to be."

Durod growled to the idea. "And are we just going to let you out there alone with our fleet? No, that bastard wants us all there! But how in the blazes are we going to find him?!" BBBBUZZZT! Durod heard a buzzing at his wrist and answered. "This is the United Airlords, we are busy right now so hold you're call until furthe-" The sound of a dwarf screamed at him. "You bull headed... this is Halvek! Some son of a bitch pulled me to the proximity of the Silverway, oh woe this is going crazy!"

Durod gasped. "The Silverway?! That land is to the far south east of ere!" He had his free hand at his hip in suspicion. "This isn't a trick is it?!"

The yelling became worse. "Ol' Bountiful always sails towards the light that not even the rainbows would compare. Would you cut it out and think of a way to solve this?"

Durod looked to Jararr and nodded to him. "We are getting the whole crew ready and then some! We get there in two dings of a hammer! Don't go bashing anything that will tear you a new one! Durod out!"

The Duradin ordered fourteen of the rank and file foot soldiers into the ironclad and ten into the frigate as he asked Aqua. "Which one you taking lass? Either would be where Jararr takes."

Aqua looked at the frigate without hesitation. "I sense... so much heart poured into this one." Her eyes moved towards to the ironclad with amusement. "Though this one has shown a light of its own. Ol' Bountiful needs more protection though."

She felt as if the ships were embarrassed and prideful as she went aboard the frigate. Six duradin soldiers went aboard three smaller personal boats, two of the soldiers for each one. The boats have a each. In moments, the ships detached from their ports and dropped from the sky port. Aqua felt the Heartstone fragment shine with her blade, she aimed it to the south east, Durod looked at the blade and toward the direction. "Come on, Halvek is waiting for us."

In a floating land with an island floating above.

Halvek ignored the river of silver and focused on a distant war band of raving, tribal marauders with shields and silver weapons, chanting with a horde of copper skin bird like men. Before them was an armored man mutated to have horns, a third arm under his left arm, bird like legs and a third eye. He yelled on a disc as he held onto a golden stone with a symbol of a circle with an arrow. "Brothers, disciples! Today is finally the day we retake the Realm of Metal for our lord! We turmoil and prayed for a sign, a sign from the vast darkness!"

He lifted it high in the air as a silver sword and a staff with a symbol of a flaming eye hovered next to him. "And he answered! We will be the instruments of the Realms fate! All according to Tzeentch's machinations."

He looked to where Halvek was, the duradin hid under a hill and planted his staff, he pressed a button to make the staff's lens like bauble rise, he pressed another and activated a screen. In hope he didn't have to start running, seeing the war band turn their attention back to their leader that dismissed a concern. He lifted the stone in the air and caused it to glow in blue light. "With this, the great Crudon will bring us a vast army that will wash over the realm." A pink glow radiated behind him, the sorcerer poured more into his wish. "An army blessed by Tzeentch's guidance, we just need only to give it our hearts and souls."

The pink glow pulsed and a soft spoken voice advised to the frantic horde. "He of course means metaphorically! Surrendering that would only make you prey to the darkness."

WHOOSH!

The glow took form and blew a breeze to the horde, a giant, blue humanoid bird with pink wings appeared. In his right hand was a staff much like the sorcerer, the bird raised it in the air and caused it to glow black with the stone fragment. "The dark realm has been changed by the will of our master. With this and my adjustments, all who would stop us will drown with in the void!"

WOOSH!

A dark portal burst open to let out a yellow eyed lizard creature with blue stripes, it's eyes glowed red at the vast prey as the staff's eye shot energy upon it. "See how such a flawed creature of no mind would rise to greatness! Through evolution, it will become the alpha predator among its kind!"

The lizard twitched in pain and roared in a craze, stumps erupted from the side of its back and formed membranes like a birds wings. The membranes scattered in blue feathers as the monster turned docile, bound to the will of the daemon. The sorcerer fanatically raised his arms towards the monster and to the bird deamon. "Praise our Lord of Change! Praise Tzeentch!"

The horde cheered in unison and fed a glow of dark light to the stone. "Praise Tzeentch!"

Halvek looked to the sky, his lens focused past the many clouds and found many specs ahead, leaving a massive Skyport, the duradin tapped his foot. "Why did that idiot dump me into this mad house. Come on boys, get here soon!"

During a bright morning in Twilight Town's train station.

Ken bought a ticket more and more confused. "I get the train is the only way to reach the guy, but why are you being that secretive about it? It's just a train ride... right?"

Sora and the group didn't wish to spoil the surprise. "Eh... it's more special than that."

Ken tried to guess as a purple starry train tooted its horn and arrived. "It's going to be crazy, it's obvious the train isn't what it seems and despite Riku telling you about Firekeeper's Wish, why the heck are any of you freaked out by it?"

Sora and Riku looked at each other as Kairi ordered the teenager asking questions. "Because it doesn't feel like a keyblade we all expected from the background. Now are you going to stop guessing and ruining the surprise?"

Ken yelped at the crossed princess as the train stopped and opened its door. "Eek! Well... one way to get this over with." He went in with a reckless jump, the teenagers, duck, dog and cricket followed to a cozy cart. In a few moments, Ken felt the train moving and turned to the group with a dozen questions in mind, he dismissed it. He noticed the twilight sky taken over by a mystic green shroud, closing his eyes in realizing the surprise. "This train connects to another world and it is the secret passage to it?"

The group nodded as Sora admitted it. "It's one of the wonders of the world. Just one of the reasons to keep exploring before taking off."

Ken sighed and gave a small smile. "If those guys allow it, that is something I had to tell some of the more troubled locals about. I think they get it, but they still don't like the idea of people constantly watching them and telling them what they can or can't do in certain times."

Riku agreed with the feeling. "But this lead to two guys... one we don't even like, taking off back to the castle garden to do some good. Least we don't have to deal with him for now."

In a few moments, the green light vanished and sights of an orange misty cloud, various green mountains and a star lit sky shined. Sora, Donald and Goofy watched the group look out to the sights. The newcomer in the big secret was taken aback as Kairi whistled. "Don't lose you're breath, were not even in the tower yet."

Ken blinked and looked the other way to find a wizards tower on a floating island, he nearly passed out against the other worldy splendor. "...You guys are awesome. That's the tower where most of the big secrets are locked away."

Riku smirked and asked. "But have you proven yourself worthy of knowing? Or are you going to be cast out in the veil of ignorance."

Ken puffed his cheeks as Sora asked the silver haired boy. "Knock it of, we knew this was coming."

The train stopped and Ken took his step into the unknown, he turned to the group to ask. "Have you all been to worlds this strange?!"

Sora, Donald, Goofy and Jiminy wished to give the boy the blunt of yes. Donald smacked his lips for his answer. "Did you hear of the World Order?"

At an opening bistro in town.

An annoyed Elrena was with a calm Medy and Dorlu over a particular piece of knowledge. The spiky haired man practice a tune with a blue guitar and asked. "That's their deal? They are worried about a cult?"

Dorlu signaled his partner in crime. "Not just any ordinary group, but why would they risk themselves here? Why would the patrols be so secretive about it? Why were we warned not to speak of it?"

Elrena wished for both to be silent in the matter. "Because people get crazy, they think we would get ideas and let them in. By now, only an idiot would do it." She looked to the way to the clock tower with faint concern. "Maybe it was why that kid was left in the dark until now. But that shouldn't matter anymore. Any ideas of what we should do about it? Because all this talk about a war I keep hearing about bothers me."

Medy pulled a string to answer. "Not if we can get out of here."

Dorlu looked towards a clock tower in his own doubts. "And if we try to make an organization here, those... soldiers would find out. If we try to leave and do that, someone will notice."

Elrena growled more. "All this because a dumb kid kept showing that he has guts."

She calmed and winked. "As if anyone would object." Medy dare not approve of the suggestion openly and ignored her as Dorlu raised an eyebrow. "That didn't stop you before and what fortuitous coincidence that you said you accompany the boy."

Elrena nodded and readied for a trip to the store. "Exactly, later!"

She ran off and ditched the two, Medy exhaled. "Can't say I'm sad to see her go!"

Dorlu agreed with a plan of his own. "Now if we can find a way to convince those two friends to be in on our gang."

At the mysterious tower.

Ken was before a wizard that looked upon an ashen keyblade, the wizard gave no sign of approval or disgust as the boy looked back. A fire sparked in the wizards eyes as an intrigued voice was heard. "Remarkable!"

The group flinched and looked upon the blade, the wizard lessen his hold and let it return to the boy. Mickey asked. "Even with the story master? That keyblade doesn't sound like it should have been in the hands of anyone."

The wizard stood up and had his hands behind his back. "There is no denial that the keyblade's origins are most dark, but it in itself poses little threat to the heart of its wielder or those around." He addressed the boy. "Young Kendry, did you consider what the flame's ties to that world were?"

The boy nodded. "When it died... the world died, but why the keyblade?"

The wizard took a deep breath and looked to the group in expecting shock. "Because the flame and that world's heart are one in the same! What you picked up was the ashes that made up that worlds heart, a heart that seeks to regain its flame."

The blonde boy gasped and was allowed to go back to the crowd. "...So the Firekeeper gave it her heart so it can do that?! Wow."

The wizard agreed and gave a warning. "The last flicker of light to reignite the embers. But that does not mean the keyblade's powers are one to use with abandon. It's power may not be of darkness, but that is the kindling."

Mickey asked confused. "You mean it uses the darkness as fuel?"

Ken felt it made sense. "I was fighting against someone, because I got annoyed of stuff happening. That's when it started flicking embers. If it gets exposed to dark stuff... any kind, it might burn brighter and become stronger?"

Riku nodded and answered. "Yeah, of any kind! So if it lights up more... you really should think about what you are doing with yourself or where you are."

Ken let his blade fade away as Kairi looked upon the ashes in disapproval. "It's still pretty sad about how that world ended or how it ended for Benedict. Just... what happened in that world to make it come to that?"

The group didn't wish to know and focused on Sora, who spoken of his own tale. "But now what we are going to do? If that Zagor guy is behind the chaos stuff, we need to find him and stop him... but...where to look?"

That was something Mickey had an answer to. "I'm almost done with the final touches and I need to get home to pick up the final things. Sora, Riku, it's time you know of an old tradition every keyblade wielder must partake in and that would help wake up any worlds still sleeping in the dark and then clear the way."

Sora and Riku raised an eyebrow and had their mouths open at the sudden information. The spiky haired teenager asked. "That was what all of this was about? What do you mean... wake them up?"

The wizard smiled and answered. "To awaken the worlds still dormant from their time with in the darkness."

Sora asked. "The worlds that were taken by the heartless a long time back? I thought, when we beaten Xehanort's heartless, the worlds would become restored. Why has that still not happened?"

The wizard thought of an answer. "Perhaps... it is because of the damage the heartless has caused. Some worlds have suffered in a greater scope than others and become... comatose. If they are given a light that would call them back to us, they will awaken in all their splendor. With that light, it could guide us to where this Zagor and his followers lurk. To awaken the dormant heart of the worlds... to restore a damaged heart... that is the power of waking." He sighed. "But to think it would be used for what is considered warfare, to hunt down those who would bring ruin."

Riku agreed that the reasons were grim. "That wasn't the reason you were going to have Sora and I do this? Were you?"

The wizard shook his head. "No, it wasn't. Because of your skills, we were attempting a practice should Xehanort's schemes break many hearts again. To use the power to restore a heart... few know of this power, least of all how to use it. That would have been a great deed."

Kairi sighed with visions of more war. "But... that can still be used for that, that was the whole point you called us in the first place?"

The wizard nodded as Mickey looked depressed. "And to ready Sora and Riku for that... search. Not only to find Aqua but to help her save her friends who had their hearts... lost."

Ken's eyebrows raised. "Aqua?! Friends? Eh... who are they?"

The group looked like they had their heads hit over by something, Mickey chuckled and apologized. "We almost forgot. If you heard about a friend we were trying to save from the Realm of Darkness, that is Aqua. A Keyblade Master who fell to try and save her friends. One of them, Ventus... had his heart damaged after one of Xehanort's creations tried to take over his body and Terra who disappeared."

Riku put some of the details together about the two mentioned people. "And you want to bet Xehanort is responsible for Terra's disappearance as well?"

The group agreed with the idea as Ken blurted out. "Sounds like he was behind... everything and he is just going to cause more trouble again. At a worse time too."

Sora agreed with that. "You have no idea." He asked Mickey and Yen Sid. "So what exactly is this? An exam?"

The two nodded, the wizard answered. "An exam for a title worthy of both of you, but it's irrelevant for now." Ken guessed the title. "Keyblade Master? How are these two not that yet?"

He shrugged as Sora and Riku let go of a frustrating fact, Mickey asked the boys along with Donald and Goofy. "Would you come to help me pick up this charm? It leads to special worlds found only in dreams."

The group took the offer as Kairi asked Ken. "You... understand the whole issue with Aqua and why we were scared for her when... all that was going on, right?" The boy nodded as Kairi spoke of more pleasant news. "That Stormcast you talk a lot about really did help her get out. We found out Aqua is in a realm Ana lived in."

Ken gasped and smiled widely in joy. "Ha...I told you Ana's cool! So what's happening with Aqua right now?"

Yen Sid answered the boy nearly breaking into a relaxed smile. "She is looking for a way to return to us and has found a solution. A stone to lead the way, it had been shattered into eight pieces by an evil force. Currently she has one, but it will take time for her to obtain them all. Do not expect her return to be soon."

Ken understood as Kairi guessed. "The realms... really sound like the worlds we been to. For now its up to us to solve the issue with Chaos and get ready for all the trouble we talked about, you know what you need to do?"

Ken nodded to his task. "Find the Farseer, figure out WHY she wants me dead over a prophecy and make sure she stops. Get rid of my own problem and make sure more don't come. You?"

Kairi's smile became of smug royalty. "I need to check up on at least four more Princess's of Heart and maybe one of us can find the last of the Space Marines. Remember, don't go into trouble if it is obvious."

Ken promised he won't. "With how messed up Zagor is, I won't! I'll focus on myself before I try being some wannabe." He smiled to the group. "Thanks for bringing me here!"

He thanked the wizard for his knowledge as the group began a mass parting. Leaving the Yen Sid alone to his thoughts, he turned to find the image of a blue toad on a throne, the toad croaked and the wizard heard a voice in his mind. "It is a race to restore the balance between the realms. This is but one of life's many trials for the young ones."

Yen Sid agreed with a presence he felt familiar with. "What ever trial may test their hearts, they must succeed."

Out in Twilight Town.

Kairi sat by a bench in exhaustion as a teenage girl with brown hair that had two strands dangling, a black short and red pants with stripes, asked. "So that's the mystery of the ashen keyblade and why these people are here." The girl felt depressed at the idea. "If someone came to that world earlier... would it have made a difference?"

Kairi didn't wish to know that answer. "I don't know Olette, but now we know a keyblade like that is out there. Sorry for allowing those guys to take the shots."

Olette didn't mind too much and smirked with mischief. "So you remember that Keyblade Master hmm?"

Kairi tried to and kept the image of a blue haired woman in her mind. "It... was a long time ago, I remember giving someone a flower. To think she was suffering for this long."

She took a deep breath. "But she is out of that and on one bizarre adventure." She puffed her cheeks to pout. "And now Sora and Riku are trying to learn new things and leaving me behind." She looked up to the sky to ask. "What am I going to do? I need to get stronger and this is as fast I can go."

Olette shrugged. "There isn't anyone to teach you more... but I think those boys were self taught themselves. There is hope."

Kairi hoped her friend was right and listened to distant noise. "At least I got a rival to keep me going."

Olette looked to the street to find a particular blonde boy running to the shopping center in high speeds. "Wonder where he's going off to."

She went back to remembering and asked her friend. "So... how were things between you and Sora? You having those kinds of adventures might get a message even to him."

Kairi flared up in a blush as she saw Olette giving a smile of questionable thoughts. "I...I just want to finally settle back to how things were and these lunatics are trying to get to him." Her smile became one of a fantasy. "One day I'll be the one to rescue him and Riku when they are deep in trouble. I'll be the one to do the fighting! Ha, ha, haaaa!"

She felt invigorated as Olette imagined it. "And then that's when he stop's hiding it." She asked. "I wonder what kind of place you will run off to? Would you find something as odd as a Space Marine jumping down from a window like an angel?"

Kairi burst into laughter. "Ha, ha, ha, ha! I hope not. Haaaaa!" She was ready to get back to her adventure. "But this isn't getting that done. I'll be back if I find something. If you see that blonde boy with the keyblades, tell him I'll settle for a match. He thinks his style would make him hard to predict, but he just needs to have his escapes taken away."

Olette promised her friend. "Will do!"

The two parted ways, Kairi walked off as Olette walked to the shopping center to see new wares. Finding the blonde boy looking in horror at a blonde woman's rather small baggage. "That is what you spent an hour looking for?! We need to get going before Resira hears of this."

The blonde woman placed the bag away and answered with a cute smile. "I thought they have a replacement for that thing I lost in a bet, these are the essentials." She bopped him on the nose. "So you named that gummi ship Brynhildyr?"

The boy folded his arms and looked away stubbornly. "She is nice to be around and you ought to treat her nicely. It's... not weird."

The woman soften more. "There is weirder things, I think I know the first town we should look for clues."

The boy nodded to her with an agreement. "Traverse, it's the one place we are free to do what we want as long as we don't go into the sewers. Come on Elrena, maybe we might have... better luck finding more interesting things."

He smiled smugly as Elrena squinted her eyes. "A town that people just.. Ken, what do you mean?"

Ken lead the way. "Just some critters, a cool general and her men have. They know some people that are even cooler if you want to know."

Olette had her hands at her hips and asked. "Where do you think you're going?"

The boy looked at the girl and tried to answer, he notice something and tried to keep his answer. "Out of here for another adventure... do... you want to come along?"

Olette knew what the boy was planning and shook her head. "No, but you can send me a picture." Ken smiled to her. "Can do!" He walked off, Elrena following casually and left Olette unaware of what occurred.

In the sky's of Chamon.

Aqua stood at the crows nest of the flying frigate and tried in vane to look far across valleys hanging over a cosmic void to no avail. Durod watched from the back of the ironclad ship and heard a buzz from his speaker as a gunslinger boat to the left, a gunslinger boat to the front and a gunslinger boat to the right kept vigil watch. Durod checked, hearing Halvek speaking in an unusual fear. "There you are! Careful how you fly in, we got a Tzeentch war band whipping up a bunch of warp energy along with using the shadows of another realm to make monsters! Expect a lot of daemons coming at you from all angles, beware of one that can turn in-"

Scratch!

BZZT!

Durod shook his wrist, sighed and yelled. "When you see something flying, give them everything you got!"

Aqua noticed something flapping from the distant ground, aiming directly towards the fleet. It looked like eight manta rays and a fiery comet she knew of. "Daemons incoming!"

Durod looked down and yelled. "Wait till you see the while of those screamers eyes and don't let that Burning Chariot close to us!"

He and Aqua watched faint disks skid behind the screamers. The mass swarm came at them in blinding speeds, the fleet saw a faint blue skin and white eyes. BOOM! PEW! PEW! PEW! The fleet fired at the coming horde and was shot from behind by arcane arrows, Aqua looked behind to find beast like men with goat like horns and bird like features, they rode on odd disks and aimed for the dwarves on the smaller boats.

She raised her blade to the sky and caused fire balls to rain down on the beastmen, they grunted and had their disks dive down, aiming their bows again and grazed a gunhauler. Aqua caused a cloud surrounding a beast men to freeze and sent it falling bellow. Five duradin emerged from the ironhaul and fired the other two down, causing them to shriek as they plummet to the silver river bellow. She felt ambitious hearts and looked away to find the frontal foes were whittling down, the last of the screamers fell into a blue mist and the chariot was going out of control. She focused and fired multicolored beams at the chariot, causing it to explode in an inferno and leaving the distant beast men to scatter, but not flee. Aqua felt something watching and looked to her upper left, a figure with in the clouds glowed red eyes and blew at a gunslinger to the left flank. "What out!"

She aimed a fire spell at the cloud and revealed a familiar figure of darkness, in all its winged glory, it pounced on the gunslinger boat and tore, the two duradin felt their boat coming down and bashed the beast with their boarding weapons. Aqua couldn't get a good shot, Durod flew at the heartless with his saw blade and knocked it loose, he barked at the gunslinger. "Get to the upper flank. These things will get us if we keep flying in one dire-" SWOOP! Durod was upper cutted by a second red eyed beast, he rolled back to the clouds and hitched a ride on the gunslinger boat.

The first red eyed beast vanished as the second beast looked at Aqua with a hunger. The frigate directed to the beast and unloaded an explosive shell, sending the beast falling as carbines pelted its wings, Aqua watched the feathery wings scorch and shot a barrage of fire to burn the wings, causing the beast to fall into the clouds bellow. Jararr yelled in fear and pressed a button to shoot a storm of aether gold at a third flying red eyed beast that appeared from bellow. The beast gasped and was suffocating as Aqua took her chance to fire more magical beams, causing the heartless beast to loose control of its wings and fall to the ground, dissolving into nothing. The gunslinger at the top and left fired down more beast men on disks as a beastmen shaman on a disk flew on the frigate and pulsed in unstable power with a triumphant squawk. "Our Lord's day comes! Feel the fires of change!"

PULSE!

The boats were pushed aside, Durod shot lens beams, a cannon of golden bullets and a lightning bolts to shoot the shaman down. The front gunslinger boat flew in between to dodge a winged beast and shot a drill in the back, right between its wings, causing it to dissolve and leave one remaining to land on the top of the frigate, Aqua calmly struck the beasts claws to send it loose and flying back, she aimed to the sky and rained lightning upon the heartless, vanquishing it among the rest of the sky bound foes.

She looked ahead to find figures bellow, drawing dark power into a large blue bird man. Durod's wrist crackled and buzzed. "Scatter, scatter these disciples and focus down the Lord of Change! He is responsible for this whole mess."

Aqua squinted at the bird and sensed raw ambition with in, mixed with grandeur and maliciousness, forming into a dark hole that was ready to unleash terrible power. Aqua glowed like light and asked Durod. "I got the bird!" The voice over heard and yelled. "Don't go for-" WOOSH!

Aqua vanished as the fleet notice the holes glowing purple. They flew out of formation and avoiding a massive beam of dark energy that repeated. They saw something bellow flicker in light and strike the deamon out of its concentration. Bellow, the Lord of Change was slightly distracted and ordered the furious sorcerer. "Vidrix, focus the dark power as I deal with this insect!"

The Sorcerer giggled and with his disk, floated to a curved, silver fragment and focused his will. "We are so close Master Crudon! I won't-" His eyes glowed yellow and he gave a wider smile, like he was staring into the abyss. Crudon looked to his right to find Aqua landing gracefully. He raised his staff in the air and caused a barrier to form around his war band. "Clever, but even in nine hundred years, I would have foreseen this this!" He took flight as Aqua looked to the stone, Crudon noticed his spell smugly. "You seek the power of the Heartstone for you're own ends?" His staff aimed at the bold keyblade wielder. "Go ahead, prove if you're will is stronger than mine!"

POW!

He fired a bolt of mighty power, Aqua cast a barrier spell and was sent flying. She landed on her feet and ran to the greater daemon that folded his wings and flapped, unleashing a fire storm that swept her away. Aqua panted and raised her blade in the air to glow green light, healing herself as she ran in for her first strike, hitting the demon on the legs and causing a sting. Crudon swiped his staff and pecked with his beak, Aqua flipped to her left as the bird noticed. "Refusing to give me the satisfaction of you're wishes?! Praise worthy, but I know why you seek the Heartstone! It's power can lead to many realms, including one you might be familiar with!"

He snapped his finger and flew out of the way of the dark hole that shot fire balls with yellow eyes, Aqua attempted to dodge and was knocked off her feet by a stray arcane bolt. Aqua raised her blade into the air and taunted back. "Go back to the darkness that spawned you! FIRE!"

Crudon held his staff with both arms and leaned on it mockingly, with a simple focus of will, the fire never came. "Foolish mortal, you're magic is nothing-" He flew high to the sky and noticed the fleet firing down on his forces. "compared to mine!"

He shrieked and fired down an even greater barrage of fire, Aqua back flipped as the bird raised his hands into the air. "But worry not, you will NOT return to that forsaken realm! My Lord is that generous." He cawed. "Gaze into an eternity with in the Crystal Labyrinth! May you witness endless change that will blast you're remaining sanity! INFERNAL GATEWAY!" Aqua watched herself surrounded by a symbol of a burning eye that readied to open, she realized she was in over her head if she thought a Greater Daemon would be easy to best. Toss! Thud! Pulse! A black stone orb was flung from the unknown and landed near the symbol, causing it to dissipate harmlessly.

Crudon stared awkwardly at a failed spell and looked at the voidstone orb, then to his left, finding a tiny duradin with a staff. He landed with a finesse as he listened to cannon fire and the sound of his followers screaming. "...A well arrived timing oh unbeliever!" He readied his next attack. "But that will not save you! I will cast the two of you into the Labyrinth together!"

He laughed and raised his hand. BOOM!

A cannon shell shot him aside as Halvek calmly asked Aqua. "You realized the hard way why you don't go after these things alone?"

The woman looked at the dark hole growing unstable and the sorcerer who's face became that of terror. "Do they realize why they shouldn't be using darkness?!"

Halvek looked at the impending disaster. "Nope! We got to get that stone away from them or-" PULSE!

A wide beam shot to the sky and caused three of the gunslinger boats to burst into the flames and crash to the ground. Halvek was gasping in horror as Aqua rushed to the stone, the Lord of Change recuperated and aimed his staff. "Do not stop the ritual! You will undo all of our work!"

PEW! PEW! PEW!

Aqua nearly danced across the magic beams and leaped at the stone, the Sorcerer looked towards Aqua and aimed its hand. "Back away!" POW! She was shot back and heard frantic fear, the darkness pooled into the Sorcerer that yelled. "Lord! It's too much! The void... the void!"

The Lord of Change growled, flew to his goons side and with a tap, sent him floating towards the battlers. "Feeble mortal! I will handle this ritual! Destroy these two and you will be greatly rewarded!"

The Sorcerer felt the promise convincing and looked at the two with hope. "Mmmm maybe he will understand it better!" He fired a bolt of similar power with giggling glee, Aqua used a barrier spell to let herself be pushed back and shot a pillar of ice bellow the Sorcerer. The Sorcerer glowed and charged at her to swing with his sword and staff, Aqua parried and flipped to the left to avoid the disk as she shot a ball of light at point blank range, knocking the Sorcerer off the disc. He tried to cast another bolt of power and felt the spell unbinding, Halvek aimed his pistol at the Sorcerer's head, the wizard looked to be whimpering like a dog that felt he displeased someone. "I...I failed?!"

Halvek pulled the trigger without care.

BLAM!

The Sorcerer fell to the force and laid still dead as the Lord of Change grunted and felt a force taking him, he looked back to find his channeling forces were blown to smithereens, yet their cries fueled the dark power. He felt the pulse and refused to give up. "My...my magic is unmatched by any mortal! I am an extent of the Great Conspirator! I am Tzeentch's will! I will not falter to any force, even this byproduct of the god's will...will!" The darkness howled as the Lord of Change felt his talons envelope in the darkness. He glared at the void and to the approaching duo, he smiled and adjusted the dark void towards them. "Will be you're undoing!"

SWOOOOOOP!

A beam even mightier that before shot out, Aqua grabbed Halvek and jumped above to dodge the beam, landing on the other side and irritating the Lord of Change. Aqua blitz at the daemon with all her might and striking its torso, distracting him more as the dark gate bubbled. She shoved the daemon to the ground and took the stone, the gate distorted and bulged out two yellow eyes that stared at the daemon trying to stand up. He gasped and glowed with magical might. "No! NOOOOOOOO!"

He shined in blue light and fired a bolt as the void rushed to him, overwhelming the power and shooting him off his feet, to the ground. The gate melted away as Aqua and Halvek shielded their eyes from the dark blast. They opened their eyes on feeling the flash fade and listen to something mewling, the Lord of Change crawled upward in a blackened form, melting into goop. He weakly crawled to the duo with his staff dragging to the ground, his wings falling apart and a set of many pink eyes turning to yellow, he bubbled. "C...change...fate...T...Tzeentch." He tried to claw at the two and failed, the daemon looked disoriented, holding onto his being, refusing to let go. "What... have...you-" Aqua cringed and aimed her keyblade at the daemon, firing a beam of light that pierced the daemons heart, the Lord of Change howled from the lights bursting and dissolved into blue and pink mist, with the darkness plopping into the ground and evaporating. She heard a whisper in her mind. "Even you're victory is apart of the Great Game."

Aqua took a deep breath and looked to the gold stone, it floated to the upper right corner of her pendent, it gave a heart shape glow and joined with its bottom fragment. Any marauders remaining ran for the hills as the remaining fleet of boats landed. Halvek looked at the many scratches upon his machines and exhaled as two of his lieutenants jumped off to pick him up, Durod reported. "Lord Aethergruff! You live!"

Halvek growled as he was head butted by Jararr in affection. "We saw the last of that fight from the sky! That daemon got a face full of that stuff!" Halvak pushed the two away and barked. "And what about the crew that got shot down! Ya didn't just leave em?!"

He barked to his ironclad crew. "Get the crew on board... or what's left of them!" The crew obeyed and flew to the burning wreckage as Aqua felt still from the battle, Jararr answered her regrettably. "No, that reforging is only reserved for the Stormcasts. This is a policy we have, we don't abandon our own."

Aqua took a deep breath in regret. "I never really got to know them, but they were good pilots." Durod felt mutual with the casualties and went to repairing the frigate with his crew. "That they were. But a job is done." He looked at the pendent and asked. "So... how do you get that thing to work?"

Aqua wanted to be certain of something and answered. "Maybe if I show you back at the Skyport. Halvek, do you even know who or what kidnapped you?"

The navigator shrugged. "As if I know! All I saw was some black and red man before everything went dark and I flung ere!"

He looked to the ironclad landing near the wreckage and watched duradin search for something, he shook his head and watched his crew drag something with in by the parts. "But that isn't too important now. What's important is salvaging the brave crew." He looked to Aqua and patted her on her left arm. "We won the day still, we'll get back and give them fullest honors. You learned anything about fighting one of those? A greater daemon is no walk in the park."

Aqua nodded and jumped onto the frigate to wait. "I have, they are not to be underestimated." She felt tired and waited for repairs and for the fleet to gather the dead for a return back to Barak Zilfin, the description of the perpetrator felt familiar to her. "Red... and black?!"

In a frozen forest.

Kairi felt goose bumps as she quickly slew a trio of simple heartless soldiers. Her teeth grind from top to bottom as she shivered against the snowy wind. She noticed a shivering Namine that brr'd. "W...why did you come here without a coat? The town was going to be our nex-" Namine hugged herself. "Rrrrr!"

Kairi agreed to the freezing weather. "Hwew! Too many beaches."

Namine pressed herself against Kairi's back, gaining and giving a faint warmth. Kairi pressed forward and felt Namine clinging to her back, like a piggy back ride. Namine notice a vast ocean and a distant city, the vast water freezing from the intense weather, Kairi looked ahead and gasped. "N...No. It can't be that cold?!" She walked toward the freezing shore with a heated boost. "This... isn't natural, what's... causing all this?!"

She and Namine noticed a figure running through the water towards a forest leading to a mountain, a woman with light blonde hair that was in a regal bun, she had a long, light blue dress, a purple cloak and a small tiara. Kairi asked out loud as she watched the water the woman was running on freeze. "Is she the one doing this?!"

Namine looked closer to find distress and fear in the woman that made it across the water and into the forest. "Why is she running away?"

Woosh!

The seaside completely froze from the woman's power, Kairi knew for certain from the regal attire. "What, why and who ever she is, she is the cause of this snow. Maybe-" She felt an urge to investigate calling to her, she chased her instincts through the snow and felt the weight on her back lessening, yet still feeling the shared warmth.

POP! A heartless swarm of three soldiers, three icy blue lanterns, a large fat heartless and to the distance was something resembling a woman with an umbrella. Kairi focused on the frantic soldiers and dispatched them with ease as the feminine heartless aimed the tip of her umbrella and shot a beam to snipe Kairi. Knocking her side ways into the snow, she pulled herself up and growled. "Ow! That's her trick?!"

She charged and jumped side to side to avoid the shots as the lantern like heartless try to pelt her with watery blue orbs. PEW! PEW! PEW!

Kairi saw more glowing beams and dodged, finding two more parasol wielding heartless snipping away at her. It took much to take one down while avoiding the others, yet Kairi found a way to manage just by being mobile and shooting magic stars and flowers while she can. With one bested, she had to deal with simply two, then deal with one while shaking off the lanterns that wanted her wet in the freezing cold. With the third sniper bested, she quickly took down the fat blubbery heartless by striking it from behind. She heard a whisper behind her. "That would get annoying in a wide area."

Kairi agreed and followed to a steep slope leading up, hearing more rustling in the woods to her left, more frantic rustling. She turned and screamed at a yellow eyed skeleton that pounced at her, she jumped back and watched it fall into the snow, it was adorned in Norse like armor, wielding an axe and shield and dripped in green ichor and darkness. Four more skeletons crawled out of the woods and marched towards their prey, with the downed skeleton climbing up and sprinting to her. Kairi struck the skeleton in the rib cage thinking it was a weak point, the bones splintered and the green energy held the form together. The four sprinted at her with relentless assault, she dodged and felt a glow of light, she struck the four back and watched their forms clatter, she swung a charged star orb at the initial skeleton and caused its darkened innards to evaporate, leaving behind just empty bones to fall over. Kairi was disturbed by the implications and used her power to best the four, it was a sudden attack of grim origins. She felt weight return and looked to find Namine just as disturbed. "Were these heartless... undead?!"

Kairi agreed with the theory. "Heartless... don't leave anything behind when you beat them. That princess is in trouble if these things are out here! Light is the only thing that can hurt them."

Namine agreed back and vanished. "I'll be keeping you warm in spirit, hurry!" That Kairi did, climbing the trial leading up to the mountain and catching up with a woman slowing down in repressed fear. "Hey, hold up!"

The woman turned around and hyper ventilated at the idea that she was followed. "W...why are you here?! Where did you come from?!"

Kairi introduced herself with a reminded of a World Order. "I'm Kairi and I'm from," she thought about it. "from... an island to the far south."

The woman looked confused and remembered a particular country south that would be much warmer. "I see... are you... visiting Arendelle? For the coronation?"

Kairi was just as confused and answered. "I...am," She looked at royalty and confessed. "I am because I heard of a princess becoming a queen very soon. What's you're name?"

The woman answered as she expected more to the girl than meets the eye. "Elsa... Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

Kairi whistled at paying off gambit. "A queen?!" She adjusted herself to look more respectful as Elsa worried. "You shouldn't be out here. Please, go back to the village."

Elsa turned back to walk away as Kairi insisted. "You're majesty, its dangerous out here with some of the odd things going on. Things that were difficult for me to deal with. Don't... you want someone helping you?"

Elsa clenched her hands in guilt. "...Please leave, I can take care of myself. I... would just end up hurting you."

Kairi's eyes widened as compassion warmed through her body. "Hurting... Elsa... please, with all the danger going on, you shouldn't be fending for yourself." She was unaware of Elsa trying to keep herself under control as she kept insisting. "The things going on is completely insane and with another in the snow, we need to-"

Elsa turned quickly and raised her voice in a pleading yet asserting outburst. "Enough!"

SWOOSH!

An icy hew sprayed across the snow and icy spikes erupted, Kairi was taken aback by the icy power Elsa let loose, she was left speechless in awe. Elsa's breath tightened, she sensed something from behind. She turned to find a herd of five dark looking, white furred deer, a hulking armored giant with dripping yellow bulges on its arms and a small fiery, crimson monkey with a faint hiss. Elsa was in a corner as Kairi jumped into the fray with her keyblade. "Heartless! Don't worry, I got this."

Elsa stilled at the scene, despite that careless display of her power, Kairi was still eager to protect her. The red head focused on the five deer that jumped above and tried to pelt her with icicles. The monkey hesitated and flung a swift punch at Kairi's face, the infected juggernaut took out a black mace and slammed it where Kairi landed, Elsa felt the coming force and shot a stream of ice in a yelp, pushing the mace back and causing the juggernaut to waddle from its frozen limb as Kairi finished off three of the deer. One of the deer rushed at Kairi and missed, rushing the monkey that gasped in an enraged shock and flew to a patch of snow, scorching and swelling as Kairi finish the last two deer off and flung a flower of light at the juggernauts frozen arm.

SHATTER!

The arm broke apart in the ice and left behind a stump dripping, the juggernaut looked to the two as if it didn't feel anything and charged. RUSH! A fire ball shot at the juggernaut and shoved it face first in the snow, it took form of a large dark ape with spikes across its shoulders, it howled and beat at its own comrade as Kairi took the chance and flung two more flowers, finishing both off.

The girl looked at a terrified Elsa. "Are you okay?!"

The queen answered as she looked down at her hands, one was without a glove to match her dress. "I'm... I'm sorry that I got upset. Thank you for you're help."

Kairi appreciated it and was impressed back. "You too, you can control ice like that did help me beat something that... big."

Elsa denied it. "Control it?! No, all I'll ever do... is hurt people."

Kairi shrugged. "Those were just heartless, you would be doing them a favor by taking them down."

Elsa wondered. "You use that word before, what are they?"

Kairi answered as she looked around in the snow. "Monsters that go after peoples hearts. When they show up, trouble follows."

Elsa asked concerned. "They are after peoples hearts?"

Kairi nodded and felt the patterns of these particular heartless were suspicious. "They are one of the dangers out here along with what looks to be undead animated by the heartless and even these... things that are affecting the heartless to levels beyond their control. If you see anything with something looking an eight pointed star, RUN! You need to get home before things get worse."

Elsa turned around with a certain answer. "This is my home now, I can't go back." She looked at her bare hand. "I don't want to hurt anyone." Kairi felt the fear was unneeded. "What... why?!"

Elsa answered and turned her head towards Kairi. "Arendelle is safer with me staying up here."

She walked away as the girl found the answer outrageous. "It isn't safe for you, you mean?!"

She tried to follow and was blocked by a wall of ice, Elsa looked behind certain Kairi won't follow and pleaded as she ran off into the mountain. "Please, go away." Kairi tried to strike the ice with not even a chip, she needed to talk some sense into Elsa and figure out what was going on. She found a reflection of Namine appearing behind her and felt her hand at her shoulder. "Kairi, stop... she doesn't want to listen."

Kairi turned towards the girl with her cheeks puffed. "Not like this. Namine, those heartless didn't feel ordinary... at all."

Namine agreed with her about that. "That large one looked infected and numb while another just let loose. But they were nothing like the undead... is there... something else going on?" She shook her head and advised her friend. "But... Elsa has great power, if we try... a different angle, maybe we can still help her in another way. Maybe... someone in that town would know more?"

Kairi felt it was valid advise and turned back. "Maybe... and then maybe we can find some warm clothes?!"

Perch!

The two heard something land and looked up on a hill, finding an eerie darkness, looking down on Kairi was a skeletal dragon with a glow identical to the undead, on its back was a menacing figure giving off a green spectral glow. It had red robes and a slight shadow of horns, his skin looked deathly brown and his eyes glowed red. "Foolish princess, you chased away my prize!" The dragon crawled and was ready to swoop down, the horned figure readied an order. "But you will be the first light for my masters plans!" He ordered his steed. "Go forth, Deathless Shadow, seize her!"

The dragon flew down after Kairi with its mighty talons, she tried to roll out of the way and felt the yellow eyes pierce hers, a deathly fear took hold, her legs were frozen by the thought of the end.

SWOOP!

The dragon took her in the talons and flew across the mountain towards a forest far from the trial, Kairi felt herself breathing and struggled, she was dangling downward and wasn't able to get a good hit. The horned figure clenched his fist, a specter of shadows flew at Kairi and tried to further subdue her. SWIPE! She struck the specter away and grabbed the blade of her sword, spun it upside down and stabbed the wrist of the dragon with a glow, the dragon yelled and dropped her for a moment.

It reached down to pick her up, she was flipped upside down, right where she needed to be, she swung wildly in an attempt to break free, the horned figure drew out a lance and leaned, ready to strike at her. Something grabbed him from behind and pulled him back, he looked at the arms of a girl and struggled, Kairi saw who was trying to hold him back. Namine. The horned man glowed green and used his free hand to grab onto Namine, she felt the coldness of death coursing through her arm, she gritted her teeth and kept pulling. "K...Kairi, keep hitting!"

The princess was fearing for Namine and struck the dragon's wrist, causing the grip to lossen and for her to jump to one of its rear legs, she flung a star of power at the horned man who asked Namine. "Do you fear so little of you're-" He noticed the star of light and was hit from the side, he let go of Namine and left her to fall into the snowy forest. Kairi let go and dropped down, landing near pile of snow and found a way to a cave, to the other side was Namine back first in the freezing cold, she wasn't moving and looked to be in pain. Kairi ran to her and looked above to find the dragon turning around and looking for her, eyes of yellow shined with eyes of red. She reached Namine and lifted her in a bridal carry, the gaze of yellow and red was felt, Kairi breathed heavily and ran to the cave, avoiding a narrow swoop from the dragon and its rider. The dragon flew to the sky and turned, Kairi felt the passage of the cave and ran in. A fire burned with in her as she placed Namine down and heard something land, the undead dragon and its master were at the entrance, looking to their side with a unified glare, the horned figure aimed his hand and caused the the clitter of bones to rise from the darkness. "Take them, my Shackled Shadows! The Undying Lord will be pleased!"

Kairi looked at her blade sparkling like fire works and flung the power to the ceiling at the entrance, seeing a series of explosive fire crackers. BOOM! They explode and caused the passage to cave in, blocking the horned man from his path. Clawing and a harsh choke was heard. "Cease you mindless beast! If there isn't another way in, they will perish in there! We continue our hunt!"

SWOOP!

Kairi heard the beast disappear and looked upon Namine to see a bruised face recovering from something horrific. She cast a healing spell to revitalize her friend and sat next to her with a sweat. "Phew! That's was close, was... he the source of the undead?"

Namine was waking up and shivered. "He...he was, they came with him as an undying force. So long as those heartless find a stripped down skeleton, they will make more of them."

Kairi took her chance to warm Namine with a hug. "And he is talking about light... he is looking for-" Namine nodded and looked scared for Kairi. "The Princesses of Heart! Was he stalking Elsa to find out if she is one?!" She eased her breathing. "Kairi, we need to find Elsa, she can't be alone out here with him around. That Horned lich... the Horned King, the Mortarch of Souls."

Kairi gasped with more questions as Namine confessed. "I... can sense memories. He came from a world and he tried to conquer it with an army of the undead... but something happened and he ended up in the clutches of someone even more evil, the Undying Lord."

She stopped her breathing in terror. "Kairi, you know of the Undying One... Nagash. What... cruelty you heard of is nothing compared to the reality."

Kairi felt the shiver and shook Namine out of it. "The Horned King was broken into Nagash's control. I don't think the Horned King is that much better than him."

Namine felt the terror shaken off and agreed. "The cruelty the Horned King suffered... was deserved, but what kind of person calls that justice?!"

She shook her head and looked to a vast cavern leading up, a vast maze of ice and rocks, a light was reflecting from somewhere. "But... there has to be a way out. If we can't convince Elsa to get to somewhere safe... we will find someone who can."

Kairi looked to the reflecting light and agreed. "If there wasn't a cave way, their wouldn't be any light from somewhere for the ice to reflect." She helped Namine up and asked. "Should we start? The reflected light could be from another reflection." She giggled at her knowledge, Namine giggled back and sighed, this was going to take a while, the swooping of black bats of darkness showed that at least they won't be without adrenaline.

At Traverse Town.

Elrena was astonished by the demigryphs, gryphon and the well armored knights making patrols, she looked upon a nostalgic Ken with envy. "Why won't you grow out of this town?!"

The mighty gryphon slowly approached Ken, smelling his hand and trusting him as Wanda looked at Elrena impressed. "There isn't anything wrong with holding onto times of old love. In time, you feel like you always been here."

She asked from a memory. "I saw you're keyblade sparkle out of existence when I called my men back. What ya looking for?"

Elrena refused to tell the general the details. "It's none of you're business... but I'm looking for a friend and this would keep the kid out of trouble."

The gryphon let Ken pet her as Wanda asked. "Who you're talking about? I seen some moogles set up shop and some visitors from another town asking about setting up a festival for the occasion." She laughed proudly. "I let it happen on the request that I get the honor of organizing it. Someone has to while Sigmar's warriors take the battle elsewhere." Elrena felt the pride and broke a smile to the stranger. "You really love being in charge? Did you... see a pink haired man that might have a thing for flowers, he is often dressed nice." Wanda shook her head and hated to disappoint as her face looked pained. "Not one sign of a man like him. I'll have some posters out for my men to look around there, something always turns up er!"

Elrena hid her disappointment and new Ken wasn't intending on leaving anytime soon. "And someone told me the sewers were a no?"

Wanda nodded calmly. "That's the territory of a Spiderfang clan and we are just barely in a peace treaty with them. They can break that treaty in any given moment when they think things are going their way and we don't need anyone antagonizing them." Ken agreed with the danger of the spider fangs. "I heard the spiders they ride on is the size of a horse and the riders are just... weird!"

Skitter! Skitter! TINK!

The four looked to the west and heard the sound of men yelling. "Spiderfan-" FLUNG! They watched a man in armor get thrown to their feet, the Gryphon growled for battle and was confused, Wanda readied her war hammer as the visitors drew out keyblades. Ken recognized a tribal goblin on a particularly large spider. "Wha-" Wanda saw something being waved at her, something she never expected from a gloomspite grot. A white flag tied to a spear. She pressed her fingers on her forehead to remember. "S...S...what is it... men, hold till I remember this one."

The goblin growled to her. "Like zog you do! Pointy ears came in big pit and went crazy with magic guns." He yelled to her. "Get em out of there!"

Wanda blinked at the stinging words. "I never seen any aelves come here nor would I-" she gasped and felt her words sting like a spider bite as she remembered the name. "...Stingy Bites, why would aelves be down there?! There isn't anything in those sewers besides you're clan."

Ken and Elrena looked at each other confused as Stingy Bites hissed. "Not just any aelves, their armor is black as the night and their shiny helmets are like bones!"

Ken gasped and asked the goblin. "Were they lead by one wearing black robes?!"

Stingy Bites looked at the boy and remembered, he snapped his fingers. "Yeah, you cunning for a hummie!" He barked at Wanda. "I'z say, we send the key shoota down there to clear the aelves out!"

Wanda refused abruptly. "Him, down there with you?! I sooner go down there by myself alone than risk that!"

Stingy Bites snickered with his fangs and persuaded. "But, if you goes down there, they shoot ya, or stab ya with glowly blades or send those dark ones to make it hurts more. Can you shoot back crazy like?!"

Wanda glared at the goblin as Ken asked Wanda. "Now that confirms it, Wanda... don't go down there! They have been nothing but trouble for me and tried three times to see me dead, I want a word with their Farseer!"

Elrena poked Ken, gave faint electrical shock and glared at him. "Are you stupid?! She'll will kill you!"

Ken asked her back with a mutual glare. "And if you go down there, that Farseer would spin circles around you about why you are here and ask questions. Do you really want to be caught in their plans again?"

Elrena crackled lighting and stoically stood, she and the boy looked at Wanda, with the younger one asking. "If me and Elrena go down together, we would try to get the Farseer up here so we can ask her questions! Stingy Bites... go back to you're nest and tell you're kin that we should have them gone."

He walked to the west as his keyblade dropped a glow of cinders, one landed by a lamp post and sparked into a tiny flame that wasn't dying. Wanda worried for the boy and asked Elrena. "Do you know anyone that can call someone?!"

Elrena shook her head. "No and they won't help." She stomped west with the sound of thunder. "Try to think about that before we kick those losers out!"

She followed to find Ken looking down a man hole, he noticed the thunder and turned to find fury, yelping as she poked him in the chest. "What are you doing?!" Ken pushed her back, his burnt keyblade glowed bright. "Putting an end to this! It sounded like that Farseer had some of these guys KILLED when they weren't even doing anything wrong, why?!"

Elrena gasped unaware of the Skuttleboss following behind her. "And those guys don't sound nice either. Why are you risking yourself for a bunch of pests?!"

"Pests?!"

Stingy Bites and his spider readied for battle as Elrena went into a battle stance, Ken stood in between. "Knock it off, both of you!"

He looked Elrena in the eyes. "I don't care if these guys were a problem for the town and would go back to being that. At least they are trying to keep their word for now. This Farseer is trying to set something up from underneath the town I love and if nothing is done, my visit to this festival would end up being my last. That-" He shivered and looked sick in the stomach. "That's just scary. I have half a mind to just kick the Farseer out."

Elrena wished to say something back, looked at the boy with building anxiety and calmed herself, she opened the man hole up and went to climb down. "Come on, get that out of you're face!"

Ken followed her with a jump as the Skuttleboss climbed down. Splash! Elrena wasn't amused by the wet. "This is going to be fun." She asked the goblin. "Where is where?!"

Stingy Bites lead the way to a wide circular room with many pipes, littered in a massive web baring the tunnel to their right. "All the webs is the Spidah Madah's." He pointed to the pipe to the right. "Besides that! That's where the aelves came from and drove us back! Lost a whole nest." He had his steed climb to a pipe above. "They tinks we going back there, but they never found this!"

He cackled as his steed climbed in, Elrena smiled with vengeance in mind and jumped high to reach the pipe, Ken looked unsure, burst in wind magic and used it to jump to the pipe. Elrena placed her hands at her hips. "You can't even do that without it?"

Ken answered clearly. "I use that to fight all the time and if I tried that against you, I might as well have just asked you to shock me till I can't feel my legs."

Elrena giggled in agreement. "Oh I get how you fight, this is the plan." She lead the way and felt her key linking towards something. "We go in with our weapons ready and get them to talk, if they don't talk... we shoot them. Try NOT to be in the water."

Ken agreed with that. "This water would shock most of us as much as the other guys." He felt pride and a scheme ahead, easing his steps to be as quiet as possible as the goblin saw a crated door downward and had his steed lift the crate and place it to the side in silence. They heard a haughty echo. "Ready the gates, we will make our stand here for the time, if the bearer of ashes and false light come to the town, one blow will end this coming war."

Ken used his aero magic to levitate above the hole as Elrena sat next to the hole as the large spider was ready to pounce down. Ken shot himself down and landed with silence and aimed his keyblades as Elrena jumped down and focused to soften her landing, the spider landed with the tip of its legs. Finding a robed figure with a bone white helmet talking to a person with black clothes and a white helmet. The robbed figure held a strange spear and was distracted by a strange pillar matching the color of its helmet, the figure's helmet had an odd red stone on its forehead and a cloak. Elrena had her keyblade ready as the goblin had him and his steed ready to pounce. The figure stood and pointed its underline into the gateway as it took out a small glowing black device. It asked in a feminine voice. "It appears our paths have crossed earlier than expected, oh wielder of False Light and Ashes."

She turned around to see those by the boys side. "You who's heart is blackened by Chaos and your own shadows, do you not see how you're actions would bring ruin? How you would condemn others towards damnation?"

Ken sighed at the figure. "You're the Farseer that tried to kill me, do you not see how THAT can lead to things like this? Why when I had no idea what you are talking about or even want to do something that awful?"

The Farseer pointed her spear to the boy's ashen keyblade. "You wield a keyblade tied to a world where darkness prevailed and snuffed out the flames of hope! More and more you seek power and have naught the strength of heart to contain it!"

Elrena laughed at the Farseer and had her blade close to the boy's defense. "Well maybe he wouldn't have picked up something like this thing if you didn't chase him to that world! If it was a prophecy, you're the one fulfilling it, not him."

Ken felt comforted and kept his glare at the Farseer, that had her hand under her chin as she let loose arrogant air. "Perhaps, but... were there signs that the world was a dark path? Were there any suggestions from the universe that delving into the world was an unwise decision?"

Ken answered with a memory. "That was probably what that pathway leading out was trying to show me, I wished I listened. But that doesn't change that you didn't think you're plan through either. How does you're prophecy even involve me in the first place when you made part of it happen?"

The goblin answered with a laugh forming. "That's what the aelves tried to do to make themselves look highly!"

The Farseer glared at the green skin and stepped to the side. "We are all apart of destiny's game, what we do would alter that path, be it for good or ill. We fumble and work to correct those mistakes to better the future."

Ken nodded in agreement. "So it would make sense to just ask someone who can help? We all want to stop this Chaos stuff from messing up the worlds and more and more, people are putting in the effort." He took a deep breath. "It's the least I can do for Ana for saving my life. Come on, cut this out, we... can help each other."

He looked at Elrena with a possible idea that she felt that would resolve her own issue. "Like finding where Lauriam is! If they can look in the future... that could give me that clue I want!" She lessened her weapon and asked. "We can forget this all happened right now if you want to!"

The Farseer agreed back. "Yes, we could and we could stop the coming horror." She tossed the device their way, it looked like an explosive. "Thank you for understanding that!"

She walked to the gate and vanished as the explosive was falling their way, the group felt in instinct that if it made contact, it would mean doom. Ken felt his burning blade drawing itself to the ground and stabbed the ground, having a vision of a town above, a voice whispered. "Come close to the flame, it's safer than here."

Ken knelt before it and held Elrena by the hand. "I don't know, but everyone come close to this! Now!"

Elrena felt her knees made contact with the ground as the explosive tapped the ground and glowed bright, she let the boy guide her to a drawing flame, Stingy Bites and his spider on instinct stared with in the flame. They felt their vision glow orange and just like that, they were back to the lamp post in the towns surface.

Wanda stood confused and the spark of cinder flickered away. "What kind of magic is-" BPHEW!

An explosion was felt and somewhere in town was electrical smoke. The group looked to the smoke more confused as Ken was more amazed by the ashen blade. "It... can actually do that?!"

Elrena was dumbfounded as the goblin yelled out what was seen. "Them aelves are setting something up down there! I say we smash it!"

Ken agreed with him and asked Wanda. "That Farseer left, let's make sure she doesn't come back!"

He asked the baffled woman. "Elrena... do you want to help?"

Elrena looked at the boy with a mixture of emotions, tried to say something and crouched with a frown. "...Just... break those stupid things."

Wanda heard the tone and ordered. "When we get back, you would tell us what else happened?"

Elrena wanted to tear her own hair out and answered. "By then, I'll figure this all out."

The group hoped so and left, Elrena felt something burning with in and as she thought more of the Farseer's words and connections, she felt the connection fall back in the void, more so how would a keyblade be able to teleport someone by a flame." She noticed something in the corner of her right eye, standing by a bench. A white haired woman in a black dress, wearing a metal mask that covered her eyes, the blonde woman felt the air of mystery and asked in stubborn defeat. "You... are the reason we got out of there alive?"

The maiden smelled to the west and answered. "I am but a keeper and a guide. Does thou think the Farseer speaks truth in her words? Is the boy falling towards a darkened path?"

Elrena nearly screamed out. "After how she tried to kill all of us when we offered to help?! I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't offer that to her again and takes the... easier idea. Why?! It's just-" Her eyes looked downward. "idiotic... it's no wonder he got scared. That Farseer is up to something and is using him as a scapegoat."

The maiden agreed with her and faced to the starry sky to feel the light. "To bare the blame for a sin he had yet to commit or a sin he wouldn't do at heart. But... why did she sought the demise of the and the lurker of the dark?" Elrena rubbed her fingers on her forehead. "That goblin wanted her gone and would have killed her if he gotten the chance... he was annoying. But-" A current connected in her brain, a choice of words she made had to have warrant the convenience of removing her. "...I was talking about Lauriam."

She held to a street stone and felt a thunder cloud in her heart. "That Farseer... know where he is and doesn't want me rescuing him... no...no." She slowed herself down. "She... has him. That manipulating, stuck up witch has him! Why?!" She yelled at the maiden. "Why?! We don't even know her!"

The maiden took a deep breath. "Could that be true? Thou spoke of a gap that thee naught remember? Could it be that thee committed a sin upon the Farseer?" Elrena answered like a bolt of lighting. "No, we haven't! I don't know what happened in the gap, but I know she isn't apart of that."

The maiden listened to the rage. "Thou remember... what thou don't remember? Could it be that gap... is something thy wish to never remember?"

Elrena felt something stinging in her faint memories. "...Could that be why?" Her chest hurts. "...That... gap... is what our hearts were causing?!"

The maiden considered it possible. "Is it thine heart... trying to protect thee? To sever that link to a sin thou have done?"

Elrena crouched and tried to keep herself looking strong. "..." The maiden shrouded herself in ashes and understood. "With that... a wild spark rises, savagely devouring all in its path. Thou will know what came from that sin when it rises to consume thee. How did it lead to that gap?"

That detail Elrena didn't wish to remember. "There... was only darkness before everything went blank. There... was someone me and Lauriam wanted to find... and to make them pay." Her heart was hurting as the maiden pleaded with her. "If it hurts, cease remembering and focus on what is." The advise eased the pain, yet Elrena felt something from her eyes. "...Find the Farseer again and make her spill it. I don't want the kid having to hurt someone and go down that path. I don't want that Farseer having the last laugh on him. That's why he has me." The maiden gasped. "And repeat the sins that lead to the gap?"

Elrena refused to answer and faced her face to her right with a pout, the maiden's form turned to ashes in defeat. "Very well Elrena, may the flame guide thee."

Puff, she noticed Ken and the group returning, with questions on their mind and a goblin and spider duo missing. "Well... at least we don't have to worry about the Farseer coming back. I... might call someone who can help set up a mage tower juuuussst in case."

He tried to call on a gummi phone and remember something. "...I don't even know those guys."

Elrena noticed as Wanda let her know. "The spider fang are doubling it on retaking their territory and there were some hidden gates that we smashed up. I think that Farseer was trying to make camp before she had to run. I got word of a wizard at the boy's hometown that will help find anything odd and help us keep an eye on the spiderfangs... they shouldn't have this much freedom down there. That's just trouble coming."

Elrena guessed. "You didn't get rid of them because they helped you once... I'll give that goblin this, he isn't stupid to mess with us."

Ken looked on the phone to find a silver haired man in a lab coat answering, Ienzo had a faint memory of him with a calm if nervous question. "You... shouldn't be calling me if it is about problems in the worlds. The gummi phone isn't suppose to work like that."

Ken agreed with him and sensed something urgent, he looked to Wanda and asked. "It isn't, but I wanted word to be given to someone who can help. Hey Wanda, tell him!"

He tossed the phone to the general who lost her composure and caught the device, letting the boy know with a frown she doesn't like those sudden surprises and looked to the phone upside down, then adjusted to right side up as Ienzo was more confused. "May... I help you?"

Wanda looked at him with a brief request. "You're the closest authority involving these things. So I'll be brief, I need a mage tower built in Traverse Town for security reasons and now I want to know about all these towns I hear come and go! Are you even in a position of anything over there?"

Ienzo blushed embarrassingly. "I... am a scientist and I'm studying about gummi ships."

Ken listened and asked Wanda. "If you need it for all this political stuff, I'll get going and leave you to it. That okay?"

The general signaled with her free hand that he was permitted, Elrena wondered what was happening and followed the boy. "What now?"

Ken shivered. "I... don't know, but I think something bad is happening somewhere. It's...something I feel-" Elrena wasn't going to question it. "That's what you're heart is trying to show you. Lets beat it!"

The two left Wanda be as she looked more annoyed at the talk of devices. "Gummi ships, other worlds. Talk slowly!"


	14. Passion

In the Skyport of Barak Zilfin, Aqua watched six caskets get pushed into a shelf. Among the vast that join the dead. Halvek, Durod and Jararr had their helmets off to reveal a bronze, black and white beard as they among the rank and file crew gave their respects. The silence was brief and the funeral ended. Halvek took a deep breath and lead the way to the docking station as he asked Aqua. "That's war, you go, fight and sometimes you end up on the losing end. Now why do you want to head here to do you're thing and go to the next realm? Isn't there a realm gate for that?"

The keyblade wielder nodded and answered as the maze of a skyport became something to get use to. "There is, but this pendent is special in how it can take me to the realms. I can pick any doorway and that will be the catalyst for the Heartstone and my keyblade. It's hard to explain on a scientific level."

Halvek smiled to her and confessed. "It's how the stones call to each other even across the realms, it triggers a reaction with the realm stone it is made from and makes a doorway. I'm lost on all the talk of hearts lass! So you are going to Aqshy next because you heard of the Fyreslayers?"

He cringed as Jararr took the liberty of explaining them. "They are duradin, but they are warriors first and foremost! They have a weird thing for Ur-gold and its properties that they claim enhances their strength, you're sure you want to get going so soon to meet them?" Aqua was as the group reached the docks, Aqua looked at the two boats, scratched and battered, yet still looking proud. She jumped on the Aerial Utilizer and opened the doorway, Durod gasped. "Oh no! Aqua, you are not going into Aqshy that way?!"

The woman let her pendent float to the doorway and asked. "If Aqshy is a... Realm of Fire, is it literally fire?"

Durod shook his head. "No but you will quickly find out it isn't a walk in the park. You are unlikely to unleash a volcano right on top of us and I think you might know if it is leading to that." Aqua experimented and aimed her blade, thinking the name Aqshy sparked a desire to release her power.

PEW!

The beam made contact and caused a fiery red glow opening a passage, the pendent shot back to Aqua, she looked back at the world she had but a brief visit to, the Crew of the United Airlords gave her a salute of respect as Halvek yelled out. "Get out of here! You got business to settle elsewhere!" Aqua understood, grabbed onto the balloon and used it to slide past the door, she found herself free falling into a vast world bellow

It looked like a series of floating land masses hovering over a cosmic void. The largest among them was a sea with volcanic islands, held together by a massive floating continent. Above the continent was a floating land mass kept in check by chains and a distant sun. She looked to her left to find a distant mountain and a volcanic archipelago, bellow her was a one of the islands in the vast strange sea. She took a deep breath and let herself fall, feeling more of the heat as she descended into a realm of ashes and flame. She found herself heading to a patch of land by a river of lava, she flipped and used an aero spell to slow her landing. With a hint of grace, she tapped her feet and felt what the Kharadon meant. She raised her keyblade and looked around, her pendent glowed a heated red and the blade's glow was strong towards the mountain across the void, yet something was amiss. She adjusted and sensed the blade's light at its strongest towards a land past a volcano. "...If I want to find the fragment of Aqshy, I have to see what is behind the volcano." She took out a black scaled pendent and remembered a dracoth with a heart of storms. BOOM! PEW! ROAR!

A familiar Dracoth with fangs as white as the moon had arrived. Aqua jumped on her back and whispered. "Moonfang, we need to see the land beyond the volcano, it is the only way to reach... that unreachable mountain. Do you want to see it together?" The vain Dracoth grunted and ran across the ashen planes, Aqua apologized to her. "Chamon was a realm of metal and airships. I promise this one and... maybe the next couple would require your help." That the Dracoth hoped for as she looked ahead towards heated glory.

In a docking station.

Donald, Goofy and Mickey felt at home as Riku looked to Sora with a question. "This is just the station for the ship?!"

Sora nodded as Mickey Donald and Goofy lead the way. "Don't worry about it, everything pass the door is much friendlier." The listening trio agreed, Goofy laughed at the unneeded tension. "You just never been here before Riku. Hiyuck! It gotten much more peaceful since things were settling down." Donald agreed as Mickey reached the doorway above a set of stairs. "

Sora never told you of what happened when we visited here?" Sora remembered he didn't. "We came at a time when this castles defense against the Heartless, the Cornerstone of Light, was being distorted by a certain someone. Me, Donald and Goofy had to use a door that took us back from before this castle was built." He felt weird remembering. "Everything felt... black and white."

Mickey wondered that story. "Ha, Minnie told me you had a strange one. It just so happens that the charm we need is right in the library, so it could take a minute to pick it up."

Riku guessed they were not asked to come with him out of necessity. "A minute for this... but waking up the worlds is an entirely different adventure?"

Mickey nodded to that. "My master said this could prove... dangerous. Only someone with great potential is to go on that kind of adventure. Its... described as one strange dream."

He opened the door and lead the group out to a vast garden as Sora felt he was connecting the story. "If there are dreams...then there are also... nightmares?"

Mickey stepped into a garden with in a walled castle, well trimmed hedges were all around, he answered. "Exactly, this exam is meant to test your heart against images you wouldn't expect to find. The deeper you go, the less likely you and Riku would wake up, everyone who told me of the exam has a different experience." He saw two doorways to the front and back, one lead deeper into the castle, the other lead the way out. "Let's see... its underneath a-"

Riku noticed something floating around the castle, it resembled... pixels, the pixels grew in number and reached the castle, causing its image to shift into something resembling a large sprite. "Wha-" Mickey looked to where Riku was looking and saw the sprite that was, he was just as confused. "What is happening?!"

The columns became blended with in the sprite and the many plants were reduced to a shade of green, the hedges looking more flat in detail, the pixels were spreading to them. Goofy turned toward the exit of the castle and suggested. "We need to get out of here before this gets us!"

The many agreed, Goofy and Donald went to the door and opened it together, Sora was the first to run pass as Riku and Mickey question what the ordeal was, it doesn't look dangerous. The mouse ordered his friends. "Donald, Goofy, don't waist time, get out of here too!"

They did as instructed as Donald warned. "You're majesty, we don't know what that is going to do, hurry!" Mikey and Riku agreed, slowly observing the spreading pixels that sped up its distortion. The two rushed to the door, yet the pixels speed caught up with them.

In an instant, Sora, Donald and Goofy felt their chests leap and their minds baffled. Riku and Mickey tried to go pass the door and felt a bump letting loose a quiet yet harsh. Bzzt!

The two trapped with in looked at the trio outside and tried to say something, no noise came out. Sora was more confused and spoke his mind. "You... look like an old video game."

Donald and Goofy agreed to the image, Mickey looked pixelated, his form looking like they were blocks put together, Riku's was little better. The silver haired teenager folded his arms and tried to say something, once more, no noise came, yet a screen formed in front of him with words. "Old games?! Like an old arcade? Come on this isn't funny." An exclamation point appeared from above, he saw the screen and its words. The screen blinked out of existence and he yelled something, no words came, yet capital letters appeared. "WHAT HAPPENED TO US?!"

Mickey made a less than detailed turn towards Riku and answered something, no noise came and a screen formed. "Was this what happened?!"

Sora, Donald and Goofy felt the movement was uncanny, the pixels infection seemed to not be moving. Jiminy jumped off to answer. "You're majesty, I think the castle glitched itself into a video game."

Sora tried to reach his hand through the door, Riku flashed another exclamation mark to warn his friend, a screen appeared. "Don't! If you try to get in, you would be trapped as well."

He turned to Mickey with as little details as the words scrolled downward. "So now what are we going to do?"

The screen faded and another came from the mouse. "I... don't know. We got to see if Minnie and the others are affected by this or if they know." He turned to the trio. "We got this, try to ask the town for any clues if you can and if you can't find anything." The screen faded, pixels looking like sweat marks appeared next to the mouses head, a screen appeared again. "Well, you three could use a break."

Riku's sprite like form changed to having eyes closed and something resembling a mouth opening. The trio on the other side knew he was laughing. The word ha appeared to the left of his head three times The words scrolled down as the sprite returned to normal, the sprite changed to Riku pointing at Sora. "What you all went through was messed up, if you can't think of a way to help us, just goof around. Maybe get to know the people outside of the castle."

The sprite changed to Riku facing Mickey. "Looks like it is up to us to solve this! Should we get going as soon as they are gone? Moving might look awkward to them." The screen faded as Mickey faced Riku. "It feels like we are in two different worlds." The sprites faced the trio as one last text appeared. "Good luck and have fun!"

Sora felt he was missing out on an adventure as he felt Jiminy hop on his shoulder to advise. "There isn't much we can do in the meantime, let it go."

Sora growled and asked his friends. "We should at least try! Come on."

Donald and Goofy offered to lead the way, the duck smugly stated. "We know this world like the back of our heads! We will do this one for you!"

Goofy chuckled to that. "All for one and one for all!"

The group left the duo to their predicament. Riku faced the door and tried to move his legs, they animated as Mickey tried with similar results, towards a pixelated door that led to a hallway with pixelated columns. Three shifting pixels took form and two orbs of dark light appeared for a brief moment, letting down pixelated versions of heartless shadows and two odd enemies looking like armored winged imps. Riku and Mickey readied for battle with their weapons appearing, the shadows and imps approached in a still manner, the duo swung at the shadows and heard a static slashing noise. Two of the shadows vanished in pixelated smoke as the remaining shadow and imps changed in sprite, looking like an attacking form. Riku was struck by the shadow and his sprite flickered in a pained form, returning to normal if with a shocked expression as Mickey suffered similarly. He tried to swing at the imps and gave off a flicker of light, the imps faded and a brief seen of released hearts were seen. Mickey finished the other heartless and turned to Riku. "Goosh, even battle here is strange. Why are heartless here?" The boy guessed and turned to him. "Because this didn't happen out of coincidence, someone caused it?"

The duo looked down the hall to find a sprite of an orange dog with a black tail, approaching in its pixelated glory. The dog jumped on Mickey and gave Riku the amusing sight of a pixelated dog licking another in a pixelated form. The words, ha appeared along with woof. Mickey tried to push the dog back. "Pluto, ha, stop!"

Pluto got off and sat still, a whining was heard, Mickey asked. "Pluto, is anyone here in danger? We got to get to the bottom of this before it gets more weird." A woof was seen and Pluto lead the way across a hallway, the descent into an eight bit world had begun.

On a snow blown mountain.

Ken shivered in delight and felt the frigid cold to be a compliment to his glowing keyblade, he aimed Cadia's Light into the air at the night sky and was amused as Elrena asked in a tune. "Shouldn't we be focusing on something?"

Ken turned to Elrena with memory of an emergency. "That's the point, why would anyone want to mess up a place so pretty?"

He looked around and was nearly distracted by an aurora borealis in the sky, he guessed. "Uh... how are we suppose to look for the danger? That gut feeling was the only clue?"

Elrena groaned and found a slope leading up the mountain. "Look around and never let you're guard down. Duh."

Ken looked up and figured a plan. "Maybe we can see more from the top? Come on!"

PEW!

THUD!

A trio of hissing monkey like heartless appeared along with an infected juggernaut and a dozen, well decorated, crystal like jars. The duo readied for battle, Ken whistled a tune. "Now I get to try this!"

He used his air magic to jump a distance and aimed Cadia's Light at the juggernaut, firing a series of charged shots that despite piercing, the juggernaut was ignoring and going towards him. Elrena raised her own blade and called down a thunder to shatter the jars and stun the monkeys. "Not cool kid!"

She struck the closest monkey for a finishing blow and felt intense heat near the other two, they burst into an inferno, grew black with more horns and slammed wildly, knocking Elrena back first into the snow, she caught herself and tried to dodge at the rampaging apes, they were building up their frustrations for a while. Ken focused a charged shot at the ape closest to Elrena and whistled. "Hey, try to dodge this!"

PEW! BLAM!

The ape was shot in the head and fell to the snow as a heart floated out of the stump, the juggernaut growled and charged like an unstoppable train as Elrena notice the last ape was distracted and barreling at the sniper, she flung electrical spikes to quickly take it down as she watched the boy calmly jumped towards the slop leading up and fired at the head.

The juggernaut backed away from an obvious lethal blow and shook it off, bleeding a darkness as the woman charged. The juggernaut focused and shot out a mixture of yellow and black liquid, knocking Ken into the snow and causing him to gag in reflex, Elrena took her chance and struck her blade into the creatures back, watching it jolt in electricity electrocute the heartless until it fell dead. Releasing the heart and for her to pick her blade up, the liquid faded and Ken blocked out what the liquid was. "And I thought it looked bad on the outside. Well there are heartless here... but what else?"

He went up the slope with Elrena gagging at an idea herself and following, the snow blew in mightily as they heard with in their minds, a piano. What would be more reasons to fight became something welcoming, a distant, feminine voice started a tune. "The snow glows white on the mountain tonight, not a footprint to be seen." Ken felt the voice calling and followed the sound as he listened more. "A kingdom of isolation and it looks like I'm the queen."

Elrena caught up with the boy and whispered. "Did... you hear the piano and the singing?!"

Ken nodded as the melody grew. "The wind if howling like this swirling storm inside. Couldn't keep it in, heaven's know I've tried. Don't let them in. Don't let them see. Be the good girl you always have to be. Conceal, don't feel. Don't let them know." Ken was enthralled by the mysterious sirens song as an elegant, icy blue glove flew against the wind, he and Elrena looked toward the source to find a regal woman at the base of the mountain summit. Light blonde hair and the blue dress complimented the mountain, the woman's song became much stronger. "Well, now they know!"

Faint display of icy power were let loose as more soul was put into the song. "Let it go! Let it go! Can't hold it back anymore!" They saw snow swirl next to the woman to form a small snowman, Elrena saw the boy walking up the mountain, hooked by such a display, she held him by the back of his collar, pulled him back and signaled that he was to stay put as the song continued. "Let it go! Let it go! Turn away and slam the door." More power was unleashed along with the song. "I don't care what they're going to say! Let the storm rage on. The cold never bothered me anyway!"

The purple cloak was undone and flew with the wind, landed at the blonde boy and knocking him off of Elrena's grip, into the snow. He pushed the cloak off, got up and took his chance to bolt to the source of the song, Elrena saw love struck hearts in the boys eyes, nearly laughed and chased after him. The song was not helping, unbound by what ever shackles held the frosty woman's power. "It's funny how some distance, makes everything seem small and the fears that once controlled me, can't get me at all!" Ken reached to the base and felt his collar yanked, being dragged back and being forced to listen to the whisper. "We can watch and listen, but pay attention to what she wants!"

Ken didn't even try to resist as his eyes looked behind him to find Elrena being amused by him. He kept quiet and listen to the song. "This song."

Making him more blinded, he watched the mysterious woman use her powers to make a stairway to the last flat step of the mountains summit singing more. "It's time to see what I can do, to test the limits and break through! No right, no wrong, no rules for me. I'm free!" She climbed up and refined the stairway to look like crystals. "Let it go! Let it go! I'm one with the wind and sky!" She reached the base and caused the snow to crystalize into ice. "Let it go! Let it go! You'll never see me cry!" In the center most, she stomped her left foot proudly of her power. "Here I stand and here I'll stay! Let the storm rage on!" Ice grew and the icy grounds raised as a foundation for something, Elrena was speechless and lost her grip on Ken, the boy fell face first in the snow and looked on completely captivated as the song neared its climax. "My power flurries through the air and ground, my soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around and one thought crystallizes like an icy blast!" The palace formed into something of magnificence yet the voice continued. "I'm never going back! The past is in the past! Let it go! Let it go! And I'll rise like the break of dawn! Let it go! Let it go! That perfect girl is gone!" The listeners looked to an icy balcony overlooking the mountain as the climax finished, the woman walked out on the balcony in a dress more blue, she let her hair down to a braided tail and sang. "Here I stand in the light of day! Let the storm rage on!" Ken looked at her and had his hands holding his head in place, Elrena smiled with him and listened to the woman. "Let the storm rage onnnnnnnnn! The cold never bothered me anyway!" The woman turned back to her palace with flair and walked in, with the doors closing.

Ken was love struck. "That was beautiful!"

Elrena helped him up and wiped the snow out of his face. "It was Romeo, but did you listen to any of that?"

Ken sighed and answered. "She... wants to be alone and we have no idea why she is up here. What ever problem is here we need to look for... isn't her."

Elrena agreed and looked down the mountain with a mischievous smirk. "Ah, but we do have an idea. She had to keep all that power hidden until now, enough to make a palace all for herself. What if that power is what swept across this world and brought it into an endless winter? What are going to do?"

Ken agreed and looked down to a slope. "But... was this on purpose? I seen someone try to mess up their own world and she isn't like that someone.. Did... something about those heartless seem off? I never seen anything like them before... except that one time when my town was being attacked by some sorcerers."

Elrena shrugged as a raven fluttered past her. "A heartless is a heartless, what exactly is off about those things that we shouldn't already know?" Ken tapped his head as the raven perched. "Apparently this force going on, the powers of Chaos are affecting heartless in a lot of ways. Some from what heard let loose a hurting noise... while some were much more aggressive... like those monkeys. Then that juggernaut was just gross. I think there is one of those four that is about aggression. Kho-"

Poof

Elrena and Ken stopped their conversation and turned around to find feathers scattered and a blue skinned, blue robed figure took form. It had a snake like staff held into his right hand and to his left three arms, it aimed its staff and glowed an eldritch blue with in. About to fire, Ken had his weapon ready and felt his collar yanked behind as Elrena warned him. "Make a wish!"

Slide!

He was pulled and loosen his footing as he realized what Elrena did, they dodged the bolt of eldritch energy alright, but they were sliding off the mountain, hearing a malicious giggle. Then came a drop, down into the icy tundra bellow.

In the Realm of Fire.

Aqua and Moonfang fought off a five calvary group of green skin, bone wearing savages, they rode on top of wild boars. The savages had a strip of war paint across their face and torso, a smelling of ashes all around and their boars looked covered in soot. One of the savages yelled out to the Drakoth. "Bones of sparkle power! Be ours to devour!"

Another beat down on the drums and chanted. "Bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones!"

The leader smelled something and yelled out to his band of four. "*Sniff!* Fleshy hounds!"

The four savages and the five boars looked to the left to find a green skin shaman running away from a pack of five reptilian hounds, on top of his own boar, the pursuers turned to rescue the shaman and left Aqua and her steed to rush towards a battle that was forming across the volcano, in sight of a distant realm gate. The two saw a vast army of half naked dwarves marking to battle, with odd helmets, golden runes wedged into their skin and with five dwarves of importance in various positions. One leading from behind berzerkers with mighty axes, he had a fiery red beard that was in many braided strands, lifting his staff high and issuing to a dwarf with a key and axe along with a beard resembling the sun. "Caengash, when I give the signal, you and the heartguard are going under and let those skull crushers have it. The rest of us will get to charging this horde and pushing through."

He looked at a dwarf with a great axe and a thick beard. "Hafgoc, you, the Vulkit and Hearthguard berzerkers are to get in there with the front line and push to that wingless daemon! If they want blood, they will have it!" He looked to two young dwarves getting on a matching pair of giant lizards that are made of magma. "Baelifor, Blodinach, it's time to finally avenge the Runefather and settle that ridiculous dispute between ya once and for all."

Baelifor looked on at a distant army ahead, with armed marauders being whipped into a frenzy and ranting with a priest on top of a shrine that was being ridden by two badly burned mutants. "To see which of us would send the most of these blood thirsty maniacs back to their so called Blood god!" He readied his javelin as Boldinach glared at the marching rhino like beasts carrying mighty warriors, a mutated beast with many swords on its back, a legion of crimson red demons marching in an organized fashion and leading this terrible army was a demon Aqua remembered seeing, except it had two axes and wings so badly damaged. "Brother that won't matter when the big ones are taking command! The small ones don't matter!" Baelifor watched his brother get on his own fiery lizard and taunted him. "You won't be saying that when they keep ya from getting in there!" Boldinach balked back at him. "Ha, did father make legend by small fries?!"

The two lizards butted heads against each other as the brothers looked ready to keep taunting. Caengash stood in between and yelled in unison to a volcano erupting. "Enough! With how you bicker, you would both die before having the honor of truly challenging each other for the throne! Get you're heads out of the smoke and look at them!" Halfgoc looked at the horde and yelled at the two brothers. "And if I get the most kills, then ya both would be far from ready! Worry about counting when we win the day!"

The dwarf with the large staff nodded to the berzerker. "And if they got ur-gold on them! I know one of these war bands got it."

Moonfang coughed, the duradin leading the group jumped and turned around to find a sign. "What in the blazes is a Stormcast doing-" He notice something not of a stormcast on the dracoth, Aqua jumped off and looked to the gate on the other side as the dreadful army marched. "I'm... just a traveler looking for something. I been allowed to barrow Moonfang." She asked as the gate called to her. "What... are they guarding?"

Caengash raised an eyebrow at the stranger and looked at her like she had a death wish. "Hengegate! A realmgate that leads to the Unreachable Mountain."

He looked to the vast mountain in the cosmic void. "Any who travel in that forsaken mountain will have their most powerful emotion rise up like how the earth cries out! You are not planning to go there at a time like this?! The legions of Khorne will tear you apart!"

Aqua felt it was an understatement with the vast horde and offered. "Do you mind if I help you in this battle?"

Caengash wanted to refuse as the duradin leading the army approached to ask. "This is going to be one hell of a massacre, you are willing to aid us even knowing that?!"

He raised a hand for a handshake. "I'm Baeldroc Hornforge! The Hermdar Lodge would welcome a brave one like you."

Hafgog listened to something to the north west, a distant shouting of. "Waaaaaagh!" He smiled fiercely. "Drakkfoot! Just our luck!"

Moonfang growled to the direction as Aqua asked. "Drakkfoot?"

Baelifor laughed at the luck. "Me and my brothers little tie breaker! Bonesplitter Orruks that must have came cause of the daemons!" B

lodinach and his lizard gasped in unison, the two looked to each other and had a synced grin. "And anyone else in the battle! Father is smiling down on us brother!"

Aqua looked to the direction and saw a vast green tide by over a hundred, charging at the marching horde, leading the front were thirty boars and two shamans on familiar boars. Leading the green tide were two large Orruks that she was unable to see, her heart felt still at the realization. "If they go in there... it would be a slaughter."

Baelifor agreed. "It would be one for all of us and we be missing out on the action!" His lizard gave off a roar to the sky and readied to charge. "Race you to the good stuff brother!" The lizard charged as the other brother followed. "Oh no, you are not going to cheat with a bunch of greenskins!"

The other followed as the rest of the army charged behind them. The trio followed with their assigned group Baeldroc stayed close to the berzerker horde that yelled and ran, Hafgog ran in the middle of the vast horde. Caengash caused a tunnel to open and guided his heartguard under for his strategy. Aqua breathed in the hot wind and felt the fire of battle spark, there was no way to stop the battle, just ensuring who wins. She asked Moonfang. "Let's find who is important and take them down, Orruk or Duradin... those two fighting each other is what those things would want."

The dracoth agreed and chased the yelling Fyreslayers, Aqua had a closer look at the opposing army of Khorne, leading from the front was an armored warrior with an axe and hammer, following behind were armored warriors picking up the pace with him and even more warriors with heavy weapons. Next to the marauders was a man with a spear and a long brown beard. Those are supported by too many reinforcements to take head on. She found from behind the horde, a man with a large banner of bones and a brass symbol in the center of it. He wielder a mighty axe and had a long pony tail supported by what looked to be a spine, next to him was a man with a mighty whip, stoking the marauders in a frenzy. Near the endless horde of daemons was a larger herald ranting about something, by the rhino like beasts was a man riding among them, with a juggernaut of pure brass. She found her targets. "We take those down and we will turn the tide. Moonfang, lets do this with some silence!"

The dracoth agreed and charged to the side to flank. Both watched ten of the orruks on boars attempt a similar strategy, charging into the warriors with great weapons, a few of the warriors fell to tusks and crude weaponry, let they fought back and drastically cut the boars down. Moonfang jumped above a horde of marauders and blasted lighting at the stoker, Aqua jumped off to battle the banner bearer with an elegant barrage of fire and a downward slash. The man looked up, glared at her and screamed as he raised his banner up to halt the spell and inspire his partner to fight harder against the dracoth. "Grr! Sigmar dared to ambush us in a time like this!"

He followed the horde and ordered a five man group of warriors with black armor, crimson skin and flail like weapons. "Wrathmongers, crush this flea while I motivate the blood reavers!"

The leader of the wrathmongers, one with a helmet resembling a bloodletter, listened and roared. "Do not abandon our warriors Skoraqrat! They are just skulls and blood on their own!" He and his band charged as Moonfang looked at the whip wielding man to find his limbs were cut off and replaced with the tip of a spear and the whip, the stoker snarled and whipped at the wrathmongers. "Tear! Rip!"

Lash! The Wrathmonger leader felt the sting and hissed. "You're next if you do that again, Bloodstoker!" He swung his flail at Aqua, who flipped to the right and dashed in with many blows as Moonfang felt a jab bounced off her armor and tore the Bloodstoker in the chest, causing him to fall to the burning ground and bleed.

Aqua focused on one wrathmonger and stabbed it in the throat, causing it to burst in red mist as it hit the floor. Aqua felt a fire in her veins burst, a frenzy of her own caused her heart to shake. POW!

A flail struck her in the stomach and sent her rolling back, she aimed her blade towards the remaining four and caused pillars of ice to erupt, impaling two and causing them to freeze in place as the wrath master and his partner growled. "Magic! HERE?!"

They sprinted as Moonfang blew at the two with a lightning bolt, Skoraqrat looked behind and jumped out of the way as another wrathmonger fell dead. Aqua attacked the lone warrior with all her might and struck him in the chest, causing a floating heart burning in blood emerge from the other side. She felt the burn once more and panted, she performed a healing spell for herself and Moonfang as they watched the vast horde of Khorne make contact with the fyreslayers and orruks making contact with the horde of Khorne. Blades swinging and yelling was heard, the demons of Khorne were torn down by the supernatural force of the green tide, body parts scattered everywhere, the marauders fought with hateful frenzy alongside with the warriors of chaos, killing many dwarves as the fyreslayers returned in kind with a berzerker frenzy. Aqua took her chance and tried to approach Skoraqrat as three warriors with demonic looking great weapons approached her next. One of them, with a scorpions tail and a mutated claw balked. "Outsider, this is not you're battle! We will cut you and you're dracoth down! Skull reapers, take the dracoth! This one's skull is MINE!"

The other two, one with a head resembling a beast and duel wielding axes and another with a massive demonic axe approached the battle ready dracoth as Aqua sensed only one desire with in the warriors heart. "If blood is what you want, come and take it!"

The skull reaper smiled. "Gladly!" He charged at her as the skull reaper duo swung their weapons at the dracoth, dealing three hits that caused Moonfang to bleed, the skull seeker stabbed with his tail, Aqua dodged to the left and leaned back to dodge the blade. She took her chance and swung back, hitting the skull reaper in the head and bursting with light, the warrior was knocked off his feet and was dazed, he growled and watched his one of his men have their heads bitten into. The skull reaper swung back and failed to tear through the armor as the fangs crunched down and dealt a gruesome blow most fatal, the other was clawed in the stomach and struck Moonfang in the side. The mutated leader gritted his teeth and bull rushed Aqua, knocking her to a rock, she caught her landing and back flipped as she aimed her keyblade at the warrior. PEW!

A beam of light shot the warrior in the head, he fell back limp and tried to attack in vain. Thud! Moonfang struck the remaining reaper down and was hit in the head in return, battered and bruised as Aqua healed once more. She watched a cave open up near the six juggernaut riders, twenty duradin emerged with fiery pikes, Caengash followed and ordered. "Fire, my hearthguard! Deny them their skull crusher calvary!"

The hearthguard opened and with their pikes, fired a barrage of lava at the skullcrushers, two of them felt the burn of lava to their face and fell off their steeds in a scream as ten of the boar riding orruks yelled with the essence of beasts, charging at both forces. The shamans boars joined against the skull crushers, with one of them casting a fire ball for a scorching impact on hearthguard. Six of the boars tackled the remaining three and cut one down as the shamans wailed and fought against the remaining two. The juggernauts went insane with their riders, trying to strike the boars back as a handful of the duradin were crushed under the four boars.

A horde of thirty orruks carried crude bows and arrows as they fired at the demonic tide, Aqua saw clearly that the horde were going after the massive demon marching towards the coming horde. A mighty voice called to her. "Marvelous is it not, to see so many spill the blood!"

She turned to find a warrior with a flail holding a burning anvil, the eyes of his helmet burned, Aqua nearly felt herself overwhelmed as she watched a fiery lizard ram against a war shrine and another towards a band of marauders that were trying to protect the shrine. "You...don't even care that so many are getting killed, you're own people included?"

The warrior laughed and watched five hounds sprinting towards Moonfang. "Khorne cares not from whom the blood flows! Just as long as it flows! I am Tarkakir, the skull grinder! It appears new blood has blessed this field today." He stepped over the bodies of his kin and gave a gesture of pride. "So bold to jump into these lines! So many who came for you're skull, they lay before you... broken. Oh yes!" He spun his flail like a crack of a whip. "Consider this an honor! BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD! SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!"

Aqua flipped to her left to dodge the slam of the anvil and jumped as the Tarkakir flung towards her way. Aqua shot a fire ball and flew at the warrior, pelting his helmet and slicing at his chest. The skull grinder jumped back and yanked his chain back, causing the anvil to slam at Aqua's back and fling her towards him, the maiden in blue struck the skullgrinder to the left as she heard something fall and a priest shriek. Tarkakir pulled his anvil back to his hand and tried to smash Aqua in the face, the woman ducked and trusted the warrior through the heart, much like the wrathmonger before, a heart flew out of the warrior, with a strong burning smell. She pulled back and looked at the massacre, the vast marauders horde was cut down and a horde of various berzerkers were in a number of ten each. Skoraqrat stepped back and raised his banner in the air, raging in prayer. "Khorne, much blood has been spilled! Let us spill more in you're name!"

Hafgog took the lead charge and yelled as reality distorted. The charging demon horde pounced on the vast orruks in a frenzy, the remaining loose juggernaut turned towards the hearthguard and the marauders in battle with one of flaming lizards attacked with triumphant. Aqua watched Moonfang get overwhelmed by three remaining flesh hounds and charged at them as Hafgog quickly cleaved his great weapon and carved Skoragrat in two. The keyblade wielder knocked the two hounds off of a bitten Moonfang, leaving the dracoth free to finish the remaining one off. The skullcrushers pushed back against the boars and slaughtered the riders with impaling spears as the lord on a juggernaut decimated hearthguard and shamans alike, the obsidium ground ran red. Stomp! Stomp! The great demon with his wings tattered sprinted at the berzerkers, he roared out. "HATE! HATE!"

The hearthguard were being cut down as a barbarian of green and charcoal charged at the juggernauts with fifteen Orruks. The Orruks pounced on the two skullcrushers as the big boss head butted the lord and carved at him for a felling blow. There was no way Caengash and his eight hearthguard would survive. She vanished in light and struck the Orruk back, to the shock of the fifteen boyz. She yelled and let loose a barrage of light, pelting the big boss to where he wasn't getting up and throwing the boys back.

The hearthguard took their chance and shot the boys to a manageable nine. Aqua threw herself into battle as Caengash gasped at the mighty daemon approaching the berzerker horde and prayed, causing the daemon to burn in searing heat. Panting and charging closer to the daemon. "Men, she got these! Fire at that demon! Aqua, don't let Moonfang go near that thing."

The eight hearthguard followed the order with their moral nearing a breaking point as the orruks panicked and ran for the hills. She saw a horde of twenty bloodletters materialize and rush at Caengash with his blade, she felt her legs boiled from adrenaline and charged against the demon as a vast horde thirty of savage orruks lead by another orruk big boss closed in on the massive demon. With fifteen savage orruks charging from a massive battle against the blood letter horde. The arrow boyz fired at the demons eyes, causing it to twitch and ready his bull like charge.

The lesser deamons closed in on their prey. Woosh Aqua blew them away, caused five of them to fade as Moonfang tore three more away. The magma lizards finished burning the mauraders away and charged at the massive daemon. The bloodletters looked Aqua in the eyes and dropped their tongue low, one with a banner asked. "You left one dark world for another! Do you not see what is?"

Aqua didn't want to answer as the deamons pounced at her, the maiden spun and caused lightning to rain down upon the horde, vaporizing eight more and leaving seven behind. Then she watched the large demon, with a scar revealing parts of its skull, charge against the berzerkers in an inferno.

SWING! SWIPE!

What was healthy group of hearthguard berzerkers were completely annihilated in one single swing, a shower of crimson blood rained behind and drenched Baeldroc. Aqua heard but one name to describe the carnage incarnate. "Skarbrand.

" The name burned into her heart as the bloodletters closed in for the kill, she lifted her keyblade up and spin to let loose a twister to sweep them all away, watching the daemon crush the vulktic berzerkers that tried to hurt it. Caengash chanted and summoned a lava lizard to charge at the daemon as Hafgog took his turn to cut into the daemon, while the savage orruks fired from afar and the big boss stood in wait. The daemon roared to the heavens as a volcano erupted. "Slaughter! Massacre!"

The lizards pounced at the daemon, ready to deliver the final blow.

The name kept burning in Aqua's mind as her heart sensed the force. No reason, no thought, just rage, just Skarbrand. The demon swung with his carnage, wiping four vulkite berzerkers from existence as they flung their axe in a last attempt to hurt him, six more were slaughtered in their vain attempt. The magma lizards to ram at the deamon and for the rune sons to yell in unison, stabbing the daemon with their javelins and the two magma lizards clawing the daemon to where he tore in a red veil. Skarbrand pulsed in power as he fell, fading like in an instant. Leaving behind a badly undermanned unit of hearthguard, vulkite, two rune sons with battle scars on their steed, Caengash nearly falling on his knees, Baeldroc to fall on his rear in exhaustion and Hafgog was battered and bloodied. He looked upon the savage orruk horde that stared at the magma lizards with a packs hunger. "Huff! Our...Magmadroths...Orruks...still-"

He dragged his great axe across the field exhausted as the Orruk big boss, the one remanding resemblance to authority readied to charge. He looked to his side, towards the nearby realmgate, out of focus, he looked dumbfounded and Aqua looked towards her objective, finding a figure in black with a mostly silver keyblade that had dark red around its tip and handle, aimed at the realmgate.

Aqua sensed the intent, the figure wished to close that off. Moonfang lowered herself and let Aqua jump on as Hafgog barked. "Not now, not now!" The duradin sprinted and yelled to his kin. "We got a job to finish! Tell the lodge my story!"

The runesons gasped and saw what was happening, the Orruk big boss looked at the berzerker and howled, charging after him. Aqua ordered Moonfang. "Hurry, we...we need to get past that gate!" The dracoth agreed and charged as Aqua saw the keyblade glow a beam, a red mist surrounded the figure and something shoved his aim towards the roof of the gate, causing the beam to make contact with that and cause a reaction. Aqua looked closely and found five demonic hounds encircling around the figure, the figure looked at the reaction causing a ripple in the realm gate, shrugged and vanished into the void, with the hounds charging with in. The remaining orruks followed their big boss and the remaining duradin tried to intercept, Aqua yelled out to Hafgog. "Jump on Moonfang, that... realm gate it's-" The berzerker jumped with all his might and Aqua caught him, he agreed and saw the ripple. "What ever happened, it's closing up! Come on Moonfang, go faster!"

The Dracoth sprinted at the flickering doorway and leaped, the big boss charging behind them with a fight in mind and the fyreslayers blocking the way for the rest of the horde. Moonfang reached past the rift, Aqua felt a calming. Those seconds felt like minutes, a heated glow shined and another side was seen. Thud! Moonfang landed undignified on volcanic ground, Aqua and Hafgog fell off on their stomachs, they looked up the mountain to find a white summit with blood quartz crystals. Aqua breathed heavily and tried to get up, aiming her keyblade towards the summit and finding a radiant glow, that is where the Heartstone fragment is at. She looked to Hafgog, bloodied and bruised and cast a healing spell, the duradin got up and was in a stupor. "Oh, that was a darting."

Ripple, ripple! THUD!

The three turned around to find something landing on his knees as the realmgate closed, a muscular Orruk with ash blown green skin, red hair tied in a top knot and red paint all over his body, his clenched to his axe and looked to the three with blood shot eyes. Hafgog readied his weapon as Aqua stopped him and asked the Orruk. "Do you even know what you did by chasing us?!"

The Orruk turned around to the dormant realm gate and grunted. "Uh?!"

Hafgog didn't care. "He came without his green tide, they are all behind with my lodge... getting into another battle... but without a boss, they will break. Come on Orruk, I split two big numbskulls and I'm not afraid to add another!"

The Orruk readied his own and smiled with a battle lust, Aqua glared at the two without control, jumped in between and let loose a pillar of light, shouting loudly. "ENOUGH!"

The two berzerkers were knocked to their rear as Aqua felt like she was lecturing two children. "Unless I try to open that, there is no way to return." She aimed her keyblade at the stone and fired, the beam made contact with a black keyhole and made no progress. The realmgate is useless, Aqua sighed. "Only the one who closed that could reopen it." She turned to the mountain and looked at her destination, she shined her pendent at Moonfang and smiled. "Thank you, I wouldn't have survived that if it wasn't for you."

Moonfang smiled back with her shining teeth and faded as Aqua walked to the mountain with a relaxed heart. "So close...so close."

Hafgog and the Orruk looked at each other and followed, the dwarf asked. "Wait just a minute, you have no idea what could be up there." Aqua agreed and slowed her steps as she focused on what was ahead. "This realm... this... is what it is like."

The Orruk didn't understand and ran ahead, hollering and hot blooded, something the Duradin didn't wish to agree on. "The people of the realm always live on the edge. Like each moment... could be their last, there is still one last challenge for ya er?"

Aqua nodded and was more determined. "Yes, everything in that battle... is... that what fueled their hearts?" She looked at the two warriors. "Was this what fueled yours?"

She kept going as the Orruk and Duradin looked to each other and shrugged, following the woman, Hafgog resided to his fate. "Me and my brethren took an oath to keep the forces of Chaos from ravaging this realm. We fight with our all... many of my brethren.. died today. Yet many still live another day."

The Orruk snorted out of his nose and growled out. "We fight. We fight spiky en spooks that take bones!"

Aqua sensed a heart bound to a simple instinct and asked. "And you all did... do... you sense anything wrong with that?"

The Orruk shook his head. "Gorkamorka like bones! We like fighting!"

Hafgog closed his eyes and felt his heart was sensing a purpose. "But... now we can't get back to that. What now?"

The Orruk grunted and point at him. "Fight!" Aqua listened, sniffled and rubbed her eyes as she kept going, the Orruk pointed to her and hooted. "She lead to big en! Big fight! I crump it!"

Aqua took a deep breath and agreed. "Yes... one big fight is on top of this summit."

She looked back to both with sorrow, like she wished to say something, Hafgog sighed and asked her. "I know what you are wanting to do for us, but I came to this battle wanting to have the biggest one of my life. That didn't go as I wanted, how about we settle for another at the end?"

He glared at the Orruk that looked like he decided on something and glared back at him, he asked. "Orruk, just... so someone can tell our story, what's ya name?"

The Orruk beat his chest with his free hand and grunted. "Boss Dazruk! You?"

Hafgog gave his name. "Hafgog, just Hafgog." Aqua gave her own name and felt two hearts connected by one thing, not the most tight of connections, but a connection none the less. "Master Aqua."

The Orruk liked the name chuckled and saw something dancing up the mountain, it disappeared and he rushed up. "Big en! We'z fight it and win!"

In an icy cave.

Kairi fought against parasol wielding heartless and icy mages with ease and gazed upon the crystal reflection, calculating the light coming in to be to the upper right, she followed towards a hall with a light leading out. She sweated and spoke to herself. "That maze took a long time, so many dead ends."

At the end of the tunnel was another crystal reflecting the light out, towards the left and to a clear way out. Kairi gasped and giggled in joy as something caught her eye, there was something odd with the crystal, it had a power with in, one looking like a miniature blizzard. Bellow the crystal was a statue holding the gem in place, resembling a horned knight holding it. She scratched the side of her head and sensed something coming, a white yeti with a black face, yellow eyes and a heartless emblem, it roared and inhaled. Kairi readied her keyblade for battle, charging aggressively as the heartless blew back, pushing her away in a frigid snow storm and jumping to a stalactite, it swung and flung itself at her. Kairi rolled out of the way, cast a healing spell and struck. The yeti spun into a twister of snow and pushed her back, Kairi learned her lesson and dashed to her right to dodge the snow storm, she charged and struck the yeti, rolling back when it tried its snowstorm twister. In less than a minute of repeating the strategy, she struck the final blow and caused the yeti to fall over, releasing a captive heart. Kairi felt reinvigorated and cheered in victory, looking at the odd crystal and asking. "Was... that heartless guarding it?"

Namine appeared to her side and observed. "M...maybe, it's taking in a lot of power... but not enough." Kairi felt the frigid power and the surrounding world to be a connection. "...But who ever put this... needs it."

She took her keyblade and swung to smash it, the statue bellow glowed red eyes and shifted to the image of a four armed demon. The crystal glowed and vanished along with the statue, confusing the two as to what was going on, the girls looked at each other and to the way out, Kairi whispered to Namine. "Weird! At least we found the way out." The girl agreed and disappeared, letting Kairi walk out to experience a shining day. She shivered against the snow, finding herself completely off her trail, but somewhere safe.

Waddle, waddle! "Hmm?! Pink, white, red... and a bit of black, like my buttons!"

Kairi turned to find no one and looked down to find someone looking up at her. A walking snowman with coal buttons, a carrot nose and twigs for hands, she backed away and thought she was imagining things, after all she had been in that maze of a cave for over an hour. "What... how are you alive?!"

A feminine voice from behind asked the snowman. "Hello, Olaf... is this a friend of yours?"

Kairi turned to find a blue eyed, orange haired woman in an attire not too different from a woman she met earlier, by her was a brown eyed, blonde man in black winter gear and a grey fur reindeer. The snowman answered the woman. "Nope, never met her!"

Kairi felt it was awkward and introduced herself, feeling as if she could trust the strangers. "I'm Kairi, I... got lost."

The woman liked the name and introduced herself. "I'm Anna." She turned to the man. "And, I know she is a stranger, but she seems pretty nice."

The man sighed like the woman needs to stop a habit of hers. "*ha!* I'm Kristoff." He put his hand on the caribou's back. "And this is Sven."

The caribou grunted as Kairi trusted the four more. "Nice to meet you, where... are you going?" Kristoff had his thumb facing a mountain. "We're are going to try and put an end to this crazy winter."

Anna nodded with a solution. "And to do that, we need to find my sister, Elsa!"

Kairi gasped. "Elsa?! The queen of Arendelle?! She is you're-" she smiled wider. "What a coincidence, I was going to see her too if... I didn't get attacked by something up here." Kristoff gasped at that. "A polar bear?! Those... don't come up here."

Kairi blinked and asked ignorantly. "What's a polar bear?" Kristoff compared his size and reached for higher. "It's a white bear that is bigger than even a full grown man and are an apex predator. You got off lucky."

Sven agreed with that as Anna went back to the subject. "You know Elsa?"

Kairi nodded. "Yeah, I found her up this mountain. Do you mind telling me what is going on around here? I'm worried that your sister will run into a lot more trouble than just-" her eyes faced away from them in a white lie. "a polar bear."

Anna looked worried herself. "Trouble?! Are you sure?" Kairi looked Anna in the eyes like she was, yet there was a detail she couldn't explain, Anna backed away and decided. "Alright, I know we just met, but... Kairi was it?"

She looked at Kristoff, who was feeling a mutual thought. "I have a feeling that you're someone to trust." Kristoff agreed with her with a nod. "I'm right there with you."

Anna looked to Kairi with a nervous smile. "I just hope you like long stories."

Kristoff heard the words like he heard it before. "You know, I should go find moss for Sven. He's looking looking a little hungry."

He asked Sven to come with him as Olaf waddled. "Hey, w-w-w-wait, what's going on? Tell me. Is something happening?"

The man carried the snowman certain of an issue occurring. "Come on Olaf, you're with me."

Olaf gasped and realized. "Huh! It's because of that polar bear? I never seen one before!" Kristoff agreed with that. "They never go far south and something has to be going on for one to be up here."

Olaf looked excited at the mystery. "Oh that sounds fun! Ha!"

Kairi hid her guilt over the secret truth that a polar bear was not what attacked her as Anna invited her to sit with her on a snow covered stone. Anna looked remorseful over a memory. "When we were little, my sister and I use to be really close." Her memory became more deep. "But then, one day, for some reason, Elsa shut me out." A crestfallen look in her eyes shined. "Years past and we barely ever saw each other. Until...finally, it was time for her coordination. Let's just say, I was more than a little excited." Kairi remembered a detail about Elsa's powers, looked away to find Namine shrugging and looked back to Anna as she continued. "But at the party, I did something that made Elsa mad."

Kairi raised an eyebrow. "What did you do?"

Anna answered thinking more about it. "I... agreed to marry a nobleman I... recently met."

Kairi's eyes widened as she heard a Namine whisper to her ear. "That has to be one of the problems." Kairi nodded in agreement. "That doesn't sound smart."

Anna regretted what happened afterwards. "That's what Elsa said too. We got into an argument and well... I lost my temper."

Kairi finished putting the rest together. "Then Elsa lost control of herself and ran away?"

Anna agreed with more guilt. "It was all my fault this happened." Tears trickled down and she was lost in her memory. "Please, I know you're in there. People are asking where you been, they say have courage... and I'm trying to. I'm right out here for you... just let me in."

Kairi turned to see Namine sharing a similar crestfallen look and turned back to Anna, she patted her on the back, letting the girl sing her hearts wish out. "We only have each other. It's just you and me, what are we gonna do?" She sniffled and finished her tune. "Do you want to build a snowman?" The back rub made her feel better. "I shouldn't have upset her... the way I did. Elsa ran away because of me... I have to bring her home."

Kairi listened and kept giving her a back rub. "I know she knows how much you care for her." She had memories of her own, how two close friends became separated for over a year. "Two friends of mine... two very dear friends of mine, disappeared after dealing with something... and they never came back. So... I went to look for them." She formed tears of her own. "...I... eventually found them and they were about to part again... if I didn't do something. Now things are happening and I have to do something about it... so they don't put themselves in danger again. So they wouldn't push themselves away... from each other. To... keep herself locked in."

She smiled at an idea. "Anna, if anyone can reach to her heart and tell her that it's okay to be herself, it's you."

Anna appreciated it with a mutual smile. "...Thank you."

An astonished voice yelled out. "Hey guys, I think I know what the problem is."

Kairi and Anna got up to look, finding Kristoff, Sven and Olaf looking at five scattered, humanoid skeletons with various shields and weapons, some crude markings resembling an eight pointed star.

The princess had her keyblade tight in hand as Kristoff analyzed the remains. "Looks like some norse men got lost in the mountain... but this doesn't look like the work of any polar bear."

Kairi wished she could tell them the truth and saw a darkness glow with in, eyes shined yellow and the skeletons fused together to become a centaurlike fiend. Five rib cages were used to make a long series of one as six legs were used to carry the lower and upper body, three arms wielded crude weaponry and a fourth to the lower right wielded a shield. Many eyes glowed with in as two took over the main head. The undead horror hissed and charged at Kairi, who back flipped, tossed a flower of light at its spine and shot a star beam at the torso, reducing the monster to just a head that sizzled in the light. Kairi struck the skull to shatter it and caused the body to go limp, Olaf innocently poked the bones and asked. "Is that a polar bear?!"

Kristoff calmly shook his head and looked to Kairi with suspicion. "No, it isn't... that wasn't what really attacked you... was it?"

Kairi shook her head. "It's hard to explain... but an evil man with powers over the dead is... searching the mountains for someone." She worried. "We need to find Elsa and warn her! Fast!" That the group agreed with as they heard foot steps.

Sometime before.

During a late night in the mountains, Ken found his back in the chilly snow and looked up to the sky in a daze, down a slope leading to two paths. Elrena looked down upon him and giggled with a thought as she kicked bark away. "That was convenient. That's one of the heartless you were talking about?"

Ken closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "If it was, there would have been an emblem or more... Elrena... I think that... was a daemon."

He stood up, brushed the snow off and answered the woman's unspoken question. "Monsters that were getting into the Realm of Darkness and popping up along with the Heartless. They are pretty scary and it's even more scary when a heartless can jump on one of them and infect them. I know those colors... Tzeentch."

Elrena hummed to the name. "Just another problem here. So what are we going to do?"

Ken had his hand under his chin, formed Firekeepers Wish and placed it on the ground as a bonfire. "That's what I want to figure out since Chaos and the Heartless seem to be... alike. But we can't let this go ignored, that daemon fooled us both as that raven and it might try causing trouble if it gets a bit creative." He whistled and looked to the sloop on his right, pulling the keyblade off and seeing a spark of cinder light up. "Since... the Farseer thinks we are dead, we could split up and look for someone... someone has to know a queen is missing up here and maybe we can get some help."

He felt the cinder connecting as Elrena guessed the rest of the plan. "And if you find a dead end, you will use that keyblade to get yourself back here? Not bad of a plan... not bad at all."

Ken took his chances to the right. "Thanks, worst case scenario, those things are after Elsa and someone has to warn her." He blushed. "But we got a world order to keep, so that might be a looooot harder. If either of us find a way back up there with no results... we... will make a signal of some kind."

He started walking as Elrena warned him. "I got that, kid, she is out of you're league. Anything else about those daemons you want to tell me?"

Ken nodded and walked backwards. "Unlike the heartless, they are aware, completely crazy and no one, I mean no one talks about them easily. Just fight them and run if you-" Slip!

Ken lost his balance, landed on his stomach and slide down the road, it was a slope, he felt himself falling down a cliff down to a patch of snow bellow, he screamed and used his aero magic to slow his landing. Landing on his feet and looking up to find the rocks too steep to climb or jump, he heard a voice that wasn't taking that risk. "You still alive?"

Ken looked up and didn't wish to yell in fear of an avalanche. "I am... but I got no way up besides that flame! Don't stamp it out, I might need it." Above the slope, Elrena chose to ignore the flame. "It's like you said, it's easier for you to get back. Thank's for the tip about the daemons. I'll be back by sunrise, don't freeze up."

Down bellow Ken looked tired and walked down the hill. "At least she isn't so nasty anymore. He let Cadia's Light shine and patrolled the hill leading to a forest, finding a few reindeer like heartless, watery mages and parasol wielding heartless that quickly used a tactic he was familiar with. He notice a beam coming at him and jumped to the right, nearly sliding in the snow as he aimed Cadia's Light back at one of the parasol heartless and fired at the head, quickly dispatching it and making an effort to take them out first. Then the watery mages trying to get him wet in the cold were stabbed and slashed, followed by the reindeer. He kept walking and felt something was watching him, he looked above, finding something flying in the air, on a mountain to his right, something perched still and blended with in the mountain. He felt a burning aura of wrongness and squinted his eyes, finding bones on top of one of the mountains and a red hooded figure looking down upon him.

Clatter, clatter!

Ken looked to his left, by a tree, something slashed at him, a skeleton with an eerie glow and darkness with in the bones. He jumped back and fired at its head, blasting it clean off, yet the skeleton went to pick it up, a horde of twenty came from all over. Ken fired at another with similar results and realized he wasn't doing anything that mattered. SWOOP! Ken looked to the mountain to find a dragon filled with shadows taking flight, with the robed figure riding on top, he saw horns and dried brown skin, his mouth gasped. "...No."

Land!

The dragon landed and the figure turned to Ken, with glowing red eyes staring at him, Ken nearly tripped and blabbered. "I...I saw you get ripped into that cauldron! What... happened?!"

The Horned King's eyes squinted at him with a burning hatred. "My boy, did you even see the gauntlet you picked up? Or consider who you trifled with?" Ken remembered with more horror. "N...Nagash?! Wha...ho-" The Horned King interrupted him as his army slowly advanced. "I... was in torment because of you! The...Undying Lord sought a power beyond worlds and through a vessel, he seeks to conquer a place all hearts go to when the body runs cold."

Ken cringed at the idea. "You tried to flood a world with the undead, what happened was on you! Nagash couldn't learn a lesson from how I stopped him. What does he want with a world like this?"

The Horned King let the boy see more of a furious face. "To seek those of the purest heart, to open the way! My... Lord considers you're kind a nuisance to his plans, nothing more. But now that is at an end, you see how you're best shot is meaningless before my army... my beloved Shackled Shadows, crafted from bone, shadows and the strongest incantations, far beyond what you're keyblade could do against the nighthaunt! Only the most holy of light can save you now."

Ken felt a voice in his head whisper. "Remember the place the flame is and kneel. Hurry!"

Ken tried and felt his legs struggle to move as the undead moved closer, the Horned King taunted. "You only survived because of simple luck, even now... you feel death's grip upon you're heart. Give up."

Ken knelt and felt the flames vision in his mine, he stuck Firekeeper's Wish into the ground and gave a glow as the Dark Born jumped at him. The flame came and with a flicker, he found himself back at the slope he was. He panted and held himself up, a fear for someone sparked. "Oh no!" He looked around and knew of two people up in the mountain that need to know. "Elrena... Ice Queen... they are in big trouble if the Horned King finds them!" He followed the footsteps with fast speeds, someone has to warn them of the great evil that lurked.

At the time someone was approaching

Kari and the group looked to the sound to find a blonde woman with light blue eyes, a blue, well kept shirt and a pair of black pants. Two strands of her hair stood out like antenna, the woman gasped at people and tried to say something, her eyes paid attention to a figure hiding behind Kairi. Namine, who was hiding behind the red head, the princess noticed and looked on at the woman, feeling something boil, she clenched to her keyblade as the woman had a mixture of confusion and anger. Kairi asked with an odd hostility. "Who are you?"

The woman looked at Kairi in an attempt to ignore Namine and answered. "Elrena." She coughed and asked. "What are a bunch of people doing up here in the mountain? Don't you know the signs that trouble is around?"

Olaf looked at the remains of a skeletal monster and answered completely unaware of Namine's existence; not seeing, hearing or feeling her had its benefits. "We thought there was a polar bear!"

Elrena looked at the bones and laughed at the snowman's ignorance. "Polar bear?!" She looked at the bones and played along "Yeah, sure... a polar bear did that."

Kairi didn't believe her and asked. "No, a polar bear didn't. There was never a polar bear up here. There was no way a polar bear would do this... what are you really doing up here?"

Namine's breath slowed as Anna was among the unaware and noticed the sudden hostility. "Maybe she came up here... to warn people about things like this?"

Elrena gasped and shook her head. "Don't got a clue... but there is something funny going on up in the mountains... you're looking for an icy girl?"

Anna gasped and nodded. "You found her? She is my sister and we been trying to reach here since yesterday."

Elrena nodded at an observant girl and noticed the blonde girl most seem to be ignoring, feelings of mutual anger boiled. "Oh yeah, that Ice Queen. Found her at the top of the mountain, wanting to be alone." She had her hands at her hips and asked Anna. "Do you really want to go bother her?"

Anna was certain. "That Ice Queen is my sister, Elsa. She could be in danger if things like-" Kristoff finished looking at the bones. "That are roaming the mountains. So she is at the top?"

Elrena smiled to him, one masking a fire. Kairi looked to Namine, sensing a mixture of fear and an emotion burning above all others, she had her hand at Namine's shoulder and felt a voice of snarling rage with in, one of a masculine beast. "Why are you not telling her? What is she really doing here?! Are you going to allow her to keep standing and mock you? Are you still that weak?!"

The voice felt like a whip as Kairi asked her friend. "Namine, what's happening?!"

The group were puzzled as Elrena asked the group in a condescending manner. "None of you see her?! How... are you that selectively blind?!"

The strange four backed away in suspicion as Sven grunted a question that Kristoff agreed to. "There is... no one here... is there more up this mountain than what you are telling us?"

Kairi felt the voice bark at Namine, no... a voice that is a mixture of that and of the girl's in an outburst of rage. "Of course there is! She must be causing it! But what?!" Namine gasped, tried to run back and trip, Elrena felt an odd sadistic amusement and tried to say something as she notice something boiling. Kairi heard the voices mixing well. "She mocks you again! Tell her if you are not going to make her leave, this woman hasn't changed. Her kind never changes!"

Kairi shook Namine. "S...Snap out of it, what is wrong?!"

The girl burst into tears and yelled at a bubbling pool of darkness. "I KNOW! I'M NOT LETTING YOU GET TO ME!"

The bubbling pool rumbled, the onlooking group noticed and were more terrified, a voice roared in all of their minds. "Get to you?! You stood against her once, you know what must be done!"

BURST!

The darkness burst into a crater, something of intense heat was coming out. Elrena froze in fear at the mixture of darkness and burning fire. "What... what is-" The voice became that of a beast as it lashed to her like a whip. "DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK ANOTHER WORD,YOU LYING COWARD!"

Kairi focused on the figure emerging and yelled to Anna and her group. "Run! I...I got this!"

Olaf squeaked at the heat. "You do?! What's down there is really angry... what got it like that?!"

Kristoff grabbed the snowman and was ready to lead Anna and the caribou up the mountain. "I don't know, but we don't want to find out."

Anna looked at Elrena with confusion. "What ever is happening, run!"

The four ran up the mountain, Elrena wished she could yet a mixture of pride, a desire for answers and a subconscious instinct telling her that running would be ill advised, as an ever burning scorn was upon her. A large right black claw emerged from the dark shadow and clenched to the melting snow, causing a hiss and fire to glow, a whip formed. Complimenting the arm was a thick muscular arm along with another matching left arm that formed a mighty axe. Kairi and Elrena nearly dropped their keyblades, Namine shook and pleaded. "S...Stop...please."

The arms pulled down on the ground and pulled the rest of the body, a horned demonic skull with the face of a beast was next to emerge, followed by a muscular torso, the burning blue eyes pierced at the girls souls. The demon growled. "It is far too late for that!" He pushed and pulled to bring up giant leathery wings, Elrena wished to say something, yet the burning words from the entity caused her to keep silent. She aimed to the sky and caused lighting bolts to crackle down, doing next to nothing besides making the demon more angry, the demon revealed brass armor and pulled, freeing its right foot and showing how large he is. "When you finally meet a larger monster, you cower like those that feared you?" He pulled his remaining foot out and scoffed. "Pathetic!"

Elrena took offense to that and charged behind the demon like a lighting bolt, striking the beasts back and earning a brutal back hand. The demon gave off a hellish roar, Namine broke out of the trance and whispered to Kairi. "N..no matter what, we can't let this thing loose!" She glared at Elrena. "Even if it means helping her! This... isn't right-" The princess agreed and felt a light shine. "It isn't! We will get our answers from her soon! I promise!" Pew!

Kairi struck the deamon's chest and caused a sizzle, the daemon backed away and stared at her stoically. "Girl, this is NOT you're battle!"

He swiped his whip at her, causing a burning lash on her dress and knocking her into the snow, Elrena glared at the demon and bolted at its face, sending out a net of lighting from her blade at the demons face. It's wings pulsed, yet the demon refused to give her an inch of satisfaction, he swung his axe at her, Elrena back flipped and felt the heat of the blow. She landed and watched Kairi crouching in burning pain, she growled, raised her blade and caused a healing spell to take form above the princess, she realized a detail and her jaw dropped. "That kid... told me about you."

Kairi felt a relief and listened, Namine gasped and asked. "Who... was talking to her?!"

Kairi sighed and flung a flower of light at the demon. "We will get that answer later, now we know what this thing is!"

The demon took flight and dodged the flower, he readied to crash at Elrena like a meteor as a glow of light whistled from the distance, right at the demons face. The demon looked to the light and looked astonished, that was a missile launcher. BOOM! The demon took the missile to the face and lost control of his flight, he fell back to the ground in a mighty thud and yelled out. "WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?!"

Namine remembered and looked to the direction the missile came. "Who... fired that?!"

Kairi readied to charge. "I think we know who!"

PEW!

She burst in light and made a leap with her blade ready to sink into the daemons skill, Elrena looked nearly impressed and charged for her own finish. JAB! The demon felt the burning blade in his skull and thrust upward to yell in pain, he tried to reach to her and exposed his chest to a beam of electrical power.

PEW! PIERCE!

The lightning pierced the demon who's skull was bursting with light, he twitched and foamed at the mouth, his form destabilized in a red, metal smelling mist.

PEW!

Like that, he vanished and Kairi was left falling to the ground, thud!

Namine rushed to the landed girls side and was ready to shield her from Elrena, who was confused at it all. She tried to say something as the blonde girl looked her in the eyes and asked. "I don't care if you don't remember anything... just... leave!"

The words stung Elrena, she looked to a pathway leading down and sighed. "...Fine, there are more daemons like that... find those people and warn them!"

She left without a fuss, Kairi tried to get herself up and felt the terror of the daemon lingering. "N...Namine, what was that... yelling at you?"

Namine looked to the passage upward. "Just... anger, he... is made... from anger. He... is... Khorne."

A distant voice. "K...K..Khorne?!"

The girls turned to find a familiar blonde boy covered in snow and looking scared for them, Ken ran and looked to be thinking of what else to say, stopping his thoughts and reaching to the two, yelling out his sudden arrival. "Of all the problems we have in this mountain, a Chaos Daemon that I heard from miles is the last thing we need."

He looked down a path worried as Kairi asked astonished. "Of all the-" She and Namine were scared back, the blonde girl asked. "You met the Horned King?!"

Ken nodded and looked up the mountain. "You did?! That guy is bad news... but what is he after?"

Kairi felt cold and answered. "The Princess's of Heart on orders of... Nagash. What happened? Why are you here?!"

Ken answered with a feeling of his instincts being correct. "Because I knew something bad was happening. The Horned King was NOT happy to see me and he would have had me killed. Kairi, you fought his minions?"

Kairi nodded to him. "Yes and I think the only reason I was able to beat them is... because of my light. What are you doing?"

Ken made it his priority for the safety of all. "Trying to warn anyone on this mountain about him, those fishy heartless and that... what did you fight?"

Kairi and Namine didn't wish to talk about it, the girls looked up the mountain and voiced a plan, the princess started. "Ken, there are five people climbing up this mountain. I'll go warn them while you... warn the woman that is climbing down the mountain."

Ken clapped in agreement as Namine hesitated. "...They need to know."

The boy grunted and followed the trial. "Just when I thought one problem was taken cared of. Namine, you okay?"

The girl looked the boy with distraught. "...No, that... daemon came... because of me."

Ken wasn't buying it and had his hands at his hips. "You summoned something that scary?!"

Namine shook her head and felt it more terrifying. "The voices of chaos... can get to anyone's head. It... was getting to me."

Ken sighed and advised. "If it was, talk to someone. What ever has ticking you off, really was and that for some reason caused... that!"

He felt pained from his own burden. "I... know the feeling."

Namine understood that much. "Because of someone being paranoid about the future, you started fighting back." She wondered and asked. "If... we meet up somewhere, do... you mind if we talk?"

Ken didn't in innocence. "I don't, a lot of things happened and I be lying if I say I'm feeling better. That Farseer knew she could have gone to someone... and she still tried to kill me again. At least she thinks I'm dead and won't bother me for a while."

Both girls gasped, Kairi had her hands at her hips and understood. "What is her problem!?" She smirked with determination. "Well, no matter what you have to do to deal with her, we got you're back!"

Namine agreed and promised him. "We will, just don't lose yourself."

Ken felt better about himself and was ready to leave. "I hate seeing people feel torn and having to hide it. When we finish dealing with this, we'll meet up at the town." He left and the girls went to the mountain to catch up, Elsa needs to be warned.

Down the mountain path by a slope overlooking the sea.

Elrena's legs were shaking from realizing she had a near death experience and heard legs approaching. She turned with her keyblade ready and saw Ken chasing after her, she calmed down and asked. "You heard that?"

Ken nodded and looked to find the frozen sea and a distant city. "My friends told me enough. I hope that isn't the exact same demon I saw two times already. What the heck happened?"

Elrena gasped and asked back with a foul mood. "You know those two?! You know that blonde girl?!"

Ken watched the city with a duty bound frown. "Kairi is... kind of a rival since we both are new to keyblades. Namine is a nice girl that not a lot of people see or interact with, what ever happened boiled in her and brought I don't want to know! Did you see it?!"

Elrena growled and felt her head splitting. "Yes, I saw it! What more idiotic crap do you have to say this time?!"

Ken took offense and turned to her, shouting to her. "Idio...An evil necromancer that really, really hates me is in the mountains. He is looking for the Princess's of Heart and will kill anyone who gets in his way, the heartless he commands can't die! We can't even slow them down much... unless you got a keyblade tied to light that is." He turned to the city and felt the snow blowing, Elrena tried to ask, felt her heart sinking and stilled as the boy was more scared. "And if he doesn't get what he wants in the mountain... if he isn't driven off... these people will be next. Elrena... we need to warn them." That the woman agreed, she fell on her rear and felt her heart heavy, Ken asked. "What happened? Namine... never gets angry, not even one bit." Elrena crouched and looked hurt. "...She... remembers me... but... why?"

She bopped herself on the head. "No... it's the gap. That's why."

Ken guessed the rest. "She got mad at you and you didn't do anything to help?"

Elrena nodded. "She... was scared of me... you're going to say it, are you?"

Ken nodded. "She is scared and probably hates you because during that gap... you did something to her." He cringed in a realization and asked the woman. "Well... now we know. If the Ice Queen or all the people down there isn't warned about the Horned King... they will be in great danger. Should we get going to the city?"

Elrena shook her head and pointed to him. "I'll get the city... I... need to stay away from Kairi and Namine."

Ken hummed to that. "You should. We will meet up when we can, I still want to help you find Lauriam and stop that Farseer from what ever she is doing. That hasn't changed." He helped her up and the two agreed to their task. They split down different paths, Elrena took a deep breath and smiled sweetly as she walked down. "...Good luck kid."

Up the unreachable mountain.

Aqua, Hafgog and Dazruk found themselves reaching closer and closer to the tip of the mountain, from the distance of the main land behind, the woman saw faint figures running off to the ashen lands and more approaching the disabled realm gate in respects. Hafgog turned to look and sighed. "Well... I guess I'm getting that wish."

Dazruk looked at the figures running and growled. "Runts!"

Aqua asked the dwarf berzerker. "What... was it you were so set on? You and you're lodge won... right?"

Hafgog answered and felt more crestfallen. "The battle... didn't go as I expected, even with the Dazruk and his boys coming. I... made a big promise back home that if I'm going to die today, I will take as many of Khorne's minions down with me. Even if death was knocking, I'm going at it with my axe. We had a big going away party before we marched."

Dazruk laughed at the idea and voiced what did happened. "Everyone got smacked... but you?"

Hafgog nodded in agreement with the Orruk. "All of my brothers... gave everything to win the day. Now we are both stuck here... we both are as good as dead to them... yeah?"

Aqua sighed and insisted. "I... can help you two get back. You... don't have to be left behind."

Hafgog laughed as the Dazruk waved at the path he traveled in good riddance. "And what will happen when we do? They will just see us as a ghost that shouldn't have came back, where is the honor in that? Is that what we want to go down in history as?"

Dazruk didn't care and shrugged. "Zog it! Me fight the big one of the mountain!"

He pointed at the dwarf like a friendly enemy. "Then me gonna stomp ya!"

Aqua felt two hearts tied to a history of battles, a desire that her own heart was insisting on allowing. They felt a chill in the mountain, ashes littered the peak and blood red crystal megaliths glittered. With in the center was a stone that glowed in fire, two hedges glowed a crimson red and caused something to crawl out. A fiend that caused Aqua to sweat, yet she still readied for battle. Hafgog laughed bitterly and readied his great axe as he saw more of the form, a three headed reptilian hound with three brass collars. "Guess Khorne isn't finished with us."

Aqua nodded in agreement and approached as Dazruk sized up the hound. "He knows I need that stone to get home... and stop him from destroying my realm. But... why did he stop that man from-" The hounds dominate head growled at her, waiting for her to understand what was important, Dazruk tilted his head and guessed. "You smacked em good! That git knew ya wants to get through."

Hafgog agreed. "That man tried to close the realm gate to spite you, even after what you did to help the lodge... to help us win the battle."

The three agreed to a mutual feeling of anger as the three heads of the hound gave off a unified howl. Five single headed hounds appeared, growling at their prey. Aqua looked at the three headed hound in the eyes and was ready for battle, the hound gave a faint bow of respect and snarled like the vicious animal it is. It pounced at Aqua as the five hounds went for the two bezerkers, Aqua back flipped and the hound clawed at her with its slick claws and tried to bite at her with savage maws.

She jumped to the right and was tempted to aim her keyblade for a spell, she shook her head and dashed for a stab at the hounds shoulder. Hafgog dodged the hounds fangs and felt a few bites as he cleaved two of the hounds into oblivion. Dazruk took more teeth marks and slashed two of the hounds heads off, he head butted another and sunk his axe into the back of another. Laughing wildly and watching Aqua stab at the ferocious demon that clawed her off, earning a gash mark on left shoulder. She blitz at the demon and unleashed a flurry of blows, rolling the demon to his side and causing it to flicker and charge again. Aqua jumped above and flew to the beasts back for a deep stab, the three heads howled in pain and ruptured into red mists, the battle was over. The woman landed and felt more determined. "No matter what you send... you won't stop me." She turned to the crystal megaliths with a parting. "Goodbye Karanak!"

She saw the warriors were in worse condition than she was and cast a healing spell to mend the wounds, annoying Hafgog as Dazruk gave a challengers stare at him.

The dwarf looked at the stone and asked. "So... that is what you came all this way for? The Heartstone fragment of Aqshy."

Aqua nodded and was at the entrance, she turned around to find the dwarf returning a stare to Dazruk, both warriors walked to difference sides of the arena as the woman asked. "This... is where we part ways. Are... the two of you happy?"

Hafgog gave a smirk to Dazruk who looked excited for a time of his life. "We are where we need to be. We got ya this far, so now we finish our little tale."

The duradin and orruk had their axes ready, two hearts shined like the flames of the world, they circled each other for that final showdown. The orruk grunted to her and looked at the stone. Aqua sighed and turned to confront the stone, she saw a darkness pooled from the side and stood in her way from the stone, a blue hot dancer formed with a symbol she was familiar with and a marking on its head in place of a face, it resembled a key. The Dancer ignited and caused a barrier to form, readying a ballet as Aqua felt eager to obliged and felt a chill for battle. The Dancer kicked a barrage of fire balls in a way much like a ballerina, Aqua returned in kind with a passion and will, she fired blizzard and caused the Dancer to cool to white. It and Aqua danced away as the sound of axes clashed from outside, the keyblade wielder shot again and watched the white go from yellow, then the cycle repeated to orange and then to red. The Dancer looked tired out, yet Aqua felt herself at her strongest, she was out dancing the Dancer with grace and spun into a twister of snow. Blowing the Dancer away into the nothingness it came from.

The barrier dropped as the sound of fighting continued, Aqua picked up the red fragment and watched it float to her pendent, wedging itself between the fragments of Chamon and Shyish. Four realms remain, she went back to observe the battle, seeing both Hafgog and Dazruk having joy in their fight to the death gave her a bittersweet if near depressing feeling. Two hot blooded hearts of separate cultures and races, are as if they were one. Hafgog struck deep into the Dazruk's stomach with axe, the orruk dodged the next swing and swiped his axe into the duradin's chest. Hafgog gasped and spit out blood, he held into his axe as the orruk had a laugh of triumph.

SWIPE!

Dazruk tried to dodge back and felt the blade slash his throat, he was gagging as Hafgog pulled his foes axe off his chest and gave a smile, teeth redden. Dazruk tried to punch the duradin and fell to his left as Hafgog fell on his back. Both gave a rivals glare and looked reach to have another go. Then their bodies grew still. Aqua frowned at the scene and saw a cave way to her right, she let her pendent float to the gate way as she saw two flickers of light float from the warriors, both burning in fire. They clashed and spun together and they flew to the heavens as their bodies glowed a flame, a simple tale of two warriors had reached their end. She aimed her blade and thought of the word. "Ghur!"

Pew! The stone shined red and lit the way, it flew back to Aqua and she stepped forward. To her surprise, she found herself in a city, a small one compared to the one from the realm of Azyr, but a vast and interesting one, it was one surrounded by a rock wall and had many buildings made from sea monsters. The salty air gave her the scent that she was in a city by the sea. She looked at a large empty turtle shell with a shell chipped into a door and entered, finding a blubbery room with nomads, all regular humans. A woman with long, messy, black hair was tending the counter and smelled the sulfur. "Phew! You smelled like you came straight out of Aqshy!"

She looked at Aqua's pendant to find various symbols, purple with a sickles blade, gold with a circle and upward arrow, finally orange with the symbol of a key. She tossed her a canteen of water and a key. "Drink up, you look like you had done a lot of traveling to make it to Nemisuvik."

The nomads looked at Aqua with interest as the keyblade wielder felt herself cooling down. "And I have a long way still. The Realm of Beasts, phew!"

Glug!

A nomad with an orange beard and wears looking like it came from a kind of seal laughed and warned her. "Oh you will know soon enough if you wish to survive out of the city!" Aqua felt hearts bound to a primal force and knew once she begins her next journey, she is to fight against the mercy of nature.


	15. Union

In a town by a castle, Sora, Donald and Goofy were down on their luck in finding a way into the pixelated castle. A horse like man in a red shirt and blue overalls looked at the madness going on. "Like a video game?! Well... did you try... finding an arcade?"

Goofy nodded. "Hiyuck, we tried that but nothing seemed to work."

The horse like man looked to the castle and was just as lost as the three. "Then what else are we going to do if we can't get in?"

Sora folded his arms in a lost. "...I guess... nothing. Riku and the King are going to have get to the bottom of this them-" Donald turned to find familiar dark creatures appearing from the corners, eight shadows, eight dark soldiers, sixteen bomb like heartless and three floating towers with their heads aimed at the three. The trio readied their weapons as the horse man went into hiding, the trio shouted in unison. "Heartless!" It was a rowdy rumble of a battle, but from a combination of bashes, zaps and Sora using mobile shots, they were all bested.

In the aftermath, the horse man cowered out with his legs shaking, Donald sighed. "How long were the heartless popping up Horrace?"

Horrace answered and wanted to post some signs. "Just now, its been getting silly... do you think the heartless and that there castle pixelating are a coincidence?"

Sora shook his head in doubt. "Every time trouble happens, the heartless are not far behind and the one who is controlling them usually... causes these things."

He lost count of how many times as Goofy agreed and worried. "But who would be doing something like this?! Who... could do something like this?"

None of their suspects nor the incident make any sense as Horrace volunteered for something. "I'll make sure the town knows, you all go on an keep looking. We got to do something."

The three parted from the towns person and fond an occasional heartless swarm of five run of the mill, nothing out of the ordinary and that was the worst part, they searched for an hour with no real progress. It felt like a completely circle, Sora wanted to sit on a bench and noticed two teenagers talking about random things, one was a boy with some resemblance to Goofy. In a simple red shirt and red pants, he was having ice cream with a large cat like boy in a purple sweater and a pair of blue pants.

Goofy waved hello and yelled out unaware. "Hi ya Max! What are you and P.J doing?!"

Max stopped, turned and was given an embarrassing, fatherly embrace, Max tried to push him back as P.J gave his hello's back. "Hey Mister Goof!" He noticed Donald. "Hey Mister Duck! What's bringing you back so soon?"

The duck looked to the pixelated castle and answered. "Figuring out how the castle got turned into something like a video game!"

P.J looked to the castle and found it silly. "Ha, I been wondering what that was about." He noticed Sora and gave his hello just as abruptly. "Sup dude?"

The boy felt P.J resembled someone and couldn't put his finger on it. "Nothing too interesting here. Name's Sora."

Max went from embarrassed to whistling. "You're Sora?! Niiiice! Dad told me you were who he left home to guard."

Sora appreciated the respect as Goofy looked a little guilty to his son. "Sorry about leaving without a notice again."

Max pretended to not mind. "That's always what you got to do." He looked at the castle and asked. "So what's cooking in there?"

Sora was blunt. "Pixels, some of our friends are trapped in there and... we have no idea how to get them out. I... think they can figure it out on their own, but it stinks when you can't do anything about it."

That Max agreed with. "Especially when you don't know whats happening in there... you know."

P.J saw the helpless mood and had an idea to lighten things. "Eh... the ice cream shop is open if you want to go kill some time."

Max cringed and tried to request it wasn't needed as Goofy agreed and Donald saw it. Sora didn't mind and lead his two friends in, he asked Goofy. "You did mention you had a son! He and P.J seem nice."

Goofy appreciated it. "They are good kids that kind of got it a bit hard."

Sora guessed Max's issues. "You disappeared for over a year and he might have not known what happened to you until you came back. But... what about P.J?"

Goofy and Donald looked to each other and thought Sora would have figured it out, the duck asked. "Do you really want to know?"

Sora honestly does. "I heard you're nephews are with Scrooge for a business at the town we left. I... put it together with Max, but... P.J seems new."

Goofy and Donald took a deep breath, they had to tell him.

In a tree filled outskirts of the town.

Pete laughed amused at a creature of twisting shadows Maleficent created. "So this is what you were talking about when you said you took the darkness from those Imperial guys. But why this town?"

Maleficent watched the shadows spit into many, holy robed figures, some with pointy hats, she answered. "Heed my words about the Imperium, they claim to do holy work, yet there is nothing but darkness in all of them save for the ones that thought against the norm. Do you see how often the most... holy of them constantly question the ones who accepted the ways of the worlds?"

Pete agreed with one part. "It's that Sister of Battle that's always working you up. What is so bad about lightening up?"

Maleficent answered with a scoff. "Everything! Even these simpletons will find something... unusual about these unversed. What is a greater evil than the delusion that it is all righteous? Have the heartless been scattered as planned?"

Pete nodded. "Oh just enough that even Sora and his friends would keep busy. I never thought we try a more subtle approach."

Maleficent agreed and looked at a castle consumed by pixels, looking confused at it. "And they would not notice until it has taken root. Especially if... something else is occurring. With any luck, our enemies would be their own downfall."

She looked curious of something and took out a green orb to observe a blonde boy poking at an infected juggernaut of a heartless and firing. "As one potential ordeal seems to have proven when they aggravated a heart down a dark path."

Pete wasn't too interested. "Him again?! He keeps putting his nose where it doesn't belong, that's for sure."

Maleficent took her leave to a corridor and instructed her goon. "Yet it is always why. Ensure that these creatures... the Inquisitors, cause as much havoc as possible!"

A dark throne formed and a creature with holy robes took shape, drawing out a sword and looking at the town in judgement, seeing the animal like people and revolting in disgust. "Mutants! Find the source, question them all!"

The Inquisitors obeyed and sneaked into the shadows as Maleficent left amused, Pete looked upon the pixels and wondered. "Now just who is causing all that trouble?"

In the pixelated castle.

Riku and Mickey gotten use to the fabric of reality as Pluto casually went through a door, the door disappeared on letting him in and appeared once more. They entered to find a duck in a purple dress, looking around a library frantically and saying something to the dog, a screen appeared and text came. "Pluto, where did you ran off to in such a-" An exclamation point appeared above the duck as she noticed Mickey. "You're majesty! Oh this is all awful!"

The mouse agreed and asked, with text of his own appearing. "It started as soon as we got here Daisy, what happened?"

Daisy sprinted towards the door, cursing her clunky mobility, the duo got out of the way and watched the sprite look to the left and right, then them. "Minnie went to the throne by herself to see if the source is there! Please hurry!"

Click!

She and the door vanished from the room, Riku turned to Mickey and asked. "Seems this is the only thing that's happened besides the heartless."

Mickey turned towards Riku and agreed, his sprite moved to the door. "But if the one behind this is that way, we need to hurry."

The sprites left and entered the hall, going as fast as they can to the main door, a grand purple door. Pluto followed and looked on still, smelling something and backing away. Something was on the other side. Daisy impatiently opened the door and went in head first, Riku and Mickey followed and found even more unusual creatures. Eight brown humanoid cactus with a heartless emblem that were stuck in a weird running pose, in the center was a black plant like monster with a massive maw and many yellow eyes at the end of the stalks, it noticed the four. The plant approached quickly as the cactus shot needles at the battlers. Riku caused the room to darken, vanished behind a cactus and quickly took three of them out as Mickey leaped and caused an odd noise to squeak, landing by three and striking them down. The plant monster turned to Riku and a let loose a gas of something from its breath, causing his sprite to shrink. The two cactus struck at Riku and he countered for paltry damage, Daisy focused and caused a sprinkle of light to shine above Riku, returning his sprite to normal size as Mickey took out the fourth cactus and jumped at the plant monster that slapped back with its tentacles. Riku finished his two foes off and went after the plant, the combined power was enough to best the heartless.

The four looked to the throne room to find it was pushed aside and lead to a less than detailed stairway. Riku turned to Daisy in thanks. "That would have gotten annoying. What kind of heartless are these?!"

Two woofs appeared next to Pluto, the sprite dashed to the stair way, startling the three to where they wasted little time. They entered a vast room with a stone of light in the center, being shrouded by darkness, from a sprite Riku recognized, a horned knight. By the stone was a crystal on top of a sinister, demonic pedestal and a regal mouse in pink trying to force a beam of light against a figure guarding the crystal. An black orb with a symbol resembling a clock. The sprite turned and Riku tried to shout, a text appeared. "Garland?! What are you doing here?"

A sprite of ha, ha, ha appeared and another text showed. "So you have finally arrived, as my master foretold!" The sprite went to the crystals side and faced it. "The crystals of power, the very essence of the magic of the worlds! With these, I will finally obtain the greatest power of all!"

Mickey went to the regal mouses side and drew out his weapon. "Is that why you came here?!" He turned to the queen. "Minnie, what is going on?"

Minnie turned to her king and answered. "This man is using that crystal to drain time magic from the castle! Causing everything to become... like this." She faced the orb that was taking form, a long haired fiend, an upside down skull, four arms with scimitars, tentacles and a dragons talons grew out. "This man came to cloud the Cornerstone of Lights power and brought in this heartless to try and keep me away."

Riku approached with his blade drawn, a sprite resembling an agitated blood vessel showed. "That explains the heartless, but what I don't understand. Garland, I saw you get dragged into the Realm of Darkness with that daemon, how did you escape... why are you doing this?"

Garland returned to the Cornerstone to channel dark power. "I did not, my master came to save me on the brink of death and granted me a task that is far beyond you're comprehension!" He ordered. "Chronodia! I need a little more time before the crystal's hunger is satisfied! Attack!"

The heartless glowed many yellow eyes and floated towards the group. It cast barrage of meteors. Riku and Mickey used a protection spell to block the blow as Minnie and Daisy reached to safety to cast from afar. The keyblade wielders attacked its massive form and dealt moderate damage. Chronodia flashed light and caused the keyblades to vanish. Riku and Mickey were unable to attack and they felt their connection sealed away. The heartless shot lightning to the group and let loose a gas that caused the many to feel ill. Minnie and Daisy focused on healing and mass expelling the damage as Mickey and Riku jumped back to focus on surviving or in the later case, cast fire balls. Minnie glowed a safeguard as the creature flashed a strange light, it did absolutely nothing of note. In a small series of casting, Riku and Mickey felt their hearts light return, their keyblades returned, Chronodia flew at them and attacked with its many limbs, pushing them across the wall as they maneuvered and struck in unison. Chronodia burst in a flare and sent the many back, Riku disappeared and struck the monster at the core, causing it to spark in darkness and sink to the ground, disintegrating away.

The pixelated world flashed a strange light as a clock appeared with in the crystal. The crystal and platform glowed in unison. Blip!

They vanished, the pixelated world returned to normal. The group looked battered and more detailed as Garland ceased his glow and let a corridor open. He laughed in haughty triumphant. "Ha, ha, ha! And now two crystals are mine! Five more and I will complete this cycle!" He jumped to the corridor and gave a parting word. "You're concern of my imprisonment is appreciated though! I wish you luck in the great battle to come!"

The corridor closed and Riku tried to chase after him, the knight escape and it was more confusing than frustrating, Minnie looked around in the room and watched the cloud fade from the Cornerstone She asked. "But why here?!"

Pluto barked and the queen remembered a detail. "It... has to be because it was here the magic of time travel was used."

Riku wanted to know and snapped his fingers. "When Sora, Donald and Goofy had to use it. He told me everything was black and white though." He was weirded out and shrugged. "Well... at least we know Garland is out of the Realm of Darkness... and is being a problem." Daisy had her hands at her hips. "This whole this is obscured!" She asked Mickey. "Now, if things were back to normal, you're majesty, why the return?" The king remembered and looked at Riku. "I came for a charm for Riku and Sora's... exam. I need to look in the library and I'll go there after I check on everyone else." He and Minnie held hands with an affectionate charm, Riku guessed his part. "While I find Sora and tell him about this. I hope he is enjoying his... break."

Out in the town.

Sora gasped and looked outside. "P.J is Pete's kid?!"

The kind heart child outside being friends with a more rebellious Max made it hard to believe as Goofy explained. "Ever since Pete got banished for causing trouble, P.J had been worried sick about him all these years! His whole family is worried about him."

Donald agreed and asked Sora. "Don't you tell him that Pete is causing more trouble."

Sora promised he wouldn't. "P.J shouldn't need to know. He has too good of a heart to be involved in that." He noticed P.J and Max looking at something and backing away, Goofy scratched himself wondering and went out of the store to find something odd. "Hwow!"

Sora and Donald followed to find strange, robed shadow creatures capturing the towns people and threatening them with torches. Max and P.J turned around to find more with pointy hats, carrying massive hammers, they hissed. "Taint! Where?!"

Both teenagers were confused by the ordeal, two of the figures yelled. "Interrogate!" They jumped at them, Goofy blocked with his shield and pushed back, causing them to fade away, Donald and Sora focused on the creatures with the towns people and readied for one particular battle.

In a ship with in Ghur.

Aqua aimed her blade to the distance of a stormy, brutal sea. To her upper left was direction her keyblade was glowing, it flickered and the pendent gave a unified glow of purple, grey and red, urging her to move the blade a certain direction, she felt with in her heart. "Someone already found it?!"

A captain managing a floating shell of a ship, listened and approached. "Probably an Orruk. That fancy pendent is taking you knee deep into the western peninsula of the Stormwilds, you really believe you can survive out there?"

Aqua nodded. "This Realm sounds brutal, but people are able to survive, I can manage... I will manage."

The captain shrugged and went to start stirring the ship. Brief her stay in the city was, she was told about one of the principles of the Realm of Beasts, one that she was most familiar, how to survive? The Realm of Beasts, from what she was told, was a realm of absolute savagery, the land itself seeks to consume each other and this doesn't begin the inhabitants, beasts the size of a building, an all consuming species called the Ogor, the numerous and frantic Gloomspite Gitz and a species she was familiar with, the Orruk, a barbaric race that only care about fighting and toppling what ever they could find. Yet a few hours and even a day in such a brutal realm is nothing to Aqua, everything about the realm was much straight forward and it sought nothing else from her beyond her meat, blood and bone.

The boat took sail and the crew readied a variety of harpoons for one of the potential dangers of the sea. Aqua looked down at the ships exterior and found impaling spikes for another purpose, should any of the oceans predators try to do something such as take a large bite onto the ship, it's obscured how it also serves the purpose of hunting. She shrugged, if it means the people get more food. The sea twisted and turned against the ship as it pushed through. She thought about the odd things she found among the realms; in Chamon, Halvek mentioned a person in black and red that kidnapped him, in Aqshy a person in that exactly description tried to close off the realmgate towards a stone fragment, she knows she remembers such a person, yet the name was either slipping her tongue or she doesn't want to remember. Her mind clouded and she found herself in a grand town, doing battle with a teenager in black, muscle like armor, then her memory shifted to a tribal village, fighting that same person after it broke a wooden keyblade like toy. The set pieces connected in a way, had Halvek try something much more reckless in regards to the tzeentchian war band he was tossed to, he would have been discovered and quickly eliminated, had a certain spectator not hold such a code of honor... the figure would have snatched her hope of returning home without hindrance. That black and red figure, is trying to put an end to her journey, yet one detail still remained, why does she not want to remember the figures name? Bump! "Land ho!"

Aqua was shaken off her thought and found a massive landscape in the distance, she notice washed up on the shore, was a massive, still alive turtle with black scales and an orange shell. It had something glowing. It slapped its tail against an army that crawled from the sea. She found another charging at the turtle from the land, a winter storm most unnatural. She focused on the sea way as a navigator cringed. "Oh this is bad, we be fools to land near a Mawtribes hunt!"

Aqua turned and asked. "Mawtribe?! The Ogors?"

She looked at the turtle facing the storm and guessed. "And this... leviadon is their hunt. But... what are the people coming from the shore?"

The navigator was unsure, yet it felt like he seen them much closer before. "Could... they be the reason why that big one washed up?"

More figures came from the sea as figures from the snow storm emerged in a charge, the figures from the sea looked to be riding on something that was flying, no, swimming through the air. The various sea creatures charged at the winter born that in turn, directed themselves at the sea creatures, a figure on foot emerged from the sea and approached the glow on the leviadon that tried to take a bite out of both forces. Aqua looked to the navigator and nodded. "But now both armies have a reason to fight each other... but something about the... army from the sea doesn't seem right. They are attacking the other army as well. If you can sail close enough... I will take it from here."

The navigator sighed and went to tell the crew. "You're loss!" The ship sailed closer and Aqua saw more of the army from the sea, several calvary of blue electric eels, three brown sharks, a figure with a cloak of water and a black watery horse carrying someone swam to battle. Aqua felt herself close to the leviadon's fin and yelled to the crew. "That's enough! Thank you!" PEW!

She flew in the speed of light and landed to the turtle's fin, finding a woman in greenish blue armor, closing her eyes and focusing a spell on the annoyed leviadon. By her side was a green, flipper reptile with a long tail, it's blue eyes showed a spectral slit and it opened its mouth to let loose a chirp of some kind. The woman herself let her staff glow an odd rune, ignoring Aqua as she jumped off and tried to avoid the conflict occurring. She watched blue eels biting down and slashing against large fat humanoids on white furred, tusked beasts, Aqua knew the humanoids to be ogors that stabbed with tribal pole arms and tried to shoot pistols at the riders on the eels, armored raiders that looked to belong in the sea. Aqua saw the hunger in the ogors eyes and ran past the fighting, seeing more eel calvary charge and die against Ogors with large cannons firing weapons. The eels closed in and tore into them, with the raiders on the eels stabbing into their foes.

Stomp! Stomp! ROAR!

Aqua watched a large horned beast barrel from the icy mist and to the calvary, being bitten down upon by a trio of sharks. The swift battle between two forces that seek each other as a resource was something she didn't wish to see the final outcome of. She saw a passage clear of the carnage, leading towards a mountain resembling razor sharp teeth, her keyblade shined the way. She took a deep breath and tried to run as a figure from behind tried to stab her with a polearm. She flipped to her left and dodged a strike from a pointy eared, pale skin man in ocean green armor and an eye patch covering his right eye. The man rode on top of a black scaled, aquatic steed and he quietly spoke. "You should not have came here, all who interfere with the Dhom-Hain are but another lost soul to the tide."

The steed hissed and pounced at Aqua with its talons, failing to deal meaningful damage, yet its tail knocked Aqua across the sand. The keyblade master saw her chance and jumped on the steeds shoulders to do battle against the raider king.

Swipe! Swipe!

The raider king blocked with his shield and was struck across the face, looking at his people moments away from an uphill battle. He withdrew his shield and took out a falchion to quickly strike at the intruder, parrying blow for blow, Aqua let loose an electrical glow and aimed her blade to the man, in point blank range. PEW! The man and his steed yelled out in pain and flew back to the coming battle, he shook his head to a kill that wasn't worth it. "Why have you come here?!"

Aqua answered without daring to look away. "I'm just trying to travel to the mountain for something, what are you doing here?!" The man felt the fierceness and nodded to her in respect. "At first, for this mighty beast you clearly saw." His steed looked at the leviadon, the rider answered the rest. "But then the maw tribes came for more meat. A coincidence that we seek something from them as well." He ordered his steed to swim him towards the sprawl. "It is more beneficial for you and I... that if you continue you're journey. Heed not this battle, but beware the gloomspite."

Just like that, she witnessed the steed and rider quickly finish off the horned beast that smashed and crunched down upon a shark. The figure in a water like cloak called forth a spectral tide that washed fear in the ogor raiders, Aqua saw more ogors coming along with a tyrant lording over them, she looked away from the battle and took the raiders word.

She ran to the opening and up the mountain, feeling like she forgotten how she arrived, yet the warning of gloomspites still remained. In a few minutes, she found a cave resembling an opened maw, with a large ogor carrying a barrel of gunpowder, the ogor was in a black opened jacket, black pair of pants and had many large slick weapons. Behind him was a black robed, pale, large nose goblin that barked. "G...Grag, some traveler is coming!"

The Ogor turned to Aqua with a face wrapped in leather stripes, he wasn't thrilled. "Go away! I got's a job to do!"

Aqua raised an eyebrow and asked. "A job?!"

The Ogor turned impatiently. "Yeah, Korgrogg Shark Teeth wants to make sure I don't let any Moonclans sneak around as we feast on that... scrumptious leviadon. You seem to got a good eye, tiny meat! I don't need to explain myself what I'm doing."

Aqua looked at the gunpowder and didn't let her guard down. "I need to get in the mountain for something. Please step aside."

The Ogor gasped and laughed at her. "Oh, ho, ho, ho! That's funny! You go in there and those delicious squigs would make a meal out of you." Aqua had her blade ready, astonishing the goblin and earning the Ogor's own reasons to draw a weapon. "You think you can crunch you're way through? How about this, you get past me before I make seconds out of you and I'll wait before closing the Maw Of Grots Garden."

He drooled in hopes Aqua makes obvious decision, she gave a faint smile and dashed at him, letting loose a storms fury of attacks that nearly knocked the Ogor off guard. He took out a katana and slashed at her with exceptional skill, Aqua dodged and bolted at him like wind, knocking him out of the way and causing him to drop his gun powder. She took her chance and ran into the maw like cave, stalagmites and stalactites greatly resemble the maw of a fang beast and she found a downward slop over a passage way, sliding down into the belly of the mountain. She kept running down a passage to a clearing of odd fungus and looked to her right to find a large cavern. On the visible side was a tribal village that spilled out many small black creatures, riding ahead of them were grey orbs carrying the black creatures and a particular duo of strange grey orb like creatures with legs, bound in chains and bouncing towards something.

Aqua took a deep breath and slowed her speed to a simple walk, she was out of one danger, but she was clearly in another as she heard a collective war cry. At the clearing, was a passage way leading to two paths, one towards a deeper dark littered with yellow glowing fungus, the other towards what was to be another massive battle. She felt the pendent shine towards the path to battle and asked to herself. "...Why are they going to another battle?" A deep familiar voice came from the back left. "Is it not obvious? These... Moonclan are like all others of their kind... like all others of this realm, their hearts are bound to wild savagery."

The voice was like a dagger of ill memories, Aqua turned with her blade swinging and was parried by a dark keyblade with a grey color, a goat like head above the hilt and at the top of the blade was a blue eye. The two forces pushed back and Aqua took a look at a young man with short white hair and golden eyes, looking back at her with a mixture of indifference and contempt, Aqua barked. "Xehanort! What have you done?!"

The dark seeker chuckled smugly. "Nothing that these savages would have brought upon themselves! The gloomspite hold regard to a... phenomenon that appears throughout all the realms. A phenomenon that they call, the Bad Moon, where it glows, the gloomspites are driven to a frenzy that would astonish even you! A light that brings about-" Aqua growled. "Don't you dare say it! That's not why all those things are going into battle! I'll ask one more time, what did you do?"

Xehanort scoffed at the interruption. "I was about to get to that, the moonclan all dwell with in these caves and drive themselves mad with the very fungus you see before you! All of this to let loose what lurks in their feeble hearts. Yet a few actually bother to consider, why? What does it all mean? What else shines under the Bad Moon? The mages they call shamans delve into those questions and one of them looked upon the darkness."

Aqua gasped and asked. "You told one of them about darkness?! About the heartless?! Do you even know what they would do with that?!"

Xehanort looked upon the marching army in disappointment. "That shaman... a-" he looked irritated at the name he was remembering. "Raknab Shabbygobba, attempted to teach these impudent fools about his... philosophy. They should have taken an interest, they also dwell in darkness... yet they are going to war against the heartless Raknab wrought upon the mountain."

He hid a head ache and looked ready to strike Aqua down, both circled around each other as he asked. "I was told that you escaped the Realm of Darkness and attempt to return back to what some call the Realm of Hearts. A simple piece of realm stone holds the key. Have you understood what you have done to obtain it? Was the blood on you're masters keyblade worth it?"

Aqua looked at her keyblade and remembered the fire and faces succumbed to blood lust, she remembered the face of the undead and more over, a face that filled her with more rage. "If you knew what I was doing, then you know more than anyone that those people chose to give into the darkness, to give into Khorne! You should also know WHO was the reason I had to travel in these realms and why he deserved what he got!"

That much Xehanort nodded to. "And you delivered justice to Nagash. But what can you do in a world basked in this kind of savagery? You showed a mercy to those who do what they do to either survive or because it is in there nature. Can you possibly keep showing it?"

Aqua's glare tensed as Xehanort asked. "Are these savages the way they are because they are bound to darkness? Would you strike without care? Or if they are not, would you shed more life to survive?"

Aqua answered with a question of her own. "Are you going to keep encouraging these things to go down that path? Are you just here out of spite?"

Xehanort gave credit where it was due. "The gloomspites are but one dominant force in the Realm of Ghur, there is one other race that reigns supreme. One that seek to topple everything in their path, one other clan that rules over this realm with an iron fist. The Ironjawz! What drives them into such childish joy over the violence? When that answer is revealed and you have to face a force of such destruction, would you be crushed under that truth or will you do what is needed to live another day, take the stone fragment and move on to the next realm? Will you still hold on to you're light when... if you ever return home?"

He faded in shadow as he noticed the question sank deep into his adversaries heart. "I am looking forward to that answer." He disappeared and left Aqua frustrated, she heard more of the war chant and journeyed towards a catastrophe waiting to happen.

At Arendelle's mountains.

Kairi caught up with Anna and warned her and her group of a danger that couldn't be ignored. Anna was determined to at least reach to her sister in the icy mountain and walked to a steep wall. Kristoff looked at the mountain and voiced his knowledge about travel. "Hmm, it's too steep!"

He went to get some equipment out of his bag. "I only got one rope and you don't know how to climb mountains." Kairi was more focused on what Kristoff had to say and heard Anna ask. "Says who?"

Sven nudged to Kristoff. The man noticed and was dumbfounded, Kairi looked at the wall and gasped, Anna was trying to climb the wall. Kairi asked. "What are you doing?!"

Anna answered with a grunt and climbed. "MMPHM! I'm... going...to see my sister."

Kristoff wasn't impressed in the slightest. "You're going to kill yourself." Anna kept trying to climb as the man warned her. "I wouldn't put my foot there!"

Click!

A rock Anna had her left foot on fell off, she kept trying and wanted the man to keep quiet. "You're distracting me."

Kristoff notice the woman's foot on another steep slope. "Or there!" Slip!

Kairi looked up the wall and saw that it was so flat that trying to run up was a better option. She went to the far right and pressed her foot on it, thinking it was a much better idea compared to climbing. She backed away as Kristoff warned her. "You can't run up that, watch you're back."

Kairi turned around to find a slope leading down and went to more safer grounds as she agreed with him. "This isn't a smart idea anyways." She dashed and jumped on the wall for an attempt and quickly fell back in the snow, she looked tired from the few options. "And we can't turn back now because Elsa is in danger."

That much Kristoff agreed with as Anna kept trying to climb. "Even if Elsa wants to see the both of you, it isn't like we have much of a choice."

Anna grunted in exhaustion and wasn't even a couple feet off the ground. "WWWHA! Huff! Please tell me I'm almost there."

Kristoff was amused by the dead end as Anna asked. "Does the air seem a bit thin to you up here?"

Kristoff sighed and approached to help as Olaf shouted to him, pointing to a passage way. "Hey Sven. Not sure if this is going to solve the problem, but I found a stair case that leads exactly to where you want it to go."

Kairi got up and looked to find a passage way exactly as described, she asked the snowman. "How did none of us see that?!"

Anna didn't quite care and laughed. "Ha, ha! Thank goodness!" She let go and yelled to Kristoff. "Catch!" That he did with both hands, catching and carrying her like one a princess, Anna sighed and patted him on the chest with her mitt hand. "Thanks!" She got off and went to the passage way. "That was like a crazy trust exercise."

The group went up the convenient staircase and approached what looked to be a grand icy palace. Kristoff was nearly in tears as Anna felt her heart beating with another. Olaf climbed up an icy stair way to the palace as the girls followed, Sven tried to follow and slipped back because of his hooves, Kristoff gently suggested that Sven stay at the base. The man climbed up the stairs and reveled in what is considered perfection. At the doorway, Olaf went out of the way for Anna and Kairi, the woman in the winter wears went to the door with her right hand ready to knock, yet she paused.

Kairi asked. "Come on, we are finally here." Anna paused more as Olaf suggested. "Just knock!" Anna stopped and Olaf whispered to Kristoff. "Why isn't she knocking? Do you think she knows how to knock?"

Kairi appreciated how naive and innocent Olaf was as Anna knocked the icy door. Giving off a loud noise as the door opened. Anna gasped at how simple it was. "Ha, it opened... that was a first."

She asked Kristoff to wait behind. "Oh, you should probably wait out here. Last time I introduced her to a guy, she froze everything."

Kristoff couldn't believe it. "But, but... oh come on! It's a palace made of ice! Ice is my life!"

Olaf waved him goodbye and tried to go in himself. "Bye Sven!"

Anna stopped him as well. "You too Olaf."

The snowman was confused about being excluded from meeting his creator. "Me?"

Anna asked. "Just give me and Kairi a minute."

She asked the keyblade wielder. "When I finish talking with Elsa, you warn her about the dangers up the mountain. She needs to know about the Horned King and that...thing that roared."

Kairi nodded and followed Anna in as Kristoff and Olaf sat outside, the snowman counted. "One, two, three."

The door closed behind the girls and they were impressed by the well detailed inner structure of the ice palace, a stair way of ice lead to an upper floor. Anna called out. "Elsa, it's me Anna!"

She and Kairi nearly slipped against the ice, a voice asked. "Anna? Kairi?!"

The two looked up the stairs and felt like they are meeting a whole new woman, Elsa in her icy blue dress and her hair being let down. Both were gasping in aw, Anna spoke. "Elsa, you look different-" she corrected herself. "A good different." She looked at the palace again. "And this place,"

Kairi agreed. "We had no idea you would make something this beautiful."

Elsa appreciated the compliments and smiled to the two. "Thank you." She looked around her palace with pride. "I never knew what I was capable of."

Kairi and Anna remembered a little detail, the Princess from the far South allowed a sister to talk to a sister. Anna asked. "I'm so sorry about what happened, if I had known-" Elsa pleaded back and saw her sister approaching from the stairs. "No, no... it's okay."

Kairi hummed about that. "Are you sure? We were all worried about you."

Elsa sighed and backed away nervously, like she did before. "You don't have to apologize or be worried about me... but you should probably go... please."

Kairi refused that and let Anna do more of the talking. "But we just got here."

Elsa debated back. "You belong down in Arendelle."

Anna nodded in agreement. "So do you." Elsa disagreed and the teetering bond was bringing Kairi's heart at a still. "No, Anna I belong here...alone-" Those words gave Kairi some pain as Elsa continued. "where I can be who I am, without hurting anybody."

Anna hesitated to correct her sister. "Actually about that-" "Sixty! Ha!" Elsa wanted to know where that noise came from and saw a snowman rushing to the stairs in a child's joy. "Hi! I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!"

Elsa was astonished and asked. "Olaf?! The snowman reached the stairs and answered. "You built me, remember that?" Elsa asked more confused. "And you're alive?!"

The snowman think so as Anna explained. "He's just like the one we built as kids."

Elsa remembered as she realized what she created and agreed. "Yeah."

Anna asked once more. "Elsa, we were so close, we can be like that again."

Elsa wanted to say they could and had a memory of something, one of guilt and pain, Kairi cringed at the answer coming and listened. "No! We can't, goodbye Anna."

Elsa held onto herself and tried to retreat to a stair way leading higher, Kairi wanted to just tell Elsa of the dangers coming and couldn't speak about it because of the world order, Anna still continued and chased after her. "Elsa wait!"

Elsa refused with fear and emotional pain. "No, I'm just trying to protect you!"

Anna wasn't having any of that. "You don't have to protect me, I'm not afraid. Please don't shut me out again, please don't slam the door." She broke in a tune. "You don't have to keep you're distance anymore!" Kairi slowly followed and listened to Anna answering. "Cause for the first time in forever, I finally understand. For the first time in forever, we can fix this hand in hand." The sisters were going up the stairs to a higher floor, the top of the palace actually. Elsa was even more hesitate as Anna asked. "We can head down to this mountain together, you don't have to live in fear, cause the first time in forever, I will be right heeeeeere!"

Elsa turned to Anna and pleaded. "Anna, please go back home! You're life awaits, go enjoy the sun and open up the gates." Anna tried again as Elsa stopped her. "I know you mean well, leave me be!" She opened a grand door leading to a balcony. "Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free!" She asked her following sister, who was by the door. "Just stay away and you'll be safe from me!"

Anna had something to correct her on. "Actually we're not!"

Elsa was surprised and asked. "What do you mean you're not?" Anna nervously answered. "I get the feeling you don't know?" Elsa wanted to know. "What do I not know?" Anna answered to try and lighten it. "That Arandelle is in deep, deep, deep, deep... snow!"

Kairi's eyes widened at that knowledge, Elsa really did accidentally unleashed this winter. The Ice Queen asked. "What?!"

Anna explained off tune. "You kind of set of an eternal winter, everywhere!" Elsa quickly understood the full scope of what she done as Anna asked. "But that's okay you can just... unfreeze it."

Elsa had to explain the problem. "No I can't, I...I don't know how!" Anna cheered for her. "Sure you can! I know you can!"

Elsa turned back in guilt as a snow storm was blowing around. "Oh, I'm such a fool, I can't be freed!"

Kairi expected an emotional outbreak and felt someone tugging her, Namine warning her. "She is going to blow, get behind cover!"

Kairi did and asked. "But what about Anna?" Namine heard Anna trying again. "This is foolish, but Anna is doing what her heart is telling her to. Please let her do what she thinks is right."

Kairi cringed and listened to the building up storm. "No escape from this storm inside of me!" Along with a realization that Anna's pleas were not working as Elsa kept accepting. "I can't control the curse!"

Anna asked still trying to reach to her sister, Kairi felt a heart radiating even in the clouds of doubt. "We'll reverse the storm together!"

Elsa tried to warn her sister. "Anna please, you'll make it worse!" More and more the sisters bickered, Anna reaching and Elsa trying to push away, Kairi felt another radiating in the room above and her mouth dropped. Emotions of love in two forms clashing in the storm. The Princess asked Namine. "Are... these two-" The girl in white wondered. "They might, but let them sort this-" They heard Elsa finish the argument with a shout of panic. "I can't!"

In that outburst, Kairi felt something cold across her heart and rushed out to look, seeing Anna with a faint icy glow on her chest and falling on her knees. Another was heard coming from behind, Kristoff and Olaf came rushing to Anna to check on her and Elsa was more confused as the man asked. "Are you okay?!"

Anna breathed in and answered. "I'm okay." She stood up still determined to get Elsa to listen. "I'm fine!"

The icy palace blackened as Elsa asked. "Who is this?!"

She dismissed it and tried to hide away. "Wait, it doesn't matter, just, you have to go!"

Anna still refused. "No, I know we can figure this out together!"

Elsa argued and really wanted to be alone. "How, what power do you have to stop this winter?! To stop me?!"

Everyone but Anna saw the palace darkening and Kairi asked. "We need to go, now!"

Anna wasn't budging and went to arguing with her sister. "No, I'm not leaving without you Elsa!"

The Ice Queen looked pained in guilt and caused snow to take form as the palace cracked. "Yes you are!"

Pew!

The snow formed a large, hunched back, humanoid giant of snow, with fingers like icicles, it quickly snatched the intruding humans and Olaf in its hands, walked down the stairway to the front door with them struggling and tossed the hand with the humans first, grunting. "Go away!"

The humans landed on their rears and slide down the icy stairs, landing at the bottom and head first into the snow. He went to Olaf next, throwing his head at a snow covered rock. "Heads up!" Splat! The snow man warned the group trying to get up. "Watch out for my butt!" His small torso and large abdomen landed next to him. Kairi rolled on her feet and drew out her blade with a fire as Anna and Kristoff tried to get up. Anna rolled up a snow ball with a fire of her own. "Hey, it's not nice to throw people!"

Kristoff tried to stop her. "Whao- whao- whao feisty pants."

He tried to hold her in place and ask her to calm down, seemingly working to where he made the foolish choice to let her go, with the chance made, she threw the snow ball at the snow monster. Doing absolutely nothing and angering it as Sven was seen getting his stuck tongue free from the stairs and running off. Olaf yelled out as his parts slid off. "I'll distract him, you guys go!"

Kairi barked at all of them. "No, I'll distract him! Just... get going." She faced the snow man growing icy armor and listened to Olaf's parts going back together, he and the other humans ran off, leaving Kairi to face the monster, she realized she has NOTHING that can do anything against the monster and she asked herself in memory of someone with something that can do something. "Where the heck did Ken get stuck in?"

The snow monster charged at her and Kairi heard a whisper from with in, Namine's. "Do we want to wait, run!"

That Kairi did, she flung as much flowers of light at the snow monster and found it ineffective at a creature doing what it was made to do, angering it more to where it chased her to the edge of a cliff. Cornered and trapped, she was ready to make a last stand, the monster had different ideas and blew out a mighty yell. "DON'T COME BAAAAAAAACK!"

Kairi was knocked off her feet and was blown off the cliff into the snowy depths bellow, screaming at the madness.

After the chase.

Ken kept slipping and tumbling up the icy mountain and felt lost. "Was wind blowing here?! There isn't a trace of foot prints around." He growled and went to his back up plan of using air magic to jump to the various rocks and ledges, hearing faint screaming and fearing the worst. He followed the path and felt his magic near spent as he found himself in a familiar place. An icy palace, Firekeepers Wish shined more and the boy felt a warmth all around. "...Finally!" He dashed to the palace with a goal in mind and found the door shut, he growled, knocked and yelled. "Hey, I got something big to warn you about! Please open up!"

The door didn't budge, he backed away and aimed Cadia's Light, turning around to find a familiar white haired woman appearing before him, one with a metal mask blinding her eyes. "Wielder of the Flame, is this a sound idea? To intrude on the Queen who's house this is?"

Ken was more annoyed and asked. "If it means she will know what's after her, then yes! Does she have anything to do with Kairi and the others disappearing?!"

The Fire Keeper sighed and asked. "Did thee follow their path exactly?"

Ken gasped and realized. "I... didn't-" he wanted to scream and asked. "I'm still doing this, even if it kills me!"

The Fire Keeper cringed and backed away. "Very well, know that thou will only die once."

Ken let Cadia's Light glow and fired a beam, he realized what the Fire Keeper meant and asked. "Wait... what do you mean by-"

PEW!

Click!

The door opened to reveal a palace in a dark red crystal, he heard heavy footsteps from behind and didn't wish to turn around as he ran in with common sense kicking in. Sliding into a lobby that was slowly becoming yellow, he felt a surge of power return and jumped with his air magic onto the second floor, hearing a loud roar screaming. "GET OUT!"

He used his air magic to shoot himself to the next set of stairs, look around to find no trace of the Ice Queen and made a run to the final floor. At the top of the palace, he was greeted by forming icicles he nearly ran into and used his keyblades to block his movement and stop his rush towards impalement. A voice in his mind, much identical to the Fire Keeper, whispered in congratulations. "Thou didn't die,well done."

Ken puffed up his cheeks and saw a figure from behind the ice, the whole palace became yellow and he found himself confronting the same Ice Queen he saw earlier, tears and defensive fear drenched her cheeks as she asked. "Wha...what are you doing here?!"

The sound of stomping came and of a monster, Ken yelled out without much regard. "I came to warn you about something that is going to hurt you and everyone around here! Would you at least listen?"

The yellow flashed to red, Ken felt himself snatched up by a snow monster that was growling at him, he nearly dropped his weapons and felt his life flash before his eyes. The monster was about to drag him away when the Ice Queen asked. "Wait...let...let him speak."

The monster stopped, looked at the Ice Queen and dropped the boy in complete obedience and in a more gentle if deep voice. "Okay Elsa."

Thud! Ken felt the hard ice and was dazed, he tried to get up, slipped and resulted in using the heated Keyblade to pull himself up, leading to a big mistake of cracking and melting ice. Elsa wasn't exactly trusting and asked. "Do... you have any way to stop that?"

Ken tried to balance himself, let his burning keyblade fade and sighed. "Nope! But that is the least dumb of bad choices I made in around a minute." He took a deep breath and exhaled. "Elsa... it's going to be hard to say this, but something is in these mountains stalking people. A horned guy on a flying monster, he goes by the name of the Horned King and he is BAD news, he is something called a necromancer. Do... you know what that is?"

Elsa gasped and calmly asked in a dignified manner towards the intruder. "No, I don't... but do explain."

Ken nodded and knew he was on borrowed time before being kicked out. "A necromancer is someone with powers over the dead. He has a ton of them used as his minions, I can't do anything about them and unless there is a particular red haired girl around to do something about that, none of us got anything to really take them down! Miss... Elsa, this mountain isn't safe and I'm scared that if he finds this place, he is going to raid it and if that doesn't work... there is a town full of people that are in serious trouble when he tries another way to get you out of hiding. A kind of friend of mine is heading there now to warn them... so that's why I came rushing up here alone."

He slipped weakly as the red crystal became a deep blue, Elsa caused the icicles to turn to fresh snow and saw someone who really was telling the truth, as outrageous as it seemed at first. "O...B-" She looked out the door where the less than hostile snow monster stood and asked. "B...But I can't leave! What am I suppose to do?"

Ken gave up on trying to stand and answered. "I have no idea, but you can't be left up here alone with-" he looked at the snow monster. "just that. The Horned King has that dangerous of an undead army." He gave the snow monster a more willing smile and warned the queen. "This was why I broke in as I did, I'm not leaving this summit... but I know how to keep myself warm." He felt like he can stand up and was about to go out with the snow monster. "I'll be outside by a bonfire, hey eh-" He had no idea what the monsters name was, Elsa looked annoyed by what the boy was going to do and ordered. "Marshmallow, stop him!"

The snow monster stood in his way, Ken turned to the woman and asked. "Sup?"

Elsa sighed and caused a faint veil of ice to burst, Ken noticed an icy chair as the woman asked. "...What's you're name?"

Ken answered and didn't realize he was blushing. "Kendry."

Elsa asked again. "Kendry, you came all the way here and you heard of the things I done. Why are you trying to protect me?"

Ken answered and looked more at the charming, unbound queen. "Because the Horned King really is that evil and the guy he is working for is even worse. I'm a heartless person if I leave anyone to those kind of monsters. You might have caused... this whole mountain to be as it is, that's nothing compared to the Horned King, who would use his powers to hurt people and do things I don't want to talk about."

Elsa felt disturbed by the knowledge of how such a monster would go about, she looked at her hand and hesitated. "But... if you stay here, you are only going to get hurt by me... I... hurt people before."

Ken refused to believe it. "But did you hurt people on purpose?!" Elsa shook her head and slowly breathed, scared for the boys life. "That... is the point, I... can't control myself around people... I can't control myself at all."

Ken felt the fear and tilted his head back. "That would be figured out eventually and I'm okay with waiting until then. Getting scared and not knowing what is going to really happen, believe me-" He worried about his own issues and rubbed his left hand on his right arm. "Just keep trying." He felt himself ready to stand up and explained. "It's a long story, but someone is after me because they think I'm suppose to do something pretty awful and due to being lead to a certain place, that person is even more determine to get rid of me. She thinks I'm dead now, but I don't know how long it will be till she figures it out. I came here because I felt that something wrong was happening."

Elsa saw an uncertainty she was familiar with, swayed her hair and asked. "Someone feared that and you're afraid of what will happen when she tries again?"

Ken counted the moments that mattered. "The worst part is she also tried to get rid of someone that shouldn't have had anything to do with me, her and her friend had NOTHING to do with me... and we think that Farseer has her friend. I think that Farseer would just try something much worse to flush me out. What about you?"

Elsa felt tears dripping. "I... tried to protect my sister... and I ended up hurting her...I ended up hurting everyone. What... what I am suppose to do if I can't do anything to stop that?"

Ken shrugged and felt his own tears dripping. "I don't know, but trying to run from that didn't work. If... you can think of a good idea to deal with that, I'm here to listen."

He felt a chill as Elsa looked at him and sensed his intent. "If...I do, thank you."

Ken appreciated it and gasped to another warning. "There is another issue I no idea about, but if you see anything looking... distorted, that is another problem of its own. Be careful if you hear a voice you're not familiar with in you're head, its not there to help you. Would... you take my word for it if I say just be aware but not worry too much?"

Elsa would and answered in a relaxed, regal and appreciative tone. "I will, I need to think about what happened. If you slip again, know that there are more of those."

Ken saluted and turned. "I'll be at the base floor if you want to talk again and I know better than to bring out Firekeeper's Wish in here! If I get cold, I just need to go outside for the bonfire plan. Hey Marshmallow, if you find someone that doesn't look friendly coming, let us know."

Elsa allowed the snow monster to follow and giggled as she noticed something, Ken had no idea and went to the main floor, watching the snow monster take his leave. The boy realized he was blushing before Elsa the whole time and left in embarrassment, he noticed the Fire Keeper sitting on the floor and looking at him blindly, like a mother as she was about to lecture a child. "Wielder of the Flame, heed caution before doing something like that again."

Ken sighed and agreed. "Because that could have gone a lot worse for the idiot that broke into someones house to warn someone that... definitely wasn't in the mood to talk if it wasn't important." His blush came crimson. "Instead what happened was her seeing this. Well... I can't call Kairi and who knows how far away Elrena is to be an actual help." He took the time to observe the inner workings of the palace and appreciated the structure. "Guess this must be what it feels like to be alone."

The Firekeeper felt the chilly cold and guessed. "A world of ice. Hmmm-" she hummed more friendly. "Does thou appreciate stories?"

Ken does. "Especially when it makes the time easier... but if anyone asked, you just showed up."

The Firekeeper doesn't feel it was an issue. "If her majesty and Marshmallow could hear me. In an ages long past-"

At a town close to a castle.

Sora, Donald and Goofy vanquished the last of the dark inquisitors and freed the cornered towns folk, they wondered what was the cause of the ordeal as Goofy looked towards the outskirts and found a strange light shot above. His eyes followed the light and pulled Sora and Donald away from a street corner. "Look out!"

BOOM!

Light bombarded; Sora and Donald felt what ever was the source wanted to drag the whole town into absolute ruin. Goofy told them. "Something knows where we are and its from outta town! Sora, Donald, should we go there?"

Sora nodded and was ready to take the lead. "If it can stop, none of those things talk any sense and-" he noticed light being shot and dashed, with his friends following behind. BOOM!

They dodged bombardment, random heartless that were just there to slow them down as the sky pounded at them. With some struggle, they reached the tree filled outskirts to find a mobile throne with a cannon aimed above, a robed figure in the center looked frantic at a screen. "Where... where did those mutants-" Beep! The figure turned to a light and breathed heavily. "HERE?!" It looked at Donald and Goofy in frantic anger and looked at Sora, it twitched and glared at him. "YOU HARBOR THESE MUTANTS?!"

He aimed his sword as the robotic throne charged at him. "HERETIC!"

Sora yelped and slide to his left, out of the way, he felt himself hover and yelled out to Donald and Goofy, who dodged to the right. "This thing is crazy, you know what do?"

Donald shot an ice spell to freeze the throne at its feet as Goofy guessed the figure in the center was the main target, he needed a good jump to get to him, the machine's upper torso turned towards Sora and shot a beam of intense heat, burning the trees as it missed. Sora aimed his blade to the sky and shot down a thunder bolt, causing the machine to flinch as Goofy circled towards him, the throne fired a flamethrower and encouraged Goofy to run the other way as Sora shot fire balls and caught up to the shield bearer. Goofy yelled and saw his chance. "Sora, give me a boost!"

He held his shield over his head and Sora understood, he jumped on the shield and felt his friend jump high with all his might, the duo split and the boy grabbed Goofy by the hand. Sora threw the shield bearer at the figure on the throne, Goofy fell down upon the figure shield first and shined, the figure yelled and tried to aim its thrones fire beam, missing badly as the shield made contact.

SMASH!

The figure was crushed and the throne explodes in darkness, ending the fight as soon as it began. Goofy was dazed as Sora and Donald went to congratulate him on the quick thinking. The duck admitted. "That put an end to that quicker than we thought."

Sora agreed and helped Goofy up. "Yeah, where did you get that idea?"

Goofy shook the daze and chuckled. "Well, hi-yuck! That thing was what was controlling the throne and it wasn't going to let us get on it easy, so I reckoned we find a way to get there while it was focused on one of us and hit as hard as we can!"

A familiar voice couldn't believe it. "Really?! All that work and it got smashed by that idea?! What was even the point?!"

The three turned to an unburned tree and found Pete frustrated at the burning wreckage, the trio were not amused and Donald growled. "PETE! You caused this?!"

Pete had his hands at his hips and laughed crudely. "He, ha! Ha! All under orders of her nastiness to make sure it did its job. But all I got was a bunch of crazy unversed screaming mutants and heretics while scaring everyone."

Sora was even less amused and his eyes dropped. "Really? That... doesn't make any sense."

Pete questioned it and turned to leave in a corridor. "Ah phooey to that, this one didn't go nowhere! For something made from the darkness of you're friends, I expected a lot more."

He tried to step across as an astonished voice asked confused. "Dad?! What are doing?!" Pete turned around to find a cat like child, didn't recognized him at first and cringed. "E...Eh...S...Son?!"

The trio turned to find an astonished P.J and a confused Max looking at the chaos, Max was scared about the fire as P.J looked dumbfounded and asked. "Dad... was... this what you were doing all this time?! Mom was worried sick about you." Pete was in a corner and blabbered. "Well...I... you see-" Max turned towards Pete and found a figure glowing with in the darkness, an armored horned man reaching out for him. "Pete, watch out!"

The group wanted to know what was going on as Max and P.J watched Pete get touched by the back of his neck by the armored man, reality distorted and the two were gone in a flash. Sora, Donald and Goofy noticed something was odd and turned too late, seeing only the faint distortion, Donald asked the teenagers as he readied a rain spell. "What... did you see?"

P.J was more confused and asked. "Do... you want to talk about it at my place?"

With in the confides between reality.

Pete's eyes were nearly blasted by the constant shifting shapes as a sinister whisper slithered into his ear. "That was nothing but a disappointment, a complete mockery of the Imperium and all it can do is let them in on a pattern. Was there something you forgotten about?"

Pete turned around to find reality becoming darkness, the burning skulls and the sinister skull let him know who was talking to him. "Uh...yeah. I... may have had a family before I took it a bit too far at a contest and got locked up. Then her nastiness gave me a sweet deal. Eh... time sure does fly Zagor."

The Master of Possession's looked to care little about how the fool forgotten such an important aspect of his life. "And now you lead an army of darkness. If they didn't know of this atrocity, they certainly know now." He sighed and shrugged. "But it matters not. Maleficent had a wondrous idea that could provide use in due time, but it is way too subtle to take hold without understanding the whole. Sora and his friends need to witness the true Inquisition before distrust could prove effective."

He laughed at an idea. "I... have practiced the art of bending reality to my will, even across entire galaxies can be plucked... but... to do that, I require something much more powerful."

Pete was in on the idea. "Well we don't know anything about other galaxies and the only thing that could open that would be a keyblade. What are you making?"

Zagor channeled and caused a few thoughts to fly through Pete's mind. "A ritual that would connect ones bond to another and open a door. Listen the the memories from a Sister of Battle."

The voice and image of a man in futuristic, silver and gold armor, issuing orders and looking at a group of various people that were begging for mercy. "Resira, the taint of Chaos seeps in all, rebels and those who harbor them, willing or unwilling! Burn the taint from them, purify their souls!"

The woman in the memory didn't even hesitated and aimed her flamethrower at the many pleading peasant, guardsmen, men and women. The vision burned in fire, Pete cringed and shook his legs as Zagor laughed. "And she questioned if any of these people really were aligned to Chaos. That is the will of the Inquisition, to protect mankind from with in and out."

Pete yelled in outrage. "You call that protecting?!"

The Sorcerer found it more hilarious and chanted away. "No one, not you, not even the wielders of light, would DARE call that protection. What would a man like him, bring with in their minds? For him to... appear in a town like where you live?"

Pete agreed with him. "It will make Sora want to steer clear of finding the space marines and question if letting any of them out in the worlds is a good choice! What do you want from me?" The Sorcerer answered and raised his staff. "All I require is one small thing, it will be revealed at the eve."

At the base of the mountain.

Elrena felt herself tired from the snow, heartless and all the questions racing through her head. Taking more pleasure in seeing each heartless struck down and reaching to a fork in the mountain, leading closer to the shore. More and more her heart felt heavy from drowning out an echo. "That... dumb kid." Five soldiers clanked towards her, she didn't even look as she obliterated them. "Why would he be friends with her?! How?!" More shadows crawled after her and were struck down, her annoyance became something of regret. "Why... does he still..." Flying magi heartless were casually taken down by needles and another large festering juggernaut appeared before her, it charged at her, unaware of a missile whistling from behind.

BOOM!

It's chest blew up and released a heart, Elrena looked to the upper left and found an armored man with a missile launcher he had with him an unconscious red haired girl. The man looked on duty bound as Elrena gasped and ran to him, having a closer look at the details of silver armor, a back pack with missiles, a chain saw like sword at his hip and scope lens on his helmet. "So that is where that came from. Another Space Marine?!"

The marine looked at her in silence and to the girl Elrena slowly recognized. "You know of this one?"

Elrena asked without hesitation. "Where did you find her?"

The marine looked up the mountain and answered bluntly. "She fell off a mountain at a considerable height." He looked down at her. "The thick snow was the only reason she survived." He found a rocky wall to sit by and did just that, placing the unconscious girl by his side. "This snow came over night and every day I wandered the mountain. You know of that?"

Elrena took a deep breath and leaned by a tree. "I expected someone to have done that. But she isn't the source of the actual problems... you saved us earlier. Thanks."

The marine looked to the sky and sighed. "You and her-" He looked at the girl. "Had great strength to survive a battle against a Bloodthirster. You know her?"

Elrena growled and answered. "Yes I do, she is friends with... a friend of mine. Kairi. Have you seen... a horned guy riding on top of a dragon at all?"

The marine shook his head. "No, but his work... is heresy!"

Elrena's eye lids dropped. "Like that woman at the town. My friend is scared of him and for good reasons, if left unchecked, the Horned King threatens everyone. But when can we get going to warn them?"

The Marine answered. "When Kairi wakes up."

Elrena sighed in defeat, her attempt to warn the nearby city was put on hold, she gasped and asked. "Hey... do... you know what a Farseer is?"

The Marine looked at the woman like she shouldn't have said that. "Eldar? Where did you hear of that?"

Elrena answered. "From a friend of mine that was being chased down by one. She been playing me for an idiot and now both me and the kid are caught up in this."

The marine burst into laughter and pointed at her. "That's why you don't trust xenos like that. The Eldar only serve to benefit one thing, themselves. They wouldn't care if we all burn for their plans. Why don't you go to the town?"

Elrena answered feeling more doubtful. "Because my friend will get pretty upset if I just leave Kairi... or you, alone out here with the Horned King out here. That kid that is out in the mountain is too nice for his own good." She looked at Kairi with a feeling of guilt and kept guard as she asked. "How many of those you got left?"

The marine raised three fingers. "I had five with me, each one means the difference between victory and defeat. What is you're name?"

Elrena gave her's. "Elrena... yours?" The marine spoke his proudly. " Dabriel of the Iron Snakes!"

Under a mountain in the Realm of Beasts.

Aqua hid behind a stalagmite and counted the vast Moonclan horde marching to battle. There was nearly sixty grots with basic melee weapons, three barbed nets, three gongs clanking in the noisy cavern, forty Moonclan with basic bow and arrows, following behind with their own nets and gongs. She noticed both units dragging five balls and chains, not wishing what they were, she focused on an armored goblin with a helmet like the crescent moon and a sickle with the theme, barking orders to five odd goblins, one riding a crawling mushroom that looks like a brain, a multi legged goblin with a basket of potions, a masked goblin dancing on top of the skull of a beast, that skull being carried by a lesser goblin, a completely bonkers goblin in a light orange robe, that goblin holding a staff with smoking mushrooms and a goblin with a stick back pack that is used to carry a cauldron among other things. The goblin in armor ordered the five in a shriek. "Grobbapalooza, ya all knew Raknab was nuts, we sort out the wigglies and then get em! He just one fungus ridden grot."

The out of his mind grot cackled as the goblin on the brain mushroom advised. "But are we to kill him? He says he seen the Bad Moon and its shadow."

The dancing goblin looked upon the horde and argued. "Da boyz acting more scared of the wigglies than they are of me! I'll change that, Stogzog get me in there!"

The goblin under the skull obeyed as the goblin with the brew agreed with the goblin on the mushroom. "Da Loonking heard, he wants to see this and will pay twenty black stripped sniffler squigs if we capture Raknab alive. Loonboss Stoglak, do we really want to disappoint em?"

The Loonboss stomped on a mushroom that let loose blue spores and grumbled. "Raknab don't make any sense!" He gave up and dismissed something. "Bah! Long as we get paid, whens Skabsnit coming with his boys?"

Rumble! Rumble! BOING! SLAM!

Two chained, round, two footed, grey skinned, purple stripped monsters with massive jaws bounced at the call, with a crew of goblins... less riding on them and more hanging on for dear life, one particular goblin, one in scrapped together armor cackled and called a massive horde following behind him, twenty smaller monsters with goblins riding on their backs and twenty four smaller monsters being herded by four goblins. Stoglak went into a cackle of his own and ordered his Grobbapalooza. "Look at them squigs go! Get in there! We isn't stopping!"

The five grotz cringed and did as told, Aqua felt she seen enough and saw to the other side of the field was a blue fungus forest. She dashed in the speed of light and rushed through the vast forest, hearing more and more of the goblins. She was nearly tripped by a hardened fungus and felt something was watching her, six of the mushrooms came to life to show yellow eyes, maws that let loose a dark haze and a red emblem looking like a chained heart. They blabbered gibberish and channeled something in a dark aura, Aqua felt her skin tighten into an itch and tried to scratch, finding it getting worse and finding it much difficult to concentrate or even move nimbly. Six small, squigs bounced from the shadows, three of them bit into the mushrooms in wild snapping of its fanged maw.

Three of them chomped at Aqua, who wasn't amused and knocked two of them towards the heartless, watching nature at work as the lone monster tried and failed to bite at her. She gave a sharp glare at the lone squig that yelped and sprinted through the last freed heartless, taking a massive bite out of it and fleeing into the shadows as the heartless vanished. Aqua felt the itch fading and struck at the distracted foes, quickly dispatching them and leaving the squigs to their own. Most of the gardens were just pure madness otherwise, it was difficult to tell a still mushroom from one that would attack and the floating spores with yellow eyes pelting her with tiny bombs didn't help. She found a small clearing and found cowering goblins with bags of mushrooms and squigs with fungus like noses, surrounded by ten squigs with armored goblin riders battling the quantity of mushroom heartless, leading the ten was a screaming goblin on a larger squig. "Come on, kills these gitz so we get into that scrap!

What we even doing here?!" One goblin with a sniffling squig answered with his legs shaking. "We...we getting the star caps! Blue cap with sparkles. Boss Stoglak's says they bring twinkles to the cave when we smoke them and Grobblas say they help us zog Raknab's wigglys!"

CHOMP!

A heartless had its head bitten off by an armored squig and its crazed rider, the rider noticed a figure with hints of aqua blue and yelled. "HUMMIE!"

He saw the keyblade and pointed. "Hummie with key! Hummie with key! Hummie caused this!" He yelled with savage blood lust. "Get er!"

The boingy squigs rushed at her with the riders readying their spears. LEAP! BOOM! The squigs were pushed back by the giant squig as the rider barked at them. "Are ya's stupid or ya just forgot?!"

He looked at her less than welcoming. "A dark hummie with dark key thingy was talking to Raknab and told em to help bring in wigglys! That mushroom huffing looney just kept sending wiggly after wiggly to show off, then he just opened a cave letting a whole lots of them before that hummie started babbling again." He looked at the keyblade and at his spear, he looked back with envy. "Another key thingy around would bring lots more trouble though."

Aqua was ready to defend herself and calmly asked. "I'm not, now go back to your people."

The squig belched as the greedy loonboss giggled. "Not till the snifflers get the mushrooms. Stoglak would yell at me if they come with... eh... lost count." His eyes shined red. "But I count good loot wandering er!"

The goblins on the squigs honked like a flock of seagulls. "Loot?!" One saw the keyblade and honked. "Loot!"

They had the squigs ready a bounce and were yelled at by the loonboss. "Get your own!"

Aqua knew what the goblin was talking about and aimed her keyblade at him in a warning. "You're not having this, it's far too important and I'm not letting you have something like this!"

The goblin turned around to see the glowing blade at his face, his squig readied a bounce to the right as the goblin swallowed hard and tried to pull something. "Eh... that doesn't shoot... does it?" The blue eyes glared at him, the hummie was serious about shooting him off his squig if he makes a false move, he hid with in his damp clamy cowl and gave his steed a swift kick with its iron boot, prompting the squig to bolt at her.

Aqua flipped away from the onlooking mob that howled to their boss and fired a fire ball at the goblin, the goblin dodged like a slippery slug and chomped on something. The goblin yelled mad as a lackey yelled. "Chomp the red cap Sliznak! Chomp the hummie Blechy!"

The squig jumped to its left and turned in jump, kicking up dirt as Aqua slipped to its side with a stream of wind and attacked like a storm, the goblin slipped past most of them and jabbed frantically, missing nearly as much and being parried when they did hit. Aqua shined in a flash of light and was on top of her keyblade, like a riding board. PEW!

She dashed through the goblin and knocked him off the top of the saddle less squig, then dash from behind and was denied the hit, then back from the front to knock the goblin by the squigs tail. The squig tried and failed to snap at her and looked directly up to find her aiming the keyblade down at him and shooting him down with magic energy. Causing the squig to splat on the ground, panic and make a rush through the forest with the Goblin holding on, screeching as the squig hopped a great distance. Away from the on looking goblins that were scared for their lives, their own squigs sprinted towards the battle outside of the forest and left the sniffler handlers to chase after them, one yelling. "Get back er!"

Aqua shook her head and journeyed across the forest and found a split down the road, taking a left towards the sound of marching. She took a deep breath and looked from behind a mushroom, to her surprise it was an army of heartless, but infested with purple fungus, from armored knights, to floating mushroom wizards with wands, shadows popping up as mushrooms and to familiar horror, a large humanoid giant with a heart shape hole stomped behind the massive horde, its arms looked to be growing in the fungus and was shaking off spores. She squinted her eyes at the sheer numbers and found something in the center, on top of a flying shining mushroom with a symbol of an angry crescent moon. A goblin that had large fungus growing out of him, a mushroom growing out of his head, a staff with a large worm wiggling on top, a bulging right eye and a typical black cowl. The shaman raised his staff at the coming goblin horde. "Wigglys! Show them the shadow of the Bad Moon and all that grows with in!"

He plucked something from his toes and hurled it to the front line, goblin horde. A simple mushroom, it landed in the middle and quickly erupted from the ground as a large red skull cap, letting loose spores upon the horde and causing Aqua to want to look away from the mess and death screams. The shaman caused a green hand to appear and spirit a portion of the armored heartless away, behind the approaching goblins lines. The mushroom like heartless bombarded as the Dark Cap giant raised its hands in the air and formed a dark yellow crescent orb, feeding spores and causing it to cloak in purple mushrooms. BOING!

The large, mangler squigs leaped with a following of squig hoppers, bouncing above the heartless swarm and smacking with in the center with the hoppers. Aqua watched the darkness fly and the spell casters feeding power in the moon. If they are allowed to finish feeding that dark moon and unleash its power, who knows what would be unleashed upon the mountain. She shook her head and focused on one of the floating wizards. PEW!

She dashed to a wizard with a stream of light, struck it in the head and watched it swell like a spore, she kicked it down to the dark tide and used air magic to stay afloat, watching the horde scatter from the fungus. She noticed to the far back, right where the dark giant stood, was a corridor bursting heartless. She felt something look at her from behind, the cave shaman that cringed at the light and at his work being undone, he asked bluntly. "What's a hummie doing down here?!" Aqua wished to answer as the shaman gasped at the keyblade and pointed. "Oh, I gets it! You a hummie from the heart realm! Where Bad Moon's cousin is?" Aqua cringed at the idea of Kingdom Hearts being associated with a moon that brings the absolute worst in the grots as the shaman readied a glowing glare. "Darky blabbers about that! You isn't blocking out the Bad Moon!"

PEW!

Aqua felt the painful vindictive glare and flew away from the goblin, towards another mage feeding power. POW! SLAM!

Raknab realized what Aqua was trying to do and panicked as another mage was flung to the ground and carved another hole in his army. "What in Gorkamorka's foot are you doing?!" A black yellow hand emerged from the darkness, grabbed Aqua in its grip and left her to the giggling Goblin's mercy, the woman struggled and felt the hand ready to fling her into the dwindling horde slowly being replaced. "The shadows of da moon will swallow you up like a mangler!"

FLING!

The hand flung Aqua straight into the horde, many got knocked asunder as the rest surrounded her. The woman caught herself and flipped forward to land on her feet, she turned to see the goblin dodging a variety of arrows and a calvary of armored squigs she was familiar with. She turned back to the closing in horde and unleashed a twister upon them, decimating more than she can count and using the flung heartless as a platform towards another mage, finding herself closer to the giant that noticed her and charged a dark orb from its cavity. She made quick work of the mage and threw it at the giant, halting its attack and giving her the chance to fly at it and slash it in the face. The giant swatted at her, Aqua back flipped and dashed at the giants legs, causing it to kneel over, she turned to find the giant mangler catching up with her and nearing exhaustion from various attacks, slightly relieved that she won't have to deal with that, she went back to her foe.

The giant forced its self up, folded its arms and caused the moon above to fire down a barrage of dark fungus. Aqua dodged and watched the fungus explode and shoot its own fungus balls at her. Pushing her back and tiring her out, she fired back her own barrage of fire magic at the fungus and flew away to avoid the giants burst of a fungus cloud.

BOING! POW! BOOM! UMFTH!

Eight squigs bounced on the giant's torso and caused it to stumble back. Fangs and tiny daggers dealt scratches to the giant, it raised its hands to the glowing moon and caused it to fire down beams of dark yellow light upon the squig hoppers, Aqua watched the obliteration and felt pained by the screams as she watched the moon radiating. Ready to be unleashed, she shot a fire ball at the monsters face and readied to unleash all she has as the largest of the squigs took more injuries and yelled in a craze, bouncing at the giant and smacking itself upon its body, biting down like a savage dog and beating its body with balls and chains. With an armored goblin yelling in a panic as he was flung at the head, cutting into it, such a bizarre rescue, but Aqua wasn't too willing to complain, she shot a fire ball to deal a finishing blow and watched the giant dissolve.

Giving her the chance to rush towards the opened rift and aim her blade, heartless were slowing and the moon like orb pulsed in unstable power. Her blade glowed and fired the beam as she heard a mad cackling from behind, she turned to find a very familiar goblin on a giant cave squig, readying for something as he gave a wicked snarl and glowed in a blue mist that had star lights. "I wasn't done with ya! Blechy need a good yanking to get going!" Aqua growled as she and the would be attacking Goblin felt a strong blow of wind from the unstable orb, the even larger squigs yelped at the power and jumped away, the armored goblin saw the fellow goblin and yelled. "Sliznak, what are you doing er?!"

The goblin found himself in the chain and was yelling at the running squigs. "No, get back er! Thing going to go boom!"

He knew he lost control over his steed and yelled to Sliznak. "You, bash it! Zogging bash it before it wipes us all out!"

PEW!

The keyblade's beam made contact with the rift and caused it to shine a key hole closing, cutting out the near endless supply of heartless to an finite number. Aqua turned towards the pulsing moon like orb and watched it distort in a darken swirl, the chained loon boss was yanked by his chain and was dragged away by the squig, screaming and dropping his weapon as Sliznak realized something really does need to happen. To Aqua's exhaustion, the goblin smiled crazily at the orb and yelled at his squig. "We getting that key ting when we beat that up! Belcher, give it the gob!"

He yanked an the squigs forehead and caused it to yell as it jumped into the orb with its suicidally dim witted rider.

Both punctured the orb, and were surrounded by the dark energy that bounced towards a cave wall and bounced back towards the far away ceiling. Aqua watched the two bodies disappear and had another entity of darkness to remove and aimed again, pouring the last ounce of strength she had into final shot. The beam punctured the orb and caused it to suck in the many heartless remaining, causing them to disintegrate as the fighting shaman fell through his and fell to the ground. The whole heartless army was wiped out and the orb flickered one more time, bursting into a vast cloud of dark spores and leaving behind a body battered cavern. A small cowl floated away in the wind and Aqua saw a passage leading out of the crazed world, right next to the still vast army of moonclan grots and squigs, she notice the cave shaman trying to get up and knew he was going to get what was coming to him.

She sneaked to the passage and watch Raknab cower at the goblins that looked furious. A loonboss approached with a herd of five squigs approaching. Raknab stuttered. "But...but...this is shadow of the Bad Moon, they showed me the way to sneaking across the realms! They like the spiders and fungus that creeps the caves! They everywhere, we can finally get at the hummies, chaos boyz, them big orrukz all sneaky like! You iz looking at the wrong side of the moon!"

Stoglak looked like he didn't have a single clue what Raknab was talking about and aimed his cutter at him. "You idiot! Everyone knows we is the ones who follow the other side of the Bad Moon, not the wigglys!" He ordered his squig herders. "Get em! Release the squigs!"

The herders did as followed and the squigs bolted at the shaman with slobbering, fanged maws, ready to have their next meal, Raknab screamed and tried to cast something to save himself as Aqua looked away from more barbaric actions.

BOOM! "Enough!"

Aqua heard another squeaky voice and a wave of authority caused the squigs to cease their charge. The onlooker and the many goblins turned to find a black robed goblin with a stone crown that had many mushrooms growing. He had a scepter with a skull that had spider legs in his left hand and a large staff with various fungus, one particular being shaped like a crescent moon, on his right. Following behind him were three rock hide trolls.

Stoglak stood his ground and stuttered. "S...Skragrott?! We... eh. We didn't expect ya to be here so soon eh."

Skragrott looked up to the ceiling and giggled. "The Bad Moon, showed me a vision! You will get you're pay and then some!" He approached the confused shaman. "Leave us!"

The goblin did as told and blew out a horn, issuing an order of his own to his horde. "Come on, we gots to get Skabsnit before he gets squished!" The horde bickered among themselves and followed, leaving Skragrott and his trolls alone with the wayward shaman, Aqua felt malicious intent from the goblin that had much to lecture the wayward shaman about. "Looking at the other side of the Bad Moon? Where it doesn't shine?!"

He tisked as the shaman stuttered in his craze. "B...But everywhere the moon shines leaves a shadow! What's on the other side of the Bad Moon but a shadow oh Loonking?" Skragrott snickered at him. "That's the reason why I didn't let those squigs bite ya to bones!" He bopped the shaman on the face with his staff and gave off a green cloud of spores. "You silly grot!" Raknab was dazed by the tap and felt a mushroom growing on his face, he looked more terrified as a troll went to pick him up, Skagrott watched his magic take hold as Aqua kept quiet. "Where is he taking him?!"

The Loonking turned with an interesting question. "Maybe it really is wigglys, maybe just another grot trying to steal the moon from us or the whole moon is a big un warlord just like us, with his own pet moon, being one cunning grot leading us where no-one would shank em. We can't let ya go messing around the underground for that. Come on ya troggoths, we got another one to lock up!"

Raknab cringed and tried to scurry away screaming, failing to leave the troggoths grip as they followed the Loonking, walking away into the vast underground world.

Leaving Aqua to think about what she saw and shook her head. "...This all happened because of his experiments." She walked down the pathway leading up and out of the belly of the mountain, to another forest with glowing mushrooms, white mushrooms with yellow stars and moons at the cap. The pendent gave a glow and the keyblade glowed up the passage way. So close to leaving the Realm of Beasts. Growl! Aqua heard a growl and the sound of fast legs, she turned around with her blade ready and watched a small grey, purple stripped squig bounce at her with its maw aiming for her head.

SWAT!

She knocked the squig back and watched it jump to her left, trying again to attack. It jumped and Aqua swung the bladed part of her weapon down on it, knocking it to the ground and leaving it with a key mark on its head, it stuck its tongue out in an attempt to keep going and gasped its final breath. Aqua closed her eyes in defeat. "This is how the weak of strength survive in this realm, if they are not the strongest, then they are the more cunning and willing to take risks. To overcome those larger." She took a deep breath and heard more noise.

Growl!

She looked around and wasn't afraid to strike the next fool that tries to attack from the shadows.

Growl! Growl!

There was naught a presence from the shadows, Aqua felt an emptiness from with in and looked embarrassed as she realized one thing, she traveled through three realms and hasn't even brought anything to fill the ever gnawing void in her stomach.

She looked around with hungering instinct in her mind and found nothing of note, save for the dead squig. She felt a deep voice most familiar in her memories mention the words. "Delicious squigs."

But was she really going to trust the words and opinion of an individual that would eat anything. The void became stronger, Aqua sighed, dug a small hole, tossed some mushrooms in for kindling and surrounded the pit with rocks. She cast a simple fire spell to light the pit on fire and picked up the dead animal, finally taking in one of the golden concepts of Ghur.


	16. Destruction

At a certain kingdom freed from pixelation and inquisitors. Sora, Donald, Goofy and especially Max cowered at a brown haired, cat like woman with a pink shirt, white pants, significantly less of a gut than expected and an irritated mood. "So that's where that's jerk ball been all these years?! And we were worried sick about him!"

Goofy stuttered as P.J looked defeated. "B..But Peg, none of us knew until over a week ago."

Peg had her hands at her hips and gave a sharp scowl to Goofy. "Don't give me any of that, you and Donald disappeared on all of us for a year without even a word! Did you even know what Max had to do for that year?"

Max didn't want to be embarrassed as P.J casually answered. "He hanged out with us... ha...ha."

Peg growled and wanted to throw a tomato at a family portrait as Sora cringed. "Yeesh, this has to stink."

He tried to think of what to say as Donald pitied the teenage boys. "It really does. Max, you said you saw something else taking Pete away... who was it?"

Max scratched his head in remembering. "Let's see... he looks red and has a skull for a helmet... like something out of a metal album."

Goofy, Donald and Sora gasped in hope that wasn't who they thought it was, Peg was more annoyed. "Oh so now he is working with someone else. A Mistress of All evil, when I get my hands on him I'll...I'll." She couldn't figure out what to say and sat on a chair with the same distraught as her son. "I can't believe he stooped that low and is doing all these things."

The trio swallowed as Sora asked. "Yeah... let's hope that's the only thing he is getting involve in."

Knock! Knock!

P.J went to get the door and found a silver haired human with news of his own. The depressed teenager asked. "Are... you Sora's friend?"

The boy nodded. "I was told he was here after dealing with some crazy stuff going on at town."

Sora got up and wanted to leave an uncomfortable conversation, thanking P.J and asking. "Riku, there was something we might be figuring out. We saw the castle return to normal, you and the King dealt with the problem?"

Riku saw the worry and obliged to his friends wishes. "Mickey is looking around for what we came for, but we don't have to worry about setting one foot in you know where. That's our new problem."

Sora blinked and followed his friend out, leaving Donald and Goofy to look at each other and wish to Peg and P.J, Goofy said it out loud. "Just hope Pete isn't making things worse for himself."

Out of the building and to the street.

Riku told Sora what he needed to know. "Apparently something, or someone rescued Garland from the Realm of Darkness and now that knight is traveling worlds with magic draining crystals for something. It caused all the trouble at the castle, he used heartless to get his way and he might mess around with another world."

Sora was astonished by that. "Garland?! But... why?" Riku sighed and nearly laughed at the thought. "He called it a task beyond our comprehension. Huff Sometimes this gets to a point where things don't make sense anymore."

Sora understood and nearly had a tune ring in his voice. "Rest at ease over that and look at it as it is?"

Riku smiled and nodded. "Forget about the reasons behind it and deal with it. We will deal with Garland when we get to him, but him, Aqua and that... Anatesis are out of there. This leaves with one issue before we deal with... him."

Sora knew who, looked back at the house and spoke of him. "Zagor and his... cult. I... hope no one we know gets involved with that."

Riku agreed wholly and had an arm wrapped around his friends shoulder. "To do so would be beyond just stupid. But we are one step closer to kicking these Word Bearers out. Where do you think Yen Sid is going to send us? To awaken the worlds and all that?"

Sora thought about it and was confused thinking about it. "Where ever it is, I'm glad we can do this one together."

The boys smiled to each other, Riku asked to pass the time. "So what else did you find besides bad news?"

Sora answered quite enlightened. "Found a little bit about Goofy's life here. How much longer do we have to wait until Mickey finds what he is looking for?"

Riku shrugged and took out a gummi phone to kill the time. "Until he finds it."

Blip! His eyes shined and he almost broke into a loud laughter, Sora looked asked bluntly. "He seriously let her have his phone? What is even going on at the towns?!"

Riku had no idea. "Probably something to make travel a little more easier, but now we know nothing about what he is doing. So-" He looked at Sora and wanted him to put together a pattern. "You are going to expect another big battle soon?"

Sora leaned on a wall and hoped not. "Every single one so far had been one nightmare after another. Before you got here, there was a weirdo burning the whole forest to get to me."

Riku shook his head at that. "No those are for survival, I'm talking about one that could be... fun."

Sora had one image and blushed. "Like how after Kairi knocked a Space Marine and seems to be holding her own?"

That was something Riku considered. "She and that other one still got a long way to go. But it wouldn't hurt to see how far they are coming." Sora snapped to another. "Yeah, I haven't got to see either of them fight yet. Just... what I heard." He wondered. "How do either of them fight?"

Riku had hopes and looked to the sky with a sudden chill. "Hopefully a lot better than the last time I saw them."

At the ice palace.

At the base floor, Ken finished telling Elsa a particular story he was told. "And only after the chosen one rang both bells, did the knight of Catarina awaken."

That story caused Elsa to giggle more. "Those were the kind of stories you hear about from you're travels?"

Ken didn't wish to lie to the queen. "Eh... not exactly from my travels. I was told of them quite recently."

Elsa sighed at the confusing answer and was giving benefit of the doubt. "If it is like why you didn't speak much of the horned king, but... something about the story seems... odd. Why was the sleeping knight important?"

Ken guessed. "She never finished telling me the story and she seemed... hesitate to continue. I think she is use to stories... that don't end that funny." He shrugged and was in more control of his balance as he approached the door. "Well, back to patrolling out-" ROAR!

SWAT!

Ken raised an eyebrow and went to take a look, finding a group of red coated men doing battle against Marshmallow, they were swatted to a rock and looked on at the door, Ken felt a desire for murder and closed the door, feeling the fingers on his left hand light up in fire. "Intruders and they are not here for tea!" He turned to Elsa and used his blade to form a fogged gate at the door. "They are not the undead, I got this!"

Elsa gasped and shivered. "Kendry, don't hurt them!"

Ken growled and sighed. "We need to figure out how to give them the-" The sound of murderous men was heard and the boy changed his tone to urgency. "Run!"

Elsa did just that as Ken jumped to the second floor and cast a spell of strong wind, he watched the queen make it to the next set of stairs and heard the door slam open, he saw the two red coats force themselves past the fogged door and readied himself in position with Cadia's Light, like a sniper ready to shoot down. The two red coats ran in and saw the boy with his weapon ready, he yelled out to them. "I'm giving you three seconds to turn around! One, two,-"

PEW!

Ken dodged the cross bolts and growled, he wanted to fire at them and felt a familiar voice whisper. "Remember thy vow to the queen."

Ken glared at the two readying for another shot and used his usual trick of taking flight and flying to the stairs, he used the burnt keyblade to form a fogged gate and yelled. "You're not welcome here!"

WOOSH! He entered the third floor, blew out a stream of more air magic and formed a third fogged gate. He turned around to Elsa, who was scared for her life, he asked. "Miss Elsa, there is no way I can drive these guys off without having to fire at them. This is all I got beyond that. I think they're here to kill you."

Elsa panted as the crystals became yellow, she closed her eyes, looked in pain and nodded to him a signal. Ken had Cadia's Light ready and promised her. "I did it exactly as this before! If they can't fire, they can't hurt anyone! They'll get the message and scram."

He watched the fog gate ripple and let the two men through, one of them whispered to the other. "We got her!"

They fired at Elsa, Kendry parried with Fire Keeper's Wish and gave both of them a death glare, he aimed Cadia's Light at the offender that was tossed a cross bolt and fired. They rolled out of the way as Elsa shot ice magic to form a frozen barrier to where they rolled, keeping them from shooting again. Ken sid by Elsa and aimed again as the woman pleaded with the two. "Stay away!"

Ken agreed and ordered the men, coldly. "Go away!"

One of the two slowed down and let the other slide to the other side, towards the door way. Elsa focused on the one furthest from the door as Ken stood in between the one closer to the door and the queen. The man furthest from the door made the mistake of aiming and Elsa used ice magic to pin the man to a wall with icicles, Ken found his target and shot the other man on his hands. Knocking the cross bow off and giving Elsa the chance she needed to corner the other man with icy walls, forming another wall to push the man out towards the balcony. Ken saw another threat neutralized and focused on the man pinned to the wall, threatening him with a boast as he watched him try to aim his cross bow. "I can manage these two keyblades and shoot you're cross bow out of you're hand very easily! Can you?"

At the eve of his pride, a masculine voice called out. "Queen Elsa!"

Ken turned to the group of intruders, a brown haired man in a green coat with a squad of green coats. The man pleaded to Elsa. "Don't be the monster they fear you are!"

Ken felt a blood vessel pulse and yelled out. "Oh please, if she WAS that, these two wouldn't be breathing. Lea-" He sensed something coming, in a faint beat of his heart and on instinct, made a jump to where the door was.

CLASH!

He knocked something away an astonished Elsa, a spear of black metal and adorned to have a skull and wings. He felt something was watching and hovered to look, a familiar dragon with a man in red robes. Elsa felt the red eyes glaring at her, then at the boy. Ken glared back at the horned king and felt his burnt keyblade letting loose a spark, a heat coursing through him. Elsa took a deep breath and promised him. "Kendry, I can handle this."

The boy's eyes turned back to Elsa and aimed Cadia's Light at the man with a cross bow. "When I get back, you people better get the hint and leave Miss Elsa alone!"

He watched the Horned King fire something and shot himself out of the window with his air magic, he felt his body burning against something, like a bullet. A shadowy specter shot at the boy and he sliced it in two with Fire Keeper's Wish, leaving nothing to stop him from making contact with the Horned King's chest. Shooting him down the mountain and clinging on the back of the dragons neck. The Horned King laughed at him and took out a sword, as his steed tried to regain control of its flight. "Do you think this would stop me! Being crushed on impact will mean NOTHING to me!"

Ken didn't care and readied to strike with Cadia's Light's bladed end. "Then I'll take you out before then!"

At the mountain of Arendelle.

Elrena looked bored at a whole afternoon of nothing, she looked at a fire place of twigs slowly dying out as the observant Space Marine kept a stoic watch. Both noticed Kairi cringing in fear and worried that she was having a nightmare of some kind. The woman asked. "I wonder what else happened with her before she ended up like that? Dabriel, did you find anyone else here? She was with four the last time I... saw her."

Dabriel shook his head. "Just you two and that daemon."

Elrena groaned. "Seriously?! Not even that kid?"

She felt worried and looked away, she smiled to something and teased at the marine. "...Well when she does wake up, you might be surprised to know who she found. All back in this town far away from this world."

Dabriel asked. "You mean planet?!" He shook his head. "No... if it was that across a whole galaxy, you would have spoken of more than just a child. She would not have been able to travel here alone and she showed no signs of being a psyker. Being stranded-" Elrena felt that concept and faced the marine to say something. "makes you feel pretty scrambled even when you figure it all out. I'm sure when you find others to connect to, it will help."

She notice a familiar blonde girl trying to shake Kairi awake, the marine wasn't aware and blinked under his helmet. "It's been days, my Battle Brothers... won't abandon me even if I perished."

Namine turned to the marine and was disappointed that he wasn't going to be of any help, she turned to Elrena, glared, closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "...You want to help Kairi?"

Elrena looked at Namine with a nod, keeping her mouth closed from what ever venom was in her voice box. Namine gave a glow. "Something bad is about to happen and someone we know got hurt up in the mountain. Don't say anything."

Elrena found herself in a well lit room with a fire place, she noticed Kairi worried sick for an orange hair woman that was shivering to death and had her hair turning white as snow. "...Anna." She noticed Elrena, tensed in hostility about something and looked to the scene, Elrena notice an orange haired man with light green eyes an signs of being a noble man, helping keep her stable. Elrena asked. "Who's this guy?"

Kairi answered. "Hans... I think Anna told me about him."

Elrena guessed that Hans was some kind of fiance and listened to him ask Anna with concern. "What happened up there?!"

Anna shivered and answered desperate for something. "Elsa struck me with her powers."

Hans looked astonished by that. "You said she would never hurt you!"

Anna felt distraught. "I was... wrong...Urk!" She cringed in pain and was helped to a chair, she explained what was happening. "She froze my heart and only an act of true love can save me!"

Han's eyes glistened to a realization. "A true loves kiss?" Anna's eyes shined with hope that the man would do the deed and save her live, he closed in towards her lips in view of the fire place.

Elrena sensed something incredibly wrong as she asked Kairi. "Is... something up about this?"

Kairi nodded to her. "She only met him recently."

Elrena gasped, cringed and looked towards the coming kiss, Han's stopped right before the kiss, his eyes opening half way and he spoke in a relaxed, yet cruel expression. "Oh Anna." Anna's eyes opened in surprise as the man continued. "If only there was someone out there who loved you."

Kairi and Elrena looked astonished, the older woman sighed in disappointment. "Can't say I didn't see this coming." Kairi agreed with that. "This isn't end."

Both watched Anna ask. "What?! You said you did."

Hans walked to cover the window and explained without a care. "As thirteenth in line in my own kingdom, I knew I didn't stand a chance." He took a white glove off. "I knew, I have to marry into the throne somewhere."

Anna was slowly taking in the cold truth. "What, what, what are you talking about?"

Hans spoke more of his plan as the onlooking ladies in the vision felt a mixture of sorrow for Anna and disgust towards the man that went to get a picture of water. "As heir, Elsa was preferable of course but no one was getting anywhere with her, but you, you were so desperate for love, you were willing to marry me just like that." Both women's jaw dropped as Anna felt a broken heart as Hans laughed it off and poured water on the fire place. "I'd figured after we marry I'd have to stage a little accident for Elsa."

Anna gasped and tried to stop him, falling from her injury. "Hans, no, stop!"

Hans saw to the fires extinguishment. "But then she doomed herself," He looked at Anna with callous contempt. "And you were dumb enough to go after her! All that's left now is to... kill Elsa." He casually walked towards Anna to finish explaining his plans to a dying girl. "and bring back summer."

Anna glared up at him. "You're no match for Elsa!"

Han's lifted her head up with a finger under her chin. "No, you're no match for Elsa." He put his glove back on. "I, on the other hand, am the hero who is going to save Arendelle from destruction!"

He left Anna for dead, the girl hissed. "You won't get away with this!"

Han's opened the door and shrugged smugly. "Ah, I already have!" He closed the door and left, the vision ended and Elrena found herself back on the tree, crackling lightning in anger as Kairi stirred, jolted awake and was breathing heavily.

Namine whispered something to her and Kairi stood up to find both Elrena and a space marine. She was disoriented and confused as the marine casually greeted her. "Hail traveler! You were out for a long time since I found you."

Kairi felt a desperate heart in the distance and asked. "Dabriel, what... what is happening is too much of an emergency and you can't come with us!"

The marine gasped and stood up. "But why?! It is my duty to resolve this, that is the training of the Iron Snakes!" Elrena guessed why. "But we can blend in better than you. It's a pretty dumb rule."

That Kairi agreed. "But thank you for rescuing me and watching over me. Dabriel, do you mind staying here while we handle this?"

The bored marine didn't. "If it means we can avoid being lost." He stood stalwartly as Kairi took out a gummi phone and realized who's phone wasn't with him. Her cheeks puffed as Elrena guessed. "Found out that you're friend lent his phone to someone at Traverse?"

Kairi sighed and placed it at her hip. "Yes, that means we have to go help Anna without him. Elrena... would you help?"

Elrena nodded and gave a vicious smile. "Hans can't get away with this and someone needs to teach him a lesson!"

Namine hid behind Kairi and disappeared, the princess growled and looked around to find no certain path save for down. One particular sense dampened and she looked to the slope down. "Just... follow me, this could take a while."

CLASH! WOOSH! TINK! TINK! Kairi, Elrena and Dabriel looked towards the right of the slope and found a skeletal dragon trying to keep control of its flight and rolling out of control, a force of necrotic darkness and a force of burning light clashed on the back. The Space Marine certainly followed them and had his missile launcher ready as the girls ran down the mountain to hear a CRASH!

Many trees were crushed and a horde of undead heartless scampered towards the wreckage. Kairi glowed in light and made quick work of them as Elrena stunned any stragglers and the marine upper cutting more, shattering their skull and watching it reform. They reached the crash site and found a skeletal dragon with its bones broken and slowly reforming. The Horned King was off the steed and kept close as a familiar boy pulsed in air magic and looked scorched all around. Kairi cast a healing spell on the blonde boy. "Ken, watch out!"

Pulse!

Ken panted and felt some relief, his teeth gritted and he kept his aim at the Horned King as Elrena went to his side and was ready to electrocute the horned figure. The Mortarch of Souls readied a spell and glowed in purple as Ken noticed the people approaching and barked. "G...Give up! You finish that and we will shoot you!"

The Horned King heard a click and looked at the hulking man, he held to his dragon and caused the undead to fade into shadows, a dark pool bubbled from underneath the two as the necromancer taunted the boy. "And while you do that, you left the queen undefended!"

The shadows escaped and a corridor opened from benefit. Both engulfed in darkness and sank in. PEW!

The lasgun keyblade fired anyways and Ken was in a panic. He felt two people staring at him awkwardly and turned to them. "...I been fighting that guy in the air for that long?!"

He felt frozen in fear and was shaking out of it by Kairi. "Ken, what happened?!"

Ken turned to face the princess and looked felt like his heart was on fire. "...I reached an ice palace and might have made friends with the Ice Queen... Elsa, when some guys came barging in with two of them trying to kill her and this one guy I don't trust!"

He glared at what was behind him as Elrena guessed the rest. "Then that Horned guy showed up to try and do the job, Elsa let you deal with him... thinking that she would handle the rest. Who is the guy you talked about?"

Ken described him. "Dark orange hair, light green eyes and he looked important. You found out something about him?"

Kairi's breathing became thin and she shook him like it was a worst case scenario. "HOW LONG AGO WAS THAT?!"

Ken sighed. "I think it was morning."

Elrena took a deep breath to that. "Then what we saw wasn't long at all. We still got time to save both Elsa and Anna."

Kairi nodded and looked to the space marine duty bound. "Dabriel, stay up the slope, we will come for you! Ken, that man is named Han's and he is awful!"

Ken guessed the rest and felt the burning lessen. "The thing he said to Elsa... was an act." Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! SMASH!

Trees scattered and a familiar snow monster barreled through with a task, Dabriel was about to shoot when Ken yelped. "Wait, I know this guy!" He approached as Kairi's face looked more outraged, the monster turned towards Ken and growled. The boy pleaded. "Marshmallow, listen, we know Elsa is in trouble! That's what you were coming down here to handle? Right?"

Marshmallow sighed, slumped his limbs and muttered. "Elsa."

Ken nodded to him. "Agreed." He turned to the three and felt Kairi's expression stinging as he asked. "He wants Elsa safe just like all of us, should we let him help?"

Kairi growled and answered. "...If it is for Elsa, sure!" She asked the marine once more. "Dabriel, you know what we asked."

The marine saluted and turned around. "I will be here!"

The marine marched on and Kairi lead the way down the slope. "Let's hurry up, then we will talk about all this after it is over!" The three unlikely party members followed, down the mountain to stop the lowliest of evil.

In a Mountain with in the Realm of Beasts

Aqua tore the last piece of meat from a bone and couldn't believe what she done as she swallowed, she looked upon a well cooked squig carcass that was missing a leg. She tried not to laugh and felt humor in her predicament. First was how she went about doing something that savage towards a savage creature, cooking the first thing that was edible, second was trying to interpret the flavor since she didn't exactly use wood as cooking fire; the squig tasted like a mixture of pork and oddly enough, mushrooms. Third was an odd feeling that there was more to the grots and their violent nature. To the very realm itself and its inhabitants. "How do their hearts endure this without falling to darkness?"

She was full and the squig carcass was too big and awkward to carry around, there was one sin against nature she couldn't stand, letting perfectly good meat go to waste. Rustle! Rustle!

Aqua readied her blade and looked to where she came, finding three sneaky grots with a variety of tiny crude weapons, she saw in their beady eyes that they were trying to focus on her and their real objective. She sighed and simply walked to the exit. "Take the squig, I'm full!"

The grots looked surprised at how easy that was and scurried to the carcass, fighting over it like a pack of hyenas, Aqua chose to ignore the fighting and kept walking towards the exit, finding a wide open sky and a night sky glistening down. Her pendent and keyblade shined as one and guided her across the fanged mountain, feeling it shake and turn against each other, as if a force was working against the mountain. POUND! SMACK! More than that, it sounded like fighting was going on, beating against something into the mountain, Aqua felt a source of great power was ahead and picked up her speed.

Turned out the pathway spiral up the mountain and in no time, she found herself near the summit, finding a massive green wyvern beating down a kaiju sized pterodactyl that has a familiar emblem. "An un-" She stopped herself, what ever the unversed was doing didn't really matter much as it was getting punched into the mountain and losing badly to a wyvern had something of a helmet and on top of its back was a green skin figure in crude yellow armor that had black shoulder pads and was decorated with battle trophies, on the top of his back was a totem that had a bulls skull and in his hands were an axe for each one. She recognized an orruk and her instincts told her to watch, the orruk sank his two axes into the unversed and brought it unto its death throes. PEW!

The unversed vanished and the orruk unchained himself from the wyvern, he barked at him. "If you fly off Bigteef, I'll give ya a good smack!" He approached something that was in the crater, it was giving off a blood red glow, he plucked it and added it to his necklace. Aqua gasped and charged, that was a heartstone fragment and she wasn't going to let no orruk take it away. The orruk noticed her and was more frustrated at her. "Another runt?! Gorkamorka, give me something less boring already!" Aqua looked upon the orruk to find serious damage, his left eye was closed due to a wide open scar on the top, showing a piece of skull, his right eye looked at her bored and indifferent towards her. He slowly approached with his axes ready and guessed as he showed her the heart stone fragment with a symbol of an arrow. "You wanting this realmy thing?!"

Aqua readied for battle. "Yes and I'm taking that!" The orruk gasped and gave a deep yet light laugh at her. "He, he, he! Ya got guts for a hummie, this might kill more time than that darky thing!" He charged at her as the wyvern barreled to join his master, the orruk noticed and yelled at his steed. "BACK OFF BIGTEEF! SHE'S MY FIGHT!"

The wyvern stopped and backed away, leaving the more intimidating of the two to keep charging. Aqua flipped to the far right and dodged a swing, the orruk leaped after her and knocked her back in a shock wave. The orruk flung himself at her and notice the axes sank past an illusion and felt something hitting him in the back, he swung one of his axes at her felt a parry, knocking her back and entertaining the orruk. "That the most kunning trick I saw all day, blue girl!" Aqua skid to the left and tried to strike again, the orruk clenched his right fist and parried with his left axe, he quickly flung a punch straight in the face. Aqua felt her jaw cracking as she was sent flying back. She landed with a back flip, tried to relocate her jaw, felt a painful click and spit out a fanged tooth. She cast a healing spell, jumped up and shot pillars of fire that the orruk simply charged through, he readied his right axe for a kunnin strike and noticed something flying towards her left. SWING!

Aqua flipped to the right to dodge the swing and saw a familiar fiend pushing back against the axe, a muscular shadowy, yellow eyed demon with white cloth straps covering its face, its abdomen had a heart shap cavity and the presence alerted her of another. Coming at her from the shadows. Parry!

A familiar foe looked upon her with scorn. Xehanort and Aqua pushed each other back as the Orruk had a fist fight with the demon.

Aqua guessed with a glare. "That unversed was meant for me and you expected someone else to come just for this?" Xehanort laughed cruelly at her as the Orruk head butted the demon and was shrouded in dark power, holding him in place. The Orruk thrashed and yelled wildly as the man explained who this particular orruk is. "Any Ironjaw of considerable power would have sufficed, a Megaboss preferably would have easily bested that foe and take his prize out of boredom. Because he can!" He turned to the orruk and mocked. "Isn't right oh Fist of Gork, you had little knowledge of that stone and you took it from Aqua, right before her eyes."

The orruk gasped, growled and yelled at him. "That sparkly realm stone is junk, but is my junk!" He pulled against the dark force and was pushing through as Aqua looked like she wasn't surprised, Xehanort felt the feelings of will power and a desire to take what she pleases and asked the keyblade master as he hovered. "Such is the way of the Realm of Beasts, where might and opportunity are the only things that matter. Where anything that threatens your survival are things to topple over or to dispose of when the chance arises." He smiled more wickedly. "Or because you can!" He looked at the Orruk that looked like he heard something outrageous. "That is the strength of your heart, is it Gordrakk? An all consuming shadow that leave behind desolate destruction?"

Gordrakk looked confused at the statement. "We stomp and we crush cause we good at it! But who would be left to fight if we wreck it all?" He kept pulling and felt the dark tendrils strengthening, trying to pull him in the void as Aqua shook her head at Xehanort. "This is just another experiment? Do you think any of these creatures understand anything else?!"

She concluded. "That's why a whole war broke out under the mountain! Even the grots found a problem with what you were teaching." Xehanort placed his free hand on his face in memory. "Don't remind me, those grots resolved that issue with more violence. As if that is the only thing in their hearts."

Gordrakk broke into a laughter. "BWA ha, ha, ha! A grot figured it out better than ya!"

Xehanort focused on using darkness to shut the Orruk up and went to battle Aqua, who looked like she was piecing together what really was in the hearts of the greenskins. "Violence is the only way they know how to express themselves... and they see no problems in it. That's why they do what they do and why they do what they love." Pew, she clashed at Xehanort once more, focusing on taking something back, that resolve caused the man to push Aqua back with a pulse of dark power and jumped back. "But what of the hearts that find flaws in it all, the ones that the forces of this world would trample and consume if on a whim? What do they depend on to survive? What did you depended on to survive?"

Aqua recalled only one incident besides the heartless where she had to spill blood, that was exactly what Xehanort hoped she would do. "You once again took you're masters blade and struck that force down before it struck you down! This time against something that isn't a slave to the darkness." He pointed to the vast world the mountain overlooked. "What say of them?! Do they give into their savage darkness? To depend on that to topple down things like-" he pointed to a struggling Gordrakk. "him? Who leads all the savages of the realms into one great Waagh! What do the natives have to do to survive him?! What were you going to do to survive him?" Aqua looked at the orruk pushing against the darkness and causing a teether to snap, she sighed and felt something faint reaching out as she asked someone unseen. "How do you survive against this madness?" Xehanort looked confused and realized who Aqua was talking to, a force with in rasped out of his mouth. "I...Aq-" The man kept that held in and laughed amused. "Ha, ha, ha! Even after being blasted by the tides of Chaos, he still holds on in the darkness! What kind of heart endures so much?"

SNAP! THUD! "WAAAAAAGH!" Xehanort heard the charging Orruk and jumped out of the way of two axes, Gordrakk was focused on bull rushing him and gave a look at Aqua with his good eye. "We'z got a score to settle when I get through kicking em up the arse!" His eye looked down at a more puzzled man and he snarled. "Talk, talk, talk! Ya talk a lot, but you don't talk any sense! Why the zog would any grot go after something that just makes them more runty?"

He charged at him with his axes, Xehanort shot a barrage of dark bolts that were completely run over and jumped to the far right, Gordrakk leaped after him as Aqua felt a great power with in the orruk. The Fist of Gork yelled to the man. "You want's to know why the Hammer God's ummies, pointy ears and stunties didn't go for it?"

SWING! Parry! Flung!

Xehanort was pushed back as the Orruk answered. "Because that thing you call earts is too cunning to mess with that! Because that's tough enough to punch us back!" He makes a point by punching Xehanort at the chest, the man blocked with his wrists and nearly fell off. He hovered and was realizing the orruk wasn't going to give up. "But why do your hearts rely on that savagery?! Why the-" BASH!

Gordrakk tackled him and yelled. "Shut it, I'z getting to that! Because we is tough enough to smash everything else! Hammer God and his Stormcast building! The chaos-things and dead gitz thinking to kill everyone with that dark stuff! We'z the toughest and the smartest to know what we want and not forgets it! We the Ironjawz." He laughed at him. "Ya figured that out under all that hot air?"

Aqua saw her enemy feel his burn as the onlooking wyvern laughed with his master. A corridor of darkness formed from behind Xehanort, he glared at the Orruk in spite. "So underneath all that is a light of its own. Very well, then we shall see if you're hearts are strong enough to survive this."

He disappeared and a dark cloud bubbled, Gordrakk readied himself as Big Teeth rushed to masters side. The Orruk felt something massive coming and jumped on his steed. "Pansy couldn't stick around! Come on, let's crush this thing and get back to fighting blue girl!" Aqua was hesitate to approach such a savage combo as something shot out of the cloud. Gordrakk readied his axe and saw the creature, it looked like a simple, small, flying crustaceans with yellow eyes, a blue exoskeleton and a simple heartless emblem. He casually sliced it and caused it to fly towards the center in a crash. He was annoyed by the build up. "That's the best he can throw?!" Bigteef moved to the direction Aqua was in and was ready to fight, Gordrakk asked her. "Now why was all this happening again?!" He looked at the stone and remembered. "Oh, right!"

He took a deep breath and wanted to shout waagh as Aqua was suspicious and looked at the crash sight to find a dark pool taking shape. "...This is far from over Gordrakk, look!" The two looked on to find the forming darkness taking form into something much larger, at the size of Bigteef. A quadrupedal insect of significant length, with a set of mandibles, a heartless emblem at its chest, a set of scything talons, pincer claws and a tail with twin pronged blades.

The heartless looked at the two with anger and breathed out a twisting storm cloud. Bigteef took flight with his muscular winged arms as Aqua looked at the chitin and guessed where the Destroyer Monster's weak spot was. She dashed like a spear of light and struck at the emblem, distracting the heartless and causing it to swipe its pincers at her, Aqua vanished in illusions and pierced the chest multiple times, it backed away and was caught blind sided by Bigteef's massively destructive bulk. The heartless skid off the mountain and clawed desperately with talons and tail, being crushed by mighty fists and a tail with a stone blade, the axes helped it little. The emblem glowed and shot a destructive beam to push the wyvern back, the heartless hissed and shifted its talons and legs, growing leathery wings and taking flight to the upper right. It flipped and fired down a barrage of beams at both the wyvern and Aqua, the woman dodged and jumped on the back of wyvern to ask Gordrakk. "Can you fly him close enough, if I distract him, you can get him again!"

The Orruk grumbled at being told what to do and stomped at his wyvern. "I was getting to that! Bigteef, get em!"

The wyvern charged to the upper right of the mountain and flew, swerving left and right from the barrage of beams and being guarded by a barrier spell. Aqua focused on the emblem and vanished again, flying at the chest and giving it a quick combo, she stabbed at the chest and let loose a pulse of lightning. The heartless tried to grab at her with its pincer talons, plucked her and was ready to throw her out of the sky. SMASH!

A bulky fist punched it in the face and sent it swirling away from the mountain and towards a canyon of bones the size of a skyscraper, towards a clouded sky cloaked in a storm. Aqua was dropped and felt herself being caught on the neck of Bigteef. It was losing altitude and the woman cast an aero spell to give it aerial balance. "How does he fly like this?!" Gordrakk shrugged. "Cause gravity is smart enough not to get in a mawcrusha's way?" BOOM!

Bigteeth dodged a bolt of lighting as the Flying Destroyer turned around and fired beams and dark clouds. Aqua piloted the mawcrusha and felt the skies were getting chaotic enough. She tried her attack again and took the heartless's attention away, it flew left and right to avoid the foe coming at him. Aqua gave a combo of light strikes and burst into a fire ball, scorching the heartless to where it wanted her off. SMACK!

It was punched towards the rib cage canyon. Aqua back flipped to the back of the mawcrusha and channeled the fiery form into a flare shot, making sure the heartless kept its crash course, like a meteor. Gordrakk laughed at that and had his mawcrusha landed by the skull of a giant, taking a joy in seeing the heartless burst into flames.

"BWAHAHAHAHA! That got em gud!" He gave Aqua a count down. "Now get off so we can get back to this!" He tossed his axe and caught it with his thumb. "Five!" He clenched his pinky as Aqua realized the Orruk still wanted to fight her. "Four!"

She looked at the destructive cloud and realized something, no heart was flying out. "...Gordrakk!"

He was down to two fingers and yelled out in respect. "You at least get that! Three!"

Aqua shook her head and felt something glaring down at her and her "companions" "EEEEEEEHHHHHA!"

A shriek that could be heard from across the realms punctured the trio's ears. Gordrakk lost count as he and Bigteeth looked to the smoke, seeing lightning flash and revealing the silhouette of a mountain sized, four winged dragon with mighty arms instead of talons, its head having a straight horn sticking out of its forehead and to the sides of its heads looked like short curved horns. The small in comparison yellow eyes gave enough of a sign that the trios battle before was only an appetizer. The Destroyer Dragon shot a bolt of lightning from its horn, upon the trio, Bigteef jumped off and took flight towards the foe, dodging the destructive explosion. Aqua gasped and asked. "You can't seriously think we can fight that?!"

Gordrakk didn't care and laughed like he was having the time of his life. "You see the size of that! This is worth coming out here and leaving the boyz for a bit!" He and his mawcrusha roared in unison, countering the shriek with a loud. "WAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGH!"

The Destroyer Dragon heard that and shrieked back, firing lightning and shooting out laser beams from the spikes on its wings and its fanged maw complimented the mandibles. They seemed like stars from the distance and closed in to feel like the force of full speeding trains. Aqua used an air spell to force Bigteeth to shoot himself in the air, at the Destroyer Dragon that tried to swipe with his tail and only hit the dead bones, cracking them in two and felt itself punched in the chest by the mawcrusha. Gordrakk struck with his twin axes and caused the emblem to bleed, Aqua blew like a tornado and struck the emblem like a windy storm, causing it to tear open and reveal a small heart feeding a dark power into the rest of the body. An energy flowed into it and radiated. Gordrakk cringed and ordered. "Get outta the way before that blows!"

Bigteeth let himself drop and dodged a massive beam of energy that went far and wide across the realm, piercing through mountains and causing them to rumble and fall in sizzling power. The mawcrusha used the blowing air magic to shoot back up and felt a massive claw pushing him down. Aqua jumped off and ran up the arm, the Destroyer Dragon's gaze was upon her, bolts of lighting and beams of power shot down upon her from its eyes as she dodged and blocked each one, she reached towards the open chest and dashed to it in the speed of light, she glowed in ice and felt the heat of a recharging beam. She dashed in and struck with the flurry of a hail storm, causing the dragon to cringe, let go and try to reach for her, the ice was a weakness. She spun in the cavity and formed a pillar of ice to sever the vein like tendrils at the heart, the Destroyer Dragon leaned back to the sky and reached with in, Aqua back flipped and watched Bigteeth shoot himself from bellow, smashing into the glowing chest as Gordrakk sunk his axes into the last tendril, like an animal with fangs. Aqua aimed her blade mid air and felt a swirl of ice around the tip, like a massive spear of ready for the final strike at a massive beast.

PEW!

The Fist of Gork and his steed let themselves drop and avoiding a shot resembling a spear of ice that pierced through the Destroyer Dragon, a heart fluttered from its back and disappeared, leaving the rest of the body to fall apart into darkness. Aqua felt the adrenaline and found herself falling. SWOOP!

She landed on Bigteef and felt the mawcrusha flying down towards an upward skull of an ancient beast, towards the maw. She watched the Destroyer Dragon's remains fade away into nothing as Gordrakk laughed it off. "Ha! That's staying dead!"

Land!

Gordrakk jumped off and looked upon an arena of a skull. He walked to the cranium as Aqua knew what was still requested and jumped off to go towards the lower jaw. "Even after all that, you still want to battle me?"

Gordrakk turned to face her with his axes ready as he looked upon her keyblade. "After seeing you do THAT! I gots an idea for a pointy stick with that thing in mind!" He showed her the heartstone fragment. "Who ever wins this gets to take something from the loser! You wants this, do you?" Aqua's determined glare answered for him, Gordrakk looked at the injured mawcrusha and ordered. "Stay out of this Bigteef! You got smacked and she isn't dumb enough to heal ya's!" The mawcrusha simply waited and watched as the First of Gork yelled once more. "WAAAAAGH!"

He charged at her with the speed of a full truck, Aqua skid with air magic and glowed in the arcane, upper cutting him to the side and letting loose blow after blow, Gordrakk swung down with both axes and was pushed back by a barrier bash, Aqua flung her keyblade at him like a boomerang, caught it and finished her combo with a point blank shot of power.

Gordrakk waddled back and jumped at her, Aqua tried to dodge and was knocked prone from the shock wave, being exposed to a brutal smash from the blunt of the axe. She skid to the left and used a familiar combo, ending it with an elegant spin that became a twister of magical energy, catching Gordrakk in the whirl and flinging him around. The Orruk screamed and tried to attack, yet he was helpless against the power, Aqua stopped and pulsed, sending Gordrakk falling to the dirty sand, face first. He grunted, tried to get up and felt his arms shaking, he growled and asked. "How in Gorkamorkas toe nail did ya do that?!" He gasped and let go of his axes as Aqua was ready to keep going, as battered and bloodied as she was, he signaled her to stop, took the heart stone fragment, it resembled a left corner and had a symbol of an blood red arrow, he tossed it at her and watched her catch it. Giving himself a moment to stand up and walk back to Bigteef. "Wha...what you even going to do with dat?"

Aqua showed her pendent of stones resembling part of a heart and answered. "I need...*huff* I need to put back together the Heartstone... to finally get home. Something that some of you call the Realm of Hearts."

Gordrakk grunted in confusion and jumped on Bigteeth, chaining himself back to his straps and was blunt. "Never heard of it and it sounds like its a bit more than just a realm to need that! Get on looking for... eh-" He counted and remembered. "The other four! If we sees ya again, I'm bringing all the boyz and show you a real smashing!"

The mawcrusha sighed and readied for a flight out as Aqua lowered her eye lids to the Orruk. "I'll remember that." She took the fragment, undid the rope and let to float to another side of her pendent, resembling more of a heart, Gordrakk grunted and had his mawcrusha fly off. Leaving Aqua to find a passage way she could use, she looked up an eye socket and sighed, letting the pendent fly towards it and give off a glow, Aqua stood beneath it and aimed her blade upwards with the word. "Ghyran." It shot a beam and opened a pathway that felt like a gentle breeze. She formed air magic as the pendent returned to her. She jumped through the passage and landed into a much grander, if overwhelmed with floral life, city, one of gold and blue.

She heard a gasp most familiar. "Oh my!" She turned towards a stone path being caressed by lush grass, finding a familiar evocator and an elven mage with long autumn brown hair, the mage looked masculine and his eyes dropped less than amused. "She might appear from any entry way at any given moment indeed." He asked. "Aqua? Sathea just finished telling me about you're journey and how you seek to gather these... fragments of realmstone."

He looked at Aqua's pendent as the keyblade master slowed her breathing, felt the lush life and approached the two "I... just got here from Ghur."

She kept calm as the mage sighed. "And you witnessed nature in its most primal."

He offered to lead her to a district that was more trees and buildings as Sathea looked at the half way full pendent and let her know what happened. "You came when I was... using that stump of a well over there as an example to how you might appear."

The Stormcast looked embarrassed under her helmet as Aqua looked to her right and found a massive realm gate leading to a city in a volcanic region. The blue haired woman nearly lost herself as Sathea expected that. "Welcome to Hammerhal of Ghyra... this city is built on the side of two realms. I know you visited there and that solved another mystery that happened in that realm. You traveled to the Unreachable Mountain, you know what happens upon traveling that mountain?"

Aqua nodded and remembered. "The strongest emotion becomes even stronger."

Sathea nodded and raised a finger. "But if you travel to the crystal megalith and stand in the Henge, that emotion will ripple all across the realm. Many with in the other side of Hammerhal felt an odd passion... and sorrow. What happened?"

Aqua answered with a vivid memory. "Two warriors that followed me... ha, for silly reasons. Did what their hearts wanted to do when there isn't anything else left for them. A Fyreslayer and a Bonesplitter... having that last battle, they didn't want to leave."

The elf question the sympathy for the orruk as Sathea imagined. "Sometimes that glory is all that matters. Thankfully, you don't have to go back to Agshy again... now. Hacrel, would you explain what you're scouts found?"

Hacrel nodded and lead to a barrack. "You do not need to do much to track the next stone fragment, it is to the Greenglades. But the forest itself is under a frenzy by the Sylvaneth, Alarielle's children and something... odd was occurring. With that and the choking plagues of Nurgle, travel there would be... risky." He turned to her and gave a smug smile. "Of course once the Sylvaneth learn of you're allegiance and would ease enough to not... hinder you." He closed his eyes at the pained understatement as he gave a bow of respect to the two and took his leave. "I will have my best eagle ready once you finish resting. Thank you for addressing this Lady Sathea, I leave this to you."

Sathea understood. "Thank you, this could take a few hours." She escorted Aqua with in the barracks and to a well kept room with resting essentials. "You have battle many mighty foes with in Ghur, I can feel it. It's always a constant battle for survival there." She sighed with pride. "The most hearty of warriors are born and raised in that realm. If... there is something you need, I'll be keeping watch until you are ready for you're next adventure."

Aqua noticed a mirror and appreciated it as she felt she was making progress. "I won't be long. Thank you, all of you."

Sathea saluted and had an idea for something as she left Aqua be. "Lorustro still hasn't found the fragment in Azyr and we have another battle underway against some cult in Shyish. A lot taken wind of Nagash being out of power for the time and now some chaos cults are showing their true colors. It's a never ending struggle."

All the reasons for Aqua to clear her mind, cast a healing spell and keep to herself for a time. She looked at herself in the mirror, despite the bash marks, cuts, a missing upper left canine and memories of squig meat, she found herself still herself. She went to the bed, let her keyblade fade and laid to pass out. Four realms and the only respite being a drink of water and wild game.

In the blowing pathway down Arendelle.

The unlikely group of four quickly dispatched of any stray heartless and heard a man pleaded with a grunting beast. "Stop it. Put me down!"

Kairi recognized the voice. "Kristoff?" She turned towards the group and up to Marshmallow. "He is a guy you met before you tossed him and Anna out of the palace. You should stay here because of that."

The snow monster pressed his fingers together as Ken promised him. "It's cool, I'll tell you when its clear."

The snow monster sighed and let the humans go off, finding Kristoff being pushed towards a passage towards a distant town by Sven. The man was knocked into the snow and got himself up to protest. "No Sven! We're not going back. She is with her true love."

Kairi and Elrena cringed as Ken kept quiet. The princess shouted. "Kristoff!"

The man heard and turned, relieved to find Kairi safe. "*Phew* We never saw you after we got chased off. I'm glad you are safe."

Kairi appreciated it and winked. "You can say an angel was looking out for me."

Elrena knew who she was referring to and agreed. "Aw, Dabriel kept a good watch over you."

Kairi blushed and thought about something as she wanted to change the subject and played along. "I saw Anna get hurt a while ago, where did she go?"

Kristoff looked heart broken and answered as his eyes looked to the snow. "She is back at home." Ken pretended to not know any of the details and asked. "Something happened?"

Kristoff was more worried. "Anna was struck in the heart by Elsa's ice magic. If the ice isn't removed, she will freeze forever."

Ken gasped. "No wonder she was... never mind."

Kristoff dismissed the suspicious and looked to the town. "Only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart."

Kairi was having difficulty hiding her pain as Kristoff finished. "So I took her back to Arendelle to be with her true love, Hans."

Elrena broke into laughter at that as Kairi broke out of her facade and asked. "A guy she only recently met? Are you sure she would be in good hands?"

Ken squinted his eyes at the town and answered. "You... don't know all the clues after just one meeting. Eek!"

Kairi agreed as Elrena asked Kristoff. "I thought you and Anna had a-" The man protested in a gentlemens refusal. "No! I just keep her from getting lost."

Ken laughed at that as Elrena was directing towards him. "That's what they all say."

The boy agreed to that. "That's how every guy having a crush starts it out as... unless it isn't important."

He blushed red as Kairi put together who or what he was talking about. She tried not to giggle and was the first to feel a strong winter breeze, no a blizzard. Kristoff looked worried as the weather was getting worse. "Anna!" He and Sven dashed down the hill.

The three wished to high five each other as Marshmallow followed them. Ken turned towards him and listen to a grunt. "Elsa!"

He pointed to the town as the boy felt his blush cooling down. "That was a lot we had to hide."

Kairi agreed and lead down hill. "Yeah, come on lets save the both of them!"

Marshmallow roared and charged down a hill with a variety of rocks for the humans to hide behind. Kairi recklessly ran ahead of the two as Elrena and Ken hid behind one of the rocks. WOOSH!

Kairi was pushed back from the storm and blown back, with the witnesses giving a smile of appreciating their own caution. Ken waved with the burnt, glowing keyblade and yelled. "Stick with us while we sneak out this! It won't be as cold!"

The snow ceased blowing and Kairi made it her effort to dash towards the two, giving Ken a silent warning not to tease her. It felt like minutes has past as the three sneaked behind rock after rock to avoid being blown away.

In time, they caught up to Marshmallow, who shielded the three from the storm and marched forward. The snow started to die down and the three saw the town being shrouded in a snowy cloud, the thought of it made the three shiver even with some heat. They hurried down towards the frozen sea and tried to look upon what was in the fog. One figure was shivering, another was laying on the ground in distress and was in danger of being struck down by a figure with a sword and the last one was dashing towards the shivering figure. Ken squinted his eyes and readied Cadia's Light for a clear shot. "If we see that Han's guy, I'm shooting."

Kairi approved and suggested they charge as a group. "Remember, no where important, but make sure it hurts!"

Ken had one idea and lowered his aim, giving Elrena a sadistic reason to aim her blade for a mutual idea. "There is more than one way to break a man!"

The snowy figures in the mist became more clear, they watched an Anna who's hair was a frozen white and looked to be turning to ice running in between Han's, who was about to strike Elsa, who was laying down in distress. They heard Anna yell. "NO!"

and watch the girl freeze to ice as Ken's finger pulled the trigger and Elrena charged electricity. The blade made contact with the ice, shattered and from the force, pulsed and pushed Han's back, face first into the ice. The las shot and lightning bolt missed their mark. The four disregarded the missed aim and kept running towards the scene, Kairi saw a faint gasp of air leave the frozen Anna and the seconds felt like minutes. A proud radiant heart, was fading. Time felt as if it was freezing.

Kairi felt something growing and looked towards where Han's was laying, his body engulfed in shadows, the shadows rushed towards the four and snared them in a sinking pool. They struggled and were consumed, finding themselves dropping into a world where even time froze still. The shadow that was Han's took form into a monstrosity most ferocious, a shadowy, icy wolf with only its forelegs and a lower torso of a wispy shadow. It's yellow eyes looked down upon prey and showed a heartless emblem on its forehead. The three keyblade wielders heard a chilling. "OWWWWWWWWL!" From the wolf.

Elrena asked the two. "Would stopping this thing help those two?"

Kairi wasn't sure and looked at the monstrosity determined. "I... don't know, but we need to try something!"

Ken casually readied his burning keyblade and agreed in a cheer as Marshmallow stomped behind them for battle. "Let's bring it down!"

The wolf hovered and began battle by dashing towards the group and scattering them silly. Kairi in particular was rolled on the ground, she got up, cast a healing spell and watched Marshmallow ready his timing as Ken focused his aim to where the wolf was dashing, circling across the field. Elrena charged up for a timed attack as the princess waited for her turn to dodge. Ken pulled his trigger and fired pepper shots at the wolf's legs as he noticed the wolf focusing on Kairi. "Roll!"

The girl did and Marshmallow struck the wolf on the shoulder. The wolf dashed back to the other side of the battle and met a woman flying to him like a bolt of lightning and brutally swinging, Kairi sighed and flung flowers of light for her own damage as Ken charged Cadia's Light for a strike in the shadow underbelly. The wolf howled and caused icy wolf heads to form, slithering in a trial of darkness. Elrena back flipped and focused on attacking them as Kairi watched the large wolf fly around. She ordered Ken. "What... ever you did to mess up the Horned King, can you do that again?"

The boy cringed at the answer. "I don't know how and it hurts when I use it!" A voice in his head echoed. "Queen Elsa, don't be the monster they fear you are!" His eyes twitched and he felt himself heating up. "...This guy called Elsa a monster! How awful were we talking with this guy?"

Kairi growled and went to do battle against the thirteen wolf heads as she noticed Namine whispering something to Ken's ear. He questioned something, gasped to something and glared at the wolf as Marshmallow took two of the wolf monsters and bashed them together. Namine backed away as Ken gave off a faint sizzle, he along with Fire Keeper's Wish burst into a fire ball and shot at the wolf. POW!

The wolf was knocked back and was in a stun lock as the fiery keyblade took a higher priority in attacking. Ken stabbed the wolf with Cadia's Light and used it as a platform to violently thrust the burning keyblade. The wolf tried to shake the boy off and burst into flames, being pushed towards the remaining wolves in a mighty thud and setting off an explosion. Ken's fire fizzled out and he fell off clenching to both blades, landing on his rear as Kairi, Elrena and Marshmallow took their chance and unloaded their strongest attacks upon them.

He felt his skin in pain as Kairi passed a healing spell his way, feeling invigorated and focusing on rapid firing. "That hurts! But after knowing this guy has done that!" PEW! PEW! PEW!

Kairi nodded in agreement as Elrena stabbed the wolf in the chest and set off an electrocution. "He invited himself to a war!"

The wolf thrashed the group away, howled and flew into the sky, rolling itself up into a black orb that eclipsed the sky. It rained down destruction and thirteen icy wolves, Ken rapid fired as the more melee specialized group took down as many wolves as possible, with the orb falling down slowly. The orb neared its fall and Marshmallow tried to hold onto it with all his strength, Kairi jumped up to the orb and spun her blade around, forming a star shaped flower and feeling the force pushing back. Ken burst in air magic and shot up with Fire Keepers Wish, stabbing it and causing the orb to crack in flames, Kairi's light shined in the dark and caused a chain reaction, breaking the orb and knocking the wolf out of its form, it fell from the burning of light and flames. Giving Elrena the chance to jump towards the wolf, aim her blade and snare the wolf in an electrical net. "You think you're getting away with it! Ha, feel it in there!"

Kairi growled, glowed in a near heavenly light and leaped above the wolf like she had wings, she fell down towards the wolfs forehead and trusted down.

PUNCTURE!

The wolf was in a death throw as the keyblade of light pierced its head, causing it to crackle and shine in the light, it flew to the air dissolving and rolled up into a ball that was rupturing. The three humans felt the coming blast of power as Marshmallow jumped in front of them to shield them.

The three were astonished and watched Marshmallow take the blunt of the power, he was blown over and the trio were blown along with him, flipping upside down as the snow monster was blown into the void. Their vision darkened and they found themselves laying on their stomachs, hearing sobbing. They watched Elsa embracing her frozen sister, completely consumed by grief and sorrow. Ken dropped his weapons and wanted to say something as Elrena stopped him, the trio noticed Kristoff, Sven and even Olaf looking as much distraught as they. Kairi felt a dimming heart sparking once more and squinted, seeing Elsa's shining was one thing, but with in Anna?! She whispered. "Hey... something's happening."

That the two noticed, something was shining in Anna and caused the ice to fizzle away. Elsa noticed something softening, looked up and asked. "Anna?!"

She raised herself as Anna was coming through, sister and sister saw one another and embraced each other wholly. Kairi felt two hearts shining in unison and couldn't believe it as she whispered to the fellow keyblade wielders. "Two Princesses in one world, who expected that?"

Ken blinked and asked. "Two?! Elsa is a-" Elrena stopped him with a hush. "Of heart, nothing in that says they have to literally be one."

That was keeping Ken from saying more as he enjoyed the tender moment between siblings as Olaf put it together. "An act of true love would thaw a frozen heart!"

Elsa and Anna broke the hug yet still held hands together, the queen spoke out loud. "Love would thaw..." She gasped to an idea as Anna raised an eyebrow, Elsa said the solution to the winter ordeal. "Love!"

She focused and the frozen world felt a little warmer, ice began to dissipate, Sven licked some ice flakes as the keyblade wielders wondered for Marshmallow and approached the group, a ship risen from the icy water and carried the mass group and the frozen world slowly faded. All the power ascending into the sky and condensing into a snowflake, the ice has thawed and high up in the sky it glowed. Elsa gestured with her hands in the air and caused the snow flake to scatter in the wind. Just like that, the frozen world had thawed. The sisters looked at each other and Anna had her hand at Elsa's shoulder. "I knew you could do it!"

Kairi gave a thumbs up and appreciated the warmth, she started to stair into space as Olaf was even more cheerful at what he witnessed. "Hand's down, this is the best day of my life." His body started to melt, his body was falling apart. "And quite possibly the last!"

Elsa gasped and waved her hand in an icy glow. "Oh, Olaf, hang in there!"

The icy power fluttered to the melting snowman and reformed his body, with a frigid cloud hovering over him to keep him cool. Olaf looked at his still living form and gasped. "*Huuuuuh* My own personal flurry!"

The keyblade wielders felt their business was done, Kairi whispered to the two. "Come on, lets pick him up and get going."

Ken agreed with that. "Yeah, one of us need to... do something important before too long."

Elsa listened and looked towards a leaving group, she remembered the boy and asked. "Kendry, you're leaving?"

Ken turned around and nodded. "Yep, we all came here as soon as possible because we got worried. Now that looks like you two got you're issues resolved, we got business to settle elsewhere." He turned to Elrena and smiled nervously. "I need to get back to my favorite town and pick something up. Something I left behind that could have been helpful."

The electrical woman shrugged. "Not like we got any good leads."

Elsa sighed in acceptance of a parting. "Alright, thank you protecting me from that Horned King and for being a friend. Before you go empty handed."

She kissed the palm of her hand and blew something at the boy in appreciation and affection, it blew like an icy wind right at his cheek. He blushed back to red, his eyes looked broken and his mind collapsed. "Y...You...wel-" He felt blackness and fell back in a thud, hearing giggling and Elsa gasping. "Oh goodness."

During a late afternoon in a particular town.

Sora and Riku enjoyed a day of nothing as Goofy, Donald, Max, P.J and Peg were out to wonder what was going on. Sora and Riku felt a vibration on their gummi phone and were relieved to see it was Kairi, Sora read the text out loud. "Guess what I found?"

Riku texted back. "A Princess of Heart?"

Sora texted his back with typos. "A Spess Mahrine?"

They were texted back with a laughing emoji and answered. "Wrong, I found two princesses and a Space Marine."

Sora realized his typo and blushed in embarrassment as Kairi texted. "Do you two have a minute to meet in Traverse before you go do that thing with the dreams?" The boys looked at each other and agreed to that. They got a winking emoji for their troubles as Kairi wished them well. "Alright, I'll be waiting."

Sora couldn't believe it. "How did I type something that badly!?"

Riku guessed. "Oh just a whole life lazing around on an island that doesn't have this. It can get you." He was more annoyed in one detail. "It's been hours, what is happening in there?!"

Donald sensed a magic pulse and guessed. "...An accident."

That much the group believed. Ripple! Ripple! The group sensed something distorting and looked around, sensing something wrong with in the shadows. Sora saw something glowing yellow eyes under Riku's shadow, looking horned and with a blade. "Look out!"

PEW! PARRY!

Riku and the others were taken by surprise, a daemonic heartless emerged from the darkness with a burning blade. The heartless opened its maw and let down a long blue tongue, Riku readied his blade and sensed shadows that were not there, crawling out were seven more daemonic heartless.

Riku's lips quake at the sight. "These... these use to be bloodletters?!"

Max felt the heartless staring at the groups souls and hid behind Goofy. "D...Dad, what's... going on?"

The father readied his shield and guessed. "Something very wrong." Donald's feathers raised up to the sight of a hounds shadow howling. "Rararawk!"

He readied his staff and saw three shadowy shapes looking like a type of hound he was very familiar with. P.J hid with in his mother's arms and Peg shivered to ask. "You...you guys got this... right?"

Donald had his focus on the heartless NOT resembling a daemon that resisted his magic. He raised his wand in the air and shouted. "Thunder!" BOOM!

Lightning struck down from the sky and electrocuted the humanoid heartless, causing three to bubble and fade. The five charged with their blades ready for impalement. Goofy blocked three of them as Sora and Riku parried two, the knight knocked the three into the shadows, they squirmed all around and looked for an opening as Sora and Riku dispatched their two with a stab and worked together to push back two of the three hounds, one of the three approached Donald and disappeared, appearing right behind him with its fangs to bare. Donald waddled away from the chomping jaws and saw a shadow shift, the hound readied to pounce as Max found a trash can and tossed it at the foe. The hound pounced with his jaws ready to crunch and bit into trash instead, giving Donald time to run back as Sora and Riku took out the hounds with an upward stab. The duo jumped out of the way of encircling blades, Riku felt a burning metal scrape his arm and gritted, the trio of demons tried to sink back in. Riku shot fire balls where the three merged and quickly evaporated them as Goofy charged at the last hound with his shield, knocking it to a street and causing it to roll and giving Sora time to dash to it and dispatch it. Donald noticed Riku bleeding and cast a healing spell, sensing that he was unnerved. "They...they-" Riku smelled something of copper and fire, he gasped. "No!"

He dashed towards a path the rest were familiar with, towards a familiar outskirt that felt more like something was watching them, waiting for something to be done.

A distortion with in reality twist, turned and warped. Sora and Goofy realized bystanders were following them and tried to warn them, Goofy voicing it. "Max, you and the others need to get out of here, this is-" Riku growled. "Too late for that! Those are not ordinary heartless!"

A voice that caused Sora's spine to chill whispered. "You are right, they are not!"

The group turned to the distortion, taking form in a particular Sorcerer that made Sora's heart race with rage, Riku nearly threw up at the image of Zagor. What ever was before them, was barely human. Zagor's eyes stared at the many who froze in terror, appearing next to them was Pete, who was impressed by such a feat. "You got them all scared just like that! Sheesh you made a reputation!"

Peg looked furious and disgusted as P.J shook his legs terrified, Goofy cringed as Donald yelled at Pete. "Pete, get away from him!"

Pete taunted at Donald, having no idea who was there. "Oh, hold it right there, he been cooking something you all need to know about! About those big ol friends from the Imperium. I say they are messed up in the head."

Sora looked more baffled. "And you believe this guy?!"

Zagor shrugged and gestured to Pete. "What have I said, the Imperiums lies have already deluded them."

Peg growled, pushed the guard out of the way and stomped towards Pete. "Oh so this is who you are seeing now?!"

The fat cat heard the tone and recognized his wife. "S...Sweet cakes, what do-" Peg raised her finger and yelled out a storm. "Oh don't give me that! A Mistress of All Evil that you been in cahoots with all these years! Was that why you never called?!"

Pete stuttered and realized what Peg was thinking. "Oh...no, it isn't that." He corrected himself. "Well I was causing a bit of trouble for her, but it wasn't anything more than that."

Riku flinched as Sora wasn't having it with any jokes. "A little?! Pete, you're making an even bigger mistake!"

Goofy agreed with him. "That right there might be worse than Maleficent ever was!"

Peg's glare was even worse and Pete knew he wasn't going to get out of this one, Donald whispered to her. "It isn't that Miss Pete, but it was bad!"

Not like that made it even better as Goofy pulled her away from the distortion. P.J stuttered more. "D...Dad, why were you doing that?! Why are you doing this?!"

The whimpering and tears hit Pete more and left him more confused as Zagor took out a small croxius with an eight pointed symbol and handed it over to him. "My my, they seem to hate you. Oh how are you going to make up for that?"

Pete felt the item in his hands as Zagor encouraged. "The ritual to bring another imperial fool before this... band, is nearing completion! But we require... something much more to begin."

Pete raised an eyebrow and asked dumbly. "Wait, what do you mean much, you said it was going to be small."

Zagor shushed him and pointed to the group. "With but a few words, the request is small. Such power, demands something to give... a sacrifice!"

That word sunk into the group's souls, Pete looked horrified. "A sacri... that isn't small!"

Zagor pointed to the many. "A lowly guard and a magician that pester you! Two wielders of light, one of whom pesters you time and time again. Then those who rejected you! I do believe they mean... little to you?"

Riku growled at Pete. "Did you let loose those daemons in the town?! You were so eager to let a bunch of crazy shadows in town last I heard?"

Pete cringed. "Da.." He growled and pounced at his chest. "No, I did no such thing! I let those dark inquisities, yeah! But those are just-" Zagor gave a sharp glare at Pete. "Ahem, those are just another creature of darkness! Something you would have summoned with glee! Now, let the winds of the Warp, cast them away!"

Pete shook his head without hesitation and tossed the item like it is trash. "Oh I have, but you are just nut-" CHOKE!

Zagor aimed his free hand and clenched his fist, choking Pete and hissing a laugh. "A weakling like you?! Clinging to something?"

Goofy felt he saw enough and dashed at Zagor with his shield, knocking the Sorcerer out of his focus and dropping a cowardly Pete. He scrambled behind a tree and breathed heavily as Zagor stepped back, let his arms dangled still and laughed. "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! HA, HA, HA!"

His laughter broke the shackles of sanity as Riku growled and demanded from the others. "Sora, Donald, Goofy... get Max and the others and RUN! FIND SOMEWHERE SAFE!"

The sound of insane laughter echoed and Sora refused to leave his friend alone with this lunatic. "No...no, Riku, I'm not leaving you with this psychopath!"

Riku scoffed. "I'm use to this by now!"

Goofy sighed and let Sora do what he wants as he asked Pete. "Hey, you want to help make up for that?! Help us get the folks safe!"

That Pete was eager to agree to and was leading from the front. "Oh you don't have to ask me twice. Eh-" Donald growled. "We know where home is! You are in big trouble!"

Donald lead as Goofy guarded the rear, Max and P.J looked scared for the teenage boys lives and did as guided as Peg ensured. "Oh, I'm sure they will handle it... let...lets go!"

Only the humans remained as Zagor floated in the air to finish his laughter in a sickening snap. He looked directly at the boys and saw the audience left. "No matter, I never needed him anyways!" Sora and Riku gasped, the spiky haired teenager asked shocked. "Wait, you had Pete go through all that... for you sick kicks?"

Zagor wished to correct the boy as a shadow with eight points grew from beneath. "He was apart of this... bountiful offering! I just wished to see if he would stoop so low! He is still but pathetic fodder none of the less!"

That left both keyblade wielders still, a burning anger from disgust sparked with in their hearts, Riku rolled his eyes. "So you were also lying to him about trying to make us think differently about our friends?!"

He looked to the shadow and clicked to Sora, signaling him where their major battle was coming from. A presence gnawing in the corners of reality was watching them, Zagor snickered sinisterly and caused the earth to distort. "Oh I speak no lie with you're... friends of the Imperium! But him... he was nothing but a toy, a toy that couldn't even be dedicated. As you know, the veil between the Warp and the Realm of Darkness have become more and more thin, daemons and heartless merge to become one or the dark gods take them and shape them to their liking! But its most devoted, express imagination!" Yellow eyes glowed in the darkness as Zagor relished something. "That imagination, became a blueprint to a wonder. Heartless-" A red armored metal claw emerged, with a barely stable dark mist supporting it, it gave a mighty thud as Zagor continued. "machine." An arm with many tentacles emerged to the other side of the shadows. "daemon!" The forced pushed itself up, revealing a quivering, barely humanoid mass of darkness as Zagor's helmet looked to be smiling wide. "Such an unholy union would strip the courage from even the brightest of hearts! This will be how this town is harvested! This is what the Great gods seek from us! This is how the dark word would be spoken of! In a world of ruin!"

Sora and Riku shook their heads, no more words can be said in regards to a complete mad man. The Ruin Speaker pulled piston driven legs up and revealed a lower body shrouded in darkness

Riku sighed and asked Sora. "So it looks like what we did to that Defiler isn't going to work. Think... would this take long?"

The spiky haired boy shook his head and looked at the form. "We just... need to out last it."

Zagor tilted his head and caused a swarm of shadows to appear. "If you even have such chance!"

He pulsed and caused the ground to be engulfed in darkness and fire, Sora and Riku faced their backs side by side and struck at the horde together, avoiding the slams of the Ruin Speaker as its shots of tentacles, Zagor kept summoning more heartless, coming at the two like a barrage of fire balls. The duo spun in unison and fired a variety of attacks to stem the tide, they jumped above the machine and saw a chassis with a heartless emblem, they dropped down and stabbed it together, causing the machine to howl and flail. Zagor aimed his staff at them for an attack and felt himself impaled by something, a keyblade from nowhere.

FLIP! KICK!

A nimble mouse jumped from a tree, kicked Zagor in the face and pulled his keyblade out of his stomach. Zagor fell to the ground, notice Mickey and let himself fall through a rift in the ground. The ground slowly closed and left the Ruin Speaker on its own, it glowed from its maw and crawled to where the boys stood, they noticed Mickey, nodded to him and dashed to the monster's maw with blinding speed. Appearing above and smacking it in the head, causing it to rupture from with in and leave it coughing. Giving Mickey the chance to flip at it and impale the heartless in the chest, causing it to bubble, melt and fall apart, leaving behind mechanical parts that sank into the darkness.

With the battle over, Mickey apologized. "Sorry I was late, I just found what I was looking for when I saw all the commotion."

He looked as terrified at the two. "If there was a doubt, he needs to be stopped, it's gone now." Sora and Riku agreed, the boys were holding onto each other and lead the way somewhere, Sora stuttered. "We... need to catch up with Donald and Goofy, Zagor tried to con someone into doing something...something."

Riku blurted it out. "Unspeakable."

The three went back town to a familiar house and found Goofy and Donald chasing after something, finding a corridor closing up. Sora cringed. "Don't tell me."

Goofy sighed. "Once P.J and Peg were safe, Pete up and left."

Mickey gasped and wanted to know the whole story. "Golly, what was he doing here?!"


	17. The Gift of Sanity

In a ship with in a lanes between. Ken slowly came through and noticed Elrena casually reading something of unimportance and sitting on a passenger's seat, she noticed and asked. "You're finally up. Do you remember what happened?"

Ken sighed and wanted to forget the embarrassing part. "Horned King left Arendelle, we got to tell the others about him. Kairi... is taking care of Dabriel right now and she is going to two towns just get that wrapped up. We got to get back to Traverse, so I can get my phone back and figure out how are we going to find the Farseer and give her a piece of my mind."

Elrena smiled sweetly to him. "After you're little stunt, Elsa kind of told us what you were doing. Everything you said checked out, but you opening up to her and agreeing to guard her kind of took a crack in that icy exterior. She really appreciated that from you and kind of hoped you weren't a traveler because Arendelle could have used a guard like you. That... was the closest thing she could do thank you when you told her you were leaving."

She sighed. "We found Marshmallow with Dabriel and that was going to get ugly if Kairi didn't tell that marine to just leave. That snow monster was heading back up to the palace as we speak."

Ken looked relieved and blushed. "Weren't you worried about him, after that battle?"

Elrena nodded. "Oh yeah, he just wanted to protect Elsa and when it came down to it, that was the same thing we all wanted." She asked in a tease. "You're finally over that world?"

Ken nodded and sat proudly on his chair. "Yeah, yeah. We saw two Princess's of Heart reveal themselves in one world and if Kairi hinted more, she only has two left. Bryn take us to Traverse and let us know if anything funny is going on." The gummi ship lit up and flew off.

At Twilight Town.

Kairi witnessed the unusual heartwarming sight of Dabriel being greeted by two of his battle brothers. Hofneil had his hands at the devastators arms in shock. "Brother, you witnessed all that and you still persevered?"

Dabriel nodded and noticed Nathanel ready to tackle him, he tackled him back in unison, the heavy bolter wielding marine greeted him more. "Urk! Of course he did, a simple world frozen by someones latent power is nothing to him."

Nathanel turned to Kairi and gave a gesture of respect towards her. "Thank you for assisting us. All we need now is for Pyriel to come back and we are to rendezvous to a better station... or town to finally take the fight to those heretics!"

Hofneil gasped at his brother. "Nathanel, that is still ill advised, unless we know of their location." He turned to Kairi with something he does agree on. "But when we do, we will bring the Emperor's justice to those Word Bearers. We will let Resira and Tahm know of this advancement, for all we know, the Word Bearers would take this town as an opportunity if we all leave it undefended at once. That manor from what we heard from the more willing civilians, is a primary objective and it would be their first priority."

A masculine voice laughed at the idea. "Ha! If they stuck out like you guys, no one would be dumb enough to miss them."

Hofneil sighed in annoyance and turned towards a street alley to find a green eyed man with red spiky hair, in a black short sleeved attire. "That isn't what we fear Lea, if they don't simply attempt to crush you, they would try to speak the lies of Chaos and make one more susceptible to betraying their own kin. Especially if the Messengers of the Dark Word have an apostle to make it easier! We are not dealing with a band of evil, we are dealing with a potential cold war that will escalate into a full scale war alarmingly quick!"

Kairi turned to find a man she was familiar with and gave a sharp, soul piercing glare, Lea didn't notice and cringed to what Hofneil told. "Sheesh it's always war with you guys. But... yeah that could get ugly really quick." He noticed Kairi giving him a death glare, tried to say something and stopped, feeling like not only there was no point but the fact that he was someone she never wanted to see again.

Another voice came from behind him. "Lea, what did the people say about talking with them?"

Lea turned to find a man in a similar black attire, with wild long blue hair, he met a scowl wanting to lecture him more. "Relax Isa, we all get it by now."

Kairi recognized the man even more familiar and looked away, Isa turned to the marines and approached. "Forgive Lea's disrespect, a lot of people are understanding what you and the others are doing a bit better. It is either you keep a close eye on the town or everyone gets paranoid with any... insurrections, no one asked for and those lead by people with, less ideal intentions."

Nathanel agreed with that. "It's for you're own good, nothing well comes from our enemy and when we leave, you won't have to fear about them anymore. They will be too busy battling us to care."

He looked to his battle brothers eagerly as Dabriel promised the civilians. "We will be gone from this town once this war is over and you can return to you're lives as it was."

Kairi walked off, Hofneil noticed and followed her, to a relaxing sunset terrace. The Princess sighed to a theory. "I heard when a heartless and nobody gets destroyed in that order, the whole person comes back. It's what that person does while they were a nobody... if they even remember it, that leaves behind a grudge."

Hofneil sighed. "Vengeance burns in all of us Kairi, that can lead to a dark path that will end in a bolter round."

Kairi cringed at something that brutal and decided to let it go. "They... could became better people than how they were when they didn't... have a heart then." She looked at the marine pitifully. "You're not use to that idea, are you?"

Hofneil shook his head. "Once an enemy, they will always be just that." He laughed bitterly. "But then again... most of our enemies never consider that in kind, don't understand it or are too far gone."

Kairi heard the tone and asked. "You missed not having to think about another way. The... people you fight are not the kind that would change and you defend others because of that."

Hofneil nodded to her. "Or they change for the worse, but you are correct. Beware the alien, the mutant... the heretic."

Kairi nodded back. "Like this Eldar that was... behind everything that happened to my friend or nearly happened."

Hofneil gasped. "When an Eldar reaches out to you, they are only seeking to make things better for themselves!" He warned her. "Never believe what a Farseer says, it is a sure way to be abandoned when he or she has no further use for you. You should understand what I'm talking about when I say the Eldar and... the Tau are the only two xenos races that would listen to reason." Kairi raised an eyebrow. "Tau?" The marine disregarded that. "They speak of peace in a galaxy at war, but even they would feel a change with in this...odd galaxy."

Kairi imagined a race being more true to their word. "It's... kind of sad." She smiled to the marine. "But, until we can find a way to get all of you back to that life, know that we will be there for you, like you been for us."

The marine hesitated, nodded to her and promised her. "That is most appreciated." He looked to the sky and went back to his patrol. "You have a duty to fulfill, don't let this hinder your path."

Kairi sighed and went to leave. "I'll be back soon."

Traveling to a corner of the town, she noticed Namine walking by her and guessing. "We need to get back to town and have one last catch up on Sora and Riku before they try waking up the rest of the worlds. You're still a bit bothered by who Ken is with?"

Namine shook her head. "Not... anymore, Kairi... I know you are not going to forgive those two after what they done to you and Sora."

Kairi agreed with that. "After all it... no, I'm not. But as long as they are not doing it anymore and try to help others, I can let it go. This was something you wanted to talk to Ken about?"

Namine nodded. "Before he goes off again and tries to take the Farseer down." The girls reached a path they can exit from, smiling to each other in good will.

At Traverse Town.

Sora, Riku, Donald and Goofy were trying not to find Mickey's story too ridiculous that it was actually true. The duck quacked. "You forgot that you had a security set up?"

Riku agreed back. "And it caused the furniture, brooms and books to all come to life."

Mickey tried to laugh it off and showed the group a trinket with the image of a castle, round ears and a set of long ears with in the castles shadow. "For Yen Sid's spell to work as we expect, we need something of great importance to connect those memories together. Or the dreams path could lead to places that would make you lost, it's going to be a long trip and if you go in too deep, you might be able to come back easily should something go wrong." He turned to leave and kept the pendent close. "I'll give this to him while you finish what you want to do."

Donald and Goofy looked at each other and offered to come with him, Donald asked. "Why is that important to you?"

Goofy agreed with the question. "What's so important that you had to go all the trouble to keep it a guarded secret?"

That the mouse was uncertain and let the two follow. "It's because it... was something I made a long time ago. But I don't remember much about why."

With them gone, Sora and Riku were left by their lonesome, at the main district to look up to the stars, the silver haired teenager asked out loud. "Why though?"

Sora shrugged and heard bickering that scattered. The boys noticed a particular blonde boy that wasn't amused at Wanda's antics and being given a gummi phone back. Ken noticed the two, said his partings to Wanda and ran towards the two with an annoyed yet slightly excited expression. Riku asked. "What happened?" Ken looked back to where Wanda was patrolling. "Giving her that gummi phone was a mistake, now I'm hearing of an idea people have to make an alternate means for people to travel between Radiant Garden, this town, Twilight Town and this set of islands. Exactly like that train. She agreed to all that and this place is going to be the first among them because she admits that more resources need to be distributed soon or the town won't survive for long. So much that my phone and name got involved with that, more than I would be comfortable with." He had the last information of ill news as Sora noticed Kairi arriving. "And finally, we got another problem. The Horned King I told you about is trying to cause problems as you know who's Mortarch of Souls and he could appear again if me kicking his butt didn't get a clue. If you see some odd heartless that look dead, be careful fighting them, it takes some strong light magic to really do anything to them."

Kairi over heard and agreed with him. "And they will attack without warning. Sora, Riku, anything special happened?"

Sora had one he would rather talk about. "We found out Garland got out of the Realm of Darkness and is causing trouble for... some reason. How did you find Dabriel?"

Kairi answered with a giggle. "I didn't, he found me after I ran into trouble, this finally makes all four of them. I think I found another pathway to the next princess."

Both of the boys were impressed, Kairi looked to Ken and asked. "Well, aren't you going to tell them?"

Ken sighed and let Fire Keeper's Wish shine, revealing a stronger glow. "I also found out something I can do with this and wind magic... if you ever want to know what it feels like to be a bullet... it burns."

Riku cringed and guessed. "You used that for emergencies and only for that?"

Ken nodded. "Like I said, it burns. The Horned King and this pretty awful person got what was coming to them though. So how was the little trip for you two?"

Sora blew out from his nose in frustration. "Besides something Mickey isn't telling us about his trinket, we found out more about how... the leader of that war band, is one messed up person."

That prompted Kairi to place her hands at her hips. "What did he try to do this time?"

Sora's lips stiffen in built up anger as Riku wanted Kairi to come closer for him to whisper. Ken backed away not wanting to hear the details, the astonished look on Kairi's face said it all, she broke away from the whisper and shook her head with mutual disgust. "No wonder Hofneil and the others make that big of a deal of him. Sora-" She gave the two boys a warm hug as Ken wanted to go exploring. "I'll be back to ask something that is pretty big for me, I want to see what Wanda and her guild are doing with the town."

The boy walked off as Sora and Riku realized what he meant. Kairi let go and guessed. "Sora, if there is anything you and Riku need to do before we go off again... and it could be a while. You should get that done."

That Sora was interested in and was a bit disappointed in something. "What about you? I heard that you were getting stronger as well."

Kairi blushed proudly. "Thank you, but I'm still learning and besides heartless, evil people and those... things. I'm not really ready."

Riku wasn't too sure about what she was suggesting. "And he tends to still lose... although."

That was the point as Kairi wanted to bop Riku on the nose. "He isn't just a one trick pony and he is getting that to his head."

That was the reason Sora wanted to hear what was to be asked. "An ordinary weapon turned into a keyblade and another that came from a dead world's heart... that looks to be getting stronger. Why is he trying to solve his own problems instead of letting us deal with it?"

Riku shook his head and guessed. "Because that's what his heart is telling him to do, to do something instead of doing nothing and let things get worse. Even if it is small, it can make a difference... he wants to see how much it makes for himself. By picking a fight with the person who has made a difference in the worlds and those around him."

He poked Sora at his chained necklace to prove a point, the spiky haired teenager looked to where Ken walked off to and was half nervous of making a bad impression. "Well, if that is what he wants. Not going to hold back." His nervous smile nearly caused the two to laugh as they looked to the always night sky.

By the bell tower.

Ken slowed his breathing and was talking to his keyblades nervously. "It's now or never before I get this over with. Can we last?"

Cadia's Light simply shined under the night sky as Firekeeper's Wish glowed, the boy shook his head and looked at the fortifications and even preparations for potential arrivals, a train track being built among other things show change. "Regardless, if things go well... we all could be meeting a lot of people and even get to know them better. Maybe this town won't have to fade away when it isn't needed."

He heard foot steps from behind and turned to find two people approaching him, a calm smiling Roxas and a hesitate Namine. Ken stabbed the ground with the glowing metal keyblade and felt it form like a bonfire as he asked Namine. "You're here to finally talk to me about the person I was hanging out with?"

The girl nodded. "From what I understand, she got caught up in the Eldar's scheme to get rid of you and now you both need to stop the Farseer from trying to hurt someone again. The two of you also guessed that the Farseer has someone close to her."

Ken nodded back. "Yep, that's all of it on my end. She and several people talk about a gap in their memories, but from what you said, she acted like she knew you before and don't know why." He pointed at her like he figured it out. "And during that gap, for what ever reason, she treated you horribly and that is why the two of you can never get along."

Namine took a deep breath and agreed with him. "You are correct and this goes for her friend as well."

Roxas sighed and leaned on a wall. "And now they both got caught up with something that they wouldn't have had a part in anyways. All that because the Farseer couldn't just leave you alone."

Ken gave Roxas a thumps up as Namine let the blonde boy know. "You didn't do anything wrong and what they are doing now doesn't really matter, if they are changing for the better... that's good for you."

Ken shrugged to that. "Once the Farseer is taken cared of, there really wouldn't be much of a reason for me to traveling along with someone anymore and I'll finally be free until its time to knock some Word Bearers out of here... then nothing is going to stop me from doing what I want besides figuring out how to help Tahm and the others get home as well as making sure the Horned King stops doing what he is doing."

Roxas's smile became wider as Namine tried to imagine what would come. "Seeing other worlds and learn about the keyblade?"

Ken perked and answered. "Yep! I think I got the hang of that and if trouble comes again, I'll be able to do something about it!"

Roxas asked and looked at Cadia's Light. "Something that small is able to mean something. So... when are you going to figure out how far the three of you came?"

Ken answered with his confidence boost. "Well since Sora and Riku are going to be doing something that me and the other's can't follow, it ought to be now. Riku kicked my butt and I haven't forgotten what happened when I fought you, didn't even land a single shot! Hope I last longer than a minute."

He pulled Firekeepers Wish out of the ground as Roxas calculated and Namine wished the boy luck. "Try not to land on you're back again."

In a black and white castle.

Maleficent yelled at Pete in frustration. "You followed WHO!?"

Pete stuttered and cowered at the enraged witch. "Z...Zagor was trying to... pass off a good deal to speed up our plans. You're nastiness, I don't think he is exactly right in the head to be of any help to us."

Maleficent glared at him. "He never was, but his knowledge was a use for us! Those like him only deceive and you should know more than anyone."

Caw! Caw! Flutter!

A raven flew to Maleficent's shoulder, the witch petted him and was willing to give him praise in front of Pete. "So you placed that boy's clue where he would find it. Excellent."

The minion who knew he was being mistreated asked. "We found out who or what that runt is going after?"

Maleficent nodded to him. "A dubious race that seek to best the darkness while using others to do their work. If the Eldar are allowed to interfere in on our plans, I fear they would be a threat to us. Their arrogance will be their undoing as the cub becomes a beast. Then unbound his heart would be bound for its wishes... far away from us." Pete tried a suggestion as Maleficent dismissed it before he said it. "His heart is too wild for any of us to control and he would resist the darkness we have to offer in exchange for that." Maleficent thought of another plan to dispose of another threat. "But for now, we need to devise a way to rid us of both the Imperium and of Zagor... but how?" She thought about it, neither are foes she wishes to fight head on.

At Hammeral of Ghyran

Aqua looked upon a few stitches on her clothes and perked for another journey as she aimed her keyblade and felt it glow with her pendent, radiating to the north west. Sathea approached and felt that the keyblade master looked good as new. "Excellent, you look like you are ready for that quick flight. To think that before, we had to go in blindly through a realm gate just to find the Heartstone and had to rely on you leading to the fastest path. Now it looks like you're travels are getting shorter and shorter."

That Aqua felt was a blessing. "It's going to be needed because the realms are that big. Do you and the others got any word on Ana?"

Sathea shook her head and Aqua felt a worried face underneath. "No, not one and... Tarnos hasn't came back yet. Moonfang stays still at the front of the chambers waiting for Loru to give word on his find." She muttered under her breath. "Stubborn, all of them." She took a deep breath of the fresh air and asked Aqua. "If you wish to know about Hysh and Ulgu, now would be a good time, for if this adventure does go so well, you won't be able to come back here so soon to be... informed."

The keyblade master guessed. "Hysh is the Realm of Light, so it's obviously all about the splendor while Ulgu is the Realm of Shadows... and it might be the kind of realm I'm use to by now."

Sathea nodded and lead Aqua towards a city wall, with a stair way leading up. "You are correct but there is much more to that. Hysh is divided into ten sub realms stacked on top of one another. Ten Paradises. It is a realm of enlightenment... Ulgu, you are right to think it similar to the realm you wandered for so long. A realm of illusions, shifting shadows... it is the domain of Malerion... don't expect many if any allies to aid you in that realm, the daughters of Khaine are our allies... not yours."

Aqua sighed to that. "They are the few in the Alliance of Order to be... dark." She pulled out the black pendent with star like specs. "But I won't be alone this time."

The two reached to the city wall and found a large light blue eagle with a grey underbelly perching, Hacrel looked on to the northwest and smiled to the eagle with pride. "You are always the best of my scouts Surgewing." He petted the eagles head and listen to it chirping as Sathea took a respectful stance. "Do you need a moment Hacrel?"

The elf turned towards the duo and shook his head. "I finished informing Surgewing of his duty. Aqua, there was a reason we didn't just take the fragment when we could. There was something growing near the heart of the empire and Sathea reports speak of a particular foe you might be aware of... that was how we figured out where the stone was found. If we attempt to launch a full scale assault, casualties would be met... but would that be needed?"

Aqua guessed. "Probably not if it causes problems to anger the Sylvaneth, I just need to find the stone and deal with that Unverse. Surgewing wouldn't have to stay in the area for long."

Harcrel and Surgewing gasped, they looked at each other and back to their duty. Harcrel had one more warning for Aqua. "There also appears to be another force that were forcing their way with in the growth before it consumed them, beware of the Maggotkin, mortal followers of Nurgle. You are best to avoid prolonged combat with them for the sake of you're health."

Sathea agreed with that. "Literally, Nurgle's diseases are fatal to both the body and soul. Don't be afraid to retreat from a fight you cannot win."

Aqua had memories of the daemons aligned to Nurgle and felt goosebumps. "Eek! I'll remember that."

She placed her summon stone into her pocket and got on Surgewing, Sathea gave Aqua a salute as Harcrel ordered the eagle. "Surgewing, fly her to the Jade Kingdom of Greenglades and do not retreat until the task is done!"

The eagle raised its wings and cawed, it flapped up to the sky to carry the keyblade wielder away. Sathea smiled to Harcrel and guessed. "I know what you meant for him to do in the... likely chance she doesn't return."

Hacrel predicted a pattern. "She takes the stone and uses it to travel to the next realm. Surgewing wouldn't rest for days if those he carries disappears without a trace."

At Traverse Town.

The trio from Destiny Islands laughed about something of unimportance and listened to a bell ringing. They noticed Wanda approaching with a black bladed sword in hand and a familiar wizard that was disturbed yet fascinated by the power, Sora broke out of his rambling and waved. "Merlin?!"

Merlin noticed and adjusted his glasses to make sure he had better look at a familiar face. "Ah, greetings Sora. What brought you all the way back to this town?"

Sora answered with a clear mind. "Just hanging out one last time before Riku and I do something important. What are you doing here?"

Wanda sighed and looked at the sword. "He came here to help us build a mage tower to ward off unwanted intruders, but a certain lad warned us about Nagash's forces being let loose upon the worlds. This... is an experiment, but Merlin spoke of a warding spell that would keep the Horned King from entering this town and slaughtering us or the spiderfangs bellow. A warding spell that requires an item aligned with a particular foe."

Riku and Kairi listened the concept more, the girl asked. "Just like the upgrade on Claymore back at the garden?" Merlin tapped his head. "Is it like that?"

Riku explained out to the elderly man. "A defense system specifically there to keep heartless, daemons and anyone aligned with Chaos out of the town. This would keep the undead away from from the town and from what Kairi said, that is exactly what these heartless and the Horned King are."

Merlin thought of it and raised his finger in memory. "Ah, then it is!" He turned to the sword and had his wand ready. "But there is always a problem when the item of mention was wielded by a specter, it could be haunted."

Wanda placed the sword down and backed away from it, advising Merlin to do the same. "And we need to make sure that power knows who is its master now! My men are far away from this."

Merlin backed away and remembered the words for his spell. "Ah yes!" His wand glowed and he faced it to the sword. "Bounded spirit, I ask of thee, come forth from thy bindings, we seek to commune with thee!"

Heading towards a scene.

Ken was nearly lost to the night sky as he heard the sound of something rummaging, he dismissed it as a vermin and heard a faint shriek kicking something out. A green orb covered in spider web rolled from a sewer drain, what ever it was, the spider fangs didn't want it. "Wha-" He picked it up out of boredom and saw with in an image, a cloaked, narrow ship with in the void, having a design mostly of black. He found himself with in a glittering void and watched the orb hover, revealing a keyhole that resonated with something, Cadia's Light glowed like it recognized what ship it was and Ken aimed for the keyhole, he gasped and realized. "No way... that's the Farseer's ship?!" He glared at the keyhole and let his blade glow, firing a beam and feeling a pathway most clear with in his mind. A ship near the world Twilight Town was in and near Traverse, to the far north east, the orb ruptured a dark green and the glittering light faded. Ken swallowed and felt disturbed. "No wonder she was able to find me!"

He heard a spell being chanted. "Bounded spirit, I ask of thee, come forth from thy bindings, we seek to commune with thee!" He followed the noise to the main district leading out of the town and found a familiar face casting a spell on a familiar sword. He silently approached as the sword glowed an eerie green shroud, something formed, a spectra light took shape in a cloaked spirit that gave Merlin a glare for death. Merlin stroked his beard with a confirmed theory. "A ha! I knew the sword still has its power left."

The shrouded spirit nodded silently and spoke in a raspy whisper. "It did and now I will take this back and deliver you all to Nagash for your insolence." The sword flung to its hands and it gave off a shriek, summoning five blacken spirits with yellow eyes. Sora, Riku and Kairi readied to fight as Ken took Cadia's Light and fired at three. Vaporizing them from existence and causing the specter to cringe in fear. It turned to Ken and floated back. "You, no...no!"

The boy realized the specter was scared of him and let Firekeeper's Wish glow bright, he smiled with vengeance. "Didn't expect the reaper to come walking by eh?"

The two spirits charged at him with spectral claws.

SWIPE!

Ken swung the two spirits with the burning keyblade and caused the two to fade in cinders. He kept taunting the shrouded spirit. "You're boss was stopped, he isn't coming and if Wanda's plan works neither would his Mortarch! Now are you going to give up?"

The shrouded specter glared at him with a cold silence, took his sword and flew at him. Ken jumped to the right and struck the shrouded specter down with the glowing blade, the specter wailed in pain and glowed in flames. The onlookers realized the fire was actually hurting the specter as Ken took it as his opportunity to walk towards the shrouded figure and stabbed it's cloak into the ground with the burning blade. The specter sizzled on fire and thrashed, Ken sighed and turned to the wizard. "Alright, he ought to listen to us."

He walked towards the destiny trio with a genuine smile. "Hey Sora, I been wanting to ask for a while but I never had the chance, since I was new to this and I still am." The smile became nervous as Riku and Kairi watched the specter in pain and Merlin trying to remember part of the spell. "When this guy is taken cared of and his sword gets used to help the town... would you want to fight me?"

Sora was looking at the burning specter and asked. "Are you not bothered by this?"

Ken looked at the night haunt and confessed. "I can guess the feeling is typical of being on fire, it is painful to watch, but since this guy tried to attack Merlin... is working for Nagash and tried to kill me for standing up to him and what he represents."

Riku put more together. "And having an idea of how evil Nagash is as well as how this thing was an agent trying to summon him into our worlds."

Ken and Riku nodded to each other as Sora felt a stinging, bitter truth. "He... deserves it."

Kairi took a deep breath and agreed with a silent nod, they watched the specter become consumed by flames as Merlin looked to be hearing something, a figure of ashes appeared and asked him with a voice Ken recognizes. "Wise one, allow me!" She raised her hand to the flame and caught the four onlookers by surprise. "Let this soul with in this vessel, manifestation of betrayal, elucidated by fire, burrowed deep within, retreating to a darkness beyond the reach of the flame. Let him assume a new master, inhabiting ash, casting itself upon a new form."

The sword of borrowed hours glowed with the flame and caused the specter to collapse in a whimper, it faded into the blade and caused it to spark out, leaving behind a burnt blade. Merlin picked up the blade, felt it's warmth more willing. He turned to ask the figure and found only ashes scattering in the wind. Ken went to pick up the burnt blade as Wanda shook her head and asked him. "My men are finishing up the tower as we speak, lets see if the spirit is more willing to listen to us now."

She tipped the top of her helmet to Ken. "Thank you for your... assistance. You will be the first to know of this spells success."

Ken nodded back confused. "Will... do Miss, I got someone to want to catch up on and then get ready for something pretty big."

He watched Wanda and Merlin walk off to the east and looked at Sora with a nervously, yet challenging stare, the spiky haired teenager went to the other side as he noticed Goofy and Donald looking impressed by something. Four in the audience and a tension build. Ken smacked his own cheeks to make sure he wasn't dreaming, realized it was reality and went into his battle stance as Sora went to his own, the blonde boy breathed lightly, "No matter what. He said yes."

closed his eyes and looked at the hero determined, like a pistol was shot. He aimed. Sora saw the chance and rolled to his right to avoiding the shot of three and charged, Ken charged another shot and realized the person he looked up to was about to swing. He burst in wind magic and swung Firekeeper's Wish, creating a cloud of ashes that blinded Sora for a moment. Ken flew high into the air and right behind the distracted boy, Kairi and Riku wanted to shout to Sora what was to happen as Goofy and Donald had them wait. Ken readied a charged shot and fired, Sora sensed a faint heat, spun around and used his keyblade to deflect the shot. Ken gasped and yelled. "WHAT?!"

He growled and went for his next plan as Sora readied a thunder spell, Ken flew down towards the ground and circled around Sora, rapid firing and to the astonishment of the group, actually hitting him, Sora gritted his teeth in pain and flew out of the circle with an odd smile. "So that's you're trick?" He dashed down at where the blonde gun boy was flying to swing, Ken parried with his burnt blade and was sent rolling towards a wall. He landed with a burst of adrenaline as the burnt blade glowed in cinders, looking more wild as he noticed a faint image coming at him in high speeds.

SWOOSH!

A cloud of ashes and cinders swung, made contact with Sora's own blade and was pushed back, Ken was bumped into the wall and he realized he was exposed.

Facing a flurry of blows with the key and a finisher shot a barrage of beams to send him flying. Ken pulsed with a mixture of air, ashes and cinders and shot himself down to the center. Creating vast fog with glowing embers, Sora knew what the change of strategy was, if Cadia's Light is ready for firing, he won't be able to tell between the cinders or the laser beams right away and for a gun shot, that one second is all he has.

PEW!...PEW!...PEW!

Three charged shots fired, one was deflected and the other two made contact. Sora raised his blade in the air for a healing spell and met a fast swing from a burnt keyblade. Having to roll back and looking on to the fading fog, one last charged shot fired and Sora used a deflecting spell, finding the fog die down and revealing Ken who was panting and realizing his element was gone. He tried to fly up and was in the middle of a free fall, his magic wore off and he thought to himself. "Not yet you got to hold on."

Sora took his chance and charged to where the novice was landing towards with a swing ready, Ken yelped and parried with both blades, gravity helped give him some force to push Sora back, the gun boy pushed to jump back and went to more sudden attack pattern.

Charging Sora back with the burnt blade, Sora dodged and countered. Ken jumped back and took a quick shot at him, Sora rolled out of the way towards the foe and as expected, was countered back. Sora skid past the counter and struck the boy in the stomach, sending him rolling back. He caught himself using Cadia's Light, pinning it to the ground and hanging upward from the hilt, he landed with the other blade and had the gun blade ready for another shot as his feet landed. They wobbled and were giving in, Ken refused and fired, falling on his knees and missing its aim entirely, Sora felt the shot fly past him towards a lamp, the heat of battle making one last crack. The battle was over and Sora felt himself panting and sweating as he watched his opponent land with his right fist, seeing a face mixing in frustration, joy and near idolization, his mouth tried to say something and blew out wheezing. Sora extended his hand to him and asked. "Calm down Ken, that was a lot more than what I was expecting."

That made the wheezing worse, Ken's blades faded and he took the offer, dizzy in the head. Sora felt the need to exhale as he watched Ken give him a thumbs up. "I...I saw this coming! Phew!"

He went to a bench to sit down on. Sora notice his friends approaching with various criticisms they want to speak of regarding the fight. Kairi put a gummi phone away, gave a fiery rivals glare to Ken and confessed. "That was just fast, but... wow."

Riku agreed with his own. "Sora fought some of those styles before, but that all came together in a pretty aggressive fight."

He smiled to his friend. "Nice job beating him!" Sora felt rather satisfied thinking about that. "I expected him to just shoot and use his other keyblade when it gets dangerous."

Ken heard that, felt the air return to his lungs and yelled out. "But you didn't expect me to be that bullet!" Goofy listened to that term. "Gwarsh!" Donald agreed with that. "Kids these days."

With that resolved, Sora, Riku and Kairi placed a single hand each together in a center of a circle, Kairi spoke first. "I guess this means we are going to go back to our adventure."

Riku agreed with that. "And once Sora and I start... it could be a while before we get together again."

Sora sighed to that. "But no matter what, we will always be together. All for one!"

The trio cheered in unison. "And one for all!"

Donald and Goofy knew that line was from them, the four males left the outskirts of town and left Kairi to approached a tired out Ken, her eyes squinting and her pointing at him. "Think you're a big shot now are ya?"

Ken shook his head. "Are you kidding, once the magic ran low, I knew I was going to get flipped again if I didn't do something. It's no wonder he saves these worlds two times already."

Kairi smiled at him and confessed. "But you didn't get flipped this time and you were doing pretty well at the start of the fight."

Ken appreciated and noticed Namine looking to the exit, confused by the random movements, he asked. "That's... something I got going for, but I need to find a way to keep that up when I need it. Since I caused... that, I'll be staying behind in town for a bit... I think I finally found my clue to where the Farseer's hideout is. Good luck on keeping count of the Princesses."

Kairi appreciated the wish of luck and walked off with Namine disappearing once more, leaving Ken by himself and for Elrena to walk out of a pen, she was covered with gryphon feathers and looked amused.

She noticed Ken had signs of a battle and had advise for him. "You need to learn cure soon!"

Ken sighed and raised his blade in the air, nothing of note came. "...I should. You missed out on something pretty cool, what kept ya?"

Elrena answered clearly. "Demigryphs really like it when you pet that one part of their head. So... where should we start looking for clues?"

Ken answered with a mischievous smirk. "Never, there is no clues to be found here."

Elrena looked disappointed, felt the tone and looked at the smirk, she was getting what happened. "Or you found a clue and you can't show it to me."

Ken nodded and caused Elrena to giggle, the boy let her know. "Until Merlin sets up a ward spell... or tries to, I need to practice a new summon I got... then we will be ready to talk with that Farseer and if she has Laurim."

Elrena clenched her fists in vengeance, lost herself in thought, lighten it and asked. "Rescue him... you still think we can talk to these people?"

Ken watched the stars once more and answered. "You heard Dabriel, him and everyone from where he came from is use to fighting. So... we are going to our next option to talk to them?"

That option Elrena was okay with. "Kicking their butts and making them listen? What if they don't?"

Ken answered simply. "Lock them up because they are too dangerous to be allowed to roam free. There was this tech priest that is pretty similar and the people back at town kept him a short leash. Maybe then, they will start listening and tell us about what is really going on?" Elrena felt it was sound and sat next to him. "But... do we have any idea what they will use to fight us back? We are... going into their hide out and they already wanted you dead."

Ken answered in remembering a particular gun a dark eldar had. "Guns... high tech stuff that could easily kill us. I got a crazy idea in how to deal with that, Elrena... you know a thing or two about summoning?"

Elrena shook her head. "Don't use it." She winked with a slight jolt. "Not that I need it, you would be surprised what you can live through."

In a black and white castle.

Maleficent was confused at what she saw from her orb. "That is what they are going to do?" She shook her head. "No matter, the Eldar's final hour will be upon them."

She ordered a depressed Pete. "Kairi spoken about the Princess's of Heart... have there been a change in the structure?"

The minion guessed. "Maybe the hearts found someone else since some of them had enough of a happy ending or something."

Maleficent agreed to that. "Exactly, for once you think insightfully. But who and where?"

Pete shrugged and opened a corridor, ready to do some vile work. "I reckon I go on ahead of that girly girl, try to find out and bring the two here if I can."

Maleficent knew her minion was going into a mission that no matter the outcome. "Knowledge is easy to obtain, hmph! You finally learned something after that experience?"

Pete nodded to that. "Got to have some common sense when others don't. Are we going to do anything with this soon?"

Maleficent answered in an agreement. "In due time."


	18. Descent

At Yen Sid's Tower, Sora and his three friends looked upon the odd trinket as Yen Sid felt a faint memory and wished to lecture Mickey. "All that security and you failed to remember even the minute details."

He wished to laugh as Mickey embarrassingly admitted it. "It would have saved the others all the trouble waiting."

Riku was putting that detail in the past. "But it might have done us more harm if we got the thing and were rushed back here. So... how does this even work?"

Yen Sid pointed to two benches and answered. "As you might have guessed, those who partake in this exam delve into a realm of dreams. Mmmm... much like how the worlds function." Riku nodded to that. "There are more than one dream and they all lead down a path to where you want to go." Yen Sid nodded with more knowledge and focused on Mickey. "It can lead to many paths, many that will lead to... understanding more about yourself. About what lurks in you're heart... to truly understand the Power of Waking, to awaken a heart... you must understand what is truly with in... whether it is yourself or in others."

Sora guessed with the attention focused on the mouse. "That is how the King was able to really use a keyblade in the first place?"

Yen Sid nodded. "Any master can pass down the mantle, that would be one way to... make it easier, but the keyblade must still choose that heart or it will be lost like an any ill kept tool."

Riku and Sora remembered one particular incident they experience, the spiky haired teenager voiced it. "Like... that one time Riku was able to take the keyblade from me." Riku had something to correct him on. "And you got it back after showing how strong you're heart really was compared to mine. I kept tumbling all the way to the bottom... and had to earn my own once I got my head out of my rear."

Mickey looked at the charm and felt like there was something he was forgetting. "And it all started with this." He looked to the two and warned them. "But just because it is a dream doesn't mean the things you see in there aren't real enough to affect you. If it gets really bad for you, that is what we are here for, to wake you up."

Sora smiled in looking forward to an adventure. "They can't be all bad."

Yen Sid agreed to that and had the boys sit in separate benches. "As with any dream, there are nightmares. Know the difference of the form, less the later consumes you."

He asked Donald and Goofy. "Donald, Goofy, you are to keep watch and make sure no intruders come. This is something that should not be disturbed." The two saluted and were ready to patrol. Sora and Riku laid down to let their minds wander as the wizard and mouse focused on the pendent.

The boys vision distorted and they felt themselves falling face first, down to a darkened mountain with in a vast, lonely wasteland. A gloomy, world filled with a lingering sorrow, down bellow was a keep of some kind built around a river of water, past that was a pathway filled of odd jump, leading to summit, where they see a castle glittering with an odd light. The wind pushed against them and they flipped and landed at the base of the mountain with their feet. Sora was taken aback by the darkened trees and the general view of the world as Riku felt the emotions surrounding him and his friend. "A world of resentment, guilt... empty."

He sighed as Sora noticed something squirming in the darkness, bubbling and shrieking. "And we are not alone!"

Riku noticed the creatures and the shape many took, four of them had bulging yellow eyes with a dotted pupils, fanged maws and round mouse like ears, looking upon them and crawling at them with simple minded aggression as a much larger blob like monster slobbered towards them, it having green eyes and a glowing green maw. The duo struck at the smaller blobs and forced them to run away as the slobbering mass clawed at both of them, knocking them back, Sora rolled behind the slobbering mass and struck at its back, the blob like mass simply sploshed and reformed. The monster chuckled as Riku fired fire balls at it, blinding it and causing it to step back, cringing in pain and exposing its face to something from the distance, a stream of blue paint, the slobbering mass choked as a flash of something circled around it. It belched something at the trees and caused them to sizzle, it inhaled and met more paint that caused its black body to lighten to a blue. The monster smashed against a tree and felt what ever was there had went a circle around, Sora and Riku watched the monster try one last time to attack its rogue and was met with one last splotch of paint, covering the whole body and causing it to become docile.

It turned to Sora and Riku, gurgled to them and looked towards the keep, like there was something going in. It walked towards its gates and the two followed, Sora asked. "What... just happened?"

Riku guessed. "This thing... must be a dream and a nightmare at once. There is a light deep with in the most unusual places." They reached towards the keep and found it resembling a sort of attraction ride they would find in a theme park, a faint tune was heard and the monster held his hands at his ears, the gate was locked. The duo readied their blades as the monster rammed his hand in between the gate doors and thrust it open. THUD!

The monster grunted to them and pressed his claws together in a plea as the melody became slightly louder. Riku felt there wasn't much of a problem with the tune. "Is... this something that bothers you? A song that... doesn't sound that bad?"

The monster shook his head as Sora put more together. "It... isn't the song... but something about it. Should... we do something about it?"

Riku didn't find much harm to it and walked in to find a long empty hall way, Sora thanked the monster and waved goodbye. "We will figure out what's wrong, is there someone you know that is in here?"

The monster nodded and shivered in worry for the reckless boy, he waddled back into the darkened forest, Sora turned to the keep and walked down the hall way, finding Riku looking down a dry mote with only one stairway, leading back to the way they came. The platform at the far end means little as down their left was a long hall way with a platform at the other end. To their right was a closed door kept shut by large cogs, no way their keyblades would really work. Sora felt even with a glide, it would be too far away for them to reach across. "How... are we suppose to get across?"

Riku shrugged and looked on. "There... is a way to do it... but... how?"

Both boys were at a loss, Sora felt something giving off a faint scream down the hall way, drowned out by the melody. "...Someone... is...hurting."

Riku listened in and gasped. "You...you're right. But how?"

Sora wanted to figure it out and felt something connecting him to the right most wall in the hallway, he focused and dashed to it in a flow of light, in a rush of adrenaline, he dashed to the other wall further down the left, then to the right and repeat until he made it to the other side. Riku watched Sora listening and looking astonished, he jumped to the platform on the other side of the room and dashed to the left wall of the wall, then to the right and repeat until he made it to the other side. He looked around to find pillars too high for them to simply jump on, a collection of stone flowers, smashed apart dolls and a pathway leading to a small makeshift village in the distance. The deep hall, a repeat of their previous problems, steep platforms overlooking the hall to where they have to figure out a way to go up the pillars, various colors that would look adorable and lively.

All of it in a still, yet the wringing melody became more clear. "It's a world of laughter, a world of tears. It's a world of hopes and a world of fears. There's so much that we share, that it is time we're aware, it's a small world after all. It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small, small, world!"

Sora was getting in the tune as Riku listened to the rest and analyze a pattern. "There is just one moon and one golden sun and a smile means friendship to everyone. Though the mountains divide and the oceans are wide, it's a small world after all." The rest of the song kept repeating. "It's a small world after all."

He realized what happened. "Sora... this song is what caused all this."

Sora naively refused to believe that. "Oh come on, it's not that bad."

Riku rolled his eyes and used his blade to spin around the flower, creating a momentum of light that allowed him to fling himself to a higher platform, landing by one of the knocked over dolls. "Try listening to the words, it's a small world after all... for the whole time we are getting through this. Then we'll talk."

Sora stubbornly refused to say anything and repeated the flow of movement, flinging to the platform and looking ahead down the hall. "What ever it is, we need to get to the bottom of this."

At Traverse Town.

Ken and Elrena watched a mage tower light up and give off a glow, they approached to find Merlin impressed with himself as Wanda asking. "So the weapon burst into a pillar and its feeding into every crack in the town. I... wonder if the spider fangs bellow are feeling any different."

Ken wondered out loud. "They might get angry if it does. Do you mind if we go down to take a look?"

Merlin looked at the tower and guessed. "It's power is... like the cornerstone of light, if the forces bellow are as I fear, it will cause them to scurry out."

The group heard nothing and wondered what was transpiring bellow, Wanda dropped her eye lids. "And the grots are not what you think they are. Shame."

Elrena shrugged about that. "They live in the dark, but their hearts are not dark... just... savage and dangerous. I heard of what the Cornerstone of Light does, it doesn't just drive off the undead, but all heartless and those that gave into the darkness." She smiled widely as Ken looked at the town with hope. "When I was growing up here, me and my mom saw WAY too people get attacked by the heartless and the end result... is what you expect. This town just came back and there isn't a whole lot of people who live here anyways... Merlin, are you sure there isn't any draw backs? This town actually being a sanctuary sounds way too good to be true."

Merlin turned to the tower and wondered. "It has just begun its light, so we need time to see how long this works."

Wanda agreed with that. "The spell was used on a weapon that had a nighthaunts spirit bound to it and the weapon became like the sun." She looked up to find a perpetual night sky still as is. "But I think it is, what ever what you and that ashen thing did to it that made most of it possible."

Merlin nodded to that. "Quite, now Miss Wanda, about that other thing you requested. What was it?"

Wanda nodded and stood boldly. "Making the train way between the Garden, the shoreline towns I heard about, the town Goofy and Donald came from and this one! All that without realmstone... how is that even possible?"

Merlin agreed with the question. "Yes.. that, it is a complicated spell that requires many wizards to connect to the worlds. I do believe I would know a few from the garden, twilight town and Mickey's kingdom... but the islands."

Ken and Elrena looked at each other in questioning, then to Merlin, the boy asked. "Islands?"

Merlin coughed and tried to remember. "I think... its the one young Sora came from...Des...Destiny Island."

Ken felt something in his heart burning and asked. "...What does the spell need to make it work?"

Elrena whispered to him. "Ken, you're not a wizard and you're not even a keyblade user that uses magic that much to even know how to make it work."

Ken knew and asked back. "But... we don't even know how the spell works, its like making a train track that links across worlds. Besides, would the you know who's expect us to be coming from that place?"

Elrena snapped her fingers and agreed. "If we tried coming at them from any world they are watching, they see us coming a mile away. What is so important about those islands that they would care?"

Ken nodded. "Exactly and when they do find us, Bryn would get us into their main ship and then we can get to work. Do you... mind the detour?"

Elrena doesn't as Ken looked to the wizard eagerly, Wanda explained what was happening. "Some rogue aelves were trying to kill him and they might think he is dead for a while, they could be having other plans and if they find out he is still alive, this would happen all over again."

Merlin cringed to that. "Eh, well... if given a moment, we would be in touch. What kind of plan do you have in mind?"

Ken showed Firekeepers Wish. "Find a good place for a train to pass through and then use this to light the way... what would happen if it doesn't work?"

Merlin grumbled at such a ridiculous plan. "Then it wouldn't work, but I suppose you had other intentions anyways."

Ken shrugged to that. "Do all the worlds need to be connected at once though?"

Merlin stroked his bered and remembered. "Hmmm I don't think they do. It would just be more time spent I suppose."

Ken nodded and promised him. "Then give me a signal once I get there and I'll try. I'll be back in a while once the... other thing is taken cared of."

He turned around to leave as Elrena gave her goodbyes. "It's a good excuse to go somewhere new. Later!" She left the group and followed Ken to a corner of the town, vanishing back into Brynhildr, the ship shined an image of islands and beeped like it knew the way. Ken sat on his chair as Elrena took the passengers seat, the boy ordered like a wannabe captain. "Bryn, find us the safest route to Destiny Islands!" The engines roared and the ship set sail across the lanes.

In a lush forest.

Kairi felt it refreshing to be out on another adventure by herself and in a world not covered in snow. Namine appeared to feel the warmth and asked. "You think another princess is here?"

Kairi nodded to that. "It's where the next pathway opened up to." She looked to find flowers of all kinds and the pleasant breeze a nice compliment to everything. "It would be perfect for us to just get lost in and enjoy ourselves."

Namine agreed with that. "All the Space Marine's were found, Sora and Riku are doing there part right now... it's just us and that boy traveling." She laughed at a cute memory as Kairi winked to her. "And he didn't make friends with any princess. He made friends with a queen, ha! I wonder where all the boys will end up seeing? What we will see?"

"AAAAAAAHAAAAAAH!"

A scream of mortal peril sang in the wind, followed by a thump from behind, Kairi turned around and found a brown haired man with a short beard, brown eyes, a blue vest, white undershirt and light brown pants, looking up to the rock above, four flying flower like heartless and two archer like heartless jumped down after him, the man got up, sprinted down the road Kairi stood and yelled. "Make way! Make way! Make way!" Kairi skid out of the way and formed her keyblade, ready to take them on, the man hid behind the rock knew a fighter when he sees on and asked. "Say, since you seem to know what you are doing, mind if I leave this one to you?"

Kairi sighed and promised him. "Yeah, I'll take care of them, get out of here!"

The man appreciated it in his cowardly way. "You have my thanks! Phew That horse was enough. I don't need any monsters on my trial."

Kairi heard the part of the horse. "What was enough?! What did you do?"

The man knew he was in for it if Kairi found out and answered, popping his head out and seeing the girl turning towards him. "Oh, nothing, nothing." He smiled like a swindler. "The name's Flynn, Flynn Rider." He pointed to archers that aimed for Kairi and even more monsters appearing. "Ohh! Watch out they look mad!"

The girl sensed the danger and skid to her left to dodge, appreciating the warning that could have been avoided if he just ran. She turned to face the horde as Flynn sneaked a distance from the rock and sprinted out of danger. Kairi slide towards the formed trio of archers, stabbed one out of existence and flung a disk of light flowers to best another, she rolled towards a tree to avoid another arrow and quickly took out the other, leaving the rest of the horde at her mercy as she focused on taking down two at a time. As the flowers were scattered, a swarm of five archers and ten green lamp like heartless appeared. Giving Kairi something of a struggle as she focused on the obvious healers and the archers. She spun in power and scattered the mages with a twister of flowers supported by a star like center. Dispatching the mages and giving her time to focus down each of the archers.

With them dispatched and their captive hearts freed, Kairi turned to where Flynn ran off to, looking at the road to a dead end. "...Why would he run there?" She shrugged and followed his trail, on closer inspection to the dead end, there was nothing but a wall of vines. "He couldn't have come this way... there is-" She gasped and looked closer, there was a cave behind it, she pushed the vines out of the way and walked down the secret passage, leading towards an isolated corner of the world, a water fall flying towards a river, overlooking a purple roofed tower on top of a ledge that in itself was overlooking the river. "So that's where he ran off to. Let's find out what he is doing out here." She went down the path and took down any run of the mill heartless that appeared. At the tower, she found Flynn climbing down using two arrows picks.

Flynn was clearly struggling as Kairi saw a faint bundle of golden hair flung from the window, the hair fell down towards the ground, Flynn dodged the next thing that fell with the hair, a woman in a purple dress using her own long hair as rope to slide down. She stopped herself near her landing and her green eyes looked down at the grass, not daring to place her bare feet on top. She slowed her breathing and placed her feet on the scratchy yet soft grass, pulling her hair down from the tower and relishing the freedom. She fell on her knees and felt the grass. "It's so soft!" Dandelions blew to her face and distracted her to where she shouted. "I'm free... I'm really free!"

She ran off into the meadow as Kairi ran to Flynn to shout. "Flynn, glad to know you did get away in one piece!" Flynn turned, gasped and greeted. "Wow! You're here and just in time." Kairi cringed in protest. "You're not conning me into helping you until you tell me what you were doing." She heard feminine giggling and turned toward the river, seeing the blonde woman with her hair in the water and generally her splashing around, Kairi asked. "Who is she?"

Flynn answered just as dumbfounded. "Uh, that would be Rapunzel... something tells me this is could be her first time outdoors."

Kairi gasped. "First time?!"

Flynn agreed that it was weird. "Give her a few minutes to get use to it." Both were disturbed and kept a close follow on the girl.

Rapunzel left the water and walked down to the forest, dancing around like a child experiencing something for the first time. "I can't believe I did this!" She was realizing. "I can't believe I did this! I can't believe I did this!" She cringed and slumped down. "Mother would be so furious if she knew I disobeyed her and left the tower." Kairi took a que from who locked Rapunzel away for arguably her whole life as she and Flynn followed her to a river with two rocks with in. Rapunzel talked to a purple lilly. "But that's okay- I mean, what she doesn't know won't kill her...Right?" In another mood swing of exploration, Rapunzel was in a dark cave crouching. "Oh my gosh, this would kill her!" The onlookers followed towards a mood swing in a light hill. "This is so much fuuuun!" Then to a tree with another. "I'm a horrible daughter. I'm going back." The back to her cart wheeling down a hill of flowers. "I am never going back!" She rolled herself in her own hair and resembled something of a pupa that was to burst. Then she had a mood swing under the shadow of a tree. "I'm a despicable human being." The mood swing reached a peak with Flynn and Kairi watching Rapunzel swinging around a tree "Best. Day. Ever!" and reached a low as she was under the tree, crying away.

Kairi felt Namine by her side, the two looked to each other and agreed that something was very wrong with Rapunzel and the woman she called mother is responsible for all the mental problems. Flynn approached Rapunzel from behind and asked. "I noticed you seem a little at war with yourself here."

Kairi agreed with that. "A little more than that. This... doesn't feel right."

She and Namine smiled nervously, Rapunzel heard the voice, stood up sharply and took out a frying pan. "Stop right there! Who are you?!"

Kairi tried to answer as Flynn did it for her. "I told you before: my sidekick."

Kairi's face cringed. "Sidekick?!"

Flynn continued away. "May I introduce, eh..." Kairi calmed her face and introduced herself as she hid a sharp glare at Flynn. "My name Kairi and he better not forget it."

Rapunzel felt a small green chameleon emerge from her hair and look on at the girl, Rapunzel asked. "Kairi?" She lowered her guard and introduced herself. "It's nice to meet you too, I'm Rapunzel."

Flynn had his hands at his hips and kept up with the lie. "Yep, my sidekick!"

Kairi went behind him, pulled him towards her face and asked in a whisper. "Since when did that happen?"

Flynn whispered back to her. "Look, she really wants to see the lantern show tomorrow night. Now, I'm a nice guy so I've decided to help her. Only problem is those monsters might show up again." That Kairi understood as Flynn continued. "I can get to the Kingdom- you are clearly more cut out for combat."

Kairi agreed with that. "That's because I fought those heartless enough times and I learned a lot from a hero of mine."

Flynn approved of that. "Yeah, yeah!"

Kairi and Flynn leaned on each others shoulders like they were partners, the princess assured an unaware Rapunzel. "Just leave things to me."

Flynn pointed to fingers at her with a deal made. "Done!"

Flynn offered to guided Rapunzel and the girl followed her, Kairi followed behind and felt Namine looking annoyed. "Well he has a point, we are doing this for Rapunzel. She has to be happier than she was when she was locked up in that tower." Kairi stopped, waited for the two to be far away and agreed. "The outside world is a pretty scary place, I know how that feels. When me, Sora and Riku tried to leave for the first time, fate had different plans, now it came to this. I wonder... how many places and people has Sora met? Is... this what it is like?" She felt stronger at heart as she followed the two, Rapunzel holding her long hair in a bunch and Flynn trying to keep his facade.

Down the forest trial, they found a clearing with something large and puff. Rapunzel giggled at the sight. "Oh, look! What is that? It's so fluffy!" Kairi agreed it was and enjoyed the curiosity, watching the girl go tot he fluffy thing and try to touch. Giant dandelions burst from the fluff and planted, turning into the familiar flower based heartless, the group saw a black body underneath the fluff and yellow eyes glowing.

Pop!

It revealed its real body and an emblem Kairi was familiar with. "Heartless!" She dashed in front of the scared woman with her blade ready. "Rapunzel, get back!"

The woman did as instructed and hid behind Flynn, pulling him back. The man smiled slyly with a plan to get rid of her. "All, right, I hate to say it, but I'm letting you outta this deal?"

Rapunzel let go and asked. "What?"

Flynn kept persuading and tried to sneak away while pushing her "It's way too scary out here. Let's just turn around and take you home."

Rapunzel refused and stopped him. "No. I am seeing those lanterns."

She picked up her hair and went to Kairi's side as Flynn kept a safe distance. Kairi asked. "Rapunzel?!"

The woman assured her. "It's okay, I'm not afraid to face them."

Rapunzel used her hair as a long range whip as Kairi flung a series of flowers and stars to decimate the vast horde, Flynn looked for a straggler, the largest of the heartless and pulled a barrel out of nowhere, rolling it over it. Giving Kairi the chance she needed to finish it off and take down a straggler. PLOP!

Two more large dandelion like heartless appeared and risen from a pole of smaller ones. The trio quickly took them out with ease, the pathway was clear and Kairi felt some comfort in not having to be the only one who could fight.

In the haunting dreamscape.

Sora and Riku made a flowing dash towards another corridor and landed on the other side, hearing the repeat of the song. "It's a small world after all! It's a small world after all!"

Sora held to his ears and screamed. "WAAAAH! Make it stop!"

Riku turned to him and walked backwards smugly. "Told you so!"

He turned back to find a dead end and a small lake as Sora spun in insanity. "It's a small word after all! Over and over. None of those things in the ride were moving, that's creepy."

Tick! Tick!

Sora turned towards something that was looking at him with a demented, teeth gritting expression, it had gigantic. Blue, robotic arms, a face resembling a clock, its body looked to be a a clock tower like gate way, decorated with various panels looking like numbers and shapes. Riku made the mistake of turning back to his friend unaware. "Hearing this song... it's a-"

"WRAAAAH! STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!"

The left limb smashed at Riku, who tried to run and was knocked off his feet, Sora noticed the right limb coming for him next and flowed to the left limb to dodge, then to the right limb, the clock face focused on him and begged. "LEAVE ME ALONE! PLEASE!"

Sora noticed a faint doorway to the right side of the tower and jumped to it, he saw a phonograph with in, connecting to a speaker that caused the song to and a blot like creature trying to stop the music. It looked at Sora and pounced at him with an expression not that different from the clock face, Sora kicked it into the water and watched it flail. Riku was in a corner in between the two limbs, the left limb went to try and get Sora off, the face was screaming to try and warn him. "DON'T, YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE IT WORSE!"

Sora noticed and signaled to Riku. "I found where this song is coming from! Should I turn it off?"

Riku took his chance and dashed to the still right arm, flowing across in a sparkle and landing by his friend to take a look. He gasped and dragged Sora inside with him, dodging the hand. The tower screamed. "STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP!"

Riku grabbed a spinning hand crank in a still and yelled to Sora. "Get that disk out!"

The spiky haired boy did as ordered and found sticky goop pulling on it, The infernal song, finally stopped, yet inaudible sobbing was heard, Riku felt the crank weaken and took hold of the disk. "You go see what his problem is and help him, hurry!"

Sora agreed and went out of the music room, he saw the hands at the clocks face, he glided to the other side and landed, he looked at the tower and felt his pain. "It's this song, it's making you this crazy?" The crying didn't lessen, but cohesive words came. "I just want it to stay gone! Put me out my misery."

Sora felt more pity in him. "Riku can't keep that nose away forever, is there anything we can do without having to do that!"

The gate opened and the clock went hysterical. "F...Find something, anything, anything that isn't that song!"

Sora agreed to that and shouted. "Riku, I'll be right back. Just hold on!"

In side, Riku found his predicament ridiculous as the goop became stronger. "Please do or I will be the one to give him mercy!"

Sora glided past the door and found himself in a mountain edge filled with large pieces of garbage, most of them having familiar round ears and red colors. He found a giant eye attacked to a body with two legs, inky black like the monsters, it glared at him and curled up into a ball to charge at him, the boy jumped above and glided to the first thing he saw, a giant case of phonograph records. He looked deep with in to find most of it broken, save for one small box, he made a dash to pick it up and sensed something rolling at him, more of the eye ball creatures. He jumped and slide out, making a mad dash back to the mote, a hand caught him. Sora turned to find the demented face looking upon him and the case, the hand moved toward the towers shoulder and he asked. "Put those in before the song comes back."

Sora jumped off and ran into the music room to find the tendrils pulling back on Riku even stronger, Sora took the first record out and used it to slash at the tendrils, Riku fell on his back and watched Sora place the first record in. A new melody came, one sounding like a mixture of a violin and piano, something Sora and Riku felt familiar with.

Splash!

Waddle!

A familiar blob like creature scrambled on the shoulder and crawled in, dripping wet and finding the new tune to be relaxing. Chaos was adverted, Sora felt like he could lay down as Riku stopped him. "Hold it, if... he couldn't yank that song out, what is to stop this song from driving him crazy?"

Sora gasped and wouldn't dare imagine it. "We... need to do something, did anyone try anything to get rid of this thing?"

The blob waved to try to tell them that he tried that, Sora and Riku looked at the cursed gramophone and felt a slight glow, they took their keyblades and tried aiming the tip at it. Light trickled into the phone and caused a dark cloud to bleed out, pooling into the ground and evaporating, Riku watched the crank stop. He looked at the record labeled It's a Small World and wanted to smash it, Sora took it from him and placed it away, feeling his head ache easing. "We... just to make sure that song doesn't need to be played again. Is that thing... normal?"

Riku took the record out of the device with ease and nodded. "Yep. What... song is called Dearly Beloved?"

Sora shrugged and placed the case to the side along with the record. "I... don't know." He turned to the blob that wanted to hear the new song again. "Can we trust you guys to make sure he doesn't have to listen to the same song again?"

The blob nodded, took the new record and put it back in the device. The boys work is done and they went out of the room to glide back to the other side. Seeing the crazed face glowing and the limbs looking still. The clock towers pain is dulled, the glowing stopped and showed a bright yellow smile spinning back and forth.

The hands moved and acted like a kind of bridge, the clock spoke in a ticking, yet relieved tone, like he was free from a long torment. "T...Thank you. Ha, ha!"

His eyes looked to the destruction he caused and opened a doorway to the boys left, letting water flow through Sora and Riku felt peace was returning, Sora felt he understood where some of the behavior came from. "You were just trying to stop that song. To hear the same thing... for, I don't know how long."

Riku agreed with that and looked to the way he came. "Maybe those guys would calm down. I think there is plenty of records so that song won't drive you nuts... but we don't know if you will get anything new when you get bored with that."

The clock face stopped for a moment and went back to tilting, the eyes focused on Riku. "Just... as long as it isn't the same thing, again and again. I...I can manage this."

The other eye focused on Sora. "The place you went to is something the King used to sort all the junk that fell. Just keep going and you will reach his castle. What are you? Who are you?"

Sora and Riku gave him their names and explained they are keyblade wielders, the tower hummed a ding. "Sora, Riku." He gave a light laughter. "Thank you."

The duo appreciated it and waked across the bridge, going past the gate and listening to a machine recoiling into a still peace. Riku notice some of the blob like monsters noticing them and making an effort to avoid them, along with the odd junk that resembles someone he knew. "Who... did he mean by King?"

Sora answered without really thinking. "Mickey?!"

Riku shook his head and pointed to the various discarded objects. "Not when there are things resembling himself in the trash! Who... is in charge of this place?"

That Sora didn't know. "My guess is as good as yours. But... who was the guy that saved us back there?"

That Riku wanted to find out. "If he didn't, we wouldn't have figured out about these guys." The boys looked among the scavenging creatures playing with make discarded toys in ignorant bliss and looked at the castle in the distance, the source of their answers lie just ahead.

In the skies of Ghyran

Aqua hung on top of Surgewing and looked down upon a mostly open field with a few forests, the tress were choked in a green, encroaching fog. Small rivers scattered across the field, the corrupting force encroached towards a stone, like a tendril of decay reaching out. In the path of the fog was a massive grey tree with twisting branches, at its bark was a symbol Aqua recognized and she gasped in disbelief. "How could an Unversed reach to that size?!" Her keyblade glowed, she felt it guiding her aim to the tree itself. "...No, the stone... is in that?!" She noticed on the other side of the tree was a force looking of floral brown and green, pushing with in. She sighed and asked Surgewing. "Fly above the tree. I'll take care of this!"

Surgewing did as ordered and flew above, Aqua jumped off and fell face first, she sparked into a fire ball with her keyblade at her front, spinning into a meteor. The tree aimed its branches up to Aqua and fired, hopelessly trying to keep her from making impact.

CRASH!

She burst through the top of the tree and landed with in, finding it to be all hollow bark.

With in she found a purple interior with active, blue floral glaring down at her with red eyes, they fired sharp twigs immediately. Aqua dodged and shot fire balls at them, scorching them from existence as a swarm of seven purple figures emerged. Trying to swarm over Aqua, she struck two of them down and pulsed in fire to keep them separated, quickly picking them off and finding a tunnel downwards, towards a room that had a wall oozing green slime, distorting and letting in three bloated green flies with yellow boils, each with a sickly green humanoid Aqua was familiar with. The riders gave a wide sickening smile that dripped with pus one slurped and bubbled. "Thee one who essssscaped the Dark Realm! Oh how Grand Father would delight to see you!"

The very sound caused Aqua to feel her stomach bile, she glowed her blade for that quick strike as the flies darted to her. Aiming their stingers at her face and extending their mouth parts to bite into her, Aqua vanished from the attacks and swiped left and right against the most left, flipping and making a downward slash, only to meet a simple gush of green, foul smelling liquid. If she attempted to make a meaningful blow, the disgustingly resilient bodies made it a minor flesh wound. The daemons tried to stab her with their rusted knifes and Aqua flipped to the right, getting a good look at contorted faces within one of the drones bloated abdomens. She kept attacking and spun her blade upward to catch the daemons in a whirlwind, the flies spun out of control and Aqua finished her combo with a slam on the most injured, causing it to fade away in a howl and leaving two actually injured. The two flies buzzed back and spit out rancid skulls, Aqua flipped to her left and dashed to the air and taking a little longer to kill the next drone. Finishing the last one that extended its jaw at her with a stab through its head. She knew she was warned and was grateful that her stomach had long since broken down her last meal as she found another passage way leading down. CRACK!

The floor opened up beneath her, most likely intentionally, dropping her down to a wide area with a vast battle occurring, in the vast middle. To the left was a vast army of plague bearers, bloated flies with their riders and most sickening, walking bloated corpse like warriors that even from a distance, Aqua could feel them full of wriggling larva and buzzing flies. Leading the charge were five bloated flies carrying moral riders with various scythes and a leader with a trident. To her right were a variety of tree like humanoids, three three man squads of humanoid trees with great bows, a three man squad of a similar build except with great swords, a humanoid tree with a green spirit like figure with in, looking most important with a set of mighty wings. Bursting from the rank was a circle of trees and south of the onlooker was another circle of trees.

PEW!

A swarm of unversed she battled appeared, glaring at the tree like army and firing upon them, angering humanoid giant tree with a mighty sword to where it gave a mighty roar.

It disappeared in a circle of trees and appeared in the circle next to the middle group. The massive army of trees too charge and the battle had begun, both sides ready to collide with each other as the unnversed shot at the giant tree with the sword. Doing nothing but angering it, it charged from the trees and in three swings, vanquished most of the unnversed and with impaling talons, crushed the rest. Aqua was confused as to why such an act as the spirit glared down at her and accused, revealing skulls around his body, orange runes and a face with a crack over one of its eyes. "You brought more of these defilers! ROOOOOOOAAR!"

He smashed his blade at Aqua, she flipped out of the way and pleaded. "No, I didn't, in fact I was going to take care of this!"

The tree ancient jabbed with his talons. "Deceiver!"

CRACK!

Aqua jumped above the arm and ran to the giants shoulder, having a view of five flies with their mortal riders, three of them with heavy bells dragging the flies down. She had a good look at the bloated bodies of the riders, severely malformed and sickening to look at. "Watch out!"

She aimed her blade and called down lightning to deal moderate, if insignificant damage to the riders. The ancient turned to the riders, their leader ordered. "Kill the spirit of Durthru and claim the blue one for Nurgle! Greenglade is ours!"

The tree bound spirit let loose a blast of verdant energy upon them and shockingly blew a rider from his fly and caused the fly to rupture. The rider felt life growing upon him, he laughed and laid still as the floral life took his body. Aqua glowed in electricity and flew at the leader, letting loose a quick combo and firing at him in point blank range, letting loose a burst of electricity and causing the rider to tingle. He readied his trident and tried to trust it into the woman giving another glow with wisps floating around her, he stabbed an illusion and felt quick attacks striking at his rotten back side. The fly flew above Aqua and struck her down with its heavy bell as the two troops stung the tree spirit and slammed him with a bell weighing him down. They were completely crushed by sword and talon. The remaining rider pulsed out a toxic discharge, blasting Aqua with a poison that left her critically ill, the rider chuckled and extended his free hand to her. "None can endure Nurgle's calling for long. Not even the mightiest of warriors, all things decay, let me take you to him!"

Aqua vomited bile and leaped above the rider in a pillar of magic, striking down and striking up in a last attempt to fight him back, dealing barely any damage and leaving the bloated sac bleeding as the spirit of Durthru shot a verdant blast upon him. The fly burst and the rider fell face first to the ground, breaking down in vegetation as Aqua looked behind the sylvaneth lines, a way deeper in. She watched the vast armies collide, arrows piercing the plagued drones and the forces of nature fighting back against the forces of disease. Durthru grunted to her and pointed his sword to the passage. "Everqueen, bellow! Beware the Glottkin!"

Aqua nearly passed out and used a healing spell to reinvigorated herself, she felt their was little hard feelings and wished him luck. "Banish this plague from the realms for me. This... is a special force." The tree nodded in agreement and charged at the flank of bloated mortals. Aqua focused on the passage and in a speed of light, vanished to the other side. Leaving behind the full scale war behind to venture downward, towards a tunnel with weak wood and fleshy pale moss. A thought rushed through her mind. "Someone wanted to fool the Sylvaneth into attacking me, but who?!" More words and imagery raced through her mind. "Black and red." A boy of that description aiming a keyblade to a realm gate to close her off from what she earned. Flash! A mental image of memory came, a figure with a helmet hiding his face, in a mostly black, a name she remembers like a rancid pox, itched in her mind. "Vanitas... but...how?!" Her thoughts her stopped as she entered a rancid chamber squirming in larva, living rotting branches pinning something down and a putrid green air.

In the center of the chamber was a jade green fragment resembling a lower quarter of a heart and approaching it was an trio of absolutely disgusting figures. A man in purple robes and a blacken cowl, one with a rotten face and a misshapen growth on his back, reached for the stone with a cloud of flies. He held firmly a wooden staff with a bell on a curved branch, he held onto the stone firmly. "At last, the Shimmetarn, the Greenglade. HACK! The Everqueen, they finally belong to Nurgle! Then the realm beyond!"

A man behind the sorcerer, a mighty warrior bloated and wielding a scythe and wearing a green helmet and shoulder pads looked upon Aqua. "Speaking of the realm Ethrac, our traveler from that realm has arrived to witness our triumph before we deliver her to Nurgle."

Ethrac looked upon her and greedily held onto the stone fragment. "What can she hope to do now Otto?! What can she hope to do?"

Aqua looked upon the most terrifying of the three, a massive, green lump of rancid flesh, the back carrying the duo were boil infested and filled with bony spikes, his right arm was more like a lampreys maw, his left a massive tentacle, his misshapen face riddled with teeth, looked upon another morsel. It gurgled and let loose a rancid roar, causing Aqua to fall on her rear in a thought, she struggled against enemies far smaller than this foe, even her skills would prove impossible against this thing.

Otto looked down upon the monster and at to Aqua. "Our thoughts exactly Ghurk."

He readied his scythe for a harvest as a captive ensnared struggled to break free, on the bottom was a beetle covered in branches, flapping his wings and tearing against five snares as on the top, an elven woman with long light blonde hair, a left hand of pure wood, branch like wings, a right hand holding a triple prong spear and a white and gold dress struggled against four purple snares from around her. She gritted her teeth and tried to break free. "Mark my words sullen sons of Nurgle, the realm itself will turn against you!"

Ethrac gasped, laughed and coughed. "HO! HACK! Oh blessed Alarielle, you knew this tree was never of you're children! The agent of the Grand Marshal told you most vibrantly what this tree really is! How it feeds off of you're hatred towards Nurgle, you have lost."

Alarielle refused to accept it, her eyes glowed bright green in justified anger as she focused on the terrified Aqua. "Mortal, I require you're aid. As they said, this abomination of dark magic turns my wrath against me! But not you!"

Otto cringed as Aqua felt a great power being bound. "If I destroy that, you would be able to beat these three?!"

Alrarielle gave a faint laughter and glared at the brothers. "Yes!"

The leader of the Glots looked upon Aqua. "Nurgle requests we keep the Everqueen alive, but you are not so fortunate! No matter which of the armies above achieve victory, when you give that final breath, victory will finally be ours! Ghurk, crush her!"

The monster barreled as Aqua burst in wind and spun into the air, she flew to one of the Everqueen's snares and with a couple clashes, caused it to disintegrate. Otto swung at her with his scythe as Aqua flipped onto her blade and slide to the second snare, destroying that one as an irritated Ethrac fired an arcane bolt. "Not that close to the Everqueen! This will get the key bearer off!"

PEW! Aqua faced magic energy to her face and was broken from her combo, she flew to the other side to avoid Ghurks lamprey like maw and his flailing tentacle. Ghurk turned around to face himself between Aqua and the Everqueen, blocking her position from the front. The blue haired woman looked up to the ceiling to the snare and shot herself to the air, giving a radiant glow. She severed another as Otto looked up and belched a pestilent torrent, Aqua kicked herself away from the plague and watched the snare rot away. Alrarielle snapped away from her prison and flew off her beetle, she took her staff and fired it at the Glotkkin, knocking them far away and giving her time to land near her steed. She struck a snare and felt it was much stronger than she expected as Aqua landed gracefully and warned her. "Remember what you said?"

Alrarielle looked at her whimpering beetle. "This is my child, I'm not just going to let a stranger free him."

Aqua understood and severed a snare. "But... can you?"

Alrarielle sighed and looked at the recuperating Glottkin. "Perhaps not, but I can do this!"

She raised her branched hand in the air and brought out a amphorae. "Verdant spirit, take the form of a mighty treelord and vanquish these defilers from my realm!" Out of the jar came a spore than landed on the ground and quickly grew into something like the monster Aqua saw from the floor above. The summoned treelord glared at the Glottkin and charged at them, performing a series of sweeping blows and missing as Aqua unleashed a deadly combo on the four snares in quick succession. Freeing the beetle as the Glottkin pushed the treelord back with diseased bites and cuts, Alrarielle flew to the beetles back and ordered the treelord. "Now, jump away! I will finish this!"

The tree lord did as instructed and left the two brothers with a realization that their plans were about to fail. Alrarielle shot her spear again for an adequate blow as the beetle roared and flew at the Glottkin with its great antlers. Its talons scratched away at Ghurk's spirit and left it trying desperately for a last attack, doing minuscule damage and for a mighty slam to send the brothers falling back, they scattered in a cloud of flies and flew away, leaving behind a foul smelling, yet still radiant Heartstone Fragment. Alrarielle took the fragment and had something to say to Aqua as a massive root shot out from the ground and impaled the beetle, Alrarielle was snared once more as Aqua noticed a glowing red marking at the base of the root. She raised her blade into the air and caused ice to form around the base of the root, an icicle of gargantuan size erupted and severed the root, causing the massive body to convulse and glow in darkness.

The root vanished and left the beetle falling limp with a distraught Alrarielle, focusing a blooming spell that caused its flesh to regrow. The tree shook and pulsed, darkness was fadding, the Everqueen's wings glowed as she let loose a pulse of green light. "This thing will not claim anymore!"

WOOSH!

Aqua felt the green light pulse and when the glow ceased, she found herself and a damaged sylvaneth army on a grassy glade. With two treelords kneeling before Alrarielle as Aqua felt light headed and leaned against a tree, the Everqueen nodded to them and with a gesture, had the vast army retreat, baring the spirit of Durthru. She flew to Aqua and presented her with the stone fragment. "Wanderer from the Realm Beyond, I believe this is yours."

Aqua weakly reached for it and held it close to the pendent, she watched it march into the piece and see it resemble very much like the heart it was, baring a cavity in the center. A jaded fragment with a symbol resembling a target, Aqua looked up and watched an eagle fly off. "Thank you, a... foe like that, how do people fight them?!"

The Everqueen sighed and answered stoically. "Through much sacrifice. The Glottkin and their forces will most certainly return to these realms one day, but you gave us a respite. If it was not for you, they would have held true to their word."

That made Aqua feel proud as she closed her eyes and felt a small bed of grass welcoming her. "They used that tree as a way to tunnel themselves into this place and that tree... angered you?"

The Everqueen tapped the ground with her staff in agreement. "It was a complete mockery of nature, a bastiodon of evil. Created from a... Agent of Archaon, a demon in the formed of a masked youth. You know of this evil?"

Aqua nodded and confessed. "I know him, he has made every attempt to stop me in the realms and is why a friend of mine had his heart broken. Vanitas... but... him being back... makes no sense."

The Everqueen turned toward her beetle and corrected the mortal. "The powers of Chaos can bend reality based on simple thought. If enough power is given, anything and anyone can be used at the whim of the Chaos gods. You know someone who would use Vanitas at a convenient time?"

Aqua sighed and felt her mind drift. "Yes and that man is the reason behind all of this. Ha!"

Alrarielle felt the mortal has had enough and ordered the spirit as the treelord walked off into the forest. "See that she rests peacefully, then prepare for the next battle my child."

The spirit looked to Aqua and promised the Everqueen. "It will be done!"

In another forest.

Kairi, Flynn and Rapunzel noticed a couple odd things down their path, one was the many floral wilting away, trees looked weaker and a sense of gloom was in the air, at the end of the path was a road to the left and standing before that was a crystal glowing green with a familiar statue of a knight, surrounding the crystal were five oddly healthy trees. Flynn felt something unnatural about it all. "Okay, that's suspicious!"

Kairi and heeded caution to the blonde woman. "Rapunzel..." The maiden with long hair agreed. "Don't worry, I'll be careful around odd things like this now."

She winked as Kairi looked at the crystal. "The crystal isn't from here, but the trees don't feel normal. I'll look."

She walked to the crystal in hesitation and had her blade ready to smash it, nothing seems to be guarding it, an oddity considering the previous crystal and the incident Riku warned her about. Rapunzel noticed something growing out of the upper central tree, an evil yellow eyed face that fired an orb of black magic, she flung her hair like a lasso at the unaware Kairi. "Look out!"

Yoink!

Kairi felt the soft blonde hair and was yanked away from a sinister blast. The five trees glowed and surrounded the crystal in dark power, Kairi felt the pattern. "Garland's minion!"

Rapunzel felt the name was sinister and agreed with the danger. "Mother said the outside world is full ruffians and thugs like this!"

Kairi shook her head and warned her. "These aren't ruffians, this... are like the monsters we been fighting. That crystal, is draining power from the world it was left on... it's why the forest is dying. Rapunzel, Flynn, keep going."

Rapunzel refused to leave her behind against this strange force. "No. I want to help you fight, this is like all the others, right?"

Kairi nodded to her. "You are right, but this heartless is more special, a frying pan isn't going to help. Flynn, could you please?"

Flynn assured Kairi that was the one thing she could depend on. "No problem. Knowing when to flee is one of my specialties." He asked the bold woman. "C'mon Rapunzel. Gotta go!"

Rapunzel tried to ask. "But-" Flynn went to persuading. "Look, I wanna stay and slug it out too, but my sidekick has it covered."

Kairi assured both that she does, Rapunzel was in an agreement. "Alright. Please be careful Kairi."

She and the man ran off together, leaving Kairi deal with the trees horrible magics. The front most left tree fired down a thunder bolt as the front most right tree blew out ice, the back most left tree shot a fire ball as the back most right tree shook the earth and the central tree waited. Kairi dodged and flew at the tree with the exposed face, swinging at the wood and doing considerable damage. The face sank into the wood and the back most left tree revealed its face directly at Kairi, the girl tried to fly to it and felt gravity crushing her, clearly the work of the tree she left behind. She cast a healing spell, circled around the tree to avoid the barrage, she gave a glow of light and slammed destiny's embrace at the trees face, the tree ahead of her formed a face in place of the other ones, Kairi dealt with the four spells being used, struck the trees face, healed when needed and repeated. When she finished with the last tree, the five revealed a face at once and gasped, letting out a dark mist that congealed in front of the crystal. The mist formed into the shape of an imposing, armored figure with a long cloak, the figure gained color, it wasn't something Kairi expected from a bunch of heartless trees; an armored horned warlock in dark blue, it had spiked shoulders, a long sword on its right hand and a typical emblem.

The warlock raised its hand in the air and caused Kairi to feel her health sapping away, rapidly. She threw herself at the warlock and knocked it out of its focus, the warlock blocked with a barrier and countered her with a swing from its blade, it flew back and let its blade spin mid air as Kairi was falling to the ground, blowing a maelstrom, the princess cringed and glided away from the danger, she darted at the warlock's back and let loose upon it. The warlock teleported to the other side and conjured four rapidly spinning orbs, tossing them in the air and pressing its hands together. The orbs sparkled in dark power and collided with each other as Kairi charged at the warlock.

RIPPLE!

Kairi felt something pulling against her and looked back, to find a black hole tearing the five trees apart and sucking them into the void. She yelped and gave off brighter glow, disappearing behind the warlock that focused more on expanding the hole. She stabbed the warlock with her blade and flung it into to the black hole, the heartless tried to fly against the pull and let loose a flurry of air spells to try and make Kairi loose her balance, the Princess flew to a stump and held on. The pull of the black hole became stronger and stronger, the heartless was determined to try and end Kairi's existence as it kept pulling against the force of a black hole, Kairi flung a flower of light energy at the warlock and knocked back, causing it to flip into the void. The warlock, was devoured by the void, the black hole pulsed and collapsed. Letting loose an explosion of dark power that faded away in the wind, a heart flickered into the sky, the battle was over.

The crystal glowed with verdant power and flickered away with its pedestal, Kairi panted at a tiring battle and heard a deep laughter. Turning towards the pathway Flynn and Rapunzel fled to and finding an armored knight matching the description Sora and Riku gave her, she glared and charged at Garland, who simply stared her down as she tripped in exhaustion, the knight extended his left in an offer to help her up. "Such a fierce spirit for a princess! Trying to stop the inevitable cycle?" Kairi refused and looked like she was going to bite the hand, Garland didn't care much for that. "All this because you seek to fight by the side of you're friends, rather than be the damsel you were? A commendable effort, yes something to be worth praise." Kairi expected a back handed insult to follow as Garland simply opened a corridor. "Fear not for the plants of this world, they will grow back in due time. You still have many great battles to fight in this world and beyond. Continue getting stronger and you might last to learn what all this means."

He disappeared and left Kairi to recuperate from the intense battle, Namine appeared to help her up. "Kairi, he is still an evil knight... but we need to figure out what world he would try to take its magic from next." Kairi agreed and let go of her confusion, she and Namine followed the path the two travelers had gone, the princess took care of any stray heartless and found herself deep with in the forest. She asked Namine. "Why are do the heartless Garland control... look and act like that? It's weird."

The girl in white thought of it. "They... are an emblem, so in essence they were created to the desire of their master. It must be because of the kind of worlds Garland knows of, where they go that they take those shapes, they are always by a crystal and are stronger than most of the normal heartless we fight. They are always related to the element the crystal is stealing."

Kairi felt it was logical and focused on who was lost. "A yeti, a... thing that controls the flow of time and an evil tree. This isn't helping our friends out though."

She yelled out. "Rapunzel! Flynn! Wait up!"

There was naught a response in the vast woods, all expect for one, a motherly voice asked. "Excuse me, good traveler. Do you know Rapunzel?"

Kairi turned to her side to find a woman in a burgundy dress and black cowl, she had light green eyes and short, curly black hair. The princess answered without caution. "Yeah... kind of. Why did you ask?"

The woman answered politely. "My apologies, I'm Rapunzel's mother." Kairi and Namine heard the red flag and listened to the woman's story. "The poor child left home without a word, and I've just been worried sick." She asked. "Please tell me: where is my dear, sweet girl?"

Namine felt goosebumps as Kairi answered. "I would have told you, but I lost her by accident. I could look for her if you want?"

The woman scoffed out her disappointment. "Lost her? You're of no use to me." She shooed her away and walked off into the woods. "I'll find her myself."

With her gone, Kairi felt the goosebumps Namine felt. "This is why Rapunzel wanted to run away?"

Namine agreed with that. "But do we want to know why Rapunzel is acting the way she is?"

Kairi shook her head, swiped pinched fingers across her mouth and tossed away an imaginary zipper. "If we try to talk to her about this, she wouldn't tell us and we might make it worse. We need to keep watch in case that woman shows up again." Namine nodded and walked towards the road. "If we never met Rapunzel, that woman would have fooled us, easily. We need to find those two before she does."

At a town by a vast ocean and a small island a ways away.

Ken was taken aback and was annoyed by a decision Elrena made. "You're staying with Bryn?! Come on, it's gorgeous here."

Elrena squinted at the sand. "There is too much sand and water than I want to do with it and it feels awkward being here. Let me know when you're" she quoted for emphasis. "job is done."

She walked off to a corner and left Ken to find anything resembling a good place for train tracks, barring a ledge in the west of town overlooking the sea. He activated his wind magic and flew around the mainland to see how much of an inconspicuous path can he find, he found but two trees close enough together to resemble a gateway. It was something to consider and used his gummi phone to record a video and flew back to the ledge for an idea of a path. He saved the video and spoke to himself. "I'm no expert, but this could be an idea for a path."

He looked to his left and found an island with some tree houses, for a simple island, it gave so many questions he wished to discover, yet he had his duty to fulfill. He formed Firekeeper's Wish and stabbed the ground, watching the keyblade glow like a bonfire. He sat on the sands and looked on to the islands. "...Pretty soon that problem I have will be all over. I... can't believe how close we are, once those two guys do that thing."

He felt a slight haze and closed his eyes, opening them to find himself in a rather odd place, a ledge overlooking a path towards a sea side mountain, to his left was a dead tree and an odd warrior in leather armor. The warrior looked to the ocean and asked himself. "...What... am I?"

The sound of foot steps was heard from behind, a feminine voice Ken was unfamiliar with asked. "Are you... the next monarch? Or...Merely a pawn of fate? Bearer of the Curse..."

The knight turned his head to his left and was hesitate to let himself be addressed as that. "...That name... hurts."

The voice asked with a stoic tone. "If you are not a Bearer of the Curse... then what are you?"

The warrior looked down to the water and to his hands with clear doubt. "...I...I...I'm..." He lifted his head to the lit sky. "Am... a Baldred. I'm a Baldred, that much I don't dare forget, that much I remembered after I met those crones." He and Ken felt the warmth of a fire behind, Baldred recalled more "I... came to these lands... to rid myself of that curse. I... have to find a way to rid all of us of that curse."

The voice asked. "...Baldred, regardless of you're past, I will remain by your side, until this frail hope shatters." A familiar orange glow was seen from behind. "Take this with you, may it ease you're journey."

Baldred looked to his right, not seeing the boy watching him and making it clear to Ken. "This... is a memory?" the boy saw a familiar orange flask with a flame. The woman asked Baldred. "Go on and see the King. He who made Drangleic what it once was; he who peered into the very essence of the soul. King Vendrick." Baldred looked confused, yet felt like he had purpose. "...He...might have the answers. He stood up and turned around. "Maybe... I can find a way." He gasped and Ken's vision faded to orange.

The boy felt himself back on the island and had a feeling that something hit him in the back of his head not to long ago. He got up and turned around to find a volley ball, a short haired blonde teenager in a yellow vest was seen weird out by Ken's reaction. Ken picked up the ball and look towards him. "You threw this my way?"

The teenager nodded and waved. "Like a minute ago! What are you doing here?"

Ken threw the ball back and wasn't in much of a mood to answer. "Just sight seeing. I must have... spaced out."

The teenager caught the ball and looked more confused. "You did a lot more than space out to ignore that. I... kicked it pretty far and watched it hit you." He smacked his hands against each other. "Like that."

Ken cringed and looked to his bonfire. "Ouch! Well, I won't be here for long. Thanks for letting me know."

The teenager gave benefit of the doubt. "Don't be a stranger, don't let the sea sweep you away."

He went back to his game as Ken was given a text with the name, Ienzo. It was typed in with an apology. "If Wanda gave this back, I don't mean to intrude, but I was told you agreed to help on this... transportation project. Have you found a convient place for the islands?"

Ken texted back and sent him the video. "Don't ask how I did it, but what of this?"

He waited and looked upon the fire to find the Firekeeper sitting there, with her feet in the water. He giggled and was met with a sorrowful frown, his humor sank in the tides as he asked. "Did you know what that was about? That...vision?"

The Firekeeper nodded. "Memories of an age long forgotten by time. Of a cycle between the flame and the dark. Was Baldred a hero... or was he apart of a long line of lords past? Towards the inevitable?"

Ken puffed his cheeks and looked to the sea. "But what does that have to do with me?"

The Firekeeper shrugged. "If the strife towards a prophecy and of thine own fate is concluded in thy victory, would the cycle begin anew? If young Sora and the others, push back this darkness, would the cycle begin anew?"

Ken answered without a moments thought. "They fought a lot like that a couple times as with a-" He gasped and felt his hair stand. "...yes, if all that Xehanort stuff was apparent, someone else would just cause problems again. The same guy they dealt with before, he... never learned anything."

The Firekeeper agreed with that as she notice the device ring. "Wielder of the Flame...Wielder of a Key, the brighter thine light shines, the darker the abyss would become. Do not let it consume thee."

Ken listened to the cryptic warning and guessed as he looked to the phone. "I won't be as free as I thought I would when this is over. I... got that."

He looked to the phone and found promising words. "When they know of other worlds, that train would be in a perfect place. Can your Keyblade... the one of fire...do something to trigger a connection? If not we will have to send a wizard to eventually do it."

Ken looked towards the Firekeeper and found herself fading in ashes, a whisper was heard. "Flame only beckons flame."

Ken puffed his cheeks pulled the burnt blade and focused a beam at the ledge, triggering nothing, he formed Cadia's Light on his other hand and aimed it at the ledge, firing a focused beam and triggering nothing. He wanted to yell and texted back. "Tried it... didn't work."

He saw an emoji that showed a face sweating disappointment. "Regardless, you contributed greatly. Expect easy travels in the near future because of this." Ken felt appreciated. "I'm looking forward to that, the beach is pretty." He let his blades fade away and walked off to a corner with his job done. "Now to finally settle this."

In a dreamscape.

Sora and Riku watched a large blob monster crudely play an old video game staring a mouse they were familiar with, they left the dump and found themselves walking the dark grey road towards the darkened castle. Sora whined about the travel. "We are out of one gloomy place and into another. What does this King have against Mickey?" Riku guessed as he noticed a gate that was closed off to visitors. "Apparently... a lot."

He aimed his keyblade and used its power to undo the lock, he pushed the gate open and taunted Sora. "Should we go ask him what this was about?"

The spiky haired boy took the taunt. "If he was making a home for those guys, he can't be all bad."

The two went in to find a circular with stained windows, a concept Sora was familiar with. Sora looked to the ceiling to find an image of three heroes, each with their own keyblade. One was a woman both boys recognized, Aqua, she stood in the middle with a boy to her left, a tall, muscular individual with short dark brown spikyish hair and blue eyes. He was in a black shirt that had red straps and something that look like a dress for pants, to Aqua's right was a boy with golden blonde spiky hair, blue eyes and a set of clothes that look awfully familiar to Sora. "He... looks like-" Riku turned away from an image at his right, an image of the more more battle ready boy being lured away by a dark veil and agreed. "That guy looks like...Roxas?!" He guessed as he looked upon the image in the upper corner of the room, it was of the light blonde boy sitting alone, depressed and with a wooden keyblade. "That's...Ventus?! I think." Sora looked to the image towards his right. "And that's Terra?" To their left was an image of Aqua standing before a light, unaware of shadows with in and facing away from the dark, unaware of the flickers of light. Something about the imagery felt unsettling, depressing even.

With a simple, quiet turn to the right, down an empty chandelier shining hall, finding a grand doorway for them to open. Entering a small dark throne room that had a handful of screens and movie projectors. Riku guessed from the images. "This King... must have made this castle from Mickey's memories... but... how?"

Flick!

The lights went on and the throne was facing behind them. "How indeed? Why would some schmuck know so much about him." The throne looked to be a turning chair, flipping around to show a figure that caught the two by surprise, a cartoonish black rabbit with a blue pair of pants and a white face much like the King they knew. The rabbit bitterly stared at them to ask. "What makes him so important here?" He stood up to have a closer look at the two teenagers, having a guess of his own. "You must be that mouses friends? Right?"

Riku nodded as Sora stuttered. "We...we are, we... are trying to awaken the worlds by traveling through dreams."

The rabbit gasped and knew what they were talking about. "The Song of Awakening? Oh so he remembers that?" He gestured rudely. "Baah! Like that matters to you." He went to a closet in the back of his throne. "I reckon something happened to stop the worlds from getting dark and its about time the sleeping worlds got a wake up call. Then you came along to be the mouses buddies and he set you up for this? Right?"

Riku answered with his arms folded. "That was the plan, but who are you?"

The rabbit opened the door and looked upon a collection of movie tapes, one particular rolled off and sent the rabbit in a frantic bid to pick it up before it was damaged. "Ahh!" He grabbed it and panted, cursing himself. "Clumsy rabbit, let me get this all snug."

Sora felt it was unwise to compare the rabbit to Mickey less he irritate him more. "How... do you know our friend so much?"

The rabbit placed one tape away and smiled to what he was looking for. "Ah ha! The Rite of Spring!" He took it out and used his ears to close the door behind him, he placed it into the projector and aimed it to a screen. He flicked a switch and answered them. "Because I know of him, heh! I know of him than he knows of me. This castle, I made from the mouses memories, those bloats came here when I built the castle... all of them from thrown out dreams, that tower... well you got me there but he was going crazy from that annoying song. Until you two finally changed the tune he was stuck with."

Riku gasped and looked to the arm of the throne, finding a paint brush. "And you used that brush to make the castle with the paint of memories?"

The rabbit looked at the brush and knew he was found out. "Yep, it's been mine since I came here. I made plenty of places like this one all across this path of the dream world, call it...Dark Beauty Castle." Sora and Riku tensed at the name as the rabbit advised them to calm down. "Relax, Dark is just a name... though the things around here are not the happiest of memories. Don't wander in the castles for too long, especially the last one down you're road. Sheesh!"

Sora felt a question was still unanswered. "But... you never told us who are you, why are you helping us?"

The rabbit answered the later question. "Because a long time ago the mouse was worried about the... real worlds and someone had to make sure he didn't get lost when he comes here. Then he sent you, you'll do anyways." He exhaled. "But if it will make you stop asking me."

He extended his hand for a shake. "Name's Oswald! Oswald the Lucky Rabbit."

The boys shook Oswalds hands, the duo introduced themselves as an image of star light was shown with the word. Fantasia. The rabbit instructed with a still bitter smile. "Sora, Riku, just jump into the screen and it will take you down the path to a world tied to this one. I hope ya like hopping from one world to another!"

The boys felt less than trusting and to the screen, there was a bigger story than what Oswald was telling them. Sora jumped in head first and sank in, causing a ripple, Riku gasped and jumped in to follow. Leaving the rabbit by his lonesome as he went to a stairway. "...He really did forgot about me." He grumbled. "The things I do."

With in Varanspire.

Xehanort drowned out the distant screaming as he looked upon a creature bound in chains. A misshapen, nearly naked mockery of a man, vampiric in appearance and trying to reach to the dark seeker with its misshapen claws. "If this one is clings to those delusions... to mask the monster it became and if it influences others into that would its heart really be-" Slam! Thud!

Archaon entered the room and looked back towards the shadows of ratmen being devoured by a winged beasts. "Annoying vermin." He noticed in a well kept chamber with notes and pictures of the heart, along with the beast his guest was experimenting on. "So, you're research of the realms continues for as short a time as we have?"

Xehanort formed a keyblade and theorized something. "These hearts are all susceptible to their true nature. From one viewpoint it is a light, but for others it is a darkness... what would be considered that for those living in their own little world of light while committing barbaric acts? For those so entwined to darkness to where they would only see light to coop, are their hearts strong willed to endure for that long? Or are they just a heart that blindly gave in?"

Archaon took interest as the ghoul looked upon him and cowered in fear. "I know of the flesh eaters condition, they think themselves as honorable knights that partake in chivalry, completely consumed by that belief when anyone else... only sees this."

Xehanort gave a small, cruel laugh of the condition. "Our agent, Vanitas, wouldn't stop laughing at that when he found a creative means to shape the unversed into Shyish and agitate the flesh eaters for my experiment, enough for this one to fall into an abyss even he would recognize as his doom!" The man was more astonished about another detail. "This one was so close to a Realm Gate... has this one encountered Master Aqua?"

Archaon guessed. "It is the few gates that connect Shyish to Azyr, so it was likely, oh should these two meet again, that was you're plan?"

Xehanort nodded and gave a smirk. "Vanitas hasn't returned from Ghyran, this would mean Aqua has acquired five of the eight stones. I think it is once again time to take matters into my own hands."

Archaon glared at the ghoul as he watched Xehanort ready the keyblade. "While Vanitas takes his next move to Ulgu, you seek to unleash a creature of darkness within Hysh?! Surely you can do better than that?"

Xehanort's eyes focused on the ghoul that slobbered and clawed at Archaon. "Hysh and it's denizens are not as pure as they let themselves appear to be, yet that is not what I sought to create. If this things heart is as strong willed as it thinks it is, what would happen to what remains? What will it see from a new perspective?"

The Grand Marshal shook his head and answered. "Nothing but a corpse would remain if you take out its heart, it will only see the nightmares of this realm for all eternity... or better it would feel the caress of oblivion."

Xehanort felt humored by Archaon. "The organ and the thing we speak of regularly are two different things... but you're not wrong."

SWOOSH!

TINK!

The ghoul was stabbed in the chest and fell limp, the man undid the ghouls bindings and turned to Archaon. "Only nothing will remain, regardless of the results. Those two realms... are special."

The Grand Marshal ceased his glare and looked indifferent of the experiment. "For Slaanesh holds a strong sway over the realms, even bound by the gods of light and shadow. She would not resist the temptations of the Dark Prince so easily." He gasped and turned to take his leave. "Could that demon... Remember, regardless if the Keyblade Master succeeds or not, her struggles will still never end."

That Xehanort came to accept as he watched a darkness consume the ghoul. "This will not be a set back, darkness and light come in many forms. Forms that she will come to accept, regardless of her master's teachings."

Archaon walked out and let the man continue his experiment. "If she has not, she would have learned nothing!"

By a tree in the Greenglade.

Aqua stirred from a rather peaceful nap of nothing and got up to stretch, she looked up to the watchful spirit of Durthru, he looked down back to her, pointed his sword to a hollow tree and walked off into the forest. Leaving the Keyblade Master alone to approach the door way, she took out her pendent and looked upon the colors; purple, gold, orange, red and green, they shined in unison and floated to the hole. Aqua aimed her keyblade and thought of the more interesting realm. "Hysh."

Her blade glowed and fired a beam at the pendent, opening another gate way to another realm. The pendent flew back to her and she walked through the gate. Pew!

Her eyes adjusted from crossing in between realms and was taken a back by the realm she was in, the sky was of a golden light and around her was a valley of red crystal, she smelled ashes and looked to find them smouldering. Her blade glowed and shined a path deep with in the valley, this was certainly an improvement travel wise. She took out the black stone and used it to summon Moonfang, who looked like it had a fresh kill of something. Looking determined to search a new place as Aqua climbed on top of it and asked. "It's just a travel away Moonfang, why does this place have... ashes?" She sighed and let the dracoth race off, into the unknown valley.


	19. Flickering Lights

In the lush forest, Kairi finished dispatching a group of strange , monkey like heartless as Namine watched from afar, she looked back at the path they came. "Flynn knows how to pick up the pace when it comes to running away. I hope Rapunzel can keep up with that."

"Neeeeeigh!" Clop! Clop!

Kairi and Namine heard horse noises and the sound of Rapunzel calming something down. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy, boy, easy! Settle down. Whoa, whoa!"

Kairi jolted as Namine disappeared to voice the discovery. "That's her!" Kairi agreed and dashed to the horse noises, finding Flynn sitting down against a rock, cowering in fear of a white horse with brown eyes and signs that he was owned. Rapunzel was trying to ease the beast that saw a green chameleon gestured that he settle down. The horse sat down and Rapunzel sighed as she gave praise. "You are such a good boy!" She nuzzled to his muzzle in affection causing the horse to wag his tail like a dog. "Yes you are!" She asked the beast. "Are you tired from chasing this bad man all over the place?"

The horse nodded and pout as Flynn asked. "Excuse me?!"

Kairi hummed and nodded in agreement to Rapunzel. "I knew it!"

The blonde woman kept asking the horse as she hugged him. "Nobody appreciates you, do they? Do they?" Flynn was more outraged. "Oh come on. He's a bad horse!" Rapunzel and Kairi heavily disagreed, the blonde woman voiced her case. "Ohhh. He is nothing but a sweet heart!" She asked the horse as she saw a sun symbol on his harness along with the name. "Isn't that right- Maximus?" The horse returned the affection as Flynn asked. "Wha... you've got to be kidding me?!"

The horse glared at the man as Rapunzel asked. "Look, today is kind of the biggest day of my life, and the thing is," she helped Flynn up. "I need you not to get him arrested." The horse refused as Rapunzel finished. "Just for twenty-four hours, and then you can chase each other to your hearts' content. Okay?" Flynn hummed and put his right hand to a truce with Maximus, the horse looked away as Rapunzel asked cutely. "And it's also my birthday. Just so you know."

The horse eventually gave in and put his left hoof into the truce. Rapunzel noticed something coming to the odd reunion, Kairi, the red haired girl shouted. "Rapunzel!"

The blonde woman approached relieved. "You're here. And you're okay!"

Kairi watched the horse punch Flynn in the stomach behind Rapunzel's back, felt like Flynn deserved it and wanted to give Rapunzel a hug. "Yeah, you too!"

Rapunzel appreciated and introduced Kairi. "And look, I made a friend." The horse approached as Rapunzel said. "Meet Maximus. You can say Flynn introduced us. And where one goes, the other follows." The horse took a closer look and as Rapunzel introduced him to the girl. "This is Kairi, she has been helping me."

She and the horse looked to each other in trust, the horse nodded to Kairi to let her know he trusts her. Flynn held to his stomach and groaned. "Uhh. Come on, the Kingdom's not far." He lead the way for the rest to follow.

In the lane between.

Ken readied in his seat nervously as Elrena nudged to him. "Kid... Kendry, you know we are going head first into a dangerous place, I'm a bit nervous of what is going to happen."

Ken agreed as Brynhildr faced herself towards where the world of Twilight Town is, he felt his breath refusing to leave his lungs, if Bryn takes off into the Eldar's territory, they would know who is coming for them and will go into a full defensive position. He admitted. "Their... technology is strange and they came from the same place the Space Marines, Resira, Tahm-" He looked at Cadia's light. "Things like a lasgun... and so many pieces of technology came from. Technology that... looks hard to hit through and they look... fatal if they hit any of us. Can... Bryn punch through that?"

Elrena raised an eyebrow. "Do we have any choice? Who do we know that can-" The gummi phone rang a tune, Ken picked it up and found the collar I.D of who was calling, not texting. "Ienzo?!"

Beep!

The screen revealed Ienzo looking like he caught Ken right on time, asking in an unprofessional and terrified tone. "Ken, what were you going to do when you finished that job?"

Ken swallowed, looked around and found nothing that could be listening. "...Give these people that been trying to kill me a piece of my mind and help someone find a guy they very likely kidnapped. Why?"

A clamp over took the screen and the phone on the other end was taken from Ienzo, a mechanical voice grumbled. "Of all the idiotic-" The clamp let go in the hand of a familiar tech priest, the only one known, Magitinus looked at the boy behind the screen and beeped a warning. "If you approach the Eldar's space with the ship you have, you're life will be forfeit! Return to Radiant Garden immediately for us to discuss... modifications. That's an order!"

Ken gasped and wanted to ask something as the phone was yanked out of his hands, Ienzo took over. His eyes looked to where the tech priest is and lower, he moved the phone to reveal two chipmunks that jumped onto the desk, one with a small black nose and a single buck tooth and one with a large red nose and two buck teeth. "Our tech priest has a point, but they will be the ones to tell the whole story. Gentlemen, would you introduce yourselves?"

The black nose chipmunk adjusted his engineer vest and answered. "Sure will!" He waved. "Hello Ken, we are the ones who helped build the gummi ship! I'm Chip!" The red nose chipmunk laughed and introduced himself. "and I'm Dale!"

Ken waved hello. "Hey Chip, hey Dale! Name's Kendry... I was just thinking about how dangerous it is to go to that place since the Eldar are from the same places Magitinus came from. Bryn barely held on the last time she was shot by them." Chip cringed at the information as Dale warned him in all his squeakiness. "That was what we were afraid of! Magi told us that the Eldar's technology is completely alien and could be more advanced compared to what we gave Bryn."

Chip agreed with that. "Magi had an idea of what to use the blocks as upgrades for Bryn, he is the only one who would be of any help."

Ienzo adjusted the screen to included the tech priest and asked of him. "Now you can make the request and be polite."

The tech priest's eyes gave a static lining as he requested. "Before you go take you're vengeance, Brynhildr needs to be upgraded to fight these xenos, return to us when you can."

Bryn changed her direction entirely as Ken whistled. "We will be back before you know it. Thanks for the heads up."

Ienzo turned the screen back to him with a smile. "Thank you, we will look forward to it."

The call ended and Elrena had her eyes wide to the fact. "That was way too close!"

Ken agreed with that. "Upgrade first, then we rescue you're friend! I should have thought of that before we came here."

Elrena didn't mind. "As long as we are quick and get back here before they notice. Once we go after them, there is no going back." Bryn beeped in agreement and took flight back to the world she called home.

With in a dream.

Sora and Riku found themselves with in the void of space, finding red comets flying past them as they fell to a tiny red orb bellow. Dodging comets and asteroids as they thought of the world they left behind. The thought on Oswald and his mysterious were buried with in their minds as they slowly reached to the orb, they found themselves falling through a sulfurous cloud and found themselves in a primal plane, their surroundings look like a tunnel of volcanoes, lava and fire. They dodged the flames and bubbling lava, falling faster as Riku noticed ahead the tunnel of volcanoes steaming smoke, grabbed Sora by the collar and with force of will, slowed both of their falling, the volcanoes cracked, erupted geysers of lava all at once and ruptured into a pillar of flame. Sora felt the immense power of the earth, flame and rock flew all around and fallen back from where they came. Both boys continued their drop and watched the primal nature at work, forming land masses and creating a new world before their very eyes, they found a stormy mist and fell past it, finding themselves leaving the fiery tunnels and to a steaming sea that washed its way over the volcanoes. Mighty wind and salty water smothered the world, the light of the earth drowned and the boys found themselves colliding with a vast sea of darkness. They closed their eyes and felt themselves pushed through a faint barrier.

The two felt their falling halted and opened their eyes to find a water void, they felt the water around them and were fortunate enough to breath it. Sora looked at his body and found nothing changed, looked at Riku with disappointment and swam ahead, Riku tried to say something and bubbles came out of his mouth. Sora gasped and said something, with bubbles coming out of him, Riku noticed something floating their way, an gelatinous cell. He swam close to it and saw it take shape, like something of a maw, the boy swam back to avoid becoming consumed and swam ahead, away from the life form. Sora followed and noticed two green cells with flagellum, they have something resembling red eyes. The cells seem to be ignoring them, they swam away from the boys. Riku noticed something and tapped Sora on the shoulder, a group of cells spun with each other and swam away. They split into two, the two cells doubled and the double of those cells doubled, multiplying. An inky black cloud swallowed the scene and the boys were left in the void, they swam ahead and found more light, in a world much more recognizable, a sea bed with aquatic, tentacled life, taking in various particles for food. They swam across the inky void and found more of an alien world. Finding themselves the size of fish that swam across the water, jellyfish floated nearby and Riku warned Sora silently, tapping his own wrists and making his finger wiggle like the tentacles. He pretended to look stunned and Sora understood what he meant, don't let the jellyfish touch him.

They swam near the sea floor and watch the fish swim towards a mass of land reaching somewhere, finding one particular that carelessly swam towards a jellyfish, look stunned and was enveloped into the jellyfish's bell. Sora swallowed and followed the rest of the fish, Riku was mesmerized and saw a tentacled creature clinging to the surface, one lying in wait for his unaware friend. He caught up, lifted him by the shoulders and swam him past the creature that tried to grasp them both, they watch the fish grow larger, darker, the fins resembled webbed feet. They were close to the surface, the fish crawled on the surface of the sea floor towards the surface of the sea. The boys swam to that surface and jumped off, finding themselves on dry land at last. Breathing the air and panting.

Sora asked with the ability to speak. "What, was all that?"

Riku looked back to the sea and was left silent by something incredible, aquatic dinosaurs of various species and sizes. Sora turned around and watched what the dinosaurs were doing, living their lives in a primal age. He was silent once more and watched, unaware of what lurked on a cliff above, Riku noticed pterosaurs watching the water, waiting for an opportunity to seize prey, some of them looked upon the boys and sized them up. They were too large to carry back to their nest, some of them swooped down instead to the sea, plucking some of the marine life with in, some fought over an octopus as others seize fish with their beaks. One plucked a fish from the water, tried to fly back to its perch and was snapped in the head by a tylosaur, and was dragged into the water.

Sora wished to take out his keyblade as Riku had his hand over his friends shoulder. "Sora, don't. This is nature... this... is the birth of a world." He looked to a jungle with thick plants and wished to explore. "An age of creatures that we only heard of in books. What... else is there to see?"

Sora wondered and found insects MUCH bigger than he is, living their own lives. "...We... should look. Our path is just ahead... right?"

Riku nodded and asked him. "Didn't you listen to anything in school? What will happen to-" He shook his head. "Never mind. It might be better if we see it before our eyes. Come on." Sora followed unaware, silently observing.

With in the Realm of Light.

Aqua felt more suspicious of the ashes as Moonfang observed the crystals, something lived in the valley and they have no idea what. She found faint hints of fire and noticed something floating in front of her, a fiery feather becoming ashes. "...What is this?"

The Dracoth looked up to find more, flickering in and out of ages long past, they belonged to a bird, yet they had no idea what it was. Faint images of elves marching onward, with light white armor, showed that the valley was something important. Aqua thought more about it. "This place... is home to a bird these people know of... but what kind of-"

"EIAAAAAAARH!"

"RWAAAAAAAAAIIIIIH!" The sound of roaring was heard, two forces collided with one another, two forces not unlike anything they heard, a barrier formed and something crawled from the shadows, shambling hulks of darkness, wielding various bones as weapons and drooling, Aqua gasped at the yellow eyes as she drew out her blade, large bat like shadows appeared from a dark mist and flapped around as a corridor opened, Aqua couldn't believe what was happening. The forces of darkness were breaching the Realm of Light, Moonfang snarled as something, or someone approached. A man, nay, a king, in a full suit of iron armor that had brass trimmings, he shined like the light, drew out a bone hilt sword with a black blade and a grey shield. The king wore a full helmet and a golden crown that had the image of a bat like creature, he asked Aqua politely. "You have gone far enough Keyblade Master, you're journey ends here."

Aqua tensed and readied for battle. "You won't stop me, what are those?"

The king turned around and dully answered. "Former brethren, twisted and turned by that... monster." He looked back at Aqua and glared with envy. "You will aid me in freeing them and ridding the valley of their kind, while I deal with that monster and claim that Heartstone fragment for myself! While you wander here for the rest of you're life, I will use its power to begin my crusade against him!"

Aqua refused as the heartless crawled towards the army. "That monster turned all of these into heartless?! Did... you cause this?"

The knight yelled at her in an impulse. "I would NEVER allow them to suffer this fate!" He heard more roaring and lost patience. "He caused this, he created that monster... he... did all this... to stop you." He turned to her and looked at her like she was ignorant. "Lady Aqua... you have little idea of the paradise I was robbed from. Ha-" he dully laughed and watched something slithered from nothing, twenty two grey husks of knights with swords, shields and pole arms. He looked upon them and ordered. "See that she turns back and if she refuses, kill her!"

He vanished and appeared behind the barrier, running off and leaving Aqua to look upon the guarding knights that were ready for her mistake. The twenty bat like shadows flew at her with a shriek, Moonfang blew lightning at them and clawed as Aqua jumped off, glowed in magic, blitz two of them into the darkness and spun into a magical twister, together they decimated the many to a manageable half a dozen stragglers.

The husk knights floated to the barrier in guard as they watched the large bats crashed down upon the duo. Aqua back flipped as Moonfang pounced on the left bat, brutally tearing at it as the woman let her power sparkle and knocked the right bat off its balance. Both quickly took out the heartless and focused on the mysterious creatures that switched from their swords to polearms. She asked the creatures. "Step aside, it doesn't have to come to this."

The knights looked to be gasping, they blinked from existence, Aqua sensed they were charging and ghost stepped out of the way of a mass impalement, countering with her own and let Moonfang finish the job. The barrier dropped and the sound of battle ahead continued, Aqua jumped on Moonfang and asked it. "We need to figure out what that man's problem is... what did he mean by being robbed of paradise?!" She felt a hint of sorrow and felt a familiar rhythm. "...What...did Xehanort do to him?" She shook her head and disregarded her concerns. "This monster need to be stopped... maybe if we try... talking to that king." Moonfang snorted out a suggestion that it may be a ill idea and raced into the valley.

At a lush forest.

Kairi, Flynn and Rapunzel had a close encounter of the most frantic kind, a tower that was piloted by a monkey like heartless, as the heartless was slain, a dozen took its place and tried to swarm them. Rapunzel used her hair to sling Kairi across the field in a flurry of destruction and as the last monkey was slain, the tower separated its top, middle and bottom into something of a train, a heartless horse came out of the front most cart and tried running the three over. The horse was slain and another came out of the next cart, it was a rinse and repeat of frantic movement. As the last of the heartless released its heart, Kairi heard footsteps from the south, someone sent that heartless. "Who... did this?!"

She blew out her frustration and followed the two down a path into the mountain, Rapunzel over heard and asked. "Kairi, you know something?"

The girl nodded. "I do, normally when heartless appear in a world in this many numbers, there is someone behind this. Someone is here for something, but what?!" She gasped and remembered a best kept secret, there was a princess of heart native to the world and someone from the forces of darkness that would seek her.

She thought of one possibility, the Chaos Space Marine Gurak has access to such a force. She remembered the kind of heartless she fought and dismissed the notion. If it was Gurak, his heartless army would have been more attuned to his foul gods and he himself would have disregarded subtly in getting what he wants. The vile knight Garland had already gotten what he wanted and wished nothing more to do with the world. She noticed she and her group in a forest that had many birds, blue birds circling around a still Rapunzel, she let them land on her hand, shoulder and head. Kairi gasped at another possibility, two dark wielders that have their own agenda. Maleficent and Pete. "...Let me keep watch for who our culprits are, they are not with that weird tree we saw earlier. I might know of someone who is behind this and there could be trouble."

Flynn sighed his frustrations out as Maximus kept a sharp eye on him. "Great, do you know who this bad guy is?" Kairi answered and found a steep hill. "There could be two or one, I'll know. We are going this way?"

Flynn nodded and took the lead, thinking it was safe, he saw something and smiled smugly. "Oh yeah, we certainly are." Kairi and Rapunzel checked to find a hill they could roll down on, a hill of purple flowers. Rapunzel giggled and decided to do just that, roll with in the flowers and tumble down the path, Kairi, Flynn and Maximus slide down after her, thinking the action was ridiculous but pure heart fun. They landed on a beach and gave Kairi the feeling of home, she and Rapunzel were taken a back by the beach and looked on to a bridge leading to a vast city. Rapunzel was more eager to see more. "I just knew the outside world would be full of amazing things!" She turned to Kairi in appreciation. "And you... you helped me find them. Thank you."

Kairi appreciated it as she and the three companions crossed the bridge into the city, the princess slowed herself and watch the three get close. Rapunzel acting like an excited child warmed Kairi's heart to where she felt the excitement with her, giggling away. She closed her eyes and noticed Namine by her side, her other self asked. "Rapunzel seems happier now she is freed?"

Kairi agreed and felt the excitement turn into curiosity. "She does, the lanterns will make her birthday more brighter. But... how are we going to keep her world bright?"

Namine had little idea. "...No matter what, we need to keep an eye out for who ever was bringing these heartless here and for that woman. If she finds Rapunzel, that girl's life would be miserable forever more."

Kairi felt that. "Nothing about her... mother seems right. Nothing at all."

She noticed the three disappeared in the crowd and went into the city, finding a festival going on and a plaza as the center piece. She found Rapunzel with her long hair in a long knotted braid, adorned with flowers and looking even more lovely. Kairi noticed Flynn, Maximus and the chameleon in the crowd, enjoying Rapunzel's joy as she danced around. Kairi saw a mural with many gifts being. She approached and found a girl with a small blue flower, placing it before the mural and speaking. "It's for the lost princess." Kairi looked at the mural, seeing the image of a happy king and queen, both with dark brown hair, in their arms was a baby girl that resembles Rapunzel, with short blonde hair and eyes that matched the mother.

The resemblance was suspicious, memories of what was seen before, caused Kairi to whisper. "...No."

Rapunzel, more focused on the party, laughed and invited what she could. "Come on everyone! Come dance with us."

Kairi turned around, unsure of what to say and saw the image of a certain fat cat sneaking out of the city, she was on guard and felt herself in a white room. Where Namine was most disturbed by the realization as she clung to a half finished drawing. "That... answers... everything."

Kairi agreed with her and felt sick to her stomach. "That was the reason why that woman kept Rapunzel locked in that tower for her whole life. She kidnapped her as a baby and didn't want her to leave."

Namine agreed with that. "There was a reason she kidnapped her... but it's not love. Anyone who does that to someone, doesn't care about them."

Kairi felt her blood rising as she asked. "...But how are we going to deal with that... that... woman?"

Namine sighed and answered with a crestfallen frown. "I don't know, but we need to stop her. For now, just... play along."

Reality returned and Kairi found Namine with her, the many towns people were in a festive dance, the girl invited her other half. "Come on, let's learn to dance together."

In Radiant Garden.

Ken and Elrena stepped off of Brynhildr in the garden district. For all the see, Ienzo, Chip, Dale and Pyriel to observed closely. Magitinus chanted in holy prayer towards odd weapons, cannons that resemble a lasgun if larger, missiles, jet engine upgrades and green panels to make the blocky ship resemble something. The boy asked the chipmunks. "That is what he considered?"

The two nodded as Pyriel identified each part. "They resemble some of the Imperiums finest weaponry, the lascannon, the hell strike missile, enhanced turbines for velocity and enhanced armor that would endure greatly before you need to worry. All in the image of the fallen Valkyrie, that crashed here so long ago."

Ken tried to recall the days. "You mean nearly a week ago? Cool."

Magitinus approached in chime to the gummi ship. "Oh great Brynhildr, forged from technology lost to our galaxy, though these weapons are but an image, they are but a portion of the Omnissiah's blessings. With these, the enemies of man will never again threaten you, with these you will silence those that dare bring harm to you." Ken felt as if the gummi ship was shining a light to him and Elrena, Magitinus gasped in shock. "...I see great machine spirit." He turned to Ken with a stoic expression. "Kendry, step forward, she wishes to speak with you."

The boy nodded and approached with tears shining in his eyes. "...This is why you are letting him do this? You just want to protect me and those who fly with me, so that no matter where we go, you will be there to see we make it there?"

The ship beeped as Elrena blushed. "Aw, she loves you."

Ken blushed and noticed his mother approaching the crowd, looking baffled at the whole thing. The boy sighed and asked Bryn. "Do you have a moment? If this is how you feel, then there is someone I want you to meet... it's obvious who, but she is pretty dear to me."

The ship waited still, Ken signaled to his mother to approach. The crowd looked moved by the act and the blonde woman with blue eyes took the offer and tried not to make a scene, her mouth was in a child like aw as Ken introduced the two. "Mom, this is Brynhildr, the ship that flies me around. Brynhildr, this is my Mom, she gave birth to and raised me." The woman placed her hand on the nose of the ship and was amazed, like the ship was greeting her. "He named you and everything, he really has been taking care of you." She looked tear struck and backed away, rubbing her eyes as Ken smiled to her. "I do and she been taking care of me and my friend." He looked to Elrena with a smile. "Pretty soon she will help us take care of a problem that had been getting at us for a while."

Elrena smiled back. "It's why she is going through with this... it's weird... but I'm glade it is happening." A watchful Leon, Yuffie, Aerith and Tifa observed as Cid asked. "So when are we going to get to building this?"

Magitinus answered as his servo skull scanned the ship and marked several points. "Soon. This prayer soothes the machine spirit and connects her with her weapons. But the greetings seem... excessive." He didn't mind in the slightest. "Although Brynhildr deserves the praise she receives." He went for a panel and asked the only other mechanics. "Cid, Chip, Dale, assist me."

The three were ready to start as Yuffie heard something and had her companions be still, she noticed five figures in the distance, four with odd guns and another with a backpack with more guns. They vanished in a blink and the ninja tossed a smoke bomb to the mechanics. "Look out!"

PEW!

A band of five, warriors with odd back packs appeared out of nowhere and aimed their guns at the tech priest that sharply turned, it looked like his heart was racing. PUFF! A smoke screen puffed in front of the five and blinded them, Ken saw faint traces of black armor and white hoods stopping their shot. He saw a flicker of light and let his keyblades form. "E...Eldar?!" He let Firekeeper's Wish shroud in ashes as Elrena looked up to find the five assassins looking astonished and at him. "...Oh no!"

She crackled lighting as Ken slammed the blade to the ground and caused a massive shroud of smoke to cloak everything, causing a panic. He jumped back as Elrena yelled out. "Keep moving and don't stop!"

Magitinus took out an electrical rifle as Pyriel noticed movement towards where the boy was. The apothecary barreled towards the direction and watched wired weaponry shoot into nothing, but ripping its way through a lamp post with ease.

BOOM!

Four of the assassins were knocked prone in the ashen fog and to any of the horror of the aware onlookers, they heard death screams and brutal stabs. Ken flew to the air with air magic and saw an assassin with twin blades and two small guns similar to the assassins. He aimed Cadia's Light at the conflicted Eldar.

BOOM!

Elrena landed next to the Eldar with a jump of lightning and grappled him with her blade, electrocuting him for good measure and causing him to fall to the ground bellow.

Elrena landed next to him and had her blade at his back, she warned him. "Don't even think about getting up or I will do it again!"

Ken landed as the ashes cleared, the entire crowd were astonished by something and gasped, some were vomiting, the keyblade wielders chose to ignore it as the Eldar spoke in horror. "How...the Farseer said you were dead."

Ken snorted and refused to let his guard down. "Guess what, we are not and you are NOT going to try that again! Why did you come?!"

The Eldar answered with a question. "If any ship touched by that Tech Priest is allowed to leave, what kind of power would be unleashed?! Do you not see how they would prove, excessive? An example of man kinds desire for supremacy over all."

Ken shook his head to that. "What a load of... you were going to kill Magitinus... as awful as he was, so we wouldn't be able to stand up against you and you're schemes at you're source! Now what the heck are you wearing?"

The Eldar refused to answer. "Like you will master its technique black heart!"

Ienzo over heard and approached with Leon, both were not happy to hear that term. Leon had his sword ready and asked. "That isn't why he was asking, you're weapons are part of the suit. Give it to us now before Pyriel comes here."

Ienzo agreed with him and looked nauseous. "Please, you and you're people were pursuing a child, these is all absurd!"

Elrena agreed with him and tapped her blade at his back, stunning him once more. "We won't ask again, how do we take this off?! You're not leaving because if you do, you will just tell that Farseer about my friend! We're coming for her next!"

The Eldar yelled in pain and cursed at her as his body struggled to move. "Savage Nymph, you will only follow down the path of damnation once more if you continue to aid him! You all will only damn yourselves if you continue the wheel! It needs to stop!"

Wrrrr!

The four heard a gun activating, Magitinus walked next to Ken and Leon with his gun aimed for the Eldars head, the four realized what was about to happen, cringed and looked away.

PEW!

BLAM!

They opened their eyes to find the Eldar's head smoking and the body limp, Magitinus scanned him and spoke in an automatic tone. "Xenos vital signs, null. Threat destroyed."

Ken wanted to look away at the death and found something not much better, Pyriel was covered in crimson, he was cleaning his combat knife as Magitinus looked to him with a nod and went back to the terrified mechanics. The Tech Priest put his gun away and instructed. "Heed not the Eldar's trickery, for they mean little. Let us return to giving Brynhildr our blessings."

Cid looked at the scattered limbs and machinery and yelled out. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Magitinus went to the panel as Chip's legs shook. "We...we... we should get this done." Dale agreed as he climbed to one of the markings. "Yeah, we ought to hurry."

Pyriel advised the mechanics assisting the tech priest as he wished to find a way to wash his armor. "The Eldar have declared war, it would be crucial if we end this before this repeats itself. Now I need to disinfect myself. Blood would only attract bacteria."

Ienzo wished for something and asked Elrena. "You are going into their hideout with him?!"

The woman nodded and squinted her eyes. "And not with those guys!"

She felt Ken feeling sick and his mother trying to shield him away from the site with an embrace. Pyriel looked at her with caution. "If you two invade, they will most certainly try to kill you. Why?!"

Ken's eyes twitched as he looked back to the space marine, the mother answered. "Why?! You pulverized those four, is this... needed?!"

Pyriel nodded as Ken refused. "...These Eldar tried to kill me too many times and if... I give it back to them."

His eyes dropped as Yuffie found something shine in the mess and went to look, Aerith cringed at the ninja and tried to stop her as Tifa noticed something shine, the woman in pink asked. "The point is, do we have to do this?"

The tech priest beeped and spoke in monotone. "Xenos weapon: Death Spinner. Race of origin: Eldar. Category: monofilament. Function: To shoot razor sharp thread at its target and rip apart armor, tissue and bone."

He beeped back as Pyriel confessed. "I seen too many battle brothers and imperial guard fall to those weapons. Purging the xenos is necessary for the betterment of the worlds, those that are not human here... are far more trust worthy then those from our galaxy."

Yuffie and Tifa picked up four odd crystals as Elrena sensed what was with in, feelings of despair. "What the heck is this? A...jewel?"

Pyriel looked at the crystals the committee members have. "Those are spirit stones, it is highly prized by the Eldar. Hmm."

Elrena sensed a collective sadness in the four stones. "...Something is in these?! They... feel like hearts." She snapped her fingers for a plan. "I think we know a way we can get that Farseer and her goons to finally listen and not try anything funny."

Ienzo guessed. "You are going to use the spirit stones as bargaining chips? That's..." he felt disturbed by such an opportunity. "...either genius or cruel."

Ken was willing to give the plan a chance. "I need to prove it to her that I'm not that kind of monster she thinks I am... maybe then she can cut this out... if not."

Leon sighed in defeat and asked. "Do you really think someone that determined will change her mind?"

Ken took a deep breath as he felt a tug from his mother and let go, she went to get something as he asked. "Word's alone didn't work, actions might... then she and her whole group need to be locked up or something... I don't want this to keep getting worse."

Pyriel sighed in disappointment as Aerith looked to the boy in sympathy. "None of us do."

Ken guessed what his mother was getting and looked upon the upgrades being added to Bryn. "My mom is getting the bag for these stones. This... could be our last chance to stop them before we have to go to war. Elrene... what do you think?"

Elrena sighed. "Fine, but expect me to do this my way if that Farseer doesn't listen or if she hurt Lauriam."

Ienzo felt his back tingle and wished to go back to the business at hand. "I'll go get Dilain and Aeleus clean up the mess."

In a dream of a swampy jungle.

Sora and Riku found a herd of dinosaurs either resting, feasting on fish or traveling. The boys looked above to find a feathery bird perching on a tree, one unlike anything Sora had seen. "What... is that?!"

Riku tried to remember. "Let's see...ar...ar...archaeo. Ah! Archaeopteryx, the books say this is one of the first birds in existence."

Sora notice features of a lizard as a predatory dinosaur tried to attack it and prompted the bird to flutter away. "The first bird?! But-" Riku answered. "It is what we been seeing since we got here... evolution."

Even Sora knew what that was. "When an animal eventually changes over time. So a lizard eventually needed to fly and wings grow?"

Riku nodded. "Somewhere down the line." He noticed long neck herbivores munching on plants from the swamp, Sora was drawn to the beasts and lost his footing in the swamp. Some of the dinosaurs noticed him, waited for him to make a move and watched him keep his distance. Many dinosaurs of different species co-exist with one another as Riku jumped ahead of the swamp and watched young dinosaurs following their parents, others making a nest for their eggs and even some trying steal the eggs for food. Some were driven off by protective parents, others got off lucky. "...We... don't need to be here." He corrected himself. "Well we do, but... do you find this... right?"

Sora figured so. "We... never had to do much against the blots or the tower. We... are just watching and seeing how time goes."

Rain came, thunder rumbled, the dinosaurs looked to their left in a collective direction, like they heard something. The boys looked to the direction and found a fierce specimen looming over the swamp, a large lizard with sharp teeth, mighty claws and a violent gaze. Sora and Riku readied their keyblades for battle, the lizard most different from the others approached their way, looked at their size and focused on something less likely to defend themselves, a fierce foe that chose to ignore them. Sora watched the dinosaurs flee for their lives and felt he understood what happened. "This... is also part of nature?"

Riku nodded and watched the lizard snap at the many. "We are not worth the meat, so that... Allosaurus is going for something that is. We should get going."

Sora agreed as the Allosaurus chased the largest beast among the herd, a Stegosaurus. The Allosaurus bit into the Stegosaurus's spiked tail, the herbivore pulled his tail free and readied for battle. Sora wanted to fight and felt Riku wanted to stop him. "...Why are we not helping?"

The friend answered grimly and with a frown. "It's nature and the Stegosaurus can defend himself. This will only end one way."

The Allosaurus bit into the Stegosaurus's neck and was hit across the face, being pushed back wards and tried again, it was knocked off its feet and got back up. He crouched and approached the scared Stegosaurus, tension was felt from all who watched as the herbivore walked back, not letting his guard down. The Allosaurus charged at him, bit his prey in the neck and was knocked back by two swings of the spiked tail, it went after him again, bit down, thrashed the neck around till the Stegosaurus went limp and slammed the neck on the ground, breaking it. The rest of the body fell in a thump, the boys watched the brutal end to the battle, the Allosaurus dropped the Stegosaurus's head into the pond. Watching the life fade from its eyes as it lifted its tail and failed. Lightning crackled as the Allosaurus roared, the watching dinosaurs looked away as the predator went to the carcass to begin feeding.

Sora looked away from the grizzly sight as Riku looked away. Both boys felt like they were understanding something. Sora had his hands behind his head and asked. "So what else is here in this world?"

Riku shrugged. "Life. No matter what we find and what life has to show, I'm here." He looked up to find he and Sora crossed past the rainy sky and to a scorching sun, from a swamp to a desert. They looked ahead to find foot prints, leading towards another place in time, over the dunes they found familiar dinosaurs, struggling to find food and sipping water from deep underground. They looked weak, a triceratops pushed its snout through mud in hopes to find some moisture.

Sora cringed and guessed. "This... is what happened to them? They don't have much to go around."

Riku felt it painful to watch and tried to guide. "No, they don't. I think we are almost at the end."

The boys traveled little away and found more dinosaurs herding together, exhausted, dehydrated, starving, some of the dinosaurs collapsed and were simply left behind. Some wandered into a sticky mud pit and struggled futilely to get out, when they try, small carnivorous lizards nip at them, it was clear the dinosaurs were in agony. Sora looked back to the herd, not wanting to see more and gasped in shock at what collapsed by his feet, an Allosaurus, the mightiest beast he and Riku encountered, having its last breath. They watched the remaining dinosaurs march in the foggy dessert and walk down towards a cragged path. They found something flicker at the top of the mountain, bellow a sun going through an eclipse, it looked like a movie screen saying The end. Sora took the depressing thought out of his mind and asked in optimism. "That's where we need to go... do you think those flow moves would help us reach there?"

Riku nodded and looked ahead to a heart breaking sight, empty bones of the dinosaurs they saw. "...We... need something to get there... but how?"

Sora saw the bones and felt his friends sorrow. "...We will do what they couldn't do anymore. Find a way." They felt a rumble, something was coming.

RIP!

The ground split open, swallowing the remains of the dinosaurs, pillars erupted from the ground, the boys found their way and dashed towards one, avoiding the splitting ground by wall jumping across newly formed pillars with elegant speed and reaching towards a pillar that shot itself up from the ground. They flipped and clamped to the other side, feeling the earth collapsing. They focused on the tall mountain and with a will of heart, jumped far and high, landing on the mountain and watching the destruction of the graveyard.

They felt a blowing of wind and watched the eclipse near its completion, more came, a mighty tidal wave swallowing the land and burying what was. It was consuming even the mountain, Sora and Riku looked to each other and jumped to the screen as the tsunami seek to claim. They found themselves on the other side and with in a dark, beautiful castle, feeling depressed about what they watched and trying to tough it out. A familiar voice entered from a tower above and asked. "It gets hard to watch in the end, even when you knew its coming?"

Sora and Riku looked to the door way, towards a room with a simple couch and knick knacks all around, Oswald entered with a sympathetic frown. Both boys agreed, Sora answered. "But... then that world... evolves from that?"

Oswald and Riku nodded to him, the silver haired boy answered. "I read that as the age of the dinosaurs ended, so begins another." He thought more deeply into it. "Everything has a beginning and an end... whether we like it or not, the end is what will always scare us the most."

Sora put his own insight in the conclusion. "But we got a lot to enjoy until then, so we shouldn't worry about it now."

Oswald agreed and went to a more well kept closet to pick up a whole movie set, Riku asked suspiciously. "You are pretty eager to help us... how we can be sure you are leading the right way?"

Oswald felt the question sting and focused on his task. "To be honest, you don't! I got nothing to gain from setting all this up, since the mouse isn't going to show. But if you all are looking for the Song to awaken the real worlds that got hit hard, someone has to be sure it gets done right."

That lead to Sora asking. "But why do you know Mickey?! Why... did he never talk about you?"

Oswald pressed a button and caused the screen to show another Fantasia film. "And the Dance of the Hours is all set up."

Riku barked. "We asked you a question!"

Oswald sighed and answered. "You want to know?" He blew in the air sat on the couch alone with his arms crossed, he felt more angry thinking about it. "I knew him because I watched over him for a very long time! So long that I was around before he was born. He only seen me once when he was learning about those fancy swords you got there, I helped him dig deep into his heart and right when we were about to talk, he woke up... and I never got the chance again."

Sora felt the answers connect. "Like... a guide that lived in his heart?"

Oswald nodded as Riku gasped and pointed to him. "You were his brother?! Something happened to you before Mickey came?"

Oswald wished the boys would leave. "I am and that was a nightmare in itself. So are you going to get going?"

The boys refused to leave a bitter heart, Sora figured it out. "You're kind of jealous of him?"

Oswald wasn't denying it. "You can say that's one of my problems."

Riku looked to the screen with an urge to get going. "But it isn't all of them. What else is in these dreams?"

Oswald had one to warn them about. "All kinds, but some of these can get... yikes! You ever heard of a drink called the Rosey Pachyderm? There is a dream all about it, that's why you should stay away from the stuff."

Sora had no idea what the term was meant for as Riku imagined what the drink does. "It makes you see pink elephants... no thank you."

Oswald looked upon the two and kept looking cross, his face wasn't getting into the spirit of it as Sora took his step towards the screen, feeling that he was over the last film. "Well... no matter what your reasons are, thank you for helping us."

He gave a warm smile that made Oswald feel guilty about himself, Riku tried to think about what the next film was about as the rabbit took a deep breath. "...Look... I'm sorry for being hard on you two. It... gets lonely with just the blots around and... I was wanting to really meet the mouse for a long time."

Riku understood that. "But that never really happened and you became bitter about it. Why haven't you tried getting out of here?"

Oswald answered shortly. "Because I can't... come on guys, you got worlds to save."

The boys took the offer and jumped in, leaving the rabbit to think about what was occurring. He felt an aura of wrongness somewhere nearby, gasped and got up to leave the room. "What's even going on there?! That way is danger enough!"

In the Realm of Light.

Aqua and Moonfang had another quick encounter with the ghoulish heartless and knight like shrouds as they made it to a clearing in the valley, they were caught by surprise at the sight of a giant, dark, vampiric bat doing combat against a gargantuan, fiery bird. The bat bit down on the birds chest and violently tore, that same king like knight Aqua met focused a spell and flew at the bat with a storm of bones. Plunging his sword with in the back of the bat, the bat jumped back from the bird and left a grizzly bite wound that caused the bird to scorch the back and feel a faint glow of darkness. The bat shot an orb into the sky, it expanded into a black hole and bled down ghoulish bats that swarmed the king, he glared and without much hesitation, sent a legion of flying, husk like nights after them. The bird noticed Aqua and Moonfang approaching, kept silent and flew towards a stone nestled in a nest of ashes, keeping it guard with its wings, the king looked back and was having his eyes twitch under his helmet. "You..."

He growled and kicked the blade deeper into the bats back, the heartless sensed something and tossed the knight off, it turned towards the duo and gave a piercing glare, revealing its fanged blacken maw and a dripping blew tongue. It charged at the two on all fours, Moonfang ran to the left and leaped to avoid its clawing talons. Aqua notice a tail lashing out to them and fired a fire ball, stopping the tip and she jumped off and was ready to do battle. The knight fell into a void and appeared on the bats back, yanking the sword out and disappearing in the blink of an eye, the bat felt a splinter was removed, scratched on its back to pluck something and was greeted by the knight appearing to its face. He wasn't thrilled by Aqua's arrival and promised her. "I will deal with you when this thing draws its last breath."

Moonfang didn't trust the knight as Aqua felt she was in an agreement. "It's another heartless that shouldn't even be here."

The knight looked back at her and towards the heartless that was more focused on her. "...Yes... it shouldn't!"

He ghost stepped towards the heartless and tried to thrust its sword into its chest as it jumped, flew in the chaotic, darken sky and pouched at Aqua with its talons, she ran to the left as Moonfang ran to the right. The king bled himself into grey energy and slithered in the shadows as Moonfang pounce at the bats right and Aqua pierced the bats left, slashed, fired a barrage of fire balls and ignited. The bat raised its talons for a slam on both as a grey sword emerged from the shadows and impaled it in the chest, the heartless gasped, looked down at the king and countered with a dark screech.

The king gritted his teeth and covered his ears as Aqua and Moonfang felt their hearts nearly stopped. The dracoth jumped in front of the bat and gave Aqua a platform to jump from, her blood feeling cold from the screaming, she jumped at the bats throat, ignited in an aura and slashed, with one thorough stab, the bat choked and felt a sword lodged in, it tried to pull Aqua off as the king jumped on Moonfang, took his sword and trusted into the bats chest, knocking it on its back. Aqua sensed an intense heat, pulled her blade out, back flipped on the dracoth and yelled at the king as she watched the bird glow into an inferno. "Fire in the hole!" The king sensed the heat, pulled out and vanished, far away from Aqua. The bird ignited like the sun and pounced on the heartless as Moonfang jumped back from the impact. BOOM! On contact, the bird became pile a pillar of light, reaching to the sky and scattering feathers that burned to ashes, leaving behind nothing save for dark mist. This beast was something she heard of in fairy tales. "This... is a pheonix!"

The king looked at her and nodded in agreement. "Not just any pheonix, but the Ur-pheonix. The origin of all pheonixes. It has been guarding that stone for you... all along."

He readied his sword and aimed it at her. "And it just sacrificed itself to help us destroy that thing, leaving the fragment unguarded! Now where were we?"

He vanished and appeared to Aqua's right, his sword ready to impale. Aqua parried as Moonfang clawed the king back. The king blinked away and Aqua struck behind her, hitting the king back and exposing him to a lightning breath as the helmet flew off. Aqua had a good look at who was underneath it, a simple man with a full beard and mustache, gritting his teeth in desperation, sharp fangs baring and vengeance with in his eyes. Almost, vampiric. She felt something was off and asked. "Who are you?!"

The man jumped back with his shield glowing grey and answered. "Gillet Cabonche, that is what I am! Not a Lexlig. Not a... not a."

He bursted in a hollow, yet hysterical laughter, Aqua and Moonfang knew the knight was pretending to find joy in what he was trying to say, like it was a cooping mechanism. She felt a great pity and asked once more. "What did Xehanort do to you?!"

The man readied another attack, calculated and looked to be cringing in fear. "He...said when I find you, you might destroy me along with that monster. Then I go back to that spire, where the Chaos gods would... sort me out."

He gasped in a realization and looked upon Aqua as if she was a one way ticket to hell. "No...No, I won't go back! They won't make me."

Aqua felt something burning with in and asked. "What did he do to you?"

The knight ignored her and turned to run, flickering a great distance, the woman wanted her answer, jumped of and tried to follow. Moonfang pulled her dress and growled advise. Aqua turned back and felt the dragons eyes giving caution, what ever the issue was with the king, wasn't worth the trouble. She sighed and concluded. "What ever happened, you and I both know this is another person he destroyed."

She and the Dracoth turned and found something rising from the ashes, the Ur-Pheonix raised its wings and cawed to the sky. It flew back to the nest and guarded the stone, Aqua's trial wasn't over, she got off the dracoth and approached the mighty bird. "I need the stone to get back home, what do you need from me?"

The bird stared at her as two veils glowed, a fiery pheonix much like the god and a pheonix of frost. The two curled into eggs and floated in mid air, it was a puzzle. Aqua looked at the egg of frost and aimed a fire ball, the fire was overwhelmed by a blow of frigid wind. The keyblade master felt she had an idea what the puzzle was and shot a frigid spell at the fiery egg and watched it get blown away. She pushed towards the flame and felt her clothes and skin heating up, a pillar of fire emerged and Aqua struck it with a combo. She glowed in an icy veil and thought of a force that could push back against the heat. Back flipping into the air and imagined something in her heart, an icy pheonix, she felt frigid wings around her and was surrounded by the cold power. She dashed at the egg and smashed it, letting loose a glow of fire that gave in. She landed back with a mighty land and watched the land cover in frost.

The frost egg erected a pillar of ice, Aqua tried a familiar combination, sparked in flames, back flipped and much like with the bird of ice, felt herself surrounded by feathers of flame and charged at the other egg, scorching it in an inferno and flying to the central stage like a fire ball. The dracoth was impressed and the pheonix simply moved its wings away, the keyblade master gave a gracious bow of gratitude. "This is a lesson. The... Pheonix Dive?"

She and Moonfang felt it was a good name as they looked upon the heart stone fragment. A glowing white stone resembling a hollow right heart. It had a black symbol of a wheel with an arrow pointing out from its bottom left. The Ur-Pheonix let her take the stone and watched her insert it into its pendent, two more stones remain and the last leg of Aqua's adventure was in mind "Now there is the realm of Ulgu." She felt herself shaking at the thought of willingly going into a dark realm, Moonfang nuzzled at her back and barked something of encouragement as the pheonix looked to the other end of the valley. Aqua guessed what the beast was trying to say. "We all know Ulgu is a much more dreadful place compared to the other realms. I... spent a long time in a realm much like that. It feels like a bad memory... like I'm going back there." She felt like a particular warrior was perking her up with a cheerful speech. "Better to have some company to battle along side then to face the tides of darkness by yourself."

The memory gave Aqua a tearful smile as Moonfang looked bold and ready. "But...I won't be alone. You're there for me Moonfang, like how Ana was there for me." The dracoth proudly roared as the Ur-Pheonix looked around and took flight, wishing to lead the duo somewhere suitable, Aqua asked. "There isn't much of a cave that would work in this valley, so we need to go look?" That was something the three could do as the keyblade wielder readies her mind for her descent back into the shadows.

During a festival, in the outskirts of the city.

Pete cackled like he hit a jackpot on his search during the dark of night. "So that golden haired dame is one of the seven this time and with that pipsqueaks girly friend all by herself. He, ha, ha, ha!" He readied his fingers for a summon most foul. "Well we can't have them running around doing what they want now can we!"

His fingers rubbed together for a snap and Pete felt something sharp by his back, his eyes turned as he heard a rather thankful tone of a woman. "Perhaps you want to stop acting like a brute and think for a moment."

Pete stopped his snap, felt the sharpness lessen and turned to find a woman in a burgundy dress and with curly black hair, he knew hostility and thought of it. "You... been looking for the dame yourself and you know of a red haired runt running around that might have been crossing you?"

The woman patted him on the head like he understood. "Very good! I am that dames mother and... you might be?"

Pete introduced himself thinking he was getting the larger benefit of the deal. "Just call me Pete, I'm just helping someone along for something... that wouldn't be too big of a worry. You looking for goldey because?"

The woman laughed at him like it should have been obvious. "Goldy... Rapunzel, has ran far away from home with a criminal-" she sniffled. "If she stays out for too long, something terrible might happen to her."

Pete agreed with that. "Well it was a good thing you caught me right before this, I was going to go capture goldey for someone, but that isn't needed. So what we doing eh-" the woman humored him with her name. "Gothel... if that criminal has something to gain from helping her, he will run off the first chance he gets." She looked at the city most disgustingly. "And that girl could be his accomplice."

Pete didn't think about much. "You been following them during the festival. Oh that girl definitely has a reason to keep her running and she is that big problem if either of us walk in there. You want me to go lure them away while you go get Raps?"

Gothel looked across the sea surrounding the city. "Or even better, remove that girl from the picture." She pointed to him and at herself. "I think we both have something to gaiiiin!"

Pete understood and felt a plan coming. "Well I just need to make enough of a distraction, but how you going to have Raps go with ya?"

Gothel answered. "You find what he is looking for and see that he... takes off with it. Let a mother do the rest. What you do to the other girl-" Her eyes rolled, she shrugged and looked like she didn't care.

Pete chuckled sinisterly and snapped his fingers. "You can leave her to ol Pete! He, ha, ha!"

On a boat in the water.

Rapunzel, Flynn and the chameleon were alone looking out to the city, waiting in thought. Flynn looked at her like he knew she wanted to say something and that she could trust him to hear it. Rapunzel voiced what was with in her soul. "I been looking out a window for eighteen years, dreaming about what it might feel like when those lights reach the sky. What if it is not everything I dreamed it would be?"

Flynn smiled and promised her. "It will be."

Rapunzel asked him. "And what if it is? What do I do then?"

Flynn thought about and answered. "Well, that's the good part, I guess. You get to go find a new dream."

Both nearly blushed and looked to the large castle on top of the city, a large lantern floated to the heavens, in moments, countless more followed. Floating to the sky as the rest of the town followed, the lanterns blew in all directions with in the wind. The three on the boat watched on and Rapunzel wished she would partake in such an event, she felt a light shining behind and saw Flynn holding two of the lanterns, pleasing her as she approached him with a small giggle. "Ha." She thought about something and confessed as she took it out. "I have something for you, too." She showed a satchel that Flynn seemed to have forgotten about as she admitted. "I should have given it to you before, but the I got scared." Her eyes faced away. "And the thing is, I'm not scarred anymore. You know what I mean?"

Flynn had a faint memory of a crown he might have gotten through illegal means, hidden away in the satchel, this along with Rapunzel knowing of the crown and threaten to smash it with her frying pan if he ditched her upon leaving her while on the journey. He pushed the satchel down and found what ever was with in to be irrelevant, save for one other. "I'm starting to." He gave Rapunzel a lantern and the two let the lights flicker along with the others. He was concern about the other detail with in his bag, the boat landed on shore at the eve of the festival. Flynn took the bag as Rapunzel looked concerned, he jumped off and apologized. "I'm sorry, everything is fine. There's... something I have to take care of." He walked off and left a worried Rapunzel behind, far away from sight. He opened the satchel to take out two things, a golden tiara with many gems and a folded up piece of paper, he contemplated many things as he unfolded the paper to show a poster with his image, something he been hiding from Rapunzel and he should let her know. "Eugine, what did you get yourself into."

Step! Step! "Oh ho! So she was right about you!"

Flynn turned to a voice from his right side and found a fat cat like creature looking at him like a bully police officer. "Right abou-" he realized what happened and casually tore apart the wanted poster. "Oh right, bet you heard of me."

The cat nodded and looked at fighting from the city. "Flynn Rider, so you been stealing a crown all for yourself and been running from the law when some dame tied you up! I bet she used that to get you to take her along on some venture till you got the chance and skedaddled. That's what you were doing right now, huh?"

Flynn shrugged without much of a complaint. "Well it took an investigator to figure all that out, but there was a change of plans." He took the crown, spun it, put it in the bag and tossed it to the cat. "Case solved! We shouldn't have anymore problems with me." He gave a small cough and tried to walk back. "Nope!"

A mushroom like creature appeared as the cat snickered. "Oh contraire, I think you gave that girl quite enough problems!" The mushroom squatted and let loose spores at Flynn, causing him to feel drowsy as the cat whispered. "Night night!"

At the festival in around the same time.

Kairi looked at the lights and felt guilty that her friends were not around to see it with her, she was in a dock, realizing there was a way for her to make the moment last forever, turned around with her gummi phone and took a selfie with the lights behind her. Noticing a flicker in the darkness as she gave a smile and yelled out. "Cheese!"

Click!

The flicker became worse as she paid attention and put her phone away, seeing five clinking knight like heartless with claws, a dozen shadows, two green lanterns and give archers. Kairi drew out her keyblade and made a dash towards one of green lantern, quickly taken them out as the swarm stumbled and gathered to try and pin her down. With flying flowers of energy, a stab and a slam to the ground for the other green lantern, bringing about damage to the swarm rather than healing. She took out the annoying archers with fast attacks and finished the swarm off with a stab to the ground that caused a star to form and let loose a massive flower that obliterated the swarm. Kairi sensed feelings of disbelief and confusion out of the city and hurried to a beach she was familiar with.

Upon reaching, she found Rapunzel leaving in the distance with someone holding a green lantern. A particular black haired woman that made Kairi beyond scared. "No...wait, Rap-"

She sensed something and jumped towards the sea to find a black mushroom like heartless jumping out. Pete stepped from the shadows with a nasty laugh. "He. Ha! HA! Can't have you getting in the way of this adorable reunion now can we!"

Kairi gasped and glared. "Pete, what are you doing here?!"

The goon looked to the figures walking into the woods and answered. "Just investigating something you ought to figure out by yourself and making sure she is kept in a place she won't run off from. All the way back home." Kairi's glare became worse as she flung a flower of light at the mushroom as Pete assured her. "But enough about Raps and her mother! You been acting like a thorn ready to get to our sides for a long while and it's about time someone put an end to that before we get another keyblade swinging at us." The flower struck the heartless and caused it to vanish with its captive heart flying free, Pete sent four more that surrounded her, laughed in triumph as they tried to let loose knock out spores and Kairi gave off a glow. She flew into the air like she had wings, dodged the spores and crashed down, letting loose an explosion of light that quickly destroyed the heartless.

Leaving Pete shaking as Kairi went after him and beat him silly, then sent him rolling on the sand. Pete was heavily embarrassed, got up and was ready to run as Kairi asked. "Did that woman tell you everything or did she make a story about being a mother looking for her daughter? Because that is a complete lie."

Pete gasped dumbfounded. "Wait, she wasn't?!"

Kairi answered with a question, a mixture of fear and righteous anger boiled. "A long time ago someone kidnapped a princess with golden hair and kept her locked up in a tower. Isolating her from the world just so she wouldn't escape and keep depending on her. When that girl grew and kept wanting to at least see this, she got out and she acted like she NEVER saw the outside world, everything was new to her. Some guy, suspicious he might be, was nice enough to at least let her experience this... what did you do to him?"

Pete took it in and looked terrified. "I... sent him sailing with some stuff he stole, was he only sticking around with her so he could get away or something?!"

Kairi answered with a yell. "He was a crook, but what mattered was Rapunzel was free... and you got her going back to that prison! You're happy about this?"

Pete wasn't, felt sweating and let a corridor opened up. "Eh...eh... you can go set that one out. I'm outta here!"

Kairi was seeing an irresponsible mistake and shouted. "Pete wa-" He ran in and disappeared, leaving behind feelings of frustration and of a rancid smell, like something long dead washed up on the beach. She looked around and saw but a collection of flies buzzing. She wanted to chase after Rapunzel as she saw flies behind her, the flies flew together in a cloud and buzzed in unison, into a sickening voice for her to hear. "To break the cycle of something so foul and to break the cycle of the lanterns lights. Why do you wish to disrupt such a thing for such wondrous hair?"

Kairi tried to answer and found herself in a white room, Namine was crouching on a chair in terror as a symbol glowed behind her, a green symbol with three circles together, resembling a flies head. The cloud of flies appeared as Kairi shook Namine awake, breaking her concentration as the buzzing continued. "The girl's heart is buried deep under filth, yet if you are to break the cycle between her and her controller, would she have any control of her heart?"

Namine warned Kairi. "D...Don't listen to them. They... they-" the flies cloaked the room and brought the the girls to reality, warning them back. "What happens is inevitable, we cannot allow you to interfere just yet. This must fester."

The flies glowed green and pulsed a buzz, Kairi and Namine felt themselves under an intense fever, drawing out all their instincts to continue and causing them to lay down. They tried to resist and sat together under a tree, feeling the fever worsen as they closed their eyes, the last thing they saw was the flies scattering away and the last thing they heard was deep chuckle, disturbingly welcoming. "There there, I will not allow another to lay a hand on you until the princess decides for herself."

In the lanes.

Ken was disturbed by an occupant he had to carry with him as Brynhildr waited next to Destiny Islands. Focusing with a particular direction with all its new weapons ready for battle. "So that's why this guy didn't have those spirit stones, the armor is the more important part." He looked at a vengeful Elrena that was ignoring the body of the Eldar Exarch. "This plan is going to go one of two ways unless we are quick. Fly in, use the stones so her goons will wait and... then settle this once and for all."

Elrena nodded and promised him. "Leave making sure they don't double cross us, to me! Once we get to the Farseer, I'll hand you the stones, you can carry this guy with you."

Ken looked away from the corpse and ordered Bryn. "Alright, you got here pretty quick but we need to be in an out like a mosquito." He focused Cadia's Light and saw it shine brightly. "Full speed ahead!" The jets glowed bright and the ship flashed many yellow lights with in as she took flight, blowing past the cosmic debris like they were nothing and twitching her las cannons at the first heartless or Eldar ship to fly their way, the keyblade wielders felt their chest thumping as they noticed two things becoming visible, one and less important was a planet with a vast green field, the other was a ship Ken saw in the green orb.

It looked like surrounding sky craft were flying off towards the three worlds to investigate something, the duo guessed that the Eldar noticed their assassins have not returned and are searching possible locations that caused it. Closer and closer, the final showdown was envisioned, the Eldar ship concealed itself in a cloak, unaware that Brynhildr and the keyblade wielders were set on their path and see the faint shape. With in a closer view of the grass like world, Bryn gave a bright shine, signaling the two to prepare. Ken grabbed the body of the Eldar as Elrena clenched the plastic bag and had it high in the air.

PEW! They found themselves with in a white, sleek, alien like interior of a ship, five armored guardians looked at the two astonished and horrified, having their fingers reaching for the trigger of their guns as Elrena barked. "If you touch you're trigger, I'll smash these!"

The aldari aimed their guns as she looked ready to throw the crystals to the ground. Ken showed them the body of the exarch and ordered. "Show us to the Farseer and when you do, we are going in alone! I got my eyes on you!"

The central most stoically lead the way past twists and confessed. "Ignorant yet clever."

Ken confessed back to him. "We know these things are like hearts and we REALLY didn't want to have to result to threatening those."

That the eldar was giving credit where it is due. "The Farseer's vision... her attempt to advert it, has lead to this. Is it really a black heart that drove you to this? Or desperation to right a wrong?"

The humans glared at the Eldar as he led them to a room with a runic door. He placed his hand on a panel and let it open. "Will you're heart decide your fate?"

Ken walked in first with the exarchs body as Elrena followed, snapped her fingers and caused a barrier to form behind her. Keeping any out. Right into a room with a sight that made the woman truly desire shattering the spirit stones anyways, a Farseer with her hands on the side of a pink haired man with blue eyes, a black vest, dark pink pants and a white undershirt. It looked like he was seeing something he didn't want to as Ken yelled out. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HIM?!"

The Farseer stopped, turned towards the intruders hastily and glared at them, revealing an elven woman with light purple hair, glowing pearl eyes and a symbol on her forehead, she looked terrified at what Elrena had in her hand and at the body Ken tossed to her feet. The Farseer left the man in stasis, unable to really say anything as his eyes looked at Elrena in terror for her life.

She glared at both. "You dare to come here with those in hand you savage-"

Ken yelled at her more. "SHUT UP! You tried to kill a guy who wanted NOTHING TO DO with me! We are just giving your stuff back."

Elrena stood to Ken's right side with her eyes not once focusing away from the captured man, she gave him the bag of crystals and he presented it to the Farseer. "Let him go! I just want to talk."

The Farseer didn't even look at the captive and he fell from stasis, it looked like he was clenching to something and about to throw up as Elrena went to his side. "Lauriam!"

She tried to get him up as the boy waited for the Farseer to approach, being given a crudely contained bag of gems most important as Cadia's Light formed from the hand that delivered. Ken asked politely. "Every time you send you're goons to do these things, something bad happens to them. One of them lost themselves to the darkness, the others just gotten handed over to you because some buddies of ours were less than forgiving of you and if this keeps up they will drop the hammer. Are you trying to make this worse?"

The Farseer shook her head and coldly answered. "Deluding yourself to you're true nature and of the fate of those around you. Do you even know of the coming darkness?"

Ken answered back. "Yes and it is the guy who ruined everything for countless people. Would I want any part of that beyond wanting him taken down for good? Would I want any part of those psychopaths I keep hearing about or the things they are too happy to spread along? You know which ones I'm talking about."

That question caught the Farseer off guard. "The great enemy? Chaos? You know of that and you claim you will continue opposing that?"

Ken nodded. "No matter what, I won't give in to that evil. Even when it looks like a lot of people have!" He asked with his heart breaking. "Come on, why are we doing this to each other? This could have been sorted out and neither of us had to have to hurt or get hurt. If all this darkness and chaos stuff is that dangerous, why are we fighting each other? Why drag people into a scheme like this when they might want to help?" He boldly requested, despite the pain and despite the grudge. "Please, we can help each other, figure out what is going on and put everything that happened in the past." He used his left hand and offered. "I want to call you a friend."

Elrene gasped at the cheesy, yet heart wrenching line and the Farseer was taken a back. Like something actually reached to her. "...A heart in turmoil, yet it found a way to shine past the shadows." She looked upon the woman holding a nearly passing out man that was holding a massive grudge against her. "To experience a cycle of past lives." She looked at the boy in pity. "How does a heart like yours endure when theirs have blackened."

Ken knew she was talking about the adults. "Because people make bad choices, but sometimes they figure it out and get themselves back to good path. We just need to stop those that refuse to do it so they don't hurt more people."

The Farseer looked in thought of something and begrudgingly confessed. "...I nearly made that prophecy a certainty... but it appears I miss judged. I... was wrong."

Ken appreciated it as Elrena growled. "But why did you kidnap Lauriam in the first place and do... I don't want to know to him?"

The man gasped and rasped out a proper word. "E...Elrene, their existence is much like how ours were. Wilting from our splendor." He smiled out of spite towards the Farseer. "They think we have that answer for them."

That lead to Ken asking the regretful Farseer. "And what you did to him, and I don't care what he done, still hurts. We can find another way to help each other and... what ever you're problem is."

That caused the Farseer to laugh with him. "Oh naive child of man. You think you know our song, yet you don't know a note." Her eyes glowed to a conclusion as Ken felt something worming its way into his mind. "The great enemy doesn't seek you're heart because it is black, but because it will blacken! You will only endure more suffering if you are allowed to continue you're path. That suffering would lead others into oblivion! You may rest now."

SPLIT!

Ken felt his mind under intense assault and screamed as the Farseer focused her mind into his. Elrena took out her keyblade as Lauriam tried to stand on his own, the woman sparkled lightning and tried to strike the Farseer away from the boy, a force of will pushed them away as Ken gritted is teeth, his chest and Cadia's Light gave a combined glow. He fired at the Farseer's chest, pushing her back and causing her to pant as he looked to be seeing something not there. The Farseer was injured yet impressed. "So this is you're strength of the heart?!"

Ken ignored her and looked to the center of the room and jumped to it, Elrena had the Eldar pinned with her blade and barked. "What the heck?! You're going doing this again?!"

The Farseer pushed her back and looked her in the eyes. "You know nothing of Chaos, she who gave in before! As the shadows will twist even the boldest of hearts, so too will the whispers of Chaos, drive even the purest hearts to insanity. It is for his own good that they never reach his heart!"

Lauriam looked more baffled at the extremes and felt a lost cause as Ken stabbed the ground and caused a keyhole to form, radiating in light. "It's the kind of place you dwell from? Violence, lies... are all of those an everyday solution?"

The Farseer looked at the bright light, causing a distortion resembling a clear passage, she looked more confused at him in acceptance. "The galaxy itself, where we were born from, is consumed by endless war. A war that is coming to you're struggles! We faltered in those struggles as you and she-" she looked Elrena in the eyes. "have. It must NOT be allowed to consume this galaxy as well! The Great Enemy, no, not just She Who Thirsts, the Chaos Gods themselves, must be stopped!"

She felt words of panic in her mind, she pushed back and tried to assure the words all would be fine.

Ripple, ripple, ripple.

Ken pulled his blade out and snapped out of his vision, realizing what he done and looking at her defeated. "...We will, but... just go home. Just go home Fomyna."

The ripples became worse as the Farseer accepted defeat. "Warn the others Kendry, maybe you all will succeed where our own galaxy has failed."

Ripple! Ripple! RIP!

The three humans felt like something was yanking them away from something. Their visions returned and they found themselves at the entrance of a town in the shadow of a castle. Ken felt like he was having a head ache from it all and was the first to realize they were all laying on their backs. Seeing distant stars forming from the sky and flickering away. Elrena was the next to come through, jolting herself up and finding Lauriam looking half stoic and laying still. "Wha...what happened?!"

Ken stood up with Cadia's Light keeping its shine, like it was taking on a different, more sleek form, its hilt resembled tubes and into the blade was a pack, the blade itself lost some of its clunky form for a smoother texture of the green, he was unaware of the keyblades form and answered. "I...got them back home... after everything, she just needs to be home while we deal with this on our own."

He turned towards Lauriam and noticed the stoic frown becoming worse. "But this means things are going to end up getting much worse. Lauriam, what happened?"

The man sighed as Elrena helped him up and wanted to give him a welcoming hug, he felt a dreadful fear beating as he answered. "Kendry... is it?"

Ken nodded and guessed the rest. "I know you, Elrena and a couple others have a gap of something where you don't remember something and at the same time, act like you do. Was that gap the reason Fomyna kidnapped you?"

Elrena realized it was. "That has to be the reason, but... how did you know that Eldar's name?"

Ken wasn't sure. "I... felt a lot of things getting into my head. It felt like my brain was going to break... that name burned its way somewhere."

Lauriam agreed with that. "She is something of a psychic, she would do that to you and go far deeper than that." He felt a sting and wasn't too traumatized over that. "But... you are correct."

Foot steps where heard and the trio turned around to find two familiar men talking about something, Ienzo looked regretful about something as Even promised him. "As soon we establish easier access, we will focus on finding Ansem. We are caught up in nothing but chaos."

Ienzo wanted Even to be quiet about that. "Don't use that name out here, his name hasn't been cleared up yet."

Elrena felt annoyed for some reasons as Lauriam simply wished to walk away, Ienzo looked surprised to see the arrivals and approached them, stopping Lauriam from leaving as he shouted. "Ken, Elrena, I thought you left?!"

Ken looked more happy to be alive and felt he was free from one thing as he approached with a smile. "We did... and I think...I think I took care of the Eldar. They're back home."

Elrena approved of that and was worried about Lauriam's behavior. "But... our problems are far from over. I was told about what is going on, about the people that attacked this town before that mess happened." She looked pained and asked. "Is another war going to happen?"

Ienzo didn't wish to answer that as Even felt a familiar scorn, feeling like he met the woman before, something clicked and he yelled out. "Larxene, you are scared about that?!"

The name connected, Elrena shivered even more terrified. "Like you would care about that. The only thing those guys from the Imperium ever really talk about besides their Emperor is war. Vexen, what have you seen from those Word Bearers?"

Even argued back to Elrena as Ken backed away from a chain reaction. "A lunatic that was ready to fight a war and unleashed hell. The Imperium talks so little of them... could the Word Bearers be the reason the Imperium are so strewn to war?"

That question caused all of their souls to freeze up, their hearts felt the chill of answers they were best not to know. Lauriam voiced the common fear. "If they were, than anything we have ever read about war would seem... insignificant compared to what they done and what they could bring to all of us."

Ken agreed with that and was more annoyed. "The only people I know that need to know of this are pretty busy." He checked a text on his gummi phone with no results. "and have reasons to not pick up until late. Should... Wanda know of this? She isn't from the same place as the Imperium... but she knows about Chaos."

Ienzo gasped and pleaded with him. "But she doesn't have any understanding of technology and would be the first to know when magic won't be enough. Kendry, she needs to be warned, now more than ever."

Ken agreed and felt as if something was waiting for him. "And Bryn came just when you said that."

He sighed and was ready to leave, Even recommended to Elrena and Lauriam. "It's clear that you two recently discovered something." He smugly continued. "Perhaps you need a moment to get away from trouble and recover?"

Elrena didn't wish to admit it. "...You are always annoying, but... you're right. The same can be said to you."

That Even agreed, looking slightly hurt. "It... answered many questions. What were you calling you're predicament?"

Elrena answered. "The gap." Ienzo was in thought of the word. "But why did the gap happen to us?"

Lauriam answered that question. "Because we would have difficulty bearing it, you do know what happened in the gap, but you're heart won't let you... and for good reasons."

He sighed and apologized to Ken for a request. "But, maybe some time away from this would be good." Elrena sighed and followed the two out. "It would."

She teased the boy about his keyblade. "You're blades coil is showing."

Ken blinked, looked at Cadia's Light and gasped. "Wow... I guess it does." He smiled to both and promised. "Wanda and the others may be new to you, but I think they are bringing more life back to Traverse."

Elrena giggled to that and tried to get Lauriam to cheer up. "You won't believe the kind of animals they got."

Lauriam was looking forward to something that would clear his mind. "Wanda and her people really are from world even more different?"

Ken whistled. "Yeah about that."


	20. Wants from the Heart

In a vision of a tower, Kairi and Namine found themselves starring at events unfolding. Rapunzel looked to many conflicting thoughts with in her mind as she laid still on a bed, looking up at the ceiling. She held a purple cloth with the image of a golden sun and looked up at the ceiling to find many suns looking down upon her, she got up to see the many and felt something tapping into her heart. A realization, an image of a king and queen wearing crowns, an image of a baby girl with hair like hers, an image of her wearing a similar crown that was fit for her head, the crown she was aware of. She gasped, lost her balance and caught herself with a table that had a mirror. Breathing heavily and realizing of a life she was stolen from. She walked out to find an observant black haired woman trying to figure out what has happened, Rapunzel asked. "I am the lost princess."

Gothel scoffed and demanded. "Uff! Please speak up, Rapunzel. You know I hate the mumbling."

Rapunzel raised her voice and glared at Gothel. "I am the lost princess. Aren't I?" Gothel looked astonished and Rapunzel asked with a heart bringing out a brave shine. "Did I mumble, Mother? Or should I even call you that?"

Gothel listened, dismissed that and approached in faux affection. "Oh, Rapunzel. Do you even hear yourself? Why would you ask such a ridiculous question?"

She tried to make Rapunzel forget with a hug and was pushed away as the girl asked in realization. "It was you! It was all you!"

Gothel looked down on the rebellious girl. "Everything I did was to protect you."

Rapunzel knew the woman was full of it, pushed her out of the way and walked off. "I spent my entire life. Hiding from people who would use me for my power..." She drowned out Gothel's excuses and ran down the stairs. "When I should be hiding from you!"

Gothel asked with an attempt to snare Rapunzel back in the cycle. "Where would you go? They won't be there for you."

Rapunzel knew she was talking about Flynn and Kairi. "What did you do to them?"

Gothel smiled smugly and cruelly. "That criminal is to be hanged for his crimes and his accomplice is being taken cared of by someone who knew she doesn't belong."

Rapunzel gasped at what happened. "No.." Gothel approached and tried to persuade. "Now, now, it's alright. Everything is as it should be."

She tried to pat her on the head and was stopped by a firm grip from the princess, Kairi and Namine sensed a heart shining more, realizing who Rapunzel is at her core as she stood up to the manipulative witch. "No! You were wrong about the world and you were wrong about me. And I will never let you use my hair again!"

Gothel tried to pull back, lost her balance and caused a mirror to fall, cracking it and being distracted by that and seeing Rapunzel glaring at her, the girl walked to the door out, ready to leave forever more, the blinding shackles broken loose. Kairi and Namine sensed a darkening glow in Gothel, revealing a heart black as coal as she glared at Rapunzel. "You want me to be the bad guy?" She wasn't going to allow Rapunzel to escape. "Fine. Now I'm the bad guy."

The vision ended, with the girls hearing flies buzzing away. With in a white room, Kairi and Namine knew what needs to be done, Kairi said it first. "Rapunzel needs to break free, she knows the truth yet... that woman still tries to keep her trapped."

Namine agreed with that. "Now we can get involved and help her. But... why would that... thing, try to show us this?"

Kairi had no clue. "Maybe because it knew this was going to happen. It knocked us out prett-" She felt something licking her face. She woke up to find a white horse licking her face, Flynn was riding on top of the horse and the girl gasped awake in the unusual sight. Flynn and Maximus were working together?! The man felt accomplished. "Well that did the trick!" He gave praise to the horse. "Nice work Max."

Kairi felt a head ache and was embarrassed by the fact she was waken up in such a manner, she remembered a particular dog that tend to do something similar and giggled. She gasped in remembering something important and jumped up. "Oh no! Rapunzel! Flynn, Rapunzel is being held prisoner by that woman! She been held prisoner in that tower for her whole life!"

Flynn agreed with that. "That's right, in her mother's tower!" The horse approached the road as the rider recommended. "This calls for a rescue."

Kairi agreed with him as he offered to help her on. "Are you with me?" Kairi was and took the offer. "Yeah, let's do it!"

The horse neighed, bucked up and bolted towards the road, towards passage ways most familiar and passage ways that they knew would lead back to the tower. Exactly the path where they first met, Kairi couldn't believe that over a day ago, she thought the guy was an absolute scumbag, yet his heart shined through even with the flaws. BZZ!

They saw the darkness distort and the forest decayed, something pushed from the void. Three slithering black, humanoid slugs with yellow eyes, seven rancid fly like humanoid fiends much like the heartless and four small orbs of pulsing darkness. Flynn held the horse back. "Woah, woah! Easy Max!"

The horse stopped against the swarm of fourteen and Kairi on instinct jumped off. She formed her keyblade and ordered. "I'll take it from here Flynn. Go get Rapunzel out of there!"

Flynn gave his thanks and took off, the decaying heartless focused on her and attempted to attack, the princess jumped back, flung flowers at the pulsing orbs and watch them burst something like black pus. The ooze sizzled the environment as the slugs waddled to her in surprising speeds, the sheer weight and force of their movement gave Kairi a reason to jump to her left, out of the way, raise her keyblade to the sky and shoot out a star that pelted the slugs with light. Greatly wounding the three as the flying creatures swarmed and clawed at her, she gritted her teeth. Jumped out of the fight pit, felt like she was flying and landed far away. Letting loose her quick combination to decimate the swarm. She remembered the path to the tower and watched a world being consumed by rot, something was happening that drew those kinds of heartless in. She shook her head and followed the path, knowing what was important.

With in a dream.

Sora and Riku fell towards a small lush mountain with something on top. Dodging dancing musical strings and feeling themselves in an aerial dance as they realized they were falling from a night sky. Compared to their descent to the origins of the world, it was less perilous and more whimsical, the dark sky gave way to a morning sun as they closed in, seeing an open palace with marble columns. Both boys felt a splendor awaiting as they felt themselves slowing their fall. They felt a glitter of morning light and found themselves in front of a blue curtain. The curtain pulled away and revealed a medium sized ball of feathers. Sora's heart felt light as Riku watched the ball of feathers move and smiled to it. "What kind of place did we drop to this time?"

A bird's foot raised up to help the ball up, the ball undid itself and revealed an ostrich standing up, she had a pink bow on her head and a piece of string around her neck, looking gracefully at a rising morning. She yawned and tip toed a dance towards a left row leading somewhere. The boys followed as Sora felt he knew what was happening. "Wow."

Riku saw a row of ostriches curled up into a ball, the pink bowed ostrich tapped one and caused the whole row to undo themselves, she danced to the right row, tapped and caused them to undo themselves. Revealing a whole flock of ostriches with green wears.

They stretched as the lead ostrich danced away, with them following, the lead ostrich spun a dance as they encircled her. Riku wondered. "What are we suppose to do here?" They approached ensnared to a rhythm, like to a song. The ostrich flock covered the lead dancer with wings, raised their legs up and threw her above in a scattering of white feathers. She spun and used her legs to help herself flutter down. Even if it didn't make any sense, it was still gorgeous, the lead dancer landed on her rear in an undignified manner as the flock bowed and danced into formation, a row to the left and a row to the right, towards a conch filled with fruit. The lead dancer tip toed to the conch, took it and tossed various fruits to the maws of her dancers, all except for one, which she kept to herself. A succulent bundle of purple grapes, a dancer tip toed to her and took a branch. Another dancer came and took another, Sora and Riku ran from behind the crowd and watch the greedy dancers give chance to the lead, all in a sync dance, including the bystander boys. The dancers lead to a pool in the middle of the palace grounds, with stone roads leading to and an open noon sky.

The flock tried to pluck more grapes from their lead and in their squabble, dropped the grapes into the pool. They looked with in as the boys figured out what happened, something spooked the ostriches and danced away. A head of a hippopotamus emerged and wiggled her ears, she blew water from her nose and showered herself as she emerged to reveal her body, she held onto the grapes with her left hand, ate the grapes and shook water off of her body, all standing upright and looking like she was to dance. She noticed something that gave the boys caution of approaching, a ballet of hippos in pink tutus holding a yellow tutu for their lead. If they stay around, they will just get noticed and disturb the dance, Sora focused on a column to his right and felt an urge to jump there as Riku followed to the left. They watched the pod of hippos help the lead dancer dress herself, she danced out of the pool, surprisingly even more gracefully than the ostriches, with members of the pod assisting her. The noon sky's color shifted and the lead hippo yawned, she was helped to a couch that's legs bend to her weight, the hippos signaled to each other that they were to keep quiet and tip toed away as Sora noticed a building towards Riku's direction, it had a massive closed door. He signaled his distant friend and jumped off the pillar, for if he tried to flow to it, he would surely wake up the sleeping Hippo. Dusk came and Riku was ready to jump down to look, Elephants stepped from behind the column, performing a ballet.

Riku nearly yelped, flowed to a column to keep himself up and waited, the elephants left the column and tip toed to the pool past the hippo. Riku found a clock above the door, there was no keyhole to make transitioning easy and signaled to Sora that they need to wait. The spiky haired boy looked at the sunset and guessed that the door would open at night. The elephants drank from the pool and blew out bubbles, one of bubbles oddly had a fish swimming. The elephants tip toed towards a hippo that kept slumbering, blew bubbles and ran off, nearly tripping on a bubble and doing things that might wake someone up. At a distance, they blew a stream of bubbles that caused the couch and hippo to rise in a pillar of bubbles. It descended along with the sun and a strong gust of wind came, blowing the bubbles and the elephants towards the building. Riku wall jumped back on top of a column as Sora lost his balance and use his keyblade to keep himself by the pillar, spinning down in sync with the dance. Night came, the clock glowed with the moon and formed a spot light around the hippo. The door opened to reveal a screen with the words the end.

Sora waited for the moment and noticed sinister figures from the left and right sides of the palace, all in red cloaks. The dancers of the night, approached the hippo, revealing traits of alligators.

Both boys were not going to allow such villains to have their way as they encircled the sleeping hippo and plotted. Riku sensed more in the shadow of night and looked up, finding an alligator on a roof, tossing aside his cloak and revealing a feathered cap. He jumped towards his kin and scared them off, the alpha of the group. Sora used the darkness to sneak around and watched as the alligator crawled to the hippo, checking on her and looking to be smitten. The hippo awakened, looked frightened and got off the chair as the alligator looked to either be trying to pounce on her, or embrace her. The hippo tip toed away from the gator and looked to be teasing him, he gave chase as she ran to the horizon. He waited as of he was preparing for something. LEAP!

The hippo leaped a distance as the gator readied to catch her, Sora and Riku nearly burst into laughing, the spiky haired boy was closer to the exit.

THUD!

He felt a quake in the ground as the hippo landed on the gator, yet despite what should be fatal, the gator pushed and lifted her up, Sora nearly fell and flowed towards Riku, who watched the gator and the hippo ready for another dance. The silver haired boy silently agreed and lead his friend to the door, who was watching the dance near its climax and followed, seeing the gator and hippo dance together, leading to where the gators returned to the dance, Sora felt he got the concept of the name. "...The different times of day... the dance of the hours."

Riku made it past the door and was at the screen. "Don't get any ideas, but who ever dreamed of this has a talent for art."

Sora agreed as the dancing was becoming more chaotic, with all the animals joining in the final dance. "Come on, let's see what else is next!"

He jumped into the screen and Riku followed, from one strange dream to one more familiar.

Back into another Dark, Beautiful castle. Finding naught of Oswald, but of a figure cloaked in shadows, holding a tape in the palm of his hands and glowing red eyes. A deep voice whispered in their minds. "Deep with in the Realm of Dreams, untouched by time and mortals alike! A voice from the heavens, deafens before a great evil." An eight pointed star flickered, Sora and Riku readied their blades as they heard foot steps from above, the voice asked the two. "From the darkness of many worlds, shroud a Messenger of Darkness, that seeks to bring destruction, beckons his dark master! Do you cling to the hope of surviving the chaos? Do you have the courage to continue fighting? Do you and the others, stand hand in hand, awaiting the end of all you have ever loved?" The eyes looked down on the tape as the boys charged at him, a rabbit climbed down, gasped and tried to find something that would repel the demon. The demon asked. "How can you hope to fight this great evil, when deep with in, we are one in the same?"

They struck in unison and were consumed by shadows.

Sora felt his vision return and found himself alone with in the depths of the castle, he found figures approaching with murderous intent, they resembled humans with bodies of darkness and various blades, their eyes glowed yellow and their chests glowed white, resembling a mixture of an eight pointed star and a heartless emblem. The voice laughed in taunt. "See the follies of the warriors that attempt the impossible! Who climbed to ascend and stumbled into the abyss! See how their journey ends." Sora felt many voices laughing at him, cringed and attacked the monsters, he needs to find his friend and get to the bottom of the mysterious assault.

At Traverse Town, by a train track with no train.

Ken finished introducing Lauriam to Wanda as Elrena looked upon a steam tank that was in good condition, with an image of a gryphon on each side, two canons on the front and a rifle, it was a pinnacle of technology none of the three expected for someone looking quite medieval. "Um... right, you got this and you didn't know how to use a phone."

Wanda folded her arms and grunted. "This lass is what the Freeguild do, what the Stomcasts could not! So in the off chance those spider fangs come crawling up here, we will be prepared to push them back in their hole."

Lauriam sighed and asked the general. "With all due respect, the technology you have and the technology the Forces of Chaos... the ones talked about, are leagues apart. This is what Ienzo is trying to warn you about."

Wanda kept her ground as an authority figure and asked. "And what exactly can any of us do about it? I'm not leaving Stalwing behind and no demigryph knight worth his salt would leave their demigryph behind. The lad got good intentions, but unless he can build fast, we are all stuck here until further notice. Besides-" She looked to a sewer drain with sneaky red eyes in the shadows. "someone needs to keep the spider fangs in check at all times or the whole town would become like one big spider web with us being the flies."

Ken answered clearly. "Do more to talk to that guy and get a bigger transport ready. Magitinus's technology mixing in with Bryn was pretty big and the Eldar's technology... none of us know how to describe it, least of all figure out how it works. The Chaos Space Marine's technology might be something we would be familiar with... but not you."

Wanda gasped and asked the boy. "Well lad, if you got some tech like what Magi makes, I want you to consider... showing me what it can do."

Ken cringed, looked to the onlooking grown ups and formed Cadia's Light. "This... use to be that, but Wanda-" The general interrupted him and walked towards a lamp post with her war hammer in hand. "Then it will do, you know I heard that whole fight you had with that boy Sora. I heard he beaten you after you gave him a sweat."

Lauriam found it hard to believe, looked at Kendry and asked. "You? Lasting against him?"

Elrena patted him on the shoulder and stuck her tongue out. "Until he couldn't fly around anymore and lasted... tens seconds, it that's what happened. I was told that before then, those two were trading hits." She pointed to herself and asked. "Guess who else he fought and actually won?"

Lauriam gasped, looked tempted and dismissed it. "I decided to take you're word for it my dear Elrena. But, Wanda isn't-" Ken looked at him and assured with ease in his soul. "She isn't a keyblade user and she fights like an everyday person. She sounds tough... for an everyday person." He turned to Wanda and walked by a bench with his gun blade in hand. "I... also want to know what happened to my keyblade before I get into a real battle again."

He aimed at the general who smirked at him. "Who said this was play?"

She yelled out and charged. "By Azyr's stormy sky, test yourself against a servant of Sigmar! AAAAAH!"

Ken timed his aim at a knee and pulled a trigger. PEW!

Plunk!

A shot made contact with the woman's right knee and punched through her armor, causing her to fall on her face and for her hammer to fly off to a tree. Swoop! Land! Squawk! A gryphon landed to Ken's left side and was shrieking something, Wanda forced herself up and ordered. "Stalwing, back...ow! Back away!"

A knight approached to help her up as Ken stuttered. "O...Ow, that has to hurt." He looked at the two traveling with him and gave a request to something, Lauriam sighed and used a healing spell on Wanda. "The eldar laugh at the weapon this keyblade was born from, Wanda... please consider you're odds."

Wanda puffed her cheeks and groaned. "Fine, someone needs to give Merlin the que anyways, how much longer until that happens?"

Ken guessed. "Maybe soon, building something like a train takes a while and we only got tracks and a tunnel."

A wizard coughed in offense. "I say good sir, do you even know the slightest thing about magic?"

Ken looked to his right to find Merlin looking quite impatient about something. "Just air magic, I know nothing about how this even works." The boy had a ring from his gummy phone, checked it and qued the wizard. "Okay, they got something to send our way! Fire it up!"

Merlin nodded, pulled a wand out of his hat and waved it, with a few magic words, a shine was seen in the left side of the tunnel.

Toot! Chugga, chugga!

A train with three carts rolled over, leaving Wanda less than impressed as the door open to let out a four of Leon, Yuffie, Aerith and Cid. The engineer grunted to the general. "So this is the one responsible for bringing the town back?"

Cid smirked with his straw and firmly shook hands with Wanda, who answered with refusal. "Oh no, the town was like as it is without us. We are just making a fort out of it." She chuckled as Leon looked at the gryphon and whistled. "Maybe, but this town is like as we left it."

Yuffie slowly approached Stalwing, she was hiding her ecstatic joy as Aerith noticed a hole in her leg armor. "We were told that someone had to show you what we were dealing with... did you get into a fight?"

Wanda wouldn't call it that as she let go and looked her eyes towards Ken. "Not really, I think he made a point."

She hated to sound ungrateful as Leon sized up the gryphon. "There is no way we can carry that and the others in this. But this was a test anyways."

He shrugged as Wanda exhaled. "At least we are not stranded anymore. Anything we ought to do to fix that?"

Cid had one idea. "We need to count up what you got first, anything else we need to know besides the sewers?"

Wanda shook her head and offered to guide them. "Nope, the sewers are strictly forbidden and anyone who reads up on spiders will tell ya why. I'll show you the stables and we can talk about how we can help one another."

She thanked Merlin. "You have been amazing for this Freeguild, Sigmar be giving you his blessing this day."

The wizard didn't mind that one bit as Cid requested. "If you got tired of the town, you can wait in the cart till we finish. It shouldn't take too long."

Merlin hummed at the request. "To think we finally came to an agreement." He gave Wanda and the group his goodbyes. "I should look into the Winds of Magic and how they make up the worlds... Realms you came from very shortly. Good day madam!" He nodded to the bystanders. "Good day!"

Ken gave his goodbyes. "Thanks for the help, this town couldn't have been like it is without you!"

Merlin went into the cart as Elrena and Lauriam went west to explore, leaving Ken with the forming committee, Aerith sighed and asked the boy. "So how do you feel with that weight off you're chest?"

Ken stretched near tired. "Great, but now I'm getting involved with all this going on. Ha Wanda, what did you tell Merlin with all that Winds of Magic stuff?"

Wanda was glad he asked and offered to lead. "The Eight Winds of Magic, the foundation of the realms; Azyr, Aqshy, Chamon, Ghur, Ghyran, Hysh and Ulgu. Heavens, Fire, Metal, Beasts, Life, Light and Shadow."

Leon cringed at the last of the realms. "Shadow?! You let that be around?"

Wanda sighed about the knowledge. "I never been to many of the realms my whole life, but Ulgu is definitely one of the LAST ones I want to go to. But some of the best assassins I know grew with in the realm. Compared to that Realm of Darkness though, I would rather take my chances with Malerion... he is better than all I seen and heard from with... some of the other gods."

Ken knew which one she was talking about. "That might be something I should talk about, THAT guy sent something pretty dangerous that won't be showing up here... but could show up in the garden. But tour first." Leon felt his head ache returning and allowed it to happen. "Then you should talk."

In the realm of Hysh in the crystal valley.

Aqua and Moonfang looked down a small cave leading down into a dead end as the Ur-Pheonix awaited. Aqua let her pendent shine and apologized to the dracoth. "This is way too small for you to follow, Moonfang. I'll summon you on the other side when I can."

Moonfang growled, nodded to her and vanish back to Azyr. Aqua's pendent floated to the cave and floated mid air, she aimed her blade and thought of the word. "Ulgu." Pew.

For what should be the second to last time, the pendent opened a gate way of light, leading into a world of shadows as it returned to her. She turned around to the Ur-Pheonix that gave as close to a smile as a bird would and knew what it was trying to say. "I won't be alone in the darkness this time. This is the final realm I have to explore before I look back into Azyr... if Hysh's stone was that close, it should be even closer... and with my keyblade, finding it should be even easier. Thank you for the company."

She gave a thankful bow and turned to the gate way, placing the souvenir away, took a deep breath and jumped in. Finding ripples and mixing lights, give way to umbra. She closed her eyes to drown out a memory and landed. She felt herself in air most familiar and opened them to find herself in a place that caught her by surprise.

A grand city under the shadow of a castle, water flowing down a bridge and everything in its prime. She heard a girl screaming from across the gate and charged in, finding a small scared red haired girl in a simple white dress with a purple skirt, she was cornered by five sleek blue creatures she recognized, floating plant like creatures with an emblem she recognized and an hour glass with that emblem. Aqua knew unversed when she seen them and went after the smaller creatures, hacking them away like they were nothing, left flipped against the floral attempt to hurl leaves at her like they were boomerangs, pelted them with fire balls and sparked her keyblade in flames as the hourglass tried to stop her in time. She forced through with sheer will and dashed, obliterating the hour glass and finding twenty of the sleek creatures going for the girl. Aqua dashed to one, back flipped, ignited in flames and formed wings like a phoenix, she roared like the bird and dive bombed into the swarm of twenty before they even came CLOSE to the girl. Aqua found soot remaining of her foes, got up and found the girl staring at her with blue eyes and a set of flowers, two pink, one yellow and one white. Aqua felt the name returning. "K...Kairi, what are you doing out here again?"

Kairi looked more amazed and asked. "Aqua, where did you learned to do that?" Aqua nearly laughed at the memory. "From a bird known as a Pheonix... actually it is a god among those, the Ur-Pheonix."

She felt something off as Kairi approached her. "The Ur-Pheonix? A Pheonix?"

Aqua answered like she was talking to an old friend. "A special bird that turns to ashes to be reborn."

Kairi asked. "Reborn from the ashes? Why would it do that?"

Aqua closed her eyes to think about and opened her eyes, finding an older red haired girl with a flowery tipped keyblade that had a star fruit key chain, a teenager looking up to her and answering. "It's a cycle of life, the pheonix becomes its brightest right at the end. Living one life that... had to have been wonderful, then they burn up and start their life again. It's... like reincarnation. Master, I never really knew there was a god of those mythical birds."

Aqua gasped at the word master and looked upon a pink dress, the town looked worn from a decade and lost its splendor, yet it very much felt like home. "Reincarnation... I read about that belief. How sometimes a heart returns from beyond with a new life."

Kairi felt the idea made some sense. "Like... how certain people can have different memories that go with that life or-" She giggled at another idea. "How the people from then return with the same name, same look and sometimes similar memories. How does that happen Master?"

Aqua tried to answer and felt an aura of wrongness, she looked upon her buxom to find a pendent she remembered, the Heartstone. She felt her world darkening and looked ahead to find the images fading, an illusion, all of it.

Standing in front of an umbra cloaked gate was an armored sorcerer looking both masculine and feminine, having long, luscious grey hair, a staff with its tip looking like a masculine and feminine symbol, a maw that resembles something of a serpents, bright unnatural purple eyes and an expression of interest. "So the paragon of light has a desire beyond just kin?" It sang a rather pleasant melody as Aqua readied her blade. "A desire... for a life that is out of reach? A life that could still be in reach?" It sensed something and stood out of her way. "Put that thing away, I care not for harming you... just so long as I assisted someone buying him the time he needs." Aqua sensed emotions of barely contained excitement and dare not to keep her sight away, she hear a death scream as the sorcerer advised her. "You may want to try and stop him, it is a sight for all to see... to experience!" It moaned and faded into darkness, leaving Aqua to charge into a temple with dark, elven imagery, those adorn in bloodied spikes, statues above a cauldron and to little surprise, bodies of elven women, half women half snakes and some with demonic wings.

She ran up a set of stairs and found a large alter with a half woman, half snake monster, with snake like hair, red scales and snakes on the other end of her tail, being stabbed in the chest and having a grey stone resembling a hollow left heart being yanked from her grasp. She was kicked to the ground by a helmet man in black and red, holding a dark keyblade with a red tip and hilt, he shot at the stone and caused a rift to open. Ignoring her and jumping in with the stone, causing it to quickly close. Aqua felt her heart shaking and focused on the closing rift, flowing towards it and entering a new plane. One with many small floating islands that have erect pillars, all with chains that lead to a creature dormant, yet having a purple glow on its chest. She couldn't make a clear image as she heard a familiar voice from behind, taunting her. "So, you had fun traveling around this broken world?"

Aqua turned to find that man sitting in amazement at the imprisoned figure, the red and black triggered a swirl of memories as she used a summon stone to bring forth Moonfang. "Vanitas! What are you doing?!"

PEW!

A dracoth appeared, sensed the man and readied a breath of lighting. In a blink of an eye, Vanitas vanished to dodge the lighting and was seen leaning on a chained pillar, holding the fragment of Ulgu tauntingly. "Making sure you don't come back home, after how close you are."

He tossed the stone off the island, Aqua gasped, flowed towards the stone to catch it, caught the stone, saw she was hovering over a cosmic void mostly of shadow and little light, burst in air and parried her assailant. Who was glaring daggers at her as he vanished and appeared on an island to the upper left. She back flipped her landing as the man asked her. "Do you wonder what beauty is locked up here for the eons?"

He vanished and appeared next to the chain on the island, the Dracoth charged at him, Aqua sensed a mass of darkness watching her and knew where. "Moonfang, don't hit that chain!"

The Dracoth skid to a safer spot as Vanitas readied his keyblade, Aqua wasn't going to allow that to happen and charged at him, the man disappeared again and stood on top of the pillar. "To think, in one reality, it is free in the warp spreading its sensations an entire whole galaxy. Yet in one, it is trapped here, spreading its consciousness between this one and the immaterial plane, just to manage itself in two. What is a god to do?"

Moonfang looked puzzled and looked to the figure as Aqua felt it was mutual. "This thing is never in the same place?! That... doesn't make any sense."

That much Vanitas agreed with. "Nothing in the Realm of Chaos makes sense, so its time to set things right."

He jumped off and vanished, Aqua and Moonfang knew he was trying to break the chain, the woman attempted to dash and heard the sound of something break. The chain severed and fell down into the abyss, many more were pulled by an intense power.

Vanitas appeared behind the Dracoth and struck it from the side, nearly sending it flying off the land mass, Aqua charged and struck at him, watching a sinister glow as the man gloated. "The Chaos god of excess and every desire that lurks in all our hearts! Slaanesh! You just walked into a front row seat of its long awaited freedom!" The figure pulled its left limb and caused more chains to snap, moaning in pleasured pain, he asked Aqua in cruel sarcasm. "Have you ever stood before the presence of a god like this?! One that is waiting to meet someone like you. Tell me something Master Aqua, have you ever truly experience darkness like this? Especially how you took such a detour away from saving you're friends. If you can't manage something that selfish, what makes you think you would last before this!"

More chains broke as Aqua glowed like that of a frosty pheonix and charged Vanitas down. "Would you shut up?"

Vanitas wasn't going to he landed in a frosty thud and took the claws from the dracoth, falling off the island or so it seems. Aqua heard bestial roars and snarls as more of the chains broke, she and Moonfang approached together to find Vanitas above a gate of darkness, looking like he was smiling underneath his helmet as a dark veil was engulfing the freeing god. "Oh but don't worry about these tiny realms, Slaanesh is going to save those for last after it is finished with you and all people back home!"

He let go and fell into the abyss as the chains snapped in unison, the entity gave a purple glow and was ready to reveal its splendor. Moonfang's pendent gave off a glow of lightning and enveloped the duo. They found themselves in a grand golden city most familiar and found Arreia, looking horrified and imagined the unspeakable horror that was unleashed. "That demon..." She tried to keep calm and asked Aqua. "Did you get the fragment of Ulgu?"

Aqua looked into her free hand and found a grey glowing stone with a black arrow, she asked the Lord Arcanum. "Vanitas... he didn't just-" Arreia nodded to her and barked. "Put the stone in its socket! We need to talk before we begin searching for the last fragment. Blessed Loru's heart... but you found seven of them?"

Aqua did as requested and placed the next piece, showing a near completed Heartstone with but one hole left, a heart shaped socket. With that finished, Aqua asked. "What happened to Loru?"

Arreia wanted to laugh it away. "He was still searching the ends of the realm for that thing, now our war against Chaos has escalated and we all need to be ready for the biggest crisis this side of the realms, if the Necroquake wasn't already that." Aqua let her keyblade shine and felt it facing a direction she was familiar with, even in such a large city. "...Did he check this city?"

Arreia nodded and felt she was going to have a massive punchline. "This was his first and every settlement of importance was searched. He... thought more about the temples and places of training than something that simple... did he?" Aqua swallowed and got on Moonfang, she felt it was going to be embarrassingly for the Drakesworn Templar, the keyblade guided her towards a bridge in the city she knew of, the place she saw after escaping the Realm of Darkness and encountering her saviors, the Slann. To the very spot, her blade aimed down to a still heart shaped pebble on the blue markings of the road, the pebble glowed with the other fragments. Aqua saw a symbol that looked like an upside down A tilted to the right and with a small o on the top, she took it and placed it with in. The heartstone fragments shined at once and gave off a glow as one, nearly turning pink and dimming down. Aqua and Arreia felt something was wrong, the Stormcast took a closer inspection and gave a spark of frustration. "Grr! It needs more power to work. Hmm." Aqua's jaw dropped as Arreia requested with another voucher. "Give me a day to finish a battle going on, listen to an earful and then begin studying to stone to see how we can begin repairing it. You finished the hardest part of this... now let us do ours."

Aqua wanted to shout in an outrage as she closed her eyes and recalled what might have happened. "The fragments were used so often and not just by me. It must have spent so much of its power."

Arreia agreed and walked her and Moonfang to the Duradin's Cradle. "There is still a way to bring the Heartstone back to its full power, it is not like any ordinary realmstone... if it was." She wished to not answer as Aqua wanted to laugh it off. "Ha! So now what is left?"

Arreia guessed from Aqua's end. "Take a rest, meditate your worries away... it seems like your realm has capable warriors that would defend it from any threat that comes. Can you leave this fight to them for now?"

Aqua accepted that she had to and looked forward to some alone time. "I... can, someone saved those worlds once... I... never had the chance to ask what else happened."

In a forest cloaked in decay.

Kairi dealt a finishing blow to a bloated, fly like heartless and made it past a secret passage, finding the tower in the distance and found more heartless appearing in her way. Two fluffy dandelions, half a dozen flying weeds, five light green lanterns and five watery blue lanterns, she had some relief that she was fighting relatively normal enemies and felt the decay creeping in. She needs to hurry, she flung a bright star at the more weedy foes, flew at the left most group of lanterns and hacked away, making quick work of a part of the horde and knowing more were gaining up on her and had an image of rapid firing something. She aimed her blade and shot rapid fire balls to wipe out the larger dandelion heartless, leaving the lanterns to try and extinguish the flames and to be quickly taken down. Kairi felt the heat as she heard a particular girl giggle. "Where did that come from?"

Kairi felt a little embarrassed and approached the tower. "I... needed to do more than throw flowers and stars, I learned this from watching that fight. When you need to really be fast and you can't quite stop to make them back off or you need them to move as well. Come on, we need to catch up to-" "AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

A black cloak fell out of the towers window, a voice Kairi recognized as Gothel's. What ever happened caused the woman to seemingly fall to her death, giving off a darkish glow as it made contact with the ground and left behind dust that pooled into a void.

Much like with Hans, something formed, four wooden, lizard like limbs emerged from the void, followed by a long wooden tail. THUD!

The limbs yanked something out of the void, a head like body, resembling the top of a tree with a heartless emblem on its forehead and yellow eyes with a crazed swirl. A monster of wood, limbs and darkness, Kairi wondered what happened up in the tower and charged at the slithering heartless, beating it down with her blade. The grim monster opened its maw and shot out a barrage of dark birds to peck at the girl, followed by scratching her off. Kairi was flung back, cast a healing spell and as she fell, fired fire balls to send the grim monster slithering and growing suspicious flowers. Kairi felt a burst with in and flung a star of light that was complimented by tropical flowers, knocking the monster into a corner and causing it to flash in light. Kairi felt herself a distance from the tower and watched the monster slither up the tower, she charged and was blocked off by a wall of thorns, she looked around and found a passage right behind her, followed by a barrage of literal cherry bombs raining down at her from the sky. She jumped past the gap, found another wall rising up and looked to where the tower is to find a gap leading out, the barrage became worse and Kairi felt a resolve to take that heartless down and stop the world going rotten.

She felt light as a feather, ran to the tower and jumped, flying towards it and seeing a faint glow of light from behind her, she really was flying, the Grim monster tried guarding herself and was impaled on the forehead, she fell off the tower and to the ground bellow as Kairi landed on the top of the tower and jumped off with her keyblade ready to spear down, the monster landed on its back and tried to swat Kairi away with its tail.

JAB! CRASH!

Kairi struck the beast like a descending angel and slammed its body to the forest floor, a glowing heart fluttered out of the dissolving monster and the feeling of decay felt like it was receding. "That woman was what those heartless were being drawn to?" Kairi fell into the water and felt like a pressure was free from her mind, yet there was one more thing that remained. "I think... those things are gone, but-"

She ran to the base of the tower and tried her trick again, feeling light as a feather and jumping high with wings of light and landing on the window, pulling in to find a long trail of brunette hair, Rapunzel with short brown hair resembling the parents in the mural. Trying to do something about a chained Flynn that was laying on the floor, bleeding greatly, Kairi tried to use a healing spell and felt something refusing to let her. She remembered this happening before and guessed that much like with Gaston stabbing the beast, Gothel stabbed Flynn. Rapunzel in her panic, laid over to the man, placed Flynn's hand on her own head and chanted in song, nearly choked in fearful tears. "Flower, gleam and glow, let you're power shine. Make the clock reverse-" Flynn coughed to try and ease her. "Rapunzel,"

The woman kept trying, Kairi felt a radiant heart with in Rapunzel and listened to the determination. "Bring back what was once mine."

Flynn tried to stop her and coughed out a last breath confession. "Hey...cough! Rapunzel."

The girl stopped to ask what, seeing the man cringing in pain over seeing her heart get broken. "Rapunzel... y...you, were my new dream."

Rapunzel's eyes watered as Kairi felt a similar pattern, the brunette confessed. "And you were mine."

Flynn felt weak and closed his eyes, nearing deaths door, Rapunzel was trying not to sob and kept trying to chant her song. "Heal what has been hurt. Change the Fates design. Save what has been lost." Her arms were wrapped around the dying man as she finished. "Bring back what once was mine." Her eyes nearly let loose. "What once was mine." She sobbed in desperation, a tear fell on Flynn's cheek, it sank into his skin and caused a bright glow.

Kairi knew she was witnessing a miracle as something glowed out of Flynn, a bright golden light that shined in tethers all around the room, a flower of light bloomed. The princesses were sielnt at the radiant glow for various reasons, Kairi guessing it had everything to do with healing as Rapunzel saw the bleeding stopped, like a wound was closing up. The brunette felt a strong pulse and checked upon Flynn, who looked to be waking up. "Rapunzel?"

The girl gasped. "Eugene!"

He looked relieved to see her and asked trying to tease her. "Did I ever tell you... I got a thing for brunettes?" Rapunzel took the teasing and the two embraced each other, Kairi feeling like she seen enough at work, with only one more thing to do before exploring the worlds, a goodbye.

At Dark Beauty Castle.

Sora fought his way through the warriors of darkness, some had horses while others looked more bestial. Just the visual gave the boy the feeling that what was invading the castle was not something that belong in the dream, even compared to those of the bloats. He skid to a circular room with stained glass windows, the stained glass ceiling was smashed and surrounding him were images that brought depression and fear. One was of Ventus wearing black and red armor, looking completely deranged and wielding a sword that looked to have two keyblades as its hilt and a dark and gold blade. To the left was Aqua falling into an endless void and to the right was not an image of Terra, but an image deeply darkened, as if it was uncertain, but it was that of a white haired man in a lab coat, the man had striking resemblance to Terra and a particular foe Sora had faint memories of. The deep voice taunted again. "Some of the mightiest warriors you have heard of and they all faltered! Fates unknown or a certainty. Only a few ever succeed in their path to glory!"

Step! Step!

Sora noticed something climbing up the stairs and gasped, it looked like a hooded, demonic creature with razor sharp claws, wings, yellow eyes, torn pants and a fanged maw. It's claws looked to be dripping blood and on its right hand was Riku's keyblade. "You're friend has failed and became prey to the darkling's powers! Will they claim you as well?"

The Darkling raised the keyblade in a pose identical to Riku's and caused Sora to form tears, mixed in with anger, he posed for battle and in an instant, the Darkling vanished and appeared to Sora's left. Unleashing a vicious streak of dark attacks, Sora parried, was pushed back and countered with a full frontal charge. Beating the Darkling back and being countered with a swipe to his face that knocked him back, the Darkling flew to the sky and flew down ready to stab at the boy. Sora rolled out of the way and blitz as series of jumping attacks. The two forces pushed each other back and readied another as someone landing in between with his hands facing each of them, Oswald with a paint brush. "Guys stop! This isn't what it looks like!"

Sora and the Darkling stopped in confusion, Oswald aimed his brush at the Darkling's face, squirting blue paint that caused it to try and rub its eyes, he aimed at Sora's face and did the same. The eyes sting and he rubbed, the dark vision gave way to Riku rubbing his eyes and to a figure above, that same demon of shadows with mighty wings looking astonished.

"No, what have you done?!"

Oswald looked up at the demon and aimed his brush. "I made them see things in a new coat of paint. Now give us that tape and scram!"

The demon flew down at Oswald, the rabbit was sent flying to a wall as the fiend revealed more of its true self, an image that to Sora was like that of a recurring nightmare and to Riku was just a nightmare, a demonic humanoid figure of darkness that towered over them. One of skin as black as the dark, a symbol of chaos on its chest and a black blade in its right hand. In its left was the tape labeled Night on Bald Mountain. Sora was realizing what the demon was having him and Riku do to each other, more anger burned with in his heart as Riku tried to keep a brave face, faltering in sheer terror. "A...Another daemon of Chaos?!"

He had his blade ready and charged, the daemon with little effort, swung his shadowy sword and sent Riku towards Oswald. "I am no mere daemon, mortal! I am the First Prince of Chaos! What once was an insect like you, reshaped into their dark glory!"

Sora gasped. "You were once human?!"

He tensed and approached the nightmare, it taunted and aimed his sword at him. "You, all of you are but playthings to the Ruinous Powers. You think yourself a hero? With a mear gesture, you become a slave to you're own nature, the thing you call darkness!" The sword glowed and Sora felt his anger burst uncontrollably, Riku and Oswald came through to watch Sora crouch and become consumed by shadows, resembling a feral humanoid beast that resembles the boy.

Sora pounced at the demon and slashed in a frenzy, the demon laughed in sadistic pleasure and blocked his attacks with his wings. The black blade readied and Riku focused his flow on Sora. PEW!

He vanished and caught him, pulling him out of the way of a slash as Oswald painted something on the ground. Resembling a keyshaped sword. The demon focused on the more defenseless foe as Riku shook Sora. "Snap out of it! This thing is trying to control you."

The blackened form tried to push against his friend and felt a light glowing, it resonated in the fury and was causing the anger to reced, Sora looked to be calming down as Oswald drew enough for the blade to form. He plucked it and aimed at the daemon. "Get outta here! I know how to use this."

The daemon let his blade fade and with a claw, pin the rabbit to a wall, asking him. "Do you? You're heart is shrouded by envy of he who took you're destiny?"

His eyes directed at the boys trying to hold themselves together, Oswald noticed Sora regaining his color and falling on his knees. The rabbit barked back. "Don't give me any of that! You're just a big mook to the darkness yourself, why else would you give everything away to be a monster?"

Choke!

The demon tighten his grip in offense. "And you are just a specter in a make shift world, refusing to pass on. Praying to be remembered, praying that one day, you existence would mean something?" That hit Oswald where it hurt as the demon laughed at his pain. "Do you really believe these two will remember you're kindness? You were so eager to shut them away once they have what they came here for. Why are you so concerned with the realm outside of this prison? It's fate doesn't matter to you."

Sora felt he heard enough as he stood up, aimed his blade and focused a strong light, Riku placed his hand at the hilt of the keyblade and helped him guide the aim. Their hearts shined as one and they focused a beam, the demon felt something burn on his back.

PEW!

The demon tried to turn and felt a beam that pierced its hide, causing it to howl in pain and be sucked into something, a keyhole. It's shadowy essence vacuumed away like dirt and dropping Oswald, he landed in a thump, checked his throat and watched the keyblade of paint disappear. Looking both guilty and embarrassed as Riku helped Sora regain his balance and approached, seeing the rolled movie tape in one piece. "Is... there something you want to talk about?"

Oswald sighed, took the tape and nodded. "It's... complicated, but I never had the chance to take off when I did. That's how I got stuck here in the first place before my brother had the chance to know me." He sniffled. "That thing sure knows how to hurt ya."

Sora and Riku agreed to that, the silver haired boy offered to take the tape in hand as the spiky haired boy wanted to just walk with the rabbit. "That's why we are trying to stop those guys. They are just going to try to hurt more people and even worst."

Oswald sighed and let Riku have the tape. "That's... kind of the last part of the Song of Awakening's trial. Fighting something that is all too happy in seeing the sleeping worlds stay in the dark." He recalled. "Come to think of it, some of the movies stopped working for a long time until around a year ago."

Riku guessed why. "Even existing in a dream and following a pattern pretty alien for us, those worlds were not safe from the Heartless consuming them. But what creature that exists in these worlds... would want that?"

Sora guessed. "Something or someone that is... jealous of the waking world to want to see the dreams destroyed? But who?"

Oswald lead the way to a familiar room and wanted to look away from the grim memories. "There is one way to find out."

At the bottom of a tower.

Kairi felt satisfied with what Rapunzel told her in regards to a goal as Flynn and Maximus waited. "You're finally going back to you're real home and meet you're real parents?"

Rapunzel looked like she had a whole weight off her shoulders and had a new world to explore, still being the excited girl she was. "I know! I mean... I can't believe it!" She cheered. "I can finally be with my real family! I couldn't have done it without you're help."

Kairi giggled to that. "You're welcome."

Flynn had his own praises for both, starting with Rapunzel. "Well, from where I'm standing, the Kingdom couldn't ask for a better princess." He had his own thanks to Kairi. "I couldn't ask for a better sidekick!"

That Kairi was giving back. "I couldn't ask better for a heart that shines like yours."

Flynn appreciated that. "Thanks!"

Rapunzel had her own thanks. "Yeah, thank you so much!"

Kairi felt she seen enough and wished them luck. "I wish you good luck. Flynn, Maximus, are you finally going to keep getting along... or was that a one time thing?"

The man and horse looked at each other with a small dispute. Kairi knew one thing. "I haven't seen the guy controlling those heartless and it seems the forest if feeling better again. But this might be a cycle... Rapunzel, be careful if you find anything weird going on. Flynn, I can trust you to keep her safe if the worst comes. Least until me or my friends can get here."

Flynn assured her proudly. "True, but I'll make sure those vile villains think twice before going near her."

Rapunzel blushed and teased. "Oh, Eugene."

Kairi tilted her head. "Eugene? I heard you say that name before." Flynn had something to confess. "Oh... ha! That's my real name. Eugene Fitzherbert." He was embarrassed. "I...never told you."

Kairi didn't mind that. "I think it is a great name, thanks for continuing to be honest."

Rapunzel wasn't too thrilled by the revealed secret. "Hey! I thought I was the only one you were going to tell."

Eugene whispered to her with a flirt. "Don't worry. I saved plenty of Fitzherbert-y secrets just for you."

Rapunzel asked charmed. "Really?"

Kairi squinted her eyes with some ideas. "What are you two talking about? Flirts?"

The couple looked at her in shock, Eugene blushed red to say it was as Rapunzel giggled, saying in unison. "Nothing!"

Kairi shrugged to that. "Keeping things a secret again? Alright." She turned to take her leave. "Maximus, make sure he doesn't try hiding things again!"

She walked off as the horse gave him a hawks stair, Eugene was licked in the ear by a chameleon and felt a wet willy. "EEGH! You got to be kidding me." Kairi giggled and walked off into the forest, for a good opportunity to disappear into a purple interior gummy ship.

She took out her phone to see if Sora and Riku were currently busy. Finding they still were as a certain rival of hers posted a picture of a familiar gun like keyblade. A text asked. "Guess who got an upgrade?"

Kairi wasn't amused and texted Ken as she recognized the background. "You're back in Traverse, did you finally take care of that issue you were having?"

She was given an emoji that had a wide smile and text. "And some buddies of mine are heading back to the garden to handle something. The Farseer is gone, but I'm a complete jerk if I ditch everyone with all the crazy stuff going on."

Kairi cringed, imagined more chaotic things in the future and snapped her fingers. "I found out a pretty sweet technique if you want to be the first to see it."

Her rival texted an emoji question mark, an emoji with an exclamation mark and an answer. "A showdown by the bell? I managed to keep ahead of some guys that can blink all over the place with how I been doing, you got anything that can keep up?"

Kairi remembered the rivals strategy and promised him. "Let's see if I can and anywhere would do." An emoji with crossing blades flashed. "I'll be waiting."


	21. Chapter 21

At Traverse Town, Kairi arrived to hopefully settle a long awaited ordeal and stage a get together for her friends for when their task was finished. She noticed the steam tank and medieval soldiers in their post as a particular boy was reading a poster for something. Of an opening to a bistro in a town beyond. Ken noticed Kairi and walked towards the bell tower. "You're here a lot earlier than I expected. How was you're adventure?"

Kairi followed with sharp memories. "I found another princess, her name is Rapunzel. She been through some pretty scary things."

Ken turned his head and asked. "Like?"

Cough!

He and Kairi noticed Namine with them, the blonde girl answered the question. "She was kidnapped as a child and locked away through out her whole life by a witch that only... cared about her hair. She is out of that struggle and we found more information that needs to be passed around."

Ken cringed to that. "Yikes, I hope Rapunzel is going to be okay with herself." He gasped to an idea. "I might have found something some of our Imperium buddies could be interested in for when those wackos are gone. A way home if I can master it."

The girls found that interesting as they reached the bell tower, Kairi felt hesitate to say goodbye to friends and took out her keyblade. "That... how did you learn that?"

Ken turned to her, drew out his two blades and answered. "When the meeting with that Farseer was getting nuts. But only a couple of those guys got hurt and that means no blood on these hands."

Kairi looked at the altered Cadia's Light and gave a rivals smile. "That was when that keyblade transformed. I seen that happen to Sora's a couple times, what's different?"

Ken had little idea of Kairi's battle style and took a stance with his own. "It's shots can punch through armor pretty well and that's all I know right now. Sorry."

Namine backed away as Ken fired Cadia's Light, Kairi dodged and spun head first at her rival like a torpedo, Ken jumped back and used Firekeepers Wish to fling a screen of ashes and cinders. Kairi closed her eyes shook her head and met three stinging shots. She opened her eyes to find Ken by an alley way to her left firing a charged shot finisher, she jumped high with a glow and flung flowers of energy at him.

Ken gasped, yelped and blew air magic to take flight and dodge. He tried to aim as Kairi dashed to his right side in flight and struck with a flurry of blows. Parry! BASH! Ken used Cadia's Light to block a swing and struck back with the burnt blade that gave a bright glow, nearing a spark of flame. WOOSH!

Kairi felt the burn and was shot on her shoulder as Ken turned off his air magic and landed. Kairi landed with grace and rapid fired fire balls, Ken rolled to his left and lowered Cadia's Light for something. Kairi knew a trick when she saw one and noticed a flower she shot before spinning to him, she focused back to see the gun like keyblade glowing in energy. Ken used his air magic again for a high jump and fired a powered shot at the girl, it was fast and the girl's attempts to dodge ended with her being knocked to a wall, she skid to the spinning flower, shot stars in it and raised her blade towards the landing challenger. The flower glowed in light and burst into star like petals, that homed in on the boy that used the burnt blade, stabbed the ground and erupted in a pillar of fog, ashes and cinders.

Kairi closed her eyes to focus and felt a spark of light going to her right. She dodged to that direction and kept movement, Ken gasped and growled. "You-" He went for his back up plan and used his air magic to shoot himself at her like a bullet. Kairi jumped high and out of the way, the boy was heading towards a wall, he flipped to land and shot to the figure flying. PEW!

Kairi deflected the shot and shot a star at him. She heard a grunt of pain, watched the ashes clear and Ken kicking off. He wanted to call quits, she landed and smiled proudly. "Not bad."

Ken agreed and asked. "You're pretty strong yourself. Hey... do you know what happens every time you do that jump? Because... wow! You have a name for it?"

Kairi guessed what additional effect happened and answered. "Not right now, but if you would call it as you see it, what would it be?"

Ken wanted to answer, stopped and felt awkward. "Holy Flight? Someone might have a better name." Toot! Toot! Ken turned to the noise with a wider smile. "And Wanda's back, this town has been building something pretty cool for some of the worlds. Those four might be... pretty surprised once they see it."

This Kairi wanted to see and asked. "Is it that tra-" Crack! She gasped and looked up to the sky, something in the night sky didn't feel right.

Ken and asked. "What's going-" Kairi shushed him and whispered. "Shh!"

CRACK! She saw cracks in the sky, a pulse of dark light looked to be trying to escape, evaporating into flames and ashes upon entry, it was above a dead end with a flowing fountain and Kairi felt something powerful coming. SMASH! Something smashed its way through the sky, it looked like a Manticore with a tribal mask, Kairi readied for battle as Ken screamed on recognizing the foe, a green tide washed down from the smashed open corridor to bellow a "WAAAAAAAAAGH!"

The Manticore shifted into a green skin shaman that wore the skin of a beast, with a mask matching that, Ken yelled out. "Orruks! B...Beast Chompah!"

A horde of thirty savage orruks hollered like animals as Beast Chompah recognized Ken, giggled madly and danced, bringing out a spectral figure of a lion that has a neck of a goat above it, leathery wings and the tail of a serpent. Glowing green and roaring out in unstable energy. The orruk horde wished to charge at the duo as Beast Chompah clapped. "Key tings! Key tings beats the beasts!" He laughed loudly as one more figure fell from the sky, a more civilized by the standards of the species, Orruk with two glowing sticks, cobbled together red armor, a jaw and shoulder pad piece that was in silver. Thud! The humans heard frantic foot steps and knew a battle was coming, the newly arrived orruk gasped at the town, was in a rhythm and chanted. "Chime, Chime, smashe town! Chime, Chime, blow key tings away!" His sticks glowed and caused the spirit to glow, it gave a unified roar and the blade wielders knew they were in for the deep end.

In Dark Beauty Castle.

Sora and Riku set up the final screen in their adventure, watching the title Fantasia drop. Sora asked the depressed rabbit. "Oswald, do... you want to come with us and see what the Song of Awakening is? We all should see it."

The rabbit, tried to refuse, couldn't say the words and felt warmed up to the two. "...Yeah, this kind of thing only happens once in a life time."

Riku appreciated it and took his chance to jump in. "There we go. Last one there is a sleepy head!"

Plop!

Sora gasped and growled. "Oh no you didn't!" He jumped in next, with the rabbit refusing to be the titled sleepy head and following. All three were falling through a moon and down towards a large mountain with a town under its shadow. The boys felt something stirring as they fell through dark clouds, the top of the mountain stirred and shifted. Unfolding like a pair of wings, no, they were wings. Opening up to reveal a giant humanoid demon, its eyes glowed yellow and Sora had a flash back to a foe he fought long ago. "That's...that's... that is the monster that we have to fight?!"

Oswald was taken aback and asked. "Wait, you know him?!"

Sora nodded as he watched the demon look down upon the town, stretched his arms and cast a shadow. "From... the remains of the worlds the heartless took. The worlds that are still sleeping, did... he allow this place to be..."

Riku answered as he watch the town become cloaked in shadow. "Most likely... and now we are heading to his home turf."

The three watched something floating from the town bellow, a mist of souls, the demon pointed towards more of the town and used his shadow to draw more. Souls of those long dead, countless souls, the mist of souls coiled up the mountain and toward the demon, that swatted at the mist, it looked like it was laughing all the while.

The demon raised its hands in the air and cloaked himself in fire, showing faint images bellow, watching him. The trio landed at the summit of the mountain as the fire died down and felt they were surrounded, a horde of unsavory fiends dancing towards them, with claws and hoofs neither of the boys want touching them. Oswald tried to draw something and warned them as the large demon tried to scoop them up. "Look out!"

Riku noticed and jumped out of the way, Sora however was the one the fiends focused on more to where he couldn't make the jump, the silver haired teenager kept the rabbit guarded as he painted up a keyblade and realized Sora was scooped up. He panicked and wanted to look at the sides of the mountain, fighting his hardest through the fiends as Riku tried to focus a super jump and nearly got pounced by a fiend. Sora was fighting against the many that were crawling to the demons hands and realized the demon was moving them all towards its face, above a bottomless pit of fire. The spiky haired teenager was face to face with the demon, both locked eyes. The demon gave an evil smile and quickly turned it into a frown, it remembers him. Sora glided back to the main platform as the demon attempted to drop him and the fiends into the fiery pit. The fiends fell screaming and the demon focused on keeping Sora with in its hands, he wasn't going to let the boy go.

Riku's attempts to rescue him were hindered greatly by the swarming, flying specters as Oswald knocked a few fiends away and notice something far distant from the town bellow, a church that was not cast in shadow. "Hey, Riku, you seeing this?"

Riku glided to where the rabbit was and saw it. "That... that is how we stop this monster?"

Oswald nodded and was being cornered by the fiends. "Think you can get there and find something that can?"

Riku nodded and asked him. "Try and help Sora, he won't last when that demon decides he is done toying with him."

Oswald agreed and shot a paint brush over the fiery pit, forming platforms, Riku jumped off the mountain and felt something in the church calling to him, propelling him to fly towards it.

Sora's jump back was halted by a gentle push and landed on a blue platform that was slowly being consumed by fire. The demon plucked something out of the smoke and used his wings to block Sora's attempt at escape, forcing him to use the opened hand with flames as a platform when the painted ones faded. The demons free hand twiddled fingers and caused the flames to dance beautifully, taking on the form of three women in flames that tried to embrace the boy. Sora dodged and tried to leap at the demons face to strike, that twiddling hand blocked him and threw him back into the hand of flame, the fiery figures twitched and shaped into grotesque animals, disgusting the boy, much to the demons delight.

In a puff of smoke, the figures became scribbling fiends that tried to attack Sora at once, he found another blue platform form out of pant and felt the hand tilting, trying to drop him into the pit. The boy jumped off in the nick of time and watched the fiends try desperately to cling on, as if they think the demon sees them as anymore than amusement. The demon noticed Sora's attempts to escape, adjusted his hand with the fiends and crushed them, smoke blew and the demon opened his hand to show blue flame that formed into beaked, pale, horned fiends that danced before him. Sora jumped back to the main platform and landed into a herd of dancing fiends that were trying to push him into the fire. The demon smiled sadistically, dropped the fiends in his hands into the pit and plucked each one of his minions to try and get to Sora, having them fall into the inferno as Oswald fought a swath and jumped to the boys side. Asking him. "That's definitely what you remembered?"

Bash! Sora nodded and looked exhausted. "I... had the power to fly last time and he isn't letting me do anything to him!"

The demon listened and was cloaked in fire, washing the platform and forcing Sora to grab Oswald, focus on the demons face and flowed to him. Striking away much to the demons annoyance, harpies flew at the two and tried to tear at them, Sora having to glide to them and fight just to stay afloat. Oswald attempted to draw more platforms as more fiends were dropped on top of them, the pit bellow blew out a twister of fire and the creatures burning with in. The two couldn't fight, just survive, Sora knocked a couple harpies down into the fire and found a platform clear of the fire, they need some footing if they hope to continue. The demon noticed, raised his hands in the air to shoot the fire in the pit out and awaited it to return, it sucked in the many souls and dropped down into the pit as Sora and Oswald landed. The duo were nearing a collapse as a white light shined from with in the mountain. Giving the duo a good look at what they were fighting, a entity of pure evil that relishes in perverting all that is good for the sake of amusing suffering. The demon was greatly entertained by the duos misery and was ready to cause more.

Ding!

A shine of light in the distance and the sound of a bell was rung, distracted him, the demon tried to get back to his little game. Oswald sighed and smiled. "Riku actually did it?"

Ding!

The demon looked to be cringing in pain as the fiends slowed their attacking, distracted, Sora inhaled and felt he could think as another chime echoed and forced the demon to stop, the light was hurting it. The fiends were convulsing in pain and retreating into the shadows as the larger demon looked more weaker, a speck of light on the right of the platform shined and connected a string towards the church. The duo went towards the spec and felt themselves shining in the light, flying away from the mountain. They watched the many souls fly out of the mountain, back to the village bellow, to their resting place, the demon curled up and folded its wings, resembling a bald peak of a mountain.

PEW!

The two landed by the base of a church and felt something was missing. Oswalds make shift weapon disappeared and he held firmly on the brush as something looked to be calling.

Sora felt he understood the backstory of the demon. "It... hated this sound, because every time it does its evil, that sound... the light, always drives it back. So it allowed this world to be destroyed, so it could reign in the darkness."

Oswald felt that was likely and shrugged at the mountain. "And it never thought about why it kept coming back. I tell ya." He lead the way into the church. "Come on, we don't got all day."

With in was what was expected of a church, stained glass of holy images, rows of pews and an alter, with a set of stairs leading up to something, Riku stepped down from the stairs and noticed the two, taking a deep breath and asking. "I knew you wouldn't let that old flame burn you up. I think we reached... to where we want to go. You done here?"

Sora and Oswald nodded in unison and followed him to a room with a church bell, out of the window was a glittering light, looking like candles crossing over to a bridge, a trail of monks journeying somewhere. Oswald gasped and asked. "Could this be where that Song is?"

The boys listened to a melody, a hymn, they jumped out the window and followed, Oswald followed with them down a long road that led into a forest. The sight of sunrise after the blackest of nights felt like a new dawn was coming. Sora patted Riku in the back. "Thanks for the help, we couldn't have been able to make it past that without you."

Riku didn't mind and shrugged it as they reached a forest like gateway, the song became more vibrant as he confessed. "One of us had to while the other distracted that thing. Couldn't have been able to get off that mountain without you."

Sora tensed in a rivalry, the songs melody melted that away and he sighed. "As long as the worlds can wake up to see the morning again, that makes this whole adventure worth it."

The monks stood aside and let the three pass through, towards a tunnel leading to a simple hill, a heart shape image with a music note hovered above, dim in tone and light. Sora and Riku knew what it was and aimed their keyblades together.

PEW!

The beams made contact, they heard something click, the heart faded and the sun began rising behind the hill, Oswald watched the rays of light blend in with the clouds and nodded. "Despite everything, you two stick together a lot. I...I can see why he liked ya, why he had you two come here."

They knew who Oswald was referring to and saw him trying to walk away. Sora asked. "Oswald, come on and stay to watch this."

Riku agreed with that. "That... is some of the things we can do for you after how you tried to help us."

Oswald stopped, turned around and felt the light becoming stronger, the song itself was becoming stronger, he gave in and agreed to watch to the end. All three watching the heavenly light shine and the song soothing the three. Sora was the first to close his eyes to the melody and felt himself on something less than comfortable, on a floor by the bench. He woke up to find Donald, Goofy and Jiminy taken aback by something, Yen Sid pressing his hands together in satisfaction and Mickey looking out the crescent shaped window. The same song from before, was gracing the groups ears. Sora looked out the window with Mickey to see that same heavenly light. The mouse looked free of his worries as Goofy and Donald joined to watch, Jiminy asked as he noticed Riku was stirring. "This really is the Song of Awakening?"

Sora nodded to that. "It's exactly as I remembered it. This would mean that-" Yen Sid answered with a smile. "Indeed, the worlds that slept, are finally awakening. You and Riku had quite a journey... something occurred with in?"

The boy tried to answer as Riku woke up and went to the noise, folding his arms in pride at the feat. The silver haired teenager answered. "Something did, some... demon tried to turn Sora and I against each other... it would have worked had someone not snapped us out of it."

Mickey gasped. "Someone?!" Sora smiled to he who doesn't know. "A Rabbit named Oswald was helping us get to where we needed to go."

Riku advised to the mouse. "Try to remember that in an off chance. Just in case."

Mickey felt the names stick and promised he would. The sound of a train tooting and the sense of something running to the tower was felt, Yen Sid relaxed as the song died down. "Sora, Riku; you both have once again accomplished greatness. Remember what you had learned with in those worlds, for that will aid you in the battles to come."

Thump! Thump! Thump! Donald and Goofy readied themselves at the coming intruder, sprinting with all he can. An imperial guardsmen nearly fell on his knees before the guards could do anything, Perkins breathing in and sweating. "H...Her...Cha...Town."

Donald cast a healing spell and quacked. "Spit it out, what is it?"

Perkins felt a hint of relief and forced himself up, barking his report. "We have heretics storming the town and making their way to the clock tower! The Emperor's finest are banding together to push the heretics away but we fear civilians will be in danger if we don't act swiftly! Now what in his holy name was that song?!"

Sora and Riku turned around sharply as Mickey was back into reality and drew out his blade. "The Song of Awakening, they have a nerve to still attack the town after hearing that."

The other four battlers agreed as the wizard stood up with a loss in patience. "Then the followers of Chaos really are a lost cause!"

He slammed his staff down and caused blinding light to shine, spiriting them away to a town they all recognized. Across the commons leading to the station were bold, three man squad of Space Marines holding the line and firing against a full band of ten Chaos Space Marines. Dabriel fed a missile in his launcher and focused it on a Word Bearer firing a gatling gun at the three, Nathanal hid behind a pillar and countered with his heavy bolter. Hofneil yelled out as he watched a helmless Chaos Space Marine champion with a power maul charge at him. "Push this kill team back from the town! Focus on the specialist weapons!"

Perkins readied his lasgun and joined Thompson and Elric in shooting against a Chaos Space Marine with a glowing blue gun, one Sora recognized, focused and flowed to him. Appearing to the marines side and letting loose his fury, actually pushing the marine back as Riku saw the gatling wielding marine and flowed to a wall. Focusing a fire ball and landing to fire, distracting the gatler and angering him. "Insignificant pest! You will perish along with the rest!"

PEW!

Riku flowed behind the marine and kicked him aside. Distracting the many with standard guns as Dabriel aimed and fired a missile launcher, Riku noticed and flowed on top of a building to watch the missile make contact. Leaving behind a crimson splatter and body parts flying. The other specialist marine was more astonished and felt heavy guns piercing his helmet. Sora cringed at the mess and watched the body fall limp as the Chaos Champion locked in combat with Hofneil and gasped. "Khordax! Azugor!"

He pushed Hofneil back and ordered his marines. "Kill them you fools! They must not be allowed to walk away with their power!"

The marines focused their guns on the boys and fired, they vanished back to the crowd of friends as Resira focused on scorching one closest to the right. She yelled in zealous fury. "Die heretic!" The marine felt the heat and turned to her, drawing out a chain sword as a Commissar from the shadows aimed his bolt pistol at his head. BLAM!

The bullet made contact with the horned helmet, punctured and caused a mess to erupt behind. Three chaos space marines laid dead and the champion glowed in darkness, his reddish green eyes glowed with the dark aura. "You have caused enough problems for us Loyalist Scum!" He gave praise to something. "Watch oppressed people, as I, Gurak! Champion of The Word Bearers, free you from the tyrannical Imperium!" The group wondered what the madman meant as something flew from the alley way, a swarm of shadows flying into a twisting orb and attacking as a demonic tide. Gurak laughed with a craze in his eyes. "Demon Tide! Wash them away!"

The tide flew at the guardsmen first, Resira readied her flamer and yelled as Mickey glowed in light and jumped at Gurak, knocking him off his feet and standing by the marine captain that looked bored and charged in for the kill. Gurak sank into the darkness and appeared on a roof top above, ready to jump down.

SCORCH!

Resira pulled her trigger and set the tide on fire, causing many of the heartless to twist, turn, fade bit by bit and fly away as Riku wall jumped from building to building and flew into the tide to hack away. Sora looked at the marine readying to jump down and ran to a wall. Feeling the source of the towns assault needing to be stopped, he jumped on the wall and ran up. Uppercutting Gurak as Goofy shield bashed the run of the mill gun marines and Donald focusing a thunderstorm at the tide. Dabriel took the charge against the bolter spewing heretics as Yen Sid focused a spell. Sora swatted Gurak with his blade and watched the marine took the blow, growling and charging back with his maul swinging. Sora rolled out of the way, watch the marine fall off the roof and focused on the tide, locking down upon it and aiming his blade to fire an orb of light energy that split into many, flying at the tide that was flying into the storm cloud, Riku jumped out and landed next to the guardsmen. Mickey and Hofneil avoiding the falling marine that landed in a thud, Gurak was watching his forces be pushed back and yelled to the keyblade wielders. "Fools, do you not see that the Emperor's lap dogs only see you as a means to an end?! You would be toppled if they were in any power!"

A voice from a corner coughed and argued against that. "Eh, that's coming from someone who... just started using darkness to-" Sora noticed and recognized the man in the corner, one with standing up spiky hair, a timid demeanor, he was more confused at the man that continued. "Sweep everything away and shoot everything that was in the way, yeesh that bullet nearly got someone hiding behind a wall."

He never believed he got that far as a Chaos Space Marine aimed his gun at him and fired, the man was yanked into a store by Tahm, who shushed him. "Are you trying to die?! Stay quiet, civilian!"

Sora wanted to look into that and watched the tide curl up into an orb.

PULSE!

Yen Sid let loose a spell of light that cause the tide to fly back into a corridor, disintergrating the dead Chaos Marines, the Heartless and pushing the living marines into a pile.

Gurak rolled back embarrassingly and felt something beckoning them. Laughing at them as a corridor opened, his men retreated as he taunted. "Ha! Ha! Lord Zagor has finally finished the ritual. Consider this a fleeting victory, for your days in a galaxy of order is coming to an end!"

He felt his skin burning and ran back. Leaving the large group to watch on. Sora watched Riku land and cheered. "That sent them packing!"

Riku looked tired and was impressed. "And it would seem like they were never here."

He checked his phone and notice a few texts as Yen Sid sighed. "Those that fell faded into the darkness they belonged to. But unless they are all bested, they will strike again." He noticed Tahm chasing someone away and concluded. "Now they have nowhere hide, we just need to find the pathway."

Mickey asked his old master. "And for the worlds that want us to stop them, that won't take too long."

Riku smiled and showed Mickey a text. "We should move it to one of the other towns after... this gets settled."

Yen Sid knew what that was and had his staff ready. "To open an alternate route between worlds, that could provide its uses. Tahm, who was that?"

The Commissar reported and had his hands folded behind his back. "A civilian that calls himself Medy. He was one of the more... questionable sort, but even he understands the full threat we deal with. If they have reasons to question us, they don't anymore."

Hofneil sighed in relief and had his marines ready as he ordered the Commissar. "Then we know the citizens would remain away from the taint of Chaos! Commissar, you and you're guardsmen were valuable today, but you should rendezvous with the others at the garden and tell Pyriel that he is requested. Resira, Nanathel, Dabriel, we follow the young ones to the world they are going to. It is time we take the fight to the enemy!"

Resira gasped and looked around the town. "But my lord, who is going to watch over the town?"

Mickey hummed to answer. "If what Tahm said is true, then they know what we are dealing with and why the Word Bearers need to be stopped. We should take it easy here."

Resira wasn't going to listen to a mouse, her face tensed in authority as Hofneil ordered. "Sister Resira, the civilians earned it!"

The Adeptas Sororitas held her tongue as Riku had good news for her. "And the next town has people that has an even more common idea. Just give us a few minutes." He and Sora wondered, how many worlds had heard the song?

At Traverse Town.

Kairi and Ken dodged a charge from the spectral Chimera. Kairi going to the left as Ken went to the right. The serpent headed tail spit out poison at both of them, the duo took flight. Ken burst into flames and dived down at the lion head as Kairi shined in light and dived into the goat head. Causing the beast to roar out of control and thrash, Ken unleashed his burnt blades power as Kairi jumped above and spun, forming a flower of power shed its petals and pelted the Chimera with stars of light. The serpent head snapped at Ken and knocked him off, the Orruks hollered and gave the Chimera a bright glow. The lion head and goat head spewed out fire to both battlers. Kairi let herself drop as Ken rolled underneath the lion head and mixed in between striking the underbelly and shooting charged shots, piercing through and leaving it exposed as Kairi spun to the beast like a missile and knocked it to its side. The Spectral Chimera quickly got itself up and pounced at Kairi as something from the sky descended down.

"SQUAWK!"

POW!

A gryphon pounced on the beasts back, clawed and pecked it brutally, Ken felt his burning was too much and turned it off, he fired at the lion heads eye as Kairi yelled, jumped high and dived down at that head.

PEW!

The Spectral Chimera was kicked down by the Holy Flight dive bomb, giving one more screech as it faded away in energy.

Leap!

SMASH!

A full group of fifteen foes jumped out of the corridor in the sky, enemies Ken recognized as Ogors, many with canons containing weapons, some riding on frigid beasts and a particular one with a mammoth like beast for a steed. He was entertained by the keyblade wielders, the gryphon and a whole platoon of knights coming from the sides. "Finally some better meat!"

He belched out a ball of dark energy that landed on the ground and split in two, one went after a knight and knocked him down as another went for Ken, shining yellow eyes and spooking him to where he shot it down. "Wha...wha."

Kairi realized one off thing. "You actually eat heartless?"

The ogor picked his teeth and answered. "Only cause the Megaboss won't let me eat anything else! I am Frostlord Norek Dark Eater and what is a bunch of scraps like you doing here?"

The duo were ready to do battle as the sound of a steam tank was heard, Wanda arrived by it, gasped at the army of destruction and went for her gryphon. "No barbaric tribe is going to set a foot in my town! Stalwing, let's do this!" She jumped on her gryphon, the bird took flight as Beast Chompah giggled. "Big birdy! Me wants its power!" He yelled out to his boys. "Chomp it, leave da bones!"

Norek stood in front of the savages in protest. "Uh-uh! You had your chance, wasn't the power of the Manticore and Chimera enough?"

Swoop!

SMASH!

More fell out of the corridor, causing the keyblade wielders to be knocked on their rears from the shock wave, a massive blue beast Ken recognized as a Mawcrusha punched a veil of darkness and the ground itself as hordes of armored brutes arrived.

The Orruk on top, one with a large axe, looked upon the army and laughed. "BWAHAHAHAHA! Finally, some hummies to fight! Dark Smasha, let's get em!"

The Mawcrusha glared at the two blade wielders and the Orruk took notice, Kairi asked Ken. "How do you know these guys? Were they the ones Riku talked about?"

The boy nodded and counted the sheer numbers. "That's the guy leading these people, Dragon Hacker."

He swallowed and tried to keep a brave face as something pushed through the cracked ground. The Mawcrusha looked down and flew out of the way as one of the armored Orruks on a armored boar asked. "What else is rumbling?"

BOOM!

The ground split open, a pair of large spider legs forced its way out of the cracks, a blue spider with green stripes. The humans realized a bad situation had reached an escalation point as an arachnarok spider with a dancing grot shaman climbed out to face the forces of destruction, followed by a smaller, if still bigger than a horse, spider carrying a grot Ken recognized. "Stingy Bites, what the heck are you doing?"

The grot noticed them and snickered as he watched many of his kin crawl out. "Spidah Madah was earing fresh meats!" He turned to the mass of destructive kin and barked. "We gots a whole lot tonight!"

Ken and Kairi backed away from the swarm as the Megaboss glared at the shaman. "You working with ummies?! What kind of grot are ya?"

The shaman looked in a venom crazy and yelled. "We ain't working with no hummies! Spidah Madah hears freshies!" He laughed in insanity as a swarm of spiders emerged to turn at the humans. "This ours now and they try sometin funny, they get the webs!"

The forces of order know a massive fight that could easily tear the town apart was underway, Wanda ordered. "We got to stop this mess before it gets out of control."

She looked at figure heads of importance. "If... we can take their leaders and the ogors out, we could find a way to route up the rest back in the underground."

A demigryph knight asked. "But we need to get to all those and these two... powerful they are, can't fight all those at once."

Wanda looked at the Ogor on the mammoth and readied herself. "They can't, but that's what I'm here for!"

The teenagers couldn't believe what they heard. Dragon Hackah yelled out to the grot. "You tink Dark Smashah is dinnah?! We will make spidah soup out of all of ya. WAAAAAAAAAAGH!" The Mawcrusha and Megaboss yelled a bursting waaagh at the arachnarok that cringed and shrieked, both were charged as the vast armies were ready to collide.

Ding!

A bell was heard, it caused the armies to stop, look around and to a bell tower that had a bell blowing in the wind. They dismissed it and went back to trying to fight.

Ding!

A bell rung again and the humans felt the urge to withdraw their blades, despite how foolish it would be against a tide of destruction. A third rang came and the mass horde looked at each other confused. Kairi looked up to the sky and heard a hymn, a song. Ken looked at the barbaric horde and found them afraid of something, like they were doubtful. "...What's happening to them?"

The song became stronger, the Mawcrusha and the Megaboss looked like they couldn't stand the feelings quelling with in, in the perpetual night sky, the sight of sun rise shinned. The skittering grots cringed as the Mawcrusha and Orruk roared together, they flew to a northern wall by the fountain and smashed through a corridor of darkness. The vast army followed to get away from the noise, it felt like they were less scared of it and more scared of what the song was bringing with in. The Ironjaws ran in first, followed by the ogors, then the more savage kin, the shaman gasped and shrieked. "Ai! We still got a fight to finish ya pansies!"

Stingy Bites agreed with that. "Come on ya gits! After them!"

The two large spiders followed in pursuit, then came the vast swarm, the onlooking humans allowed it to happen for various reasons as Wanda looked up to the heavens. "Another miracle you never expect." Her forces agreed as Kairi kept looking to the sky, Ken nodded and watched the last of the spiders follow into the dark corridor that closed up and sizzled. "Something that connects even to these guys... but why?"

The song reached its end as Kairi guessed. "Maybe...because even with how destructive the... Orruks, Ogors and Grots are... they have what they would consider...a light of their own."

Wanda looked confused about that. "A light in those guys?!" She felt something connect. "You mean they have their own ideas of what is right? When it is a good time to be fighting like a bunch of animals and when it is a poor time to do that? I... have heard that even the most vicious of moonclan will cry if their pet squig dies." She looked down at the hole. "And that swarm kept together to the end."

The light faded back to the star lit sky, Kairi nodded and rubbed her eyes. "This might be a point of view... different from what they know."

Ken listened and went into a deep thought. "And this gotten so strong that they couldn't solve this just by smashing it? So they got scared and try going somewhere else that wouldn't mind it..." He asked Wanda. "If we see those guys again, I'm sure it will be back to a bunch of animals. But do they have a reason to come back to this town after that?"

The woman shook her head. "To be honest, we wouldn't have been much of a fight against that. So I'm glad that song scared them off." She looked into the hole and had more on her schedule. "If that finally got rid of all those grots, we can work on reclaiming the sewers and clean up." She considered something and wanted to warn someone. "The Garden committee need to know about this, the last thing we need is those guys getting attacked out of nowhere."

She ordered her men to start investigating and rode to the train station, Ken asked the princess. "Where did you think that came from?"

Kairi guessed and had a text from two people she longed to have contact for. "Sora and Riku finally did it. They brought out the Song of Awakening."

Ken was amazed by that and made his way to the train station. "It was heard from here... how far does it go?"

Kairi answered and followed him. "We all share the same sky, no matter the world. So it went everywhere."

The two reached the train station and found a glow awaiting them. Wanda and Stalwing awaited new arrivals as the travelers felt anxious. Toot! A purple train with starry windows arrived, going a full stop and opening the door. Letting out a particular lady first, Resira with her flamethrower ready, she looked up to the starry sky and at Wanda with her odd beast. Dumbfounded and silent as she stood aside to let out the large party of Donald, Goofy and a particular cricket, Kairi wanted to giggle in her barely contained excitement as Sora and Riku were the next to stand out, she tackled both boys in an embrace. Catching both by surprise as Mickey stepped out to find a more lively town, followed by three space marines that made Wanda confuse them for something out. "What in Sigmars-" The technology looked too advance and she looked disappointed. "Ah, you must be the warriors from the other realm. The Space Marines?"

Hofneil nodded, looked upon the mighty gryphon and asked. "We are and you are the one responsible for securing this town for any wayward traveler?"

Wanda gave him a respectful bow. "I am Wanda Auty, Freeguild General and... self appointed major until an official more qualified comes around." She apologized for her confusion. "Sorry for the miss up, I see so much of a Stormcast in ya."

Nathanel didn't mind it much and laughed. "Well this gives me a reason to want to meet one in person."

Dabriel nodded to that. "But who is Sigmar?"

Sora and Riku returned the warm hug to Kairi as Hofneil guessed. "He... might be someone similar to the God Emperor for all we know."

Resira looked too confused and concluded. "and we are wise to not get those two mixed up."

Ken was reminded of something and asked. "Hey, I... got something that could help you all out that I dabbled in. When this is done and those Word Bearers are gone, we got one more loose end to tie up."

Mickey agreed with that. "Helping you fellas get home... but how?"

Ken pointed a thumb to himself and smiled like an arrogant fool. "I did that to some Eldar instead of doing the other route."

The space marines found it hard to believe as Resira squinted her eyes inquisitively. "What sorcery is that?!"

Ken wished to answer that himself. "I need to figure out how it is done before trying it again. But this means the Eldar are gone."

He sighed as the trio from the islands broke the reunion, Sora had something to announce. "Riku and I brought out what you all might have heard, it woke up the sleeping worlds and now we got to find a path to... them."

Wanda nearly jumped off her gryphon, the bird was just as astonished and chirped, the rider agreed and yelled it to them. "You two?! You... saved this town from a pretty nasty disaster that came crashing down."

Riku blinked and frowned sharply. "Orruks and Ogors?"

Kairi nodded and answered. "Then the grots and their spiders came out after them, the song chased them all away. But-" Riku had it on his list. "I'll make sure others know of that."

Nathanel advised the boy does. "Before a whole planet gets over run." Wanda agreed with that. "The Forces of Destruction might be gone along with the grots that we... kind of had to be in a stalemate treaty for a while. But we still don't know what mess they did down in there and we could be looking for a spider outbreak if we ignore it. So we got more to do beyond fixing a floor."

Resira took her flamer and requested. "Lady Wanda, with all due respect, the underground requires a full cleansing, less they return."

The general nodded and noticed the mage. "Donald, do you mind helping this town out for... eh, no pay and in a place that might be completely dangerous?"

Resira wanted to refuse as the duck imaged being webbed up by large spiders with oozing maws, he refused from the thought of it. "Wrarararak!"

Goofy patted the duck on the back and pushed him forward. "Of course we would. Hi-yuck. Got to clean up the town while we are here." Nathanel didn't mind it so much and asked Resira. "Sister, how much promethium do you have? Surely you can spare a few?"

The sister gritted her teeth and assumed she was going to be with a group of mostly humans. "A dozen canisters. Lady Wanda, where... might our group be?"

Wanda lead the way. "You won't be able to miss it, but I'll give you an idea of what transpired." She smiled to Goofy and Donald for their assistance and lead the three to the district.

Leaving the keyblade wielders and space marines behind. Hofneil stood in wait. "I assume Pyriel would be arriving momentarily. Brothers, we are to have a moment of rest before continuing on."

The devastator duo saluted and waited by the train tracks, with just the keyblade wielders remaining. Sora asked the two newcomers to the keyblade. "So what else happened?"

Kairi sighed and told him. "I found another princess and... found something fishy going on. There was an outbreak of strange heartless that showed up rotting the forest of the world when this witch decided to stop hiding the darkness with in her."

Riku guessed why. "With what is going on in the Realm of Darkness these days-" Sora added in. "And with how the heartless can mix with those daemons."

Riku snapped to a theory. "Could it be when someone of great evil acts up, it draws those heartless to the world?"

Sora imagined the trouble. "Like when a keyhole to a world's heart opens and heartless come."

Hofneil overheard and coughed. "Or... if a psyker... someone gifted with psychic power, goes on with an untrained mind. A daemonic incursion happens when a daemon possesses the forsaken soul and uses their power to open a warp rift. Could it be these people with dark hearts trigger someone similar?"

Kairi had no idea. "Maybe, the world back to normal once the person going out of control is deal with... I just hope they don't lose themselves to it before someone has to do something." Mickey understood that feeling. "They might turn into a heartless and they have to be stopped. Hmm."

He worried about a potential crisis with in the worlds down the path. "But this could mean what ever world we go to, we might have to be ready for when danger comes because of that."

The space marines hope so as well as Hofneil watched the train drive into a tunnel. "You mean you are prepared to go to war? For that is what our enemy is bringing upon our doorstep."

That reminded Ken to warn the others. "That's what a lot of people are scarred about and I heard them mention of a war that happened a long time ago and no one wanting to see it repeat itself."

Mickey's eyes widened. "The Keyblade War?"

Sora had an idea of one. "Or that time all those heartless invaded the garden."

He cringed as Hofneil took a deep breath. "Sora, Mickey, what you read of or experienced could mean something different in the eyes of one who has had experienced centuries of warfare. When it is time to confront the heretical war band and bring them to judgement, you... all of you, would step out of you're world and into ours."

Riku felt grim about the coming battles. "A world where you're heart is bound to war."

Hofneil nodded and heard tooting return. "A world where me and my brothers were made for war. I pray that you're hearts would understand why."

A train of different color arrived to deposit its passengers. Cid stepped out with a tech priest wishing to observe something and a space marine Apothecary. Pyriel saluted his battle brothers. "Hofneil, Nanathel, Dabriel, you are in good health as always!"

The marines saluted to him as the captain recommended. "The civilians who serve order may require medical aid against large arachnids, we are to wait until further instructions and prepare for our battles to come."

The Apothecary understood as Ken pointed his thumb back. "It's down the big hole in water ways and it might be if there are still big spiders around."

Pyriel thanked the boy. "It is best not to take risks." He addressed Sora proudly. "I heard of you and Riku's accomplishment, the mysteries of this galaxy are more strange."

The two felt proud of that, the apothecary journeyed to his task as Magitinus felt the town most peculiar. "Another civilized world? How does it appear as it does?"

Cid had no idea and asked. "It shows up when someone needs a home, you think you can help give an estimate for the gryphons?"

Magitinus nodded as his servo skull was ready for something. "Of course, there is a science behind this."

Swoop!

Land!

Wanda and Stalwing returned, the general gave a dorky smile to more guests. "Sorry about the wait. So Cid, you think you can make the cart work?"

The engineer gave a deep laugh. "Heh! Just watch."

With political stuff being talked about, the keyblade wielders went towards an inn to discuss more plans. Kairi was the first to voice her worries. "So our friends really have spent a life time in war."

Riku agreed with why it is pitiful. "They never had the chance to live anything else."

Mickey had his own concerns and wanted to keep watch. "That explains why some of their hearts refuse to brighten up."

Sora felt it and looked back to the guarding marines. "But they are slowly understanding it. By the end of it, they have each other."

He asked the blonde boy looking up to the sky, lost in thought. "So Ken, what happened with the Farseer that has been bothering you?"

Ken nearly day dreamed and answered as he turned around and walked backwards. "She stopped hating me, but then she started getting worried that all that chaos and darkness stuff would turn me over or something. That it would just get worse for me... so she tried to kill me for different reasons. That's when I had her and everyone else go home. She is from the same place the Imperium guys came from... so all the talk about what is in there hearts might be true if they go to extremes like that."

Sora cringed and knew the idea. "That is how their hearts try to deal with it. But that doesn't give them much of an excuse to act out like that."

Ken blinked and yelled it out loud. "Thank you!"

He nearly tripped on a random stone and turned back around to day dream as Kairi asked her life long friends. "Sora, Riku, is there anything special that happened in you're dream?"

Sora and Riku looked at Mickey, who was interested in some of the details, the silver haired teenager started. "It started when we landed in a wasteland-"

At the Duradin's Cradle.

Aqua laid on a bed and look at the Heartstone Pendent, the pieces were in place, yet something needed to be done to make the stone work. She had a flash back of a tzeentch war band pouring power from their hearts into a fragment to rip open a hole from the Realm of Darkness, followed by the initial use of the stone and Nagash's use of souls to power the stone. She remembered all the times she used the stone herself and jumped between the realms. She gasped to an answer. "A power that comes from the heart! That is what is needed." She felt tempted to experiment and stopped to think. "...But... to make it do something like... that, to go to a realm far away from this one... would require a lot of power. ...Those souls were forced to give that power. I'm not enough."

She placed the pendent to her bosom and closed her eyes, her mind drifted into a dream of a night sky, one most familiar, one feeling like home. She felt a warm and an orange light at the bottom of her vision, finding herself in a town next to a castle, looking to have suffered through disaster and time. She got up to find a statue of a familiar friend, a silver warrior wielding a mighty war hammer. Before the statue was a glowing blade resembling a bonfire; set up by a blonde boy with medium length hair, in a brown jacket and brown pants. He faced away from the dreamer and looked up to the statue, in his right hand was an odd keyblade that resembled a rifle.

He whistled a tune. "Ana, if you can still hear me, I finally dealt with that big problem I was dealing with and now me and some cool people are finally going to take it to Chaos and free the worlds them. We just need to find the pathway... but where is it?"

Aqua felt confused and giggled. "Pathway? Then what are you doing here?"

The boy looked like he wanted to squeak, felt more compelled to focus on the statue. "...Two guys; Sora and Riku, they woke up the worlds that got messed up badly by the heartless to where they needed more work to wake up. We need to find the pathway to the worlds so we can find the hideout of some Chaos worshiping crazies and give them the boot. I thought I rest up after hearing some stories they have about a trip into some dreams."

The names sounded familiar and Aqua remembered two young boys with those names, a boy with spiky brown hair and a boy with silver hair. The blonde boy confessed. "I find myself here a lot and each time, I always like talking to this statue. It reminds me of Anatesis, a Stormcast Eternal... a hero from worlds beyond." He looked down at his blade with pleasant memories. "And the reason I'm still here. I heard she got hurt pretty badly trying to save the worlds from an evil monster. She is trying to help someone that sounds... pretty amazing for as little as I heard."

Aqua couldn't believe what a total stranger said and looked to the statue with a heavy heart. "She... helped me get far when I was in the darkest depths of a never ending nightmare. I... need to keep going, for her."

The boy nodded and hoped. "Same, I want to see her again and show her what she meant for me. Maybe someday. "His free hand was close to his chest as he repeated. "Maybe someday." The statue gave off a faint crackle, a static that flowed across the metal, it rumbled and a cloud formed, both felt themselves before a storm, like something was calling to them. Something shined from the statues chest, a beam shot into the heavens and formed a keyhole of lightning. A guiding light that leads somewhere, the boy sounded like he nearly choked from something as he wondered in joy. "...Did... she hear us?" He looked down at his blade and aimed to the sky. "Please let this be more than a dream. Please let this be the way to some justice!" His blade glowed with his heart, he fired a beam at the keyhole. It flickered as thunder came, the sound of something opening. The hole faded and a glowing storm intensified, what should have been something at least terrifying sparked inspiration to both. "This has to be more than a dream, ha, ha!" He relaxed and marveled the storm as Aqua felt the power letting loose. "It... isn't. Is she... calling to us?" She closed her eyes and felt the wind blow against her back, she opened her eyes and found that boy with his gun like blade and a glowing keyblade of fire, hand in hand. "...If... they feel this... ha! Ha!"

Aqua approached the boy and had her free hand on his shoulder. "Then the time is finally going to come. Who are you?"

The boy shrugged and looked like he was ready to turn to her. "So many people affected my life when things did seem hopeless... heroes. I'm just somebody that goes around exploring." The boy was in a mid turn as the vision faded, Aqua felt words were trying to leave and she felt herself back on her bed. She notice a faint glow from the pendent, blue, white and grey. She wondered and closed her eyes, feeling the comfort of home.

In Traverse.

Sora and Riku were wide awake and heard a full story from Goofy and Donald, the duck shivered. "And that's what they were doing down there."

Riku whistled. "They got tired of each other... glad that was cleaned up."

Sora agreed with that and over heard something coming down the street. Hofneil, his space marine squad and Resira were chatting away. He signaled they hide in a building and listen, Pyriel looked like he marked an objective as finished. "And like that, the traces of those barbaric things are gone from the town. Hopefully the Freeguild would be able to keep in good health, knowing nothing is lurking beneath."

Resira wasn't thrilled. "And she considered a treaty with them?!"

Nathanel shrugged to that. "If it kept them from eating the town for that long, it must have worked. The people seem like those faithful to the Emperor otherwise."

Dabriel agreed and looked to the mage tower. "Although they use too much sorcery. A ward to keep out the heartless and those of that heretical king. What even is magic?"

Resira squinted her eyes to the shrine and chose to ignore it. "Could it be like a psyker? It matters not, once we purge this galaxy of the traitor astartes and their heretical work, we should have a means of returning to the Imperium and into the Emperors domain."

Hofneil looked forward to that and raised his right fist in the air. "To return back to the Reef Stars and report about our disappearance. This all provided important experience for the battles to come."

Dabriel and Nathanel nearly laughed about something as Pyriel asked. "Captain, with all due respect, most would find the talk about hearts... awkward."

Resira agreed with that. "Even with my understanding of these worlds, Lord Hofneil, this would only lead to more questions."

Hofneil looked up to the sky and laughed with his brothers. "Sister, there is no sin to have some light against the vast darkness of war. Especially when this galaxy seems to have moments of lasting peac-" He stopped himself as Resira questioned him. "You... consider this galaxy welcoming? But... what about our duty? What of the Imperium?! What of the Emperor?"

Hofneil shook his head and promised her. "I have not forsaken them Resira, none of us have! That is why we learn, adapt, overcome."

Resira rolled her eyes and felt the marines brother hood becoming stronger. "So long as you don't let the optimism consume you, we will never see these people eye to eye... if we do, that would lead to those less forgiving putting us all to the torch." She looked concerned for him. "You four have been a beacon to these people and to me. I won't warn you again."

Hofneil understood. "You're faith is unwavering like always... a shame you're path didn't lead you to an Inquisitor."

Resira blushed from the praise. "One is simply not present and I had some experience." She wished to continue her patrol. "The beacon wards off any with nothing but darkness in their hearts, but the morality of the xenos is always questionable."

Dabriel agreed with that as Hofneil lead to a western district. "The Eldar may have been expunged, but we never know what else from our galaxy is lurking."

Hofneil agreed with that. "Move, these fine men and women have worked hard enough."

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! The four onlookers went out of hiding, Goofy looked the most worried. "Gwarsh, is home really that rough for them?"

Sora guessed so. "I get that they are pretty strict, but things might have been worse than what they let on."

He felt something bringing more hope as Riku didn't wish to know more. "And it might be best if they don't tell us. Their time in the worlds are... changing them."

He looked up to the sky in sensing something as Donald sighed. "Why is that a bad thing for them?"

Click!

They heard the sound of an inn open and feet approaching. Sora was the first to turn and notice Ken trying to think of what to say, he asked. "You felt something open as well?"

The blonde boy nodded and tried not to sound weird. "I... might have caused that, I sometimes have dreams about a statue of Anatesis and a latest one was bit more vivid than usual. Sometimes... someone from somewhere talks to me." He looked at his left hand and continued. "Sometimes it is alone... I thought it was an alone dream until a different lady visited. I never got the chance to look at her or ask her name."

"That could be someone who's heart connected with Ana."

The group of five turned to find a patrolling Mickey, Riku wanted to know. "But who?"

The mouse had no answer and let them know. "It could be anyone who knows her deeply. But... it was where the pathway was hidden. The dream of a hero?"

Ken nodded. "That is what it was. She wants us to save these worlds. You felt it too?"

Mickey shook his head and had better news. "I didn't just felt it, I saw a pathway leading somewhere."

Sora gasped and cheered. "Alright, is it somewhere we been to before?"

The mouse answered clearly. "Nope, it could be one of the awakened worlds as well."

Riku was disappointed at a minor detail. "Too bad Kairi turned in and some of us were up for a while."

Donald, Goofy and Jiminy yawned to that truth, Mickey let it happen and asked. "You had a pretty long day yourselves, go get some rest fellahs, there isn't a whole lot of danger to worry about here."

The three were thankful of that and left for the Inn. Ken asked the two veterans. "So the whole dream thing let you two know a couple things about quick moving and going to far away places pretty quick?"

Sora found it hard to explain. "It's a lot to do at once and most of the places didn't need us to fight anything."

Riku folded his arms and leaned to a wall. "That was the point of the exam, finding ways to solve problems without relying mainly on fighting. Now we just need to make the motions better suited, that could take time learning." He asked. "Kairi mentioned that the two of you battled, anything we need to know?"

Ken coughed out a laugh. "I'm not telling you everything because you two need to see it for yourself. She is getting pretty strong, especially if that big adventure was something to go by." He glared at the Inn and vowed. "I'll be better ready for her next time."

Sora had a mental image of Kairi making a dramatic dive and carving a suave against a horde of heartless just to rescue him, Riku felt the talk to secretly be a blessing. "A training rival can keep someone going at an even level... even if their goals are different." The silver haired teenager had one idea and suggested to Sora. "We need to be at the same time as everyone else and Yen Sid never said anything about who was out doing who during that."

He flowed towards a lamp post on the far end of the district in record speed and caused Ken to be speechless, Sora snapped out of his day dream and took it as a challenge. "Really?! Come on, it was like you said, we never got to fight much!"

The observing fanboy found a bench to sit on and watched as he watched the person he looked up to approach his rival for a battle. Ken tried to lift the bench to move back and found it was nailed down as Mickey asked him. "Who did you mean by someone?"

Ken found it insane, drew out Firekeeper's Wish and placed it on the ground to watch it glow, feeling like someone was watching the brawl with him. "A lady that shows up from this keyblade on the occasion... the Firekeeper. She sometimes tells me stories that... don't seem complete." He exhaled and watched the two readied their blades. "There goes any ideas in fighting them again. Getting kicked by both of them once was enough and if they are even tougher..."

He silenced himself and watched as Mickey imagined what was to happen. "They learned flow motion, this could get hard to follow if you don't focus enough." Ken guessed what it was. "It's something that I wish I can do with aero magic and I know why them going into the dreams was pretty important." He gasped and took out his gummi phone. "And she is missing out on this."

The mouse listened and realized. "In these times, you both need to keep getting stronger and this is one way to learn."

Ken guessed why as his heart beat in excitement. "No one to really teach me and Kairi anything, so we both need to scrounge up what we can."

Mickey agreed with that. "This is just from one lesson from my teacher. If we had more time... then." They watched Riku make the first flow dash, Sora leaped to a lamp post and readied something, the eve of a great battle had begun.

Deep with in a dark trial.

A Mawcrusha pushed back against an Arachnarok Spider as Dragon Hackah held Venom Dancer by his neck, the goblin found a valid point. "Ack! Alright, alright, you the boss!" Dragon Hackah let him drop back on the shrine and growled. "Count Gorkamorka's lucky pinky, I been making me ere a Waagh!"

He and his Mawcrusha glared into the darkness and a path was made safe if because the Darkness wanted nothing to do with him. A brute looked up to Dragon Hackah and asked. "But boss, we had a bunch of hummies right there! Two of them with the key tingys, why we ran?"

A larger brute hit him in the head with a club as an answer. "Are ya Stupid? You tink that lighty is normal?!"

He shivered as the Megaboss agreed with him. "Nah Clubba, it isn't! What kind of lighty make us not want to fight?!"

An Ogor asked with a disturbed grumble. "What kind of power makes us not want to fight?! It's absurd and bad for the pallet."

That Dragon Hackah didn't want to answer. "It nothin, just... fighting there didn't feel right. Now common, lets get outtah here and find a place that is asking for a propah fight!"

A polite voice from the shadows asked. "To have you're savage hearts moved by that melody... to understand when it is the time for battle and when it isn't... that was the power with in calling to you?"

The vast horde looked to the right corner and found darkness distorting, a figure in a black hooded coat, with a purple bladed keyblade that had a large rose at the tip. Dragon Hackah and Darksmashah were ready to just attack as the hooded man asked them. "You wander between worlds without purpose and with such... ferocity, the darkness that should corrupt you and those around you is frightened... perhaps this is the heart of the worlds guiding you?"

Dragon Hackah stubbornly grumbled. "I'm the boss and I pick where we'z go!"

The figure gave a faint laugh to him. "But do you even know? Or will you all emerge in another world that would keep trying to point the way?"

That, even an Orruk would admit. "I don't even zogging know what is going on. What's to stop me from just killing ya?"

The hooded figure opened a passage way large enough for a vast army and offered. "Because I can lead you to a place where a great battle... would most likely occur."

He turned to leave the waagh. "If you so wish to have a battle that means something, you will listen, I even opened a way to a world that wouldn't worry much of you're kind." He disappeared and the Mawcrusha followed, roaring and demanding the man come back.

PEW!

The beast and rider found themselves in the middle of a vast canyon with a large castle ahead, following behind was the mighty waagh, looking in aw of a ramshackle village they wandered with in, completed with vast towers that have hints of red. Dragon Hackah looked on a particular stone to find the hooded man undoing his hood and with a hint of grace, revealing a set of pink hair and blue eyes.

He smiled in pride at a gambit at work as the Orruk listened to the spiders, chittering goblins, stomping Ogors, their own beasts and the vast green skin horde exiting into a new world. Dragon Hackah guessed. "You isn't bringing us here for no castle! What's stopping us from toppling it over?"

The man answered with sincere concern. "Because that is a castle my... colleagues would rather have intact! What... is you're name?"

The Megaboss hit himself in the chest and raised his axe. "I'm Megaboss Dragon Hackah and these ere gitz is a whole lot that got the smarts to follow me!" He looked at the savage Orruk shaman with annoyance and the vast primitive orruks. "This is Beast Chompah and his green tide!"

He looked at the Ogor on the Mammoth, observing the vast field. "That's Frostlord Norek, the Dark Eater! He learned something while in that boring squiggly path."

The man guessed by the name and the Ogor having a dark haze from his mouth. "Learning about the darkness with in... his gut?"

He had that memorized as Norek guessed smugly. "I know about the talk of the darkness with in a heart, we have a problem?"

The man didn't. "Nothing is spoken about... the dangers of a stomach containing that, just the heart. If this is literal-" A large spider skittered to the man, carrying a tribal goblin that was less than trusting of him. "Me iz Scuttleboss Stingy Bites, I talk for Venom Dancah," He looked at the arachnarok making a nest with in a tower and a shaman dancing crazily. "And Spidah Madah! We is the Spider Fangs! Who are ya and why ya brought us out here?"

The man humored the goblin. "My apologies for keeping anonymous for so long, I am Lauraim." He looked up to the sky with concern. "I... took a risk with you. Now if we are done with introductions, let us discuss my proposal for you. Dragon Hackah, you have made an encounter with anything... unusual even to us?"

The Orruk stared down at him and answered. "That Space Marine?! He look like some Stormcast and he said I is an Ork. The important ting is that he is a lot tougher than any of ya can take?"

Lauraim nodded and pointed to the distant castle. "We fear an equivalent to them, the Chaos Space Marines, would orchestrate a full invasion upon the worlds and that castle contains... every piece of knowledge they need to know for their plans. They will likely invade this world in sheer numbers and we don't have the kind of power that would deal with the bulk, but... you have had experience with similar foes?"

The Orruk smiled widely to reveal sharp teeth. "Chaos-ting is a chaos ting. Spiky, calls more of them and got big uns for my boys to chomp on. You just going to let us do all the work?"

Lauraim shook his head. "Goodness no, we just request that you relieve us of some of the burden. What you do with the Chaos Space Marines at you're... mercy, is the offer along with a... contact of mine that could bring you all the means to return back to you're simliar lives. What say you?"

The Megaboss thought of it, placed his free hand under his chin and felt a thought that connected. "Bring some of you're buddies to a good scrap after that and you got yourself a deal!"

Lauraim put his hood back on and came to an agreement. "Then you will get what we bargained and more Dragon Hackah." He walked off towards the castle in the distance. "In the mean time, villains vale has been unoccupied for some time and would provide better shelter than the corridors, they are not healthy no matter how you make the darkness fear you."

Dark Smashah growled as the Megaboss laughed loudly. "BWA HA! HA! HA! Dark Smasha iz that reason! But ya, it was getting annoying in there."

Lauraim felt intimidated and dumbfounded by what had been happening, how the very darkness steer cleared of such a beast. "Dark...Smasher?!"

He shook his head and walked off, leaving Stingy Bites to enjoy a coming battle. "He, he, he! We finally going to web up something!"

The Megaboss barked him into scattering. "Shut it you grot! We alls got a scrapping!"


	22. Of Virtues and Vices

At a train station over an aqua duct in Radiant Garden. Even gave Elrena a sharp glare as Ienzo listed an objective as finished. "And you allowed him to run off and use a corridor." Elrena glared back and hated to agree. "That kid mentioned about some brutes that could appear in any of the worlds and start more problems. You shouldn't have told Lauraim about that Gurak guy."

Tap! Tap!

Ienzo was the first to notice Lauraim returning with his usual wears and asked him. "You should decide on where you should spend you're recovery, darkness was the reason all of us are in this predicament in the first place and we have other ways across the worlds."

Lauraim brushed his hair and greeted him with a certain smile. "I understand Ienzo, but someone had to deal with that those barbarians."

Even guessed more smugly. "You, negotiating with them. Ma...Lauriam, to think you would stoop that low."

Lauraim didn't care and turned back. "Having more... eager soldiers for this cause was a necessity and something that could provide beneficial for us and the committee."

Elrena gasped and guessed. "You think there is no way we can manage the Forces of Chaos by ourselves? There is only a handful of them and I heard some of them bit the bullet."

Lauraim had an instinctual feeling that the Word Bearers had a deeper plan in motion. "None of us would be laughing if we have legions of demons swarming us or if the Chaos Space Marines... find a way to open a pathway from their galaxy to the worlds and unleash more of their kind. They would not be the massive threat we speak of if it really was a minuscule number," He looked sorrowful. "Death will come soon and it won't just be to them. So what better to delay than encourage something... or someone not too afraid to die, to get into a foolish battle."

Elrena agreed and notice a Commissar approaching. "That's where those brutes come in, shrewd thinking Lauraim."

Even agreed with that and noticed their ease dropper. "If it would give us the time we need, so be it. Tahm, how much have you heard?"

Tahm wasn't too friendly with them and held to his bolt pistol. "More than enough, you are not wrong to assume a legion of heretics on the horizon and I care not for the means to delay the enemy. From what you speak of, this would eliminate two dangers upon the worlds if by some miracle."

Lauraim nodded to him. "Or at least... cripple the delayed waagh to something we can manage."

Tahm placed his bolt pistol away and advised them. "Providing you burn the bodies of the green skins." He asked an eager Ienzo. "Word is you are inviting an... ally from another world to visit the garden with her forces?"

The young scientist answered with a calm smile. "We have the means to transport her armies steeds and her work in Traverse Town is nearly done. We... need to talk with the committee about a postponed project of theirs, Villains Vale is beyond our salvage."

Elrena snickered to him. "But that isn't important, some of us want to know how did a single lady restored an old town she was squandering in." Ienzo was unaware of the double meaning as Elrena continued. "It's about time she sees more people than just her own." She looked up and thought about it. "...Actually, she and her guild is what this town needs once this blows over."

That much the group agreed with as Tahm looked forward to that. "Her experience could provide for more than her town. Now if you will excuse me." He turned. "I must see what Magitinus has to discuss with me and the guardsmen."

He left the group by themselves, Even wondered. "What could that Tech Priest want now?"

Ienzo had no idea and went to his schedule. "We should have a report on the carts update shortly. We should not upset the town with all this talk about war."

In a black and white castle, at the highest tower.

Maleficent was less than pleased with Pete's report and wished to shoo him away. "So even the girl can best you. No matter, we know of the princess's world and some activities of another." Pete felt a lower morale as the witch had something more certain to speak of. "The Eldar have been expelled from the worlds, that wretched Song had been let loose and with that, a new pathway has been opened. One that will be the end of those fools if they continue to trend."

Pete chuckled to that. "Sound like everything is going according to plan."

Maleficent agreed and felt something distorting at the stairway. She turned to find Zagor entering, she sensed the sorcerer's eagerness and spite and greeted him. "Zagor, it was about time you chose to greet us."

The sorcerer gave a polite bow. "It was inevitable, such a salvage, a castle nested so close to the darkness, yet so far to be in shelter."

He approached and gave Pete a burning glare of hatred, scarring the minion off to where he would rather jump to the lower platform than go near the distortions. Maleficent didn't really care and asked. "But that is not the reason you came?"

The Sorcerer shook his head and beckoned her. "Come, the so call war between light and darkness is nearing its end and I wish to thank the one who showed me the way!"

The witch knew the Sorcerer was plotting something and pretended to be curious. "And how is it nearing an end? Surely you and you're followers are aware that the followers of Order and Light are gaining a higher ground."

Zagor gave a small laugh. "Or so they believe! I was been given a task long before I arrived upon this Galaxy, that would... enlighten the children to the full might of Chaos! But that would prove secondary. I have a theory... an experiment that would unleash horrors undreamed of!"

That did interest the witch. "Much like that venom crawler or the Heartless?"

Zagor turned around to the distortion. "Beyond that, those whelps lack the imagination."

Maleficent decided to humor the sorcerer and followed into the distortion of warped thoughts. She felt a small flash of light and was in a part of a space station, a wide circular room that had eight corridors leading to various rooms, right behind her were a hall of cultists chanting and glowing, in one each of the side corridors was a space marine embracing a various cloud of warp energy and convulsing in joyous agony. Their armor cracked and parts of their body swelled from something, she saw parts of their flesh twist as Zagor looked on in pride. "It is a custom with in the war band, for my brethren to embrace the raw energies of chaos, for them and a daemon to become one. As one, they gain a power beyond what their frail forms would provide. To become the very nightmares we seek to wrought."

Maleficent watched the marines limbs twist into something more clawed, one with blades of bone, another with a set of crab claws, one with a pair of wings and long talons, another who's armor burst from mutating flesh and had his chest ripped open, becoming a second set of sharp teeth, she found the devotion to be absolute insanity and looked on to a coffin with a devoted Gurak awaiting something. "This... is your experiment?! A union of flesh and-" She gasped. "That was not what you wish to present to me, you seek to add another to this... unholy union?"

Zagor nodded and called upon a veil of darkness, it took form of a muscular heartless at around his size. The heartless held a blade, had a pendulum like blade for a tail, demonic horns, wings and a heart shaped hole on its chest. The hints of orange on the horns, flame like ankles and wrist wings give a glow to a pure blooded heartless more powerful than expected. Maleficent cringed at the implications. "The heartless and the daemon can become... one."

Zagor beckoned another force, a shroud of purple energy that took the form of a feminine demon. "Indeed they can as a marine and a daemon can become one." He asked his anxious champion. "Gurak, my most prominent of disciples, what you see is the foundation to an... apotheosis. Are you so willing to toss away what you are... for something that can unmake you?"

The champion looked like he was staring into an abyss, the sorcerer and witch saw the reddish green eyes look horrified at a concept, a demented smile formed. "...Yes master! With this, I would become the foundation of terror that would devour the light of this galaxy! With this, I will become a power beyond those mortals comprehension, they believe they stared into the abyss! THEY BELIEVE WRONG! I WILL BECOME THAT ABYSS!"

Zagor hummed as Maleficent looked upon the possessed marines, snarling and looking upon her like she was prey. "And how pray tell are you going to become that?!"

Zagor stepped back and focused his power onto Gurak, the marine looked to be in pain and wanted to laugh at it all. "Through the one binding that keeps us together!"

A pink heart glowing and twisting in shadows emerged from Gurak, the marine looked still, Zagor held the heart with in his hand as he looked upon the daemon. "To become one with the darkness! To take the foundations of all that is and to become an avatar of absolute! One must be willing to give up all that is, that is what the universe rewards. Those willing to toss themselves upon the fires of Hell, to let go and become one with the darkness."

The heartless fluttered to the heart like it was a waiting delicacy, with sheer will, Zagor broke the heartless down into a black mist as the daemon allowed the darkness to take her. Maleficent gave credit where it was due. "You seek to unite these two evils with that of a heart and through that power, Gurak would become like both with his body and heart being the vessel... something that could be more powerful than either of the three alone."

Zagor smiled to one who understands such a craft. "Alone, they have been bested time and time again!"

Maleficent heard screaming from behind her, they became a rather violent sound of flesh and bones twisting and ended as inhuman moans, she chose not to look and assume that use to be the cultists. "But you know the guardians of light would oppose this union and would try to stop it. The worlds themselves lead them here to stop you."

Zagor let the powers mix and let the heart hover to a swirl of twisting darkness. "And they will be too late! The wonders me and my brother had wrought upon the worlds would seem... minuscule." He turned his head towards the witch that was losing her speech. "You who have forsaken you own small world, because you know you are not the greatest evil among this galaxy. Who is moments away to understanding the Dark Word. Everything about your reality will fade into forever." He clenched his fists and caused the powers to slither with in the heart, Maleficent rolled her eyes in doubt, to let that much darkness with in a heart would result in its complete annihilation, the mist slithered in and the heart gave off an unnatural glow. A shine resembling eight points that left the witch speechless as Zagor gestured like it was a gentle drop. Letting the heart float back to Gurak, the Sorcerer had his arms wide as he continued. "The limits of a heart strength, pushed beyond boundaries! So begins the next phase, would the body endure? Will Gurak finally embrace his destiny? Where so many failed?"

Maleficent's glared and hissed. "You insane fool! Even if he survives, he would become nothing more than a vessel of Darkness, not a ruler of it."

The possessed marines looked taken aback as Zagor turned to her, the skulls burned brightly as the sorcerer laughed. "That is the point! Through him, the Dark Gods would be unleashed! Through him, the Dark Gods will bring us glory." His laughter became louder as the heart sank into Gurak, he woke up in a jolt and spasm out of control, like he was having a seizure. "THROUGH HIM, WE WILL FINALLY WITNESS THE BEGINNING OF THE END! THE END TO THE FOUNDATION OF ORDER! THE END TO THE LIGHT OF LIGHTS, AS IT IS SNUFFED OUT!" Gurak vomited a stream of dark ichor, it covered his armor and face, the blackened body floated in the air as the Sorcerer broke down in his madness. "THE WORD OF THE DARK WILL FINALLY BE REALIZED TO THESE PATHETIC, IGNORAMUSES! ALL WHO DO NOT EMBRACE THIS PATH, WILL BE DEVOURED!"

Gurak's body swelled ten fold as Zagor felt the power blow behind his back, he saw the Mistress of All Evil, look absolutely horrified. Satisfied, he turned back to watch the limbs bloat and twist, spiked horns erupting from Gurak's skull into a heart shape that was adorned with three spikes each, those not sticking out ward grew inward of the pattern. The top of the horns merged together and faced upward, with more horns merging with the collective. Guraks forehead glowed a red line, connecting the pattern and dropping across his face.

His backpack bursted open and fell onto the floor. Thin, black, gossamer wings grew from his back, it had crimson red linings at the edge of the wings. The fore wings had two chain like stripes grow towards the marines back and the two hind wings gave an outward curve. Resembling the emblem of the heartless. Gurak's armor split to expose black flesh, the shoulders had glowing yellow eyes, his left limb twisting into a giant crab like claw that had many yellow eyes, his right limb burst into a bestial claw, the palm opened two yellow eyes and split vertically to split pearly white teeth and three blue tongues that had fanged maws at the end. The marines armored torso opened two eyes on each side and the stomach tore horizontally to reveal another maw. His boots burst to show clawed feet and the marines head twisted along with the horns. The reddish green eyes remained intact, yet the rest of the face tore itself apart to grow a lamprey like mouth, his tongue resembling a hooked dagger. His blackened armor, what was left of it, glowed a bright red. Maleficent's eyes widened and she focused a spell that would open the shadows beneath her and have her flee. A collection of stinging voices whispered with in her mind. "We are something beyond your minds understanding! We are the nightmares your black heart flees from! We are the dark that is free from sanity." The unholy monstrosity landed and caused the ground to quake, the combined voices laughed at her. "We are Xaw'Rak, we are Chaos!"

Zagor's laughter became that of triumph. "THROUGH THE GUIDANCE OF THE GODS! WE BECAME DARKNESS ITSELF! THROUGH THE RESILIENCE OF NURGLE, WE BRING DESPAIR! THROUGH KHORNE'S COURAGE, WE SPARK FEROCITY! THROUGH TZEENTCH'S AMBITION, TREACHERY TURNS BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER! THROUGH SLAANESH'S JOY, DEBAUCHERY CONSUMES ALL! THIS IS CHAOS UNDIVIDED! THIS IS THE POWER THE WARMASTER SEEKS! THROUGH US, THE WHOLE GALAXY WILL DROWN WITH IN A BLACK CRUSADE THAT WILL RIVAL HORUS'S REBELLION!"

Maleficent felt a darkness finally beneath her and her fading out as Xaw'Rak looked down upon her and twitched his main tongue. "And you, Mistress of All Evil, will be made the first to understand what separates us from you!" The tongue shot out like a harpoon, Maleficent disappeared and the tongue pierced into nothing.

Zagor shook his head in disappointment. "That for all her spite, for all her evil, she focuses only on herself. She witness's true devotion and she falters."

Xaw'Rak's many maws twitched and the voice warned. "Brother, the Master calls."

Zagor turned around to a distortion and kneel, the distortion made itself clear, revealing a large man in thick, black armor that had brass highlights, resembling demonic faces, skulls and a belt with a symbol of chaos. His left shoulder pad had a symbol of eight points, complimented by a glowing orange eye with a black, slit pupil. His right hand hold a glowing sword with screaming faces, his left hand was in a mighty clawed gauntlet with two wrist mounted guns. He had no helmet and had a red top knot, he wore a flowing fured cape and an accessory of trophies, a red space marines helmet and a variety of skulls. Zagor humbly greeted the image. "We have had complications making a foot hold, but all is proceeding as planned. Warmaster Abaddon, the Despoiler!"

The Warmaster looked down upon him and at the monstrosity that joined in a kneel. "This is what you promised me when the warp rift opened?! A galaxy with an... enticing tool for us to bend to our will?" He gave a smirk. "You have done well Zagor! You may rise."

The Sorcerer did so and promised him. "The mysteries of darkness are ours to take! We will begin the final stages momentarily and through our power, open the way for you, Warmaster!"

Abaddon nodded to that. "If they believe they can resist, then they will be crushed under the Black Legion's heel when they suffer the full might of Chaos Undivided, the might of the Champions of Chaos."

Zagor gasped. "You speak of the four aligned?!" The Despoiler became stoic to him. "I do, they will obey me when I speak of the prize that awaits," Zagor held from laughing. "You will tear the beating Heart of All Worlds from this galaxy's bleeding chest! Then at long last, this long war will finally end in o...you're triumph."

Abaddon ordered him. "Go begin the ritual, we will meet in person soon!"

The distortion cleared, with the chance, Zagor hissed. "And then you will become my tool for spreading the Dark Word."

Xaw'Rak watched the hall and sank into the ground, twisting and turning the station to its liking, the many lumps of mutated flesh animated to its will. "May the Darkness come, may Chaos triumph!"

Zagor agreed and looked upon him in praise. "Yes brother, we will show the bearers of light their folly!"

At the castle.

Maleficent was gasping as Pete came up with a mutual feeling of terror. "Misses, you were right to say they couldn't be trusted. There just is things you shouldn't mix!"

Maleficent yelled at him in anger. "And even you understand the threshold of insanity." She plotted her scheme. "For as linked to the Darkness as Chaos is, the Word Bearers and what they stand for is a threat to that stability. They didn't simply let the darkness consume them, they became one with it and consume the worlds into hell." She formed an evil smile. "Fortunately, we don't have to set one foot into that place. Sora and the other fools will do that for us, this may require everything they have... everything, just to push them back."

Pete nervously laughed. "If they haven't had enough reasons, they will when they know what kind of messed up junk is in there."

That Maleficent agreed with and readied a spell. "And apparently Zagor is bound to a master that their Imperial friends may know of. Oh what grim times are ahead of them."

At Traverse Town during a morning.

Kairi watched a video Ken advised her on watching. A fast pace one with Sora and Riku flying around everywhere and clashing blows, she was less than amused as Donald and Goofy were impressed. The shield bearer chuckled. "Hi-yuck! They sure outdid themselves!"

The mage agreed with that as the teenage boys were arriving in the park, waking up for another adventure. "For sleepy heads."

Kairi gave a mischievous smile to the newly arrived boys, turned off the video and put her phone away. Ken cringed and backed away. "We...got a long while to go before we catch-" Kairi stopped him. "I know! We are going to get left behind soon if we don't do something and we don't have the time."

Sora heard that and smiled nervously to Kairi. "Uhhhhhh..."

Riku tried to say something, didn't wish to rub salt to the novices wounds and asked. "We don't know much of this world, just... do the best you can and don't think about us."

Mickey arrived with the four space marines, the sister of battle, Tahm and his guardsmen, speaking of good news. "Magitinus said he built something for Hofneil and the others for when we need them the most. It's easy for Resira, Tahm and his guard to blend in... but not a space marine."

Donald looked at the four hulking super soldiers and quacked. "The magic doesn't work that way."

Resira imagined people, both innocent and guilty, running away before she had the chance at subtly and pressed her hands together like a saint. "It is our duty to bring order to the worlds, not cause more anarchy. We will trend where the angels would not."

Elric, Thompson and Perkins saluted the Iron Snakes as Tahm let the marines know. "Consider it an honor to be of aid."

Hofneil allowed it as Pyriel, Nathanal and Dabriel let the guard know their service is commendable. "Then it is an honor to know you all are aiding us."

Wanda arrived to see the massive group and felt a big adventure was coming. "It's an even greater honor to know you all are doing it for our sake," She winked and hinted. "Come around at Radiant Garden when it is over. There is going to be a big celebration thats coming as a thanks to everyone for making all of this happen."

Riku imagined it and wanted to take the offer. "Don't think of partying just yet. The day hasn't really started until that Tech Priest gets here."

Sora gave a dorky smile and shine optimism, catching the grim dark soldiers off guard. "It will be good to finally slow down and get back to something more fun. What do you have in mind Wanda?"

The general opened her mouth to answer and saw the image of green fire erupt out of nowhere behind the boy, stopping herself as the group turned to it. Taking the form of an illusion of a certain witch smiling evilly. Donald had his want ready and yelled. "Maleficent!"

The guardsmen, Nathanel, Resira, Pyriel and Tahm unleashed their various ranged weaponry at her the instant they saw the dark signs. Maleficent was more smug at the bullets, lasers and fire that simply flew past her as Wanda noticed and barked at them. "This is just an illusory spell! Nothing we can do about this kind of magic."

The witch agreed with her and focused on the Imperial forces. "An ever observant eye for a mayor of a wretched little town of nothing," Most looked in anger from that as the witch had a sharp one for the ones from another galaxy. "And quite a zealot instinct against that which you are ignorant of, soldiers of the holy God Emperor."

Resira took out a chain sword and barked at her. "You mock the Emperor on these grounds witch?! You will pay with-" Riku and Kairi held her back as Sora asked bored. "What do you want, you hag? We got bigger things to deal with."

Maleficent nearly burst into laughter and cast a spell revealing a particular Sorcerer most have seen before, the image of Zagor. "You mean this madman? Indeed he is, are any of you aware of the kind of atrocities he committed and will commit?"

Hofneil had his power sword ready and answered the witch. "He is a Master of Possessions from the Word Bearers, his deeds are numerous and if we do not stop him, we fear he would bring a galactic Armageddon of unholy proportions."

Ken jolted and asked. "Don't tell me, he has another one cooked up for us?"

Sora turned to the blonde boy with his mouth wide as the image of Zagor shifted to a heartless emblem with in a symbol of Chaos, the witch was all too eager to torment the group with fear of the future. "Two forces which should never be, in an unholy matrimony! To all that is sane, this would pose a dire threat, to those like Zagor and the Warmaster he serves, it is an ultimate vitory on the horizon."

Hofneil and his space marines stopped as Sora tensed. "And why should we believe you?"

Hofneil looked at him like the Warmaster was not someone to underestimate as Maleficent pointed to the space marine. "For he knows who I speak of! Ask him."

Her laughter became louder and her form vanished in green fire, letting loose an over the top cackle as Riku gritted his teeth. "A Warmaster?! Please tell me this isn't going to get worse?"

Hofneil stared at Riku in silence like he didn't wish to ruin the morning, Pyriel tried leading the way to the train station with a recommendation. "Stress would hinder judgemental decisions and weaken you're immune system, at a time like this it would mean certain death in battle."

Riku's eyes looked to the ground as he asked. "It's going to get worse, much worse."

Hofneil ordered Pyriel to stop and answered Riku's question. "...The Warmaster of Chaos... the Lord of the Black Legion. She speaks of Abaddon."

Sora had his hands behind his head and tried to naively say. "We can take him."

The words didn't even leave his mind as Mickey asked. "None of us have the power to stop Abaddon if he shows up?"

Hofneil shook his head. "If Abaddon was present, we would have as much hope as a loose gravel of rock, moments away from behind engulfed by lava, as the star nearby the planet expires and undergo a super nova," He marched off with positive news. "Fortunately, hiding in the shadows isn't what Abaddon is infamous for, Zagor... might still seek to summon him. If we can end that heretical sorcerer, then Abaddon would never come. Come, we have a war to stop."

The space marines followed as Resira and Tahm looked still with fear. As vague as the description of Abaddon was, it was enough to affect the hearts of the most stalwart of the Emperor's servants. The Adeptas Sororitas regained composure and advised to the teenagers and animal like people. "It is best to never ask questions about things better off unsaid, for imagination would haunt you as much as the answer."

She walked off to join the space marines as Tahm realized he was being a bad example to his men and ordered loudly. "Men, we are to pretend we never heard of this and advance! The war ends today!"

The trio saluted and followed their leader, leaving a smaller group behind as Wanda sighed. "And... I'll have my men organized for a rendezvous to the garden, they could use the help," She pressed her right hand into a fist and pressed it onto her chest in a salute. "May Sigmar's hammer strike true for you!"

With her gone, Riku regretted ever asking. "That witch is nothing but spite... let's worry about this after we unlock the path to Zagor."

Kairi agreed with that and cheered. "It's a good thing you and Sora learned some new tricks. We need to pull everything we can."

Donald and Goofy looked to each other in an understanding that alone, they can't keep up with that, the duck joined in a cheer. "Come on, we haven't given up before, all for one and one for all!"

Goofy had his hand forward in agreement. "If we all work together, we can make it through anything they have for us."

Donald joined in along with Mickey. Kairi placed her hand in the group and that brought the two boys to join in, the shadows of a fearful grimdark battle removed from their minds as Ken joined in. Mickey cheered with the seven. "We won't give up, not now or ever! All for one," The group raised their hand to the sky and cheered. "and one for all!"

During a morning outside of the Duradin's Cradle.

Aqua and Moonfang listened to a story Nerax had to share, the keyblade master gasped. "It was that large of a Slaanesh cult in that Shyish town and they summoned what?!"

The knight Venator nodded and looked at Aqua's completed pendent. "A Keeper of Secrets that was attempting to claim the mantle of its god, ignorant of current events." He asked her. "You believe the power of the heart is enough to give the Heartstone its own power back? How... could that be possible?"

Aqua tried to guess as a Stardrake with black scales and star like spikes landed to drop Lorustra off, the Drakesworn Templar apologized unusually humble. "Sorry we were late, we were given new orders to assist with this stone."

Nerax wanted to whistle at him. "Let it go Loru, we will know when it is time to begin the final steps. We are part of a guard... though I doubt anyone would be able to attempt intruduing in such a manner."

Aqua doubted that and saw she and the group were glowing in light.

PEW!

The party of five were summoned to what seems to be the top of a tower overlooking a city bellow, the roofless sky gave Aqua the feeling of being in a telescope, the planets and stars gave her that old feeling of being in another world as a masculine voice from behind coughed. "Lady Aqua, Lord Lorustra, Knight Nerax, Lady Arreia has summoned you."

The three turned around to find a Stormcast with a top knot, armed with a hand canon like cross bow. Nine stalwart crossbow man and nine stormcasts with a hammer and shield, lead by a man with a great blade surrounded the area in guard. Loru smiled at the judicator prime. "This is a light task, but it is one of the most important ones for a whole realm. Consider it an honor to be here Raelorian."

The judicator prime was taken aback by the pep talk as a trio of winged storm cast kept flight above, one with a great hammer, the others with duel hammers. Loru got on Night Scale and whispered. "We join there for now."

Swoop!

The Stardrake flew up as Raelorian lead Aqua to a circle of ten evocators, Davas and Sathea were the two most center as the rank and file were awaiting orders from the stormcast at the center, Arreia. Raelorian addressed the Lord Arcanum. "Lady Arreia, me and my men will keep guard in... the off chance we have someone attack."

The Lord Arcanum ordered him. "It's due to... a theory of mine, this realm is safe from out enemies, but so long as we have that flaw with in, there could be one who would seek to destroy the Heartstone all over again. That is why you, Gashen and Vandax above are... the guard. Nerax, you are to join our persecutors and support them while Loru and Nightscale act as our hammer."

The knight venator took flight to the sky with the Stardrake as Gashen called to the judicator prime, Raelorian went to his post as the Lord Arcanum let Aqua know of her plan. "We think due to how the Heartstone is used, it requires an ample supply of strong magic to power it. Death magic, the magic from you're keyblade."

Aqua had something to correct her on. "Or by giving power from the heart to power the stone, like how that warband tried to use the fragment of Chamon. How much would it be required?"

Arreia answered uncertain. "For something like making a way back to a realm far away from ours... it could take a lot. It may take hours and I hope you took advantage of the free resources when you can, you might be up here all day... maybe more."

Aqua didn't mind as Moonfang readied itself to watch. "But what will you have me do?"

Arreia advised. "You wait unless there is something we need from you. A keyblade is not required to power the stone, leave the fueling to us and we are thankful for that, for as long as we can endure, you cannot."

Aqua found it a fair statement as the Lord Arcanum ordered. "Hallowed Knights, are you ready? We will make a path to save the realm beyond and we will do it proudly!"

The many let the general know they were, Aqua let her pendent float to the center and watched the general step back. The eleven mages focused and poured their power into the stone, Aqua felt her own heart beating in excitement, she turned back and looked to the sky, feeling there was someone missing that would have liked to see her in this moment. She closed her eyes and remembered a hero in silver and blue, glowing with the storms. "...Thank you Ana, for everything."


	23. A Festive Arrival

At the end of a short flight with in a Lane In Between. Hofneil and his space marines saw a world that seemed more like a medieval city, with a cathedral that has two twin towers on top. The captain stepped off a seat with in a blocky, silver air craft and looked out the window to see four more blocky ships flying close. He awaited as screen by his right shined to reveal a camera with four separate parties; Sora and his group of Donald and Goofy, Riku and Mickey, Kairi and Resira, finally, Ken, Tahm and the guardsmen. "Our path leads to this holy place. You should begin deployment soon."

Riku understood that as Mickey spoke of a plan. "When things get tough, one of us will give the signal for you fellas to come. Magitinus said he built something that can help you blend in?"

The tech priest looking down upon the world and answered, turning to the mouse. "Only if an hour of need is called for. The Occultat Angelis Dei!"

Sora liked the name. "Ooooo, sounds cool... what does it mean?"

Riku, Donald, Goofy, Mickey and Kairi awkwardly looked at Sora in their own ways as Tahm coughed and folded his arms behind his back. "It is an ancient language. It means Shroud of Angels."

Ken looked out his window and guessed. "This world also looks pretty low tech, so everyone not looking the part is going to blend in. Looks like Cadia's Light is going to be a spear again."

He oddly looked forward to that as Hofneil took command. "Reserve any special abilities for when you have to use them, the civilians will think heresy if they see even a simple spear fire like a hot shot lasgun! Find a place to rendezvous, find our pathway and if you must, deal with any threat to the stability of the world."

The Imperial squadrons chanted in unison. "It will be done Captain Hofneil!"

The teenagers and animal like peple let him know they understood instructions, the teenagers reported a disconnect and various lights shined with in the ships. Magitinus turned to ask the space marine. "Do a group of children really think they are our salvation?"

The tech priest looked like his logic board was shorting out as Nathanel took a deep breath. "That is not why we agreed to this mission. Vanquishing the Forces of Chaos is what matters above all."

Dabriel nodded to that. "And keeping the peace of this galaxy. What they do not know won't harm them."

Pyriel agreed and stoically watched the window. "What ever our fate is when we return, they will believe us to be hailed as heroes."

The captain readied his weapons and sounded upbeat. "And they are best to think that would be our reward."

Magitinus coughed and promised them. "We all planned for that day."

Hofneil looked upon the world in hope. "Tahm has special reserves for his men on account of their services to the Emperor and for himself, despite Resira offering to alleviate our burdens. You seek to apologize for your behavior Tech Priest?"

Magitinus nodded and welcomed the vision. "The technological wonder and the fate of the lasgun is... extraordinary. This they will know before I depart...what of you?"

Hofneil answered proudly. "We will do as we always have, now and forever! For the Emperor."

The three marines and tech priest gave a unified. "For the Emperor!"

In a medieval city.

Sora, Donald and Goofy looked around at the various strings, banners and listened to the small bells. Sora asked. "Is there a festival in town?"

Donald noticed various performers in festive dresses as Goofy noticed many people in odd dresses, one of which was a horse costume with both sides being the rear. "It looks pretty topsy turvey. Think we should find the others?"

Sora nodded and was looking forward to time goofing off and wandered to stables, where the only things of real notice was a dancing goat with a golden ring, a random man in green clothes blowing a horn and the more outstanding; a tan, green eyed woman with mid length black hair, a white upper dress shirt and a long purple skirt. She was playing a tambourine. Donald guessed. "Maybe we need to follow to where the partying is."

Sora looked around to find nothing more save for blonde man with a short beard, wearing a blue cloak covering golden armor and was reading a map with a grey horse. The man looked around himself, bundled the map into a ball and was just as lost, talking with his horse. "Mmmhm! You leave town for a couple of decades and they change everything," He noticed the trio walking by and asked without looking to much at them. "Excuse me, I'm looking for the Palace of Justice would yo-" He stopped and notice the odd group of characters. "Mmm, wrong group. Never mind."

He noticed the group of performers and was entertained as Sora asked. "Palace?"

The man listened, tossed coins into an upside down hat and apologized. "Sorry for being rude, I was on order to come here for duty. I think there is a festival going on."

The trio didn't mind and accepted the apology, as the man checked out the performing woman, a sharp whistle was blown and the three performers tried to run, the goat took the hat and spilled coins, the woman stopped to pick them up and was confronted by a brutish town guard with an brown mustache and a shorter oafish guard, they looked down upon her. The brutish guard asked and tried to take the hat of coins. "Alright gypsy where did you get the money?"

The woman answered and tried to get her hat back. "For you're information, I earned it!"

The brute didn't believe it. "Gypsies don't earn money!"

The oaf grabbed her by the shoulders. "They steal it!"

The woman wasn't taking that accusation and argued to both. "You know a lot about stealing."

The brute snatched the hat away as the oaf was threatening to arrest her. Sora, Donald and Goofy readied their weapons as the woman kicked and fought. The goat head butted the oaf and kicked the brute, knocking them prone and giving the animal and his owner time to escape. The blonde man signaled the trio with a twitch of his eyes that they should run, they noticed a blonde boy across a left alley way, wielding a more ornament polearm like keyblade and waving. The trio bolted it as the dazed guards immediately suspected them of something and tried to decide on who to pursue.

A trio of guards in green and a lieutenant in a matching uniform, with a mid length sword at the hilt. The thuggish guards tried to go after the fleeing woman, assuming the trio were heading towards custody, Sora, Donald and Goofy watched the blonde man pull his horse in the way of the thugs, stopping one and tripping another. The horse was ordered to sit on the knocked down thug and the trio knew some justice was done. Sora noticed the guardsmen trio with a matching set of spears as Ken gave his hello. "This worked out better than what I expected."

The lieutenant growled to that. "That would be said for you! But some of us would rather we kept ourselves more... distinct."

Sora guessed what was wrong and asked ignorant. "You're uniform is that important to you Tahm?"

Perkins cringed as Tahm's eyes looked above his own head, a helmet where something should have been. "It's his hat! He really loves that hat."

Tahm nodded as Elric sympathized with him. "He is never without it."

The lieutenant looked more embarrassed. "Imagine, walking about public in under wear, it feels so... exposing."

Thompson imagined himself and panted in a traumatic fantasy. "No, no. I would sooner die."

Donald and Goofy looked upon their own hats as Sora asked. "Do you know where the festival is around here? If we find them, we find the others."

Ken had no idea and shrugged as Tahm laughed outloud. "Ha! Ha! Don't you know?"

He pointed to a church with two bell towers. "Most celebrations occur near places of worship, failure to do so would result in getting on the wrong side of the Ecclisiarchy."

He lead the way to a more festive path, where three familiar faces looked up to the cathedral; Riku, Kairi and Mickey. The mass group felt whole save for one particular, Kairi answered for the missing party member. "Resira was trying to question everything in the festival and she went into the cathedral when I told her to calm down."

Some of the bystanders looked upon the group strangely and a woman whispered gossip. "Why the guards just standing there with the gypsys?"

Riku wasn't entertained by the notion as Tahm signaled him to be quiet and answered. "They are but weary travelers from far away, they only wish to be apart of the Topsy Turvey Festival and perhaps see the inside of the Cathedral."

The towns people looked at him and his guard strangely, Tahm smirked as the non imperial group took the chance to sneak into the crowd. Deep with in and far away, they watched the four be questioned by normal looking guards. Ken voiced out a blessing. "They are humiliating themselves so we can get away and blend in."

Riku guessed so and asked. "Anyone got a stunt they can pull off? Mickey, they think you are someone in a costume."

The mouse gasped, looked at his royal guard and court wizard, then decided. "We ought to make the most of that, Donald, Goofy, would you mind helping me out?"

Goofy didn't as Donald asked. "Costume?! But we a-" Sora stopped him. "Order."

The duck stopped and folded his arms in a grumpy attitude as Riku asked Ken. "Is there anything you can do with... that other keyblade to work?"

Ken nodded and giggled. "I can make an ashy dance that I'm sure she won't mind."

Kairi had one of her own. "I learned one during my travels, tee hee!"

Sora tried to think of one, was lost in the thought as the girl asked. "Sora, Riku do you want to learn it? It's pretty fun."

In the Cathedral.

Resira looked upon herself in a mirror, she was in a black habit. She took a deep breath and looked towards the way she came from. "It would take ages for me to uncover any suspicious behavior. The danger upon all their souls is somewhere... but where?" She picked the puzzle apart and thought of one way to separate the guilty from the innocent, she shook her head and dismissed it. "No, they would not approve and we are trying to save cities like this."

"Something troubling you my child?" Resira saw to the right of the mirror, a clergy man in white robes with red highlights, looking concerned for her. The adeptas sororitas recognized a man of religious authority, gave a bow and confessed. "Yes Archdaecon, what is the festival outside? People from two cultures make presence before this holy place and I fear a great evil is present and if not stopped... it could lead to disaster."

The Archdaecon took a deep breath and guided her down a hall way. "There is nothing wrong with such a festival, it is a time of peace and merry."

Resira doubted and asked. "But if they are allowed to partake in these events and excess, peace would only lead to war! It takes but one spark, for a fire to grow and consume the city in chaos."

That the Archdaecon agreed with. "An excess in all things can lead to sin, sister. But it is their choice to do so."

Resira gasped and asked. "We... are allowing them to revel in this?" The Archdaecon nodded. "If they feel guilt, they have the choice to come here and contemplate. We interfere if we must."

The Adeptas Sororitas stood before glass windows of various holy images and looked upon the Archdaecon's cross, frowning with a mixture of confusion and loneliness. "...Even in a holy house, nothing feels-" The clergyman suggested gently. "If you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to fear here."

Resira felt more guilty and looked around to find more sights that reminded her of home. "...I have one, I'm not really a sister of this church. Mine is so far away... and I seen so much... my mission brought me here because of a great threat to us all. For me and my comrades."

She found a pew as the Archdaecon closed his eyes and nodded. "That does explain much, regardless, all are welcome here. Thank you."

Resira felt warm in the heart and was left be, in a place so similar to home, yet so far apart. She closed her eyes and envisioned herself, a handful of guardsmen, a Commissar and four space marines being hailed as heroes, standing above them was a large blue armored figure, wielding a fiery red sword, saying something she couldn't hear, yet was something that brought hope. Click! She was taken out of the vision and turned around to find a town guard approaching, she recognized Perkins and smiled. Pretending to be scolding him as the guard asked. "Sister Resira, we knew you were here."

He was amazed by the holy work as the Adeptas Sororitas stood up and asked him. "Only one knows some of the truth. Enough for him to understand our reasons, has someone in the festival finally revealed themselves?"

Perkins shook his head and felt a weight on his shoulders. "No, but you came here all by yourself and... Lieutenant Tahm had his hands full in the mission. If anything is to happen, we are to find it in the festival, not here in a sanctuary."

He heard a loud noise from outside, closed his eyes and expected something, Resira took a deep breath and promised. "Very well Perkins, I will observe, but NOT partake. Then you and the others are to meet with me."

Perkins gave a respectful bow and lead the way out. "You are not the only one observing sister. So, how does it feel to be here?"

Resira wasn't going to make a final judgement. "It's accepting and its architect... reminds me of home."

At the festival.

Ken was annoyed that Tahm and his group had to keep up their facade and assist the town guard in maintaining the peace as a group of people in dark clothes arrived to cheer. "Come one, come all! Leave the loops and milking stools. Coop the hens and pen the mules. Come one, come all! Close the churches and the schools. It's the day for breaking rules. Come and join the feast of," A jester in purple, blue and yellow slide from under neath the group and cheered. "Fools!"

It was obvious it was a harmless celebration as he noticed Kairi explaining something to Sora and Riku, both boys looked to be blushing from a daring request, Ken approached and asked. "Isn't it odd that there isn't a... you know what in sight?"

Riku turned to the polearm wielding partner and confessed. "It's suspicious in itself... but this is all recent, so this is why we need... we need to keep a closer watch. Parties like this can get out of control."

Sora heard and whined. "Riku, when was the last time we ever did something like this?"

Ken sighed and resigned himself to a mundane job. "I'm still putting on a show and all that, but people-" Kairi finished. "Called us gypsys and that... is considered a bad thing? Something doesn't seem right," She exhaled and promised Riku. "We are taking this seriously, that... missing thing is what is setting us off an edge."

The silver haired teenager agreed and wished to start the requested event. "No use being stressed up. Now... how does this dance happen?"

Kairi readied to continue her instructions as Sora noticed a cowl running from various people. "...Hey, what's that?" Ken looked to the direction and found a jester snapping balloon strings to reveal what looks like a man in a blue cowl. "I got this."

He took out Firekeepers Wish tapped a dance and went over in a simple pattern that was complimented by embers. Leaving the teenagers to their shenanigans as the cloaked man tried hiding from a crowd, was caught up in a small theater and kept running into one shenanigan after another.

He was distracted by Goofy spinning with his shield up and Donald jumped on, Mickey jumped into the duck's shoulders and raised his keyblade in the air. He heard a loud. "WOOOAH!"

THUD!

And went back to observing, hearing banter with in a pink tent and sneaking through the crowd to find someone being escorted out, the cloaked man, on closer inspection, the man's face looked rather deformed and his arms were thick. He looked odd, but nothing dangerous. He focused on his keyblade, tossed a cloud of ashes and danced with in for a show, listening to the party becoming more and more wacky and walking to a cathedral.

During the destiny trio's dance.

Kairi had the two boys in a dance she learned a couple worlds back, Sora was ignorantly swept in as Riku was cautious until he too succumb, two of them danced at a time and they mixed in between. They noticed a metal spiked horse drawn cart being drawn to a throne under a tent, Sora recognized one of the guard escorting the cart, a man in golden armor being captain of the guardsmen. He let his friends know and they kept in play as they watched the cart stop and a guard open a door. Letting out a sour looking, elderly man in black robes and a fancy black hat, like he was the only person in the whole festival that wasn't thrilled being there. The man approached the throne, sat on it and was annoyed by a jester singing to him to prepare for something. The jester danced to the crowd. "Come one. Come all!" He used a man in a hidden cowl as someone to jump to a platform as he announced. "See the finest girl in France, make an entrance to entrance! Dance, La Esmereldaaaaaaa!" He readied for something, tossed something to the ground "Dance!"

and vanished in pink smoke, taking his place was the same woman Sora saw moments ago, except in a red festive dress that had purple highlights on the shoulders and top of the skirt.

She caught the whole trio by surprise, Kairi whistled and watched the wild dancing. "Wow!"

The boys agreed in adolescent innocence as they watched the dancer approach the grumpy man, teased him, tapped his hat down and danced back to the platform, using a green uniformed guard's spear to help in dancing. On finish, the vast crowd, the golden armored man included that was keeping guard, tossed coins for a job well done. The jester cheered to the crowd. "And now, ladies and gentleman. The piece of resistance! Here it is, the moment you've been waiting for. Here it is, you know what's in store. Now's the time to laugh until our sides get sore. Now's the time we crown the King of Fools." He asked and pointed to an orange drunkard fool on a palanquin. "Remember last years King?" The jester made sinister like faces and encouraged. "So make a face that's horrible and frightening. For the face that's ugliest will be the King of Fools! Why?"

Two green guardsmen climbed up to join in, one went for the spear Esmerelda used and gave it back to his comrade in arms. A Lieutenant had his left palm at his face and watched the dancer pull one more man from the crowd, a deformed, orange haired man with green clothes and a hunched back, he perked up in attention as the green guardsmen noticed the one not like all the others. Many people with masks joined in and the short competition began. Most of the competition had their masks removed to show average looking men, they were knocked off the platform by a goat, straight into the mud. Thompson's helmet was removed to show a face with a scar on his right eye and was complimented by purple eyes. The crowd still boo'd and the goat knocked him off, Elric took his chance, took off his helmet willingly and showed his burn mark, catching the crowd by surprise. The goat went to the hunchback, bleated and backed away as the woman pulled at the last contenders face.

Feeling skin and a face not coming off. "Huh?"

The audience gasped in horror. "That's no mask!" "It's his face." "He's hideous." "It's the bell ringer of Notre Dame!" T

he Lieutenant hid in the shadows and watched the hunchback pant in fear of the crowd, deeming him less than a threat. The hunchback hid his face in shame as the jester pleaded to the crowd. "Ladies and Gentleman, don't panic, we asked for the ugliest face in Paris-" Elric glared in jealousy and walked off the stage with some dignity as the jester addressed the winner. "and here he is!" He placed a fools crown on the hunchbacks head and announce. "Quasimodo, the Hunchback of Notre Dame!"

The crowd approached in praise to the winner and carried him to the palanquin, knocking the drunkard off and placing the hunchback in his place. During the celebration, the teenage trio watched the green guard bicker among each other, Tahm was lecturing Elric about something and ordered the three to watch on with respect. Riku guessed two things that happened. "Either they are not happy to see Quasimodo or Tahm wasn't keen on his men humiliating themselves like that."

Sora pitied the guardsmen and watched the crowned King of Fools be escorted to a central platform with a spinning wheel, watching Quasimodo be adorned like a king, with a regal cloak and a scepter, it seemed like he was having the happiest day of his life. The crowd tossed flowers as the guardsmen gave Quasimodo a round of applause, Tahm gave his own with an ever strict face as the jester jumped off to finish his song. An oafish voice from the crowd asked something. "Think he is ugly now?" The teenagers listened to the voice and saw two normal guards, an oafish guard was ready to throw a rotten tomato. "Watch this!"

Flung!

Splat! The teenagers and various members of the crowd gasped, Tahm analyzed the direction of the throw and found the offender, glaring at him. The oaf laughed at the hunchback. "Now that's ugly!"

Riku sensed another malicious heart and found another guard with a rotten tomato in hand, the guard shouted. "Hail to the king!" Splat. Many more guard were throwing rotten food at him, turning the crowd that was cheering into a crowd of laughter.

Donald, Goofy, Mickey and Ken approached the teenagers with the shift in plans. Quasimodo slipped and tried to flee as a towns person with a lasso balked. "Where are you going hunchback, the fun is just beginning!" More cruelty on top of cruelty followed as the towns people tied the hunchback down upon the wheel, spun the wheel and left him helpless against the throwing splatters, he screamed to the dark looking man. "Master!" The man glared at him in contempt as the hunchback asked for help, turning his head away in disgust. The captain of the guard asked something that Sora heard. "Sir, request permission to stop this cruelty."

The dark man folded his arms and said something Riku heard. "In a moment captain, a lesson needs to be learned here."

Riku's face sharpened as Kairi noticed someone approaching the platform the hunchback was on. Esmerelda. She felt sorry for him, lowered herself and readied a piece of her dress to use as cleaning cloth. "Don't be afraid." Quasi cringed as the woman apologized. "I'm sorry, this wasn't suppose to happen." She wiped the mess off

The man in black robes stood up and yelled. "You, Gypsy Girl!" Esmerelda faced the man as a certain group of eight were ready to jump to action, the dark man ordered. "Get down at once!"

Esmerelda had her own response and stood up to tie her cloth back. "Yes you're honor, just as soon as I free this poor creature."

The dark man growled something that caused even Tahm to turn towards him with disgust. "I forbid it!"

Esmerelda took out a dagger and cut the rope loose to free Quasimodo, the dark man vowed vengeance. "How dare you defy me!"

Esmerelda had a juicy speech for the dark man. "You mistreat this poor boy the same way you mistreat my people! You speak of justice but you are cruel to those most in need of you're help!" The dark man demanded. "Silence!"

Esmerelda barked. "Justice!"

The crowd gasped as the team of eight, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Goofy, Donald, Mickey and Ken jumped into action. More astonishment came from the crowd as the spiky haired teenager had his own words to say to the town guard, the dark man and even the towns people. "He was having a good time and then you all turn on him?!"

Kairi agreed with that. "You should all be ashamed of yourselves!"

The man pointed at the group of eight. "Mark my words gypsies, you will pay for this insolence!"

Riku scoffed as the woman beat him to a come back. "Then the only fool I see-" She grabbed the fools crown and hurled it at the man. "Is you!"

A raspberry blew, enraging the man to where he ordered his captain. "Captain Phoebus! Arrest them!"

The captain snapped his fingers and pointed, ten guards on horses approached the group of eight. Esmerelda counted as Riku noticed Tahm signalling them to flee, the silver haired teenager understood as the woman gave an estimate. "There is ten of you and-" Riku promised her. "Just do what you can to get out of here!" Esmerelda sniffled mockingly and took out a piece of cloth from her bosom. "Oh what is a poor girl to do? *Sniff*"

She blew into it and disappeared in pink smoke, the many gasped and the dark man accused. "Witchcraft!"

That woman's voice taunted the group of authority. "Oh booooys! Over here" The group turned to an executioners platform, with an axe on a stump and a basket of masked pumpkins, looking like severed heads. Esmerelda and her pet goat pretended to be among them as two guards growled. "There she is, get her!"

Riku jumped on the platform and caught himself on a pole, he quickly knocked the brute and oaf off their feet and gave Esmerelda and her goat time to jump off the platform, towards a group of people eager to escape. She was carried to the other side and found three more guards trying to go after her. She found a cage with an old man inside, jumped on it and swung to knock the guards down and cause the chain holding it in place to break. She rolled away towards a stone presser on a rolling board, she and her goat jumped on the bystander man as the remaining group of seven waist no time knocking the guards off. A mage and shield bearer that know how to fight and four keyblade wielders of various skills. The crowd cleared way to let the seven run off towards a group of four guards that were trying to chase the escaping woman. Riku appeared before them in a flash and with one slash, sent them flying.

The duo of lady and goat's board went up a ramp over another group of four guards were knocked down by the rolling cage, it opened to let an old man free, the man hurt his leg crawling out and found himself in another prison a stockade. The duo ran underneath a man in large stilts, Esmerelda pulled the long pants down and tricked a pursuing guard on his horse into a sling shot, his hat fell off and he was flung across town screaming. She held a metal hat and found three more on horses trying to charge at her, she flung the hat like a frisbee and knocked them off, it nearly hit Phoebus, who didn't mind dodging. She was certainly someone that didn't need much saving, Ken whispered something to Mickey's ear, the mouse listened and signaled to Riku as another wave of guards try to apprehend them, in larger numbers. "Riku come on, we got to get out of here!"

The silver haired teenager wondered what it was and flowed back to the platform, he watched Esmerelda run from two more horsemen towards a trapeze performer with a long horizontally positioned stick. The two imbeciles caught the stick and were running at the dark man, who gasped and was yanked out of the tent by the stick. The man crawled out of the wreckage and glared at the woman who was helped up the platform by two stilted men, she gave a graceful bow and used burgundy cloth to wrap herself and her goat around in a veil. Disappearing as Ken had Firekeeper's Wish glow in ash and slammed to the ground. Ash and cinder erupted as he yelled to the group, including the hunchback. "Everyone hold hands, kneel to the flame and stare at it! I got the rest!"

The group found it absurred, yet they do it anyways. Giving off a faint glow and finding themselves by a candle with in a room in a cathedral.

Ken smiled widely to something he learned of. "Sanctuary! An Archdaecon told me if we claim sanctuary, we can hide out here!"

Riku was laving low suspension of disbelief. "He allowed you to go that far?"

Cough! "He told him of that, but the spark of flame was his own doing should the need arises."

The group of eight turned to their right to find Resira giving them all a firm, disapproving glare. "You assisted a woman who was aiding... what I assume is an abhuman and openly rebelled against a government official. Explain why."

Mickey gasped and asked her. "Resira, what was being done to Quasimodo was just... cruel, Esmerelda was doing the right thing by helping him," He was worried about a particular detail. "But... why didn't he come with us?"

Resira agreed and stepped aside. "It was cruel, why prolong the suffering but for sick amusement?" She shook her head and pointed to the flame. "If someone were to see you after that... right now, you would be questioned with... severe force. If you are nimble to explore the cathedral without being seen, then you are free to do so," Sora, Riku and Mickey stepped forward, leaving the rest behind as the Adeptas Sororitas felt hesitate to give a prayer in the church of another religion. "the rest of you are in my custody until I decide otherwise."

Kairi growled at her as Donald advised her. "Don't."

Resira appreciated a wise duck. "One of you claimed sanctuary in the church, I am not to bring harm. Kairi, Donald, Goofy... is there something you should say... out of obligation."

Kairi gave in as she, Donald and Goofy said in unison. "Sanctuary."

Resira closed her eyes and exhaled. "Thank you." She turned around for her own task. "Now for that woman to give me her own answers."

Kairi wasn't going to allow her. "After what she did, you think you can do that?"

Resira went to the exit and promised her. "It is simple questions, nothing more. What she has done, topples the foundation of order and I seek to know why. Heed my warnings before you pursue me, Princess."

She walked off on a frustrated Kairi that sat by a wall, folded her arms and pouted. "I can't believe we are being left behind like this."

Donald felt it mutual as Goofy didn't mind it. "It's okay, our friends will get to the bottom of this soon."

Ken hoped so and guessed why. "Unless we can fly up in ways that don't involve making too big of a scene. I hope Tahm and the others have better luck than we do, they are stuck in a tight one."

Kairi worried for them as well. "They are just ordinary people that look... like the guards of the city. Donald, Goofy, what was... that dance about?"

Goofy chuckled. "It was something me and Donald thought of when we need to fight Chaos again. If you all are becoming stronger, than so should we."

Donald explained some of the details. "It's to make a storm that will-"

On a high platform in the Cathedral.

Sora and Riku spun on a column to catch their landing and watched a fight from bellow, Mickey jumped up with them and looked down to find Esmerelda being approached a golden armored soldier. Riku wanted to put an end to all the brawling as Sora stopped him with a whisper. "I know this guy, don't attack yet."

Mickey felt an agreement to that and looked closer, the woman quickly had the man in a corner with his own sword. "And... fighting here doesn't feel right."

The trio agreed to just watching, the captain of the guard crawled to a pillar and calmly tried to get Esmerelda to calm down. "Easy, easy. I just shaved this morning."

The woman had the sword at the man's chest and taunted. "Oh really? You missed a spot."

The man sat by the pillar and had his hands up. "Alright, alright, just give me a chance to apologize."

Esmerelda wasn't trusting him and asked. "For what?"

The man swiped the sword away from her, she fell back on the floor as the man answered. "That."

The woman growled fiercely. "You sneaky son of a-" The man stopped her and got up. "Ah, ah, ah. Watch it, we're in a church."

Esmerelda smiled with another taunt and went for a tall, triple pronged candle post "Are always this charming or am I just lucky!"

The watching trio saw her try and succeed in fighting back with the candle post, the man was mostly focused on defending himself, Riku relaxed and realized. "He isn't trying to fight her, that's different from all the thugs in armor."

Sora watched the Esmerelda quickly gaining an upper hand, exchanging a taunt that burns worse than the candles and try striking bellow the belt. "He just... arrived in town, he is from this world, but he hasn't let the authority of the town... darken him."

Riku corrected him. "Yet."

Mickey watched the captain's sprawl end with him being head butted in the stomach by a goat. "Or maybe not. Let's listen."

The captain kneel from the blunt. "Off! I didn't know you had a kid."

Esmerelda and her pet goat kept guard. "He doesn't take kindly to soldiers."

The man gritted in pain. "I noticed," He went to a more daring move. "Permit me, I'm Phoebus. It means Sun God."

The woman and goat were not flattered and their eyes looked to each other as the man asked. "And you are?"

Esmerelda asked. "Is this an interrogation?" Phoebus put his sword away. "It's called an introduction."

Esmerelda looked more in disbelief. "You're not arresting me?"

Phoebus looked around the church and answered. "Not as long as you're in here, I can't."

That much the woman was trusting as she put the candle post back in position. "Huh, you're not at all like the other soldiers. So, if you're not going to arrest me, what do you want?"

Phoebus answered charmingly. "I'd settle for you're name." The woman gave hers. "Esmerelda." Phoebus complimented. "Beautiful... and much better than Phoebus anyways." The observing above knew what they were looking at, keeping quiet as Sora gave his friends a cheerful smile. The two bellow looked to have something of a connection. Click! Slam!

"Good work captain!" The six looked at the doorway in the church and found that dark man with his guards, the man ordered. "Now, arrest her!"

Phoebus turned to the woman as he goat hid behind her and whispered. "Claim sanctuary!" Esmerelda was back to not trusting him as he urged. "Say it!"

Esmerelda growled. "You tricked me."

The dark man approached with his patience lost. "I'm waiting, captain."

Phoebus turned and apologized. "I'm sorry, she claimed sanctuary, there is nothing I can do."

The dark man ordered. "Then drag her outside and-" An Archdaecon approached and put a stop to the order with a firm point. "Frollo, you will not touch her," He let Esmerelda know. "Don't worry, Minister Frollo learned years ago to respect the sanctity of the Church."

Frollo glared at them and sharply turned, his men leading the way out. The remaining three looked to each other as the observers silently looked upon each other. Who ever was the orchestrator of the worlds problems was definitely Frollo. They looked down to find the Daecon holding Phoebus's right arm and escorting him out, with the not so friendly goat head butting the captain of the guard in the rear. Phoebus was vocal about understanding that he wasn't welcome. "Alright, I'm going."

They notice that Frollo approaching Esmerelda from behind, apparently he sneaked past everyone in his endeavors. Grabbed her from behind and held her firmly, she gasped in shock as the onlooking boys were ready to beat Frollo up, Mickey signaled them to hold. "I'm not liking this either, but we can't do that here."

Riku asked. "Why not, when someone ends up doing it anyways?"

Mickey took a deep breath and answered. "Because we wouldn't be any better than what he thinks of us."

Sora kept watching Esmerelda trying to escape, Frollo whispered in her ear. "You think you outwitted me."

Esmerelda pulled once more as Frollo taunted. "But I'm a patient man and gypsy's don't do well behind stone walls."

The silent watchers watched Frollo sniff the woman's hair, making them all feel uncomfortable at blatant sexual harassment. Esmerelda growled. "What are you doing?"

Frollo used his right hand and used it to caress he neck. "I was just imagining a rope, around you're beautiful neck."

Esmerelda elbowed him and shook her harasser off towards the door. "I know what you're imagining."

Even Sora was well aware of the wrongness and cringed. Frollo placed his fingers together and sneered. "Such a clever witch. So typical of your kind to twist the truth, to cloud the mind with unholy thought." He dismissed that and walked to the door. "Well no matter. You chosen a magnificent prison. But it is a prison non the less. Set one foot outside and you're mine!" He slammed the door and caused an echo.

The trio jumped to another platform towards where the woman was trying to run to, a door with the Archdaecon trying to light some candles, she opened a door and the three heard. "Frollo's orders, post a guard at every door."

SLAM!

After that quick realization she wasn't escaping easily, Sora realized. "If the others don't have a way out, what are they going to do?"

Riku shrugged and watched the woman crouch to be in thought, her goat approached to comfort her as the teenager answered. "We need to figure it out and tell Resira that... she is redundant."

They listened to Esmerelda talking to her goat. "Don't worry Djali, if Frollo thinks he can keep us here, he is wrong."

The Arch Deacon advised her. "Don't act rashly my child. You created, ha, quite a stir at the festival. It would be unwise to rouse Frollo's anger further."

The woman pointed to the door and asked as she stood up. "You saw what he did out there, letting the crowd torture that poor boy!"

She tried to walk it off. "I thought if just one person could stand up to him then-" she gave up on that thought and asked. "*Huff* What do they have against people who are different anyway?"

The trio noticed someone sneaking behind a column and listening among them, Resira. She followed Esmerelda and the Clergy man as she listened to the man advise. "You can't right all the wrongs in this world by yourself."

Esmerelda had her thumb at the door in an agreement. "Well besides eight people, no one else out there is going to be of help, that's for sure."

The Archdaecon sighed and lead her to a holy shrine. "Well, perhaps there is someone here who can."

He left her be, Resira felt with in her heart that such actions are that of a clear rebel, all who do against authority are questionable at best and a Chaos worshiper at worst, yet an Archdaecon was showing much more tolerance towards the different mindset than she was ever use to and she would ever have.

She waited and noticed Esmerelda looking upon the people of the church praying, the gypsy looked upon a statue of a holy woman holding a baby. Doubtful, yet desperate. "I don't know if you can here me, or if you're even there." She approached the statue in respect. "I don't know if you would listen, to a gypsy's prayer. Yes I know I'm an outcast, I shouldn't speak to you." Resira's tension faded and she looked on in disbelief as Esmerelda looked up to the statue. "Still, I see you're face and wonder, were you once and outcast too?" She walked down a hall way of candles as Resira and the watchers above kept listening, the unaware woman was in a prayer. "God help the outcasts, hungry from birth. Show them the mercy, they don't find on earth. God help my people, who look to you still." Mickey noticed a figure from a balcony, looking down upon Esmerelda, Quasimodo, drawn from where ever he was hiding towards the prayer. The woman asked as she walked past a stream of people going the other direction. "God help the outcasts, when no body will."

The steam of people in contrast were praying for something more shallow and selfish. "I ask for wealth, I ask for fame, I ask for glory to shine on my head."

That irritated the hiding nun, she pressed her back against a column and looked down in shame, she was attempting to pursue someone that was placing the need of others before her own. She mentally drowned out the foolish pleas and listened to the rest of the prayer, noticing a certain hunchback that was drawn to the prayer's end. The unaware woman sighed. "I ask for nothing, I can get by." She went to a wall with a grand circular window. "But I know so many, less lucky than I. Please help my people, the poor and down-trod. I thought we were all children of God." She stood before the light. "God help the outcasts. Children of God."

The goat following the woman nuzzled at her, she embraced him for comfort. Resira looked upon the hunchback that was comforted by such words and felt something she could ask of him. Something that would be more gentle in comparison to what he been through, a man noticed him first and yelled. "You, bell ringer! What are you doing down here?!" The hunchback yelped, tripped a candle and tried to run as he was scolded. "Haven't you caused enough trouble already?!"

Esmerelda followed, Resira took chase and the watching trio waited for their own pursuit. Following up a spiral stairs as Mickey had one conclusion. "Where the pathway is, it is here in the Church."

Sora and Riku agreed and followed the king to the exit of a tower, Sora asked. "But... so many people are... not getting it-" Riku nodded to that. "and shun or pursue those that do. What is Resira's excuse this time?!"

They found the Sister of Battle looking determined about something, Sora shouted. "Resira!"

The nun turned around astonished and breaking out from her normally strict demeanor and making an effort to hide it. "You went unnoticed through out all that?"

Riku nodded. "We heard and saw the whole thing." Mickey heard voices in the other tower. "And much more than that. Are you sure you are chasing the right people?"

Resira shook her head. "My judgement was greatly misplaced, yet the hunchback has one question we all want an answer to."

Riku asked her questioningly. "What is his ties with Frollo? The Minister that rules over this town, if there is anyone you should be after-" Resira agreed with him. "Frollo certainly has features ill suited for maintaining the city. Greatly ill suited. When I have my questions answered from Quasimodo, Frollo is next... and I won't be nearly as gentle as I will be with these two," She turned to the second tower. "Come, our evidence awaits." They went into the tower and found many bells, rope for the bells and a trio of gargoyles in the corner. They heard Esmerelda above a set of stairs. "I'm really sorry about this afternoon, I had no idea who you were." They followed to find her climbing up some ladders and stopping. "I would have never pulled-" She was amazed. "you...up on... the...stage."

She and her goat climbed up to see, the party of four climbed up the later, with Resira doing so first and seeing a table with miniatures of a town and broken colored glass hanging from a support piece above. Shining in the light to sparkle many lights on the ground.

She climbed up as Sora followed, nearly blowing his cover as Riku followed to take in the sight and Mickey not long. They watched Esmerelda ask. "What is this?" Quasimodo answered shyly. "It's my ro-" He noticed the vast group, Esmerelda recognized three out of the four and eased the hunchback of a doubt. "Ha, don't worry, three of them were the ones who helped me during the festival. I-" She looked regretful as the keyblade wielders introduced themselves, Resira was most drawn to the miniatures and gave hers. "I am Resira... a faithful traveler." She asked Quasimodo. "May I have a closer look? You are forgiven of any doubts I had."

Esmerelda wasn't amused. "He isn't the one who needs forgiveness Sister."

Resira sighed and nodded. "I know, the problems I see are not tied to either of you."

Quasimodo asked more nervous. "Wha...I... wasn't?!"

The Adeptas Sororitas looked out the window to a grand building and squinted her eyes. "No, you were not. I ask once more, may I have a closer look?"

Quasi didn't find much harm as the ladies looked closer to the table. Esmerelda asked. "Did you make all this yourself?"

Quasi nodded. "Most of them." Esmerelda clanked some of the hanging glass together. "It's beautiful."

Resira looked at the wooden miniatures of people, well detailed miniatures that caused her to smile. "Well made crafts."

The keyblade wielders had a closer look and were just as impressed, if not more. Esmerelda chuckled and looked at the miniatures with a confession. "If I can do this, you wouldn't find me dancing on the street for coin."

Quasi responded with a smile. "But you're a wonderful dancer."

Esmerelda turned to him with her own smile. "Well, it puts bread on the table anyways."

Resira noticed something covered in a cloth and tried to undo it. "What is under here?"

Quasi tried to protest as Resira lifted the cloth and was impressed by the details if not panted, wondering what they were as Riku noticed the forms. "Those are the black smith and baker we saw on our way to the festival," He was impressed and asked. "How often do you go out to see these people?"

Quasi shivered at the thought. "I...Never, all my life I lived here, gazing at the people down bellow me."

Mickey asked with pity. "You memorized the details from up here, alone?"

Sora sighed to that as Resira felt she completely misjudged Quasimodo. "Even with that in mind, you're eyesight is impeccable."

The spiky haired teenager agreed and asked. "But... that's not what is wrong. You have all this to yourself?"

Quasimodo shook his head. "Well... it's not just me, there is the gargoyles," The group looked at the trio of gargoyles that was being sniffed by the goat. "And of course the bells... wou...would you like to see them?"

That much they would, Resira gasped and reminded herself. "Sora, Riku, Mickey... I do believe there is something I need to discuss with you're friends, is my custody over them necessary?"

Sora answered with his mind drifting somewhere. "It isn't... but if they are in danger if they go out there. Do you know... exactly what is waiting for them out there?"

Resira nodded. "And I will leave guiding them to you when you can. They could use a means of escaping, find a way."

She turned to the ladder as Sora promised Esmerelda and Quasimodo. "We have some friends of ours that are stuck here. I'll tell them when I can."

The two understood, Quasimodo jumped to the higher ground and introduced his many bells. "Follow me, I'll introduce you."

Down in a room bellow.

Ken felt his brain spinning as Kairi asked Donald and Goofy. "So Donald is trying... to be a rain cloud?"

Ken agreed and snapped from his imagination. "So much is going to be flung that if we meet things like those shadows again or any of the... you know whats in large numbers." He smacked his lips. "Goodbye!" He looked at his glowing keyblade and to Cadia's Light. "Something... that can deal with a lot of them at once."

Kairi understood that much. "You haven't learned any? You can blow out all that ash and-" She gasped and asked. "But... what if that keyblade eventually-" Donald finished for her. "If it sets itself on fire?"

Goofy wasn't too sure if it was a good idea. "But remember what Yen Sid said about that?"

Ken agreed with them and answered. "It's what it is drawing fuel from. But that would be so cool."

Step! Step! Click!

Resira entered the room and saw a group of well behaved individuals, she looked upon them with a light smile and stood aside. "Kairi, Donald, Goofy, Kendry... you are permitted to leave this room, but it is ill advised to go out of the Church's borders... at least traditionally."

Kairi sighed and asked. "Why do we have to do that that?"

Resira answered with concern for their safety. "For the Minister of the city... Frollo, would most certainly seek your heads after what you all done."

Ken raised an eyebrow and asked. "And we can't just kick his goons butts because if we go out, they will try to kill us and we don't want to result in the other option?"

Kairi answered with an agreement. "Fighting a heartless is different from fighting everyday people."

Resira nodded to her. "And they could just be those following a duty."

Donald felt she had a point and folded his arms. "But that doesn't excuse it, they got to think for themselves."

Goofy agreed with his buddy. "Long as Frollo is the one telling them what to do, they will keep being scared of him."

Those words caused Resira to yell to them. "If they rebel, they will die! There is only one way to reb-" She stopped herself as Kairi pitifully agreed with her. "If someone stands up to Frollo alone, that is going to happen. What are we going to do?"

Resira took a deep breath and promised her with a bow of respect. "You and the others are apart of this rebellion and you have your own way of resolving this should the worse happen."

She turned with zealous determination. "You can leave burning the roots to me!" She walked off and gave the four permission to explore the Cathedral, they realized she was going out and was taken aback by the grand holy symbols.

To think one world was so tied to religion, Kairi gasped and looked to the door with worry. "She isn't..." Donald and Goofy felt the realization as Ken looked to be staring into place. Was Resira doing something so reckless? Kairi sighed and barked. "Guys, we need to find the others, Resira is putting herself in danger."

The shield bearer and mage agreed with that, Goofy felt worse was going to happen. "That isn't the problem, she can fight them all easily."

Donald swallowed. "She would blow her cover and go to-" Ken's left hand was towards the round stained glass, in a trance, he gasped snapped out of it and felt his heart beating. Kairi lead the way towards a set of stairs. "Come on, we got to find a way out."


	24. Dark Fire

Out in the streets of Paris, Tahm and his guardsmen listened to entertaining street performers and tossed a couple coins there way, acting beyond the normal guard as they kept watch of criminals and heretics. Elric noticed a nun approaching and stood firm on recognizing her. "Tahm, Resira is coming!"

The disguised Commissar hummed and turned around to find her. "Sister, what are you doing out so far from the cathedral, it's awfully dangerous out here."

The entertainers felt an aura of danger as Resira looked upon them stalwartly. "For them and to you. Shall we have a word... alone?"

Tahm nodded as he listened to his guardsmen give various compliments to the performers. "Of course Sister," He asked the entertainers. "you never saw us. Men, come!"

The three followed their trusted Commissar, who in turn followed the Sister of Battle to an ally way, where she revealed her power sword and turned around to ask. "What do you know of the guards of the city? Are they an issue?"

Tahm nearly laughed and pointed to his men. "The regiment in a single day, proved more competence in there job, bare handed, than most of these buffoons in their whole life," He coughed, calmed himself and addressed one particular man. "although, Pheobus is commendable in getting them where they need to be among other things. What is you're recommendation for rescuing Sora and the others from the Cathedral?"

Resira pressed her hands together and answered with a wide smile. "We leave them be," Thompson and Perkins looked across the two ends of the alley to make sure no one was over hearing as Resira continued. "With the will in their hearts, they will find a way. This Pheobus is of little concern, the Minister however... I suspect he is responsible for the suffering we seen. He actively pursues people who are good at heart and he prolong the suffering of an abhuman who has great potential."

Tahm smiled with a taunt. "You have never fought along side an Ogryn, my dear."

Resira nodded to that. "The hunchback has excellent sight and his attention to detail is marvelous. Should we really compare him to them?"

Tahm guess he shouldn't. "But what more do you know, how is the hunchback connected to Frollo?"

Resira regretted leaving before being told. "The hunchback refers to him as master and spent most if not all his life up in that bell tower. Though I arrived late to... spy on the woman, she... gave an unusual prayer to what she calls God, although she isn't exactly a believer. One for aid to her people."

Perkins swallowed and confessed. "That Church is so... parallel."

Tahm was disturbed and grimly reminded Resira. "This God and the Emperor... are not of the same, although it is agreeable that Frollo is an evil man, think about what you are trying to enforce."

The Adeptas Sororitias dismissed it with a laugh. "Oh, ho, ho! We all know this galaxy's faith in the Emperor is an absolute zero. But that is why we keep ourselves faithful and not allow it to affect us, for when we return to the Emperor's light... this will all seem like a... dream."

Tahm cringed and adjusted his helmet in respect. "Regardless, you are seeking to overthrow a tyrant oppressing these people. If he is not stopped, genocide and driving these people away from faith would be inevitable."

Resira nodded to that. "Or worse, they would turn to... alternate means of disposing of him. Do you know where Frollo is?"

Tahm nodded and looked behind him, leading her to a direction where a massive palace is. "The...Palace of Justice, it's concept is being tainted. Me and my men will find a way to distract as many of the others as we can, we will leave you to the rest of your investigation."

Resira hid her sword and approved. "When the remaining see the truth, they will know to fear my wrath!"

On the top of a bell tower.

Quasimodo finished a tour of the inner workings of the bell tower and lead the group of five up to the roof. "I saved the best for last!"

Esmerelda climbed up with her goat as Sora and Riku were astonished by how one person gave all those bells names. Mickey was the last to arrive and saw a sun setting over the whole city, above a river that has a small bridge in the distance. Esmerelda was wowed. "I bet the King himself doesn't have a view like this."

Riku and Sora gave a slight look at Mickey and felt a vast city for them to explore, the woman sighed. "I can stay up here forever."

Quasimodo leaned from a stone rail way and suggested. "Y...You could you know."

Esmerelda refused and turned around with her heart aching. "No, I couldn't."

The hunchback realized. "Oh, yes! You and the others have sanctuary."

Sora agreed with that. "But not freedom, we have to leave the Church."

Esmerelda felt the shiver of bitterness and recited something she wished she could forget. "and gypsys don't do well behind stone walls."

Quasimodo stuttered. "But, you and those seven are not like others, the others are...evil."

Riku asked nearly outraged. "Who told you something that dumb?"

Quasi climbed back to solid ground and answered as he joined with the group on the roof. "My master, Frollo. He raised me."

The keyblade wielders cringed as Esmerelda sat with Quasimodo. "How can such a cruel man raised someone like you?"

Quasi answered like a naive child. "Cruel? Oh, no! He saved my life. He took me in when no one else would," The sun finished setting and the night came as Quasimodo continued. "I am a monster you know."

Sora asked with more disgust. "He told you that?!" The hunchback presented himself. "Look at me." Esmerelda couldn't stand it and doubted as she asked. "Give me you're hand." Quasimodo didn't understand, yet was insisted to do so, exposing his palm to the woman, who read it. "...A long life line. Oh and this one means your shy." She read deeper into it. "Hmm, well that's funny I don't see any..." Quasimodo asked. "What?"

The gypsy answered and looked at him. "Monster lines, not a single one," She wanted him to listen and look at her. "Do you think I'm evil?"

Quasimodo wouldn't dare think that and held to her hand. "No, no, no! You were kind and good and..." Esmerelda asked. "And a gypsy? And maybe Frollo is wrong about the both of us."

Quasi let go as the keyblade wielders agreed with that, Sora gave an mhm. The woman and hunchback looked over the streets, trapped like growing birds, Quasimodo looked down to all the guards and thought of an idea to the group. "You all helped me, so I'll help you."

Riku was the first to realize it was for a means of escape. "How, by jumping across to a-" He snapped his fingers to an idea. "Sora, this might be everyone's ticket out of here."

The spiky haired boy realized why and asked the hunchback. "Can you show us how?"

Quasimodo was happy to do so and asked Esmerelda while pointing to the goat. "You carry him and I'll carry you."

Esmerelda asked her goat with open arms. "Come on Djali!"

The goat leap into her arms, the gypsy blind folded her goat for extra measure and a Quasimodo carried the human. Jumped to a gargoyle ledge while giving the advise not to look down. He jumped from ledge to ledge, the keyblade wielders followed the direction, trying not to perform any outstanding stunts that would draw attention. They all landed by a roof, felt themselves in stable ground and watched a roof panel under the hunchback slide loose, all the way down a stone water spout. The panel flew to the distance and distracted many guards as the hunchback held by a gargoyle, he dropped down through a few more platforms and landed in front of the statue. He, the gypsy and the goat noticed a guard coming with a torch and pretended to be apart of the statue. The guard left and the keyblade wielding trio jumped down with the route memorized. Quasi jumped off the statue and asked. "I hope I didn't scare you all." Most of the party baring the goat were not, the hunchback appreciated more memories he had of them. "I'll never forget you Esmerelda."

The gypsy had a better idea, held his hand and asked. "Come with me!"

Quasi asked confused. "What?"

Esmerelda answered. "To the Court of Miracles, leave this place."

Quasi refused. "Oh no, I'm never going back there again. You all saw what happened today. No," He placed his hand on the stone wall. "This is where I belong."

Esmerelda decided on an alternative. "Alright, then I'll come to see you."

Quasimodo stuttered as Mickey asked. "Really, even with every danger in the town?"

Esmerelda nodded. "I'll come after sunset." Quasi kept making excuses. "But after sunset I ring the evening mass, after that I clean the cloisters and then I ring the vespers and-"

Smooch!

Quasi was kissed on the cheek and quickly concluded. "What ever is good for you."

The keyblade wielders giggled as Esmerelda took something out. "If you ever need Sanctuary-" she pulled an odd necklace with blue string circling around a cross and a bottom marking something. "this will show you the way," Quasi asked how and the woman instructed. "Just remember, when you wear this woven band, you hold the city in your hands."

The cryptic instructions was a puzzle to decipher, the goat heard something and bleated. The sound of guards making a patrol. Quasi warned her. "Hurry, you must go!"

The goat jumped into the woman's arms, she slide down string and ran for it as Riku looked at a distant roof and asked Sora. "You and Quasimodo get back to the others. Mickey, do you... mind if we sneak around."

The mouse didn't and leaped to a roof, Riku promised his friend. "I... just want to look around. We will be back by morning." He leaped off and Sora looked up on a roof, jumping over a balcony as Quasi climbed, connecting his hand with a brown glove attacked to blue and a golden suit. "Hi there, I'm looking for the gypsy girl, have you seen her?"

Quasi growled and jumped after the captain of the guard, Sora jumped down and listened to Phoebus try to reason. "Woah, woah, easy!"

Quasi wasn't listening, grabbed a torch and tried to scare him off. "No soldiers, get out!"

Phoebus kept trying as Sora tried to ask the hunchback. "Let him go-" Quasi wanted Phoebus gone for the obvious reason that soldiers mistreated him GREATLY, Phoebus pleaded. "I mean her no harm," Quasi swung his torch, the captain of the guard used his sword to hold the torch in place and was grabbed by his collar. Phoebus asked him. "You tell her from me, I didn't mean to trap her here. It was the only way I could save her life," Quasi's hostility lessened as Phoebus asked. "Will you tell her that?"

Quasi asked back. "If you go, now!"

Phoebus agreed to that. "I'll go. Now... will you... put me down please?"

Quasi realized he was holding the guard over stairs with his strength and gently put him down, in turn, Phoebus turned to leave, nearly forgetting. "Oh and one more thing. Tell Esmerelda, she is very lucky."

Quasi asked in suspicion. "Why?"

Phoebus put his blade away. "To have a friend like you."

He walked off with dignity as Sora felt a shining heart with in, just one bound by the chains of a corrupt order, he promised Quasimodo. "He meant all of that, he just-" He took a deep breath and dismissed it. "Never mind, come on, lets get back to the tower."

The two walked back to the roof top and found a trio of gargoyles standing still, it looked like Quasi was listening to the still statues. Sora stood still with sorrow. He heard footsteps from behind, finding Kairi at her wits end as Goofy, Donald and Ken followed her up. She noticed Sora by his lonesome and asked. "Where did Riku and the King go?"

Sora answered with bottled depression. "They went to look for something. Quasimodo showed us a way for all of us to escape."

Goofy gasped. "Really?!"

Sora nodded with a smile. "Just about anyone can do it, as long as you don't look down."

Donald didn't exactly care. "As long as we can get out of here."

Ken agreed and looked down to the city. "Resira told us enough. If we do this... we need to keep moving before someone sees us. For all we know, Tahm and the others won't be nearly as much help as they are trying to be."

Kairi agreed with that. "We need to find a better place to hide for the night, Sora... is there any other place we can use?"

The boy had one. "There... is a secret place called the Court of Miracles, but-" Kairi sighed. "But we have no way of finding it by ourselves."

Sora nodded to that. "Esmerelda gave Quasi a necklace that might help lead him. Eh-" He folded his hands behind his head and smiled nervously as the group over heard Quasimodo laughing. "Lover boy? Oh no, no!" The group followed to the depressing sight of Quasimodo talking to gargoyles and him talking to them like they were family. "I appreciate what you are all trying to do. But lets not fool ourselves," He pointed to himself. "Ugliest face in all of Paris, remember?"

The arrivals cringed and watched Quasi go to a window to look down on the world bellow. "So many times out there, I watched a happy pair, of lovers walking in the night. They had a kind of glow around them, it almost looked like Heaven's Light."

Sora postponed lessons and asked. "Could... you wait a minute?"

The group understood why as Kairi wiped tears from her eyes and listened to the hunchback in tune. "I knew I never knew, that warm and loving glow, though I wish with all my might. No face as hideous as my face, was ever meant for Heaven's Light."

Kairi couldn't stand it and walked into the tower, with the rest of the group understanding what she was feeling, following to a room with the well detailed miniatures, Quasi noticed Sora and his group of friends, he thought they left to escape the Cathedral. The princess was the first to keep her sorrow in and embraced him in silence, followed by Sora, then Donald and Goofy, Ken looked one of the most hurt by the words and was the last to hug him. Giving the hunchback something he wasn't given enough of, he returned it and felt warm.

Out in the city.

Riku and Mickey explored roof to roof to find a large palace on the horizon. The mouse asked. "Riku, I know why you came here."

The silver haired teenager tried to tough it out and looked liked tears were forming in his eyes. "I can't tell Sora and the others. Everything Quasimodo was saying... how can one man be so cruel to someone that doesn't deserve it?"

Mickey took a deep breath and noticed three green armored guardsmen following a particular lieutenant, like they were searching for something. "Because that one man has so much... evil in his heart. But... what are we going to do?"

Riku answered as he recognized Tahm and his men. "Find out what that guys deal is before someone less forgiving brings justice to his door."

He jumped off the roof to confront the guards, the four quickly turned with spears and a sword, they quickly calmed down and notice the boy as a mouse followed him. Tahm put his sword away and addressed him. "Riku, Governor Mickey." His sword went back into its sheath as he grunted in respect. "It's of good fortune you-" He looked around to find no one. "escaped. You have came to the same conclusion we have about this world?"

Riku nodded. "That Frollo is the source of the darkness in this world and he needs to be stopped. But... what were you doing?" Tahm answered as his guard kept watch. "Scouting the Palace of Justice for key figures that are worth sparing our judgement before Resira... voices her complaints." Mickey knew the deadly euphemism and asked. "Tahm, some of those men could just be following orders and are too scared to stand up."

Tahm agreed with him there. "And some are reveling in Frollo's authority or are too weak willed to pay heed. We are making way to the head of the beast... you consider any other options?"

Riku answered firmly. "Stop doesn't mean kill, as much as some of us want to. We... should see if the extreme is needed."

The lieutenant respected the advise. "We will try to separate those redeemable and with a spine from those that will receive this retribution. You... request that we aid you're friends until they make it to this...Court of Miracles Frollo's more elite soldiers talk of?"

Riku pleaded with him. "Please, most of them won't survive the night without having to kill or be killed."

Tahm squinted his eyes and had his way. "Consider it our primary duty. Men, scout and report back to me!"

The three saluted and scattered, Riku and Mickey readied a timed jump, the mouse smiled to the Commissar. "If they asked, tell them where we went to."

Leap!

Tahm smiled back and looked up to the sky. "May the Emperor's angels watch over you."

At the Cathedral.

Sora was struggling to lead Goofy and Donald from platform to platform. The mage tried using air magic to help the shield bearer and himself jump from ledge to ledge, landing lightly on a roof and for Goofy to get an idea for a quick slide off the roof. The trio watched Kairi nimbly jump from ledge to ledge and for Ken to use his air magic for balance, the girl of the group jumped onto the roof and watched the gun boy lightly land. Goofy placed his shield in a piece of torn roof and looked at the stone rain spout. "Do you think we can slide across with some timing and aero?"

Donald nodded and stepped on to the upper right, Sora took the front, Kairi in the middle and Ken the upper left. Goofy was leaning on the back, the three users of aero magic had the spell ready as the duck calculated. "If we combine the spell, we can fly over some of the buildings and out of site."

Ken felt it made sense and looked far ahead. "It can pull all this weight and take us... I think over two buildings, but we got no way to knowing where we will land once we are over."

Kairi sighed to that. "I don't think people will question something this bizarre."

The polearm boy agreed and shrugged. "This is our only chance of leaving... peacefully."

Sora gave Goofy a thumbs up and gave a reckless smile. "It's now or never! Goofy, you can drop us!"

The shield bearer stepped off, the shield slid from the combined weight and quickly accelerated,sparks flew as the aero users timed themselves.

SLIDE!

CRASH!

It was on the water spout and was going as fast as a roller coaster. Right at the edge, the three cast aero and lifted the shield from what would have been a brutal fall, sliding past not one, not two but three buildings, ricocheting against a wall and bouncing towards a clothes line, it landed by a lamp post and slide towards an alley way. Landing in a not so elegant manner, but one that worked near flawlessly.

The five got off the shield and noticed a green colored guard approaching from behind them, one with scar and a bitter tone to say to someone. "Go take the six o clock route and make a turn to nine o' clock. That bridge is the only place they can cross under!" Thompson turned to find them and approached them with a near stoic expression. "Step ahead and see the midnight moon till three, then rest up in the morning for another hour. The Emperor protects!"

The five looked like they completely missed the mark, Donald gasped and nodded. "Thanks Thompson."

The guardsmen looked at the midnight moon and gave a subtle point with his fingers. Donald had the four follow him out of the right alley way and took a left directly upward of the city. He notice a right on the road and pointed where they need to go, Goofy was next to realize what Donald deciphered. "He wasn't talking about time at all."

Kairi gasped as Donald nodded proudly, they turned right and found a street way leading downward to a fountain, an alley way most dirty was to the lower left and Donald lead them to as expected, something concealed in trash. He brushed it off to reveal doors to a cellar, he opened it and Ken did the reckless move of going in with his keyblades ready, readying the ornate polearm like it was a gun, he looked around and signaled them that it was safe to enter, Sora noticed Elric arriving with a relaxed smile, the guardsmen asked. "Why would anyone look for trash?" Donald winked to him and had the remaining three go in next, he was the last to enter, closing the cellar and listening to trash being placed on the cover.

He sighed and answered Goofy. "That was a code."

He looked around to find nothing much save for a note to a doorway, Kairi read it out loud. "At the sight of light, pull the pin and throw the... cupboard," She noticed hinges that were locked by a metal pin. "...It opens from this side. How long have those guys been out here?"

Sora leaned against a wall and looked exhausted. "All day? This must have been a hiding place before it was abandoned."

Ken gasped as the last to release what the code was. "And no one but them or us know of it? Phew! Everyone else would only know of a clock. So... what's the plan?"

Goofy scratched his head and thought of it. "Unless someone is going back to the Church, this is where we can rest up. Some one has to stay behind to make sure the door stays locked."

Ken drew out his near burning keyblade and flickered a speck of fire. "And we don't have to use the cellar door again."

Sora nodded had his own plan in mind. "I need to find Riku, Mickey and Resira, where did they run off to?"

Donald had no idea. "We need to find the Court of Miracles as well."

Kairi guessed her role. "I guess we are... splitting up to find it, we will be easy to notice if we go together."

Ken didn't mind it so much. "We got ways to fly from the roofs, its the best way to view what is going on bellow."

Sora pulled the pin and opened a secret door way. "And if we need to get back here, we have a way." He stepped out to find an empty building with a cup board, Kairi and Ken followed. They heard foot steps and saw torches undergoing a search, wrong time to be making a move.

A loud shout from outside was heard from their right. "Lieutenant what are you-" Thud! The torches left, the trio looked out to find guardsmen leaving. Kairi high jumped to the north building and Sora jumped south, leaving Ken to look to the west and flew to a roof top. A stage for an active rebellion began.

At the Palace of Justice.

Riku and Mickey jumped on a nearby roof top and noticed five of the town guard running for the hills, they noticed Resira approaching the front door slowly, her flamer was drawn out and she contemplating something. She noticed the arrivals and smiled to them in a way that was nearly menacing. Tempting the two to jump down to try and stop her, she gave a bow to them in respect and looked up to the palace. "The pyre is lit and those with a conscious have a wise choice for themselves. Does the Minister truly fear the divine? The Emperor, Sigmar, the Light... God? If we do not wish to not take a single life-" Riku tensed and looked up to the roof. "Do you think that would work? Threatening him?"

Resira wouldn't call it that as Mickey swallowed. "It's more than that, what did you say to them?"

The Adeptas Sororitas stepped forward into the palace and gave a flicker of her true attire. "If they truly believe what they are doing is justice, then they will not fear the lights flame," She blocked out something. "They escaped from the fire! They know what they do is wrong, they are wise to not test my mercy, less they embrace the flames of Hell. This will separate those of strong wit... from the foolish."

Riku wasn't going to argue with an idea that pragmatic. "This is all that is needed, people need to know common sense and realize they don't have to follow what they know is wrong. But would this work?"

Resira nodded. "Frollo will either confess his sins or go into the fire! We do... what those of gentle hearts could not. Make sure he doesn't escape."

Riku saluted without hesitation as Mickey agreed with the Sister of Battle. "Sometimes we got to make hard choices like this." He and Mickey jumped to a couple roofs and lightly landed on top of a window.

Resira entered the palace and searched for a stairway up, finding a trio of guards guarding a hall way to a court. They saw her and asked sternly. "Sister, what are you doing here?"

Resira requested with unusual weapons in hand. "To offer absolution, you guard a man of great evil and he must be brought to justice. Run now and never bring harm to another again."

The guards didn't buy it, put their weapons away and a middle one with a brown goatee approached her. "Someone must have been smelling too much incense tonight, come on lady, go back to the-" Step!

She approached them and stepped into a light shining from the window, in the ring of a bell, her nun attire flickered and in its place was a full suit of white armor. She stared at them coldly and causing them to quake in fear much more than the guards she met before. She didn't even need to aim her flamer, the guards were not comprehending fully what they stand before and she stood aside to let them run. For the first time in their lives, they have met an angel and she was furious.

On the roof.

Riku and Mickey heard a man bellow giving a prayer. "Beata Maria, you know I am a righteous man. Of my virtue I am justly proud," They heard footsteps going somewhere and quietly jumped down, looking through the open window to find Frollo approaching a fire place with a cross above it. "Beata Maria, you I'm so much purer than the common vulgar, weak, licentious crowd!"

The two sneaks heard the tone and listened as Frollo asked. "Then tell me, Maria; why I see her standing there? Why her smouldering eyes still scorch my soul?" He embraced himself in fear. "I feel her, I see her. The sun caught in her raven hair, is blazing me out of control."

He gasped and was stepping back. "Like fire! Hellfire! This fire in my skin," He took out a piece of purple cloth and caressed it on his face as the watching duo saw insanity. "This burning, desire, is turning me to sin!" He went on his knees as the duo realized Frollo lost his mind. They stepped out of sight and listened to the sound a one sided battle bellow.

They heard Frollo talking with something. "It's not fault! I'm not to blame! It is the gypsy girl, this witch who set this flame! It's not my fault! If in God's plan, he'd make the Devil so much stronger than a man!"

WOOSH!

The duo watched a glow bellow, rising up. He looked through the window to watch Frollo before the fire in his fanaticism. "Protect me Maria, don't let this siren cast her spell. Don't let her fire seer my flesh and bone! Destroy Esmerelda and let her taste the fires of Hell," They watched him embrace smoke. "Or else let her be mine and mine alone!"

Knock! Knock! Knock!

The duo hid once more and listened to a man warning Frollo. "Minister Frollo, the gypsy has escaped!" The Minister asked. "What?!" The man answered. "She's nowhere in the cathedral, she is gone." Frollo questioned how such a thing was possible. "But how I... Never mind! Get out you idiot!" The door was closed as Frollo vowed. "I'll find her, I'll find her if I have to burn down all of Paris!"

In the Palace Halls

Resira silently approached a grand door unopposed, with a guard walking off unaware. She silently opened the door to find Frollo before the fire chanting. "Hellfire! Dark fire! Now gypsy it's your turn! Chose me or you're pyre, be mine or you will burn!" He tossed a cloth into the fire, Resira wished to simplify things and looked upon the holy cross.

She took a deep a breath and approached him, with Riku and Mickey ready on que. She aimed her flamethrower and scorched the long hallway to gain Frollo's attention, it blazed in brighter fire and the man was slowly drawn from the fire place. The man felt the fear of God from an angelic figure, glaring at him and accusing. "Minister Frollo! Think about what you are doing!"

She stepped across the fire with her faith shielding her, Frollo was in a greater delusion and yelled at her. "This is God's work!"

Resira argued. "No it's not, it's your own hatred that is bringing out the dark fire!"

Frollo had his own argument. "It's justice, the gypsy's will lead us astray!"

He noticed a silver haired figure with a sword mixed in of demon and angel, along with a key glittering in light, bringing him into a panic, Resira yelled with a flamethrower glowing. "No it's not, you are the one leading the people into this evil." The flamethrower roared as the woman warned him. "Pursue this heresy and you will lead this city into the fire! This is God's warning!"

Woosh! A blinding light shined from behind Resira, Riku and Mickey saw the blinding light looking like an angel with his shirt off. It had an upward facing halo and had a sword shining in light, the chest had something resembling a cross, Riku squinted his eyes at the odd sight. The angel ordered Resira. "Halt this hypocrisy Resira!"

The Adeptas Sororitas cared not and saw the angel more clearly. "This is insanity and through fire, this city will see the light! You do not fool me Daemon!"

Riku and Mickey gasped and looked closely, Riku saw an obvious wrongness and jumped next to Resira's side. Mickey saw the cross more, through the illusions was that of an eight pointed star, the angel was in agreement as a dark flame glowed from around them. "And through fire it shall! You, who brought innocents to the torch yourself. What makes him different from them?"

Resira's lips quacked. "Through... the penance of one, many would be spared. I failed those people, I will not fail the people of this city."

Riku and Mickey looked at her and gave a silence promise that what ever she did in her life of the Imperium doesn't matter at the woman. The angel looked down upon Resira. "Yet you, an angel of God, has cast yourself with the vilest of sinners." He looked upon Riku as the dark fire absorbed the light. "You who forsaken your home and turned against your friends! They suffered because of you," Those words stung as the angel, focused on Mickey. "You, who kept so many in the dark. Who abandoned a friend of virtue in the abyss and would lead more into the pit! Are either of you in any position to call justice?" Frollo was in a complete haze. The angel lifted his free hand in the air and yelled in a boom. "You are all guilty of sin! Be cast into the dark pit!"

A pillar of fire engluf the trio and vanished, the angel looked upon a mortally terrified Frollo. "You wish to be free of sin! Purge the city of the wicked, those that lead these souls astray! This is a crusade."

The man felt a stinging glow, he fell on his knees. "God have mercy on them..." The angel continued. "God have mercy on them!"

Frollo concluded with him. "God have mercy on... me. But she will be mine-" they chanted in unison. "Or she will burn!" The light vanished and Frollo collapsed in a dark room.

In a flash of fire.

Riku and Mickey felt themselves falling and landed upon a pile of scorched bodies. With in a metallic cathedral. A stained glass with a two headed Aquila shined down upon them. The fire faded and a dark feeling loomed upon their souls. Mickey was disturbed by the bodies, some with charms looking identical to the Aquila, others with symbols to chaos. "Wha...where are we?" Riku felt an aura of wrongness. "...Where ever that daemon wanted us!" He found one more missing and dashed down the hall to shout. "Resira!"

He yelled to the ceiling. "Resira, this isn't funny!"

Mickey followed him and looked to the exit, finding a door cloaked in darkness. "Well... she isn't out there." A bell tolled, the cathedral twist, resembling a darkened place with a pit of burning, squirming bodies, surrounded by an imposing demon of darkness and three feathery winged heartless that spewed maws of flame. All of them were burning the bodies, Riku and Mickey looked at the stained glass to see the emblem of the heartless, the demon noticed them and drew out a war hammer as the furies flown at the duo with chain swords. The duo jumped out of the way, Riku flowed behind a column and pounced at the demon with the hammer. The demon focused and pulsed a storm of lightning, Riku jumped to a wall and kicked back at the demon, quickly gaining and advantage and hacked away as Mickey used his quick speeds to dispatch the heartless furies.

Riku dispatched the demon with a quick combo and shot a fire ball at the burning bodies, evaporating them and causing the cathedral to return to normal. He and Mickey found an elevator leading somewhere, being there real means of exploring, the two entered and watched the door close. They felt a glowing orange fire and felt themselves ascending. The sound of a radio sparked static in their ears. "It is better that one hundred innocent fall before the wrath of the Emperor than for one traitor to kneel before the lords of darkness."

Mickey took the time to ask. "Do you know what that... thing was?"

Riku nodded and his lips looked like they were shaking. "Yes, Sora and I met that thing when it tried to make us fight each other. Thinking the other as a monster that-" He stopped as Mickey's hands were shaking. "And with no one there to stop it." Riku nodded and felt the elevator stop. "It depends on who Frollo listens to... but people... only ever listen to what they want to hear." He wanted to curse as the mouse tensed and felt the mutual fury. "This isn't the Realm of Darkness... but it is so close to it. We need to find Resira and get out of here."

BOOM! BOOM!

Distant sound of gun fire was heard, the elevator door opened, the duo rushed out to find a corrupted holy room. A familiar face was yelling like a lunatic and pushing back against five Chaos Space Marines of the Word Bearers, observing a dark rift was a priest over looking the bodies of many of his dead kin, dead sisters of battle, dead Word Bearers and an imposing figure in matching armor looking down upon.

The figure looked liked a man with small horns, burning blue pyres on his back pack and a skull shaped crozius, he wore two long strips of paper with blasphemous markings and looked upon him greatly disappointed. "Deacon Boyce, you said that these Sisters of Battle were dead and yet they came in the middle of our sacrifice."

The cowering Deacon stood before a ground with an eight pointed star. "B...But apostle Mazar, I planted evidence for the Inquisition to uncover. They... ha, should have been routing out as Heretics."

BLAM!

SLASH!

The figure gasped in mournful shock as one of his battle brothers was shot in the head and another was slashed in two, he ordered his men. "You were stupid enough to believe her kind susceptible?! You cost me and Zagor our brothers!" He snapped his fingers, the more furious Word Bearers listened to his command. "Leave this fool, we have more fulfilling things to do."

The marines kicked Resira back as a warp rift opened, the image of Zagor burned brightly and he roared to them. "The way is open, there is nothing here worth dying over."

The marines obeyed as the Apostle shook his head and followed, Zagor placed his hand on his brothers shoulder and gave a silent nod. Boyce pleaded and felt Resira glaring from behind. "P...Please, don't abandon me!"

Zagor blasted him with warp energy and sadistically hissed. "Fear not, you will still be our tool for seeing to the destruction of the Corpse God's lapdog," Boyce's flesh twisted and turned, swelling and breaking apart in ways beyond gruesome. "You should be thankful for your first... real morsel in years!" He taunted Resira. "I bid you adeu!" He floated into the warp rift, it closed.

The room darkened, Resira was the only figure the duo saw that wasn't covered in darkness, she wasn't an illusion, yet the Chaos Spawn was, becoming a dark, gibbering blob of limbs, teeth, eyes and spikes, one of gargantuan proportions. It crawled at her in fast speeds and she took our her flamethrower, screaming in trauma as an inferno engulfed the monstrosity. She looked like she heard something ungodly and dodged a swipe from a claw that quickly became a biting maw. Riku and Micky jumped on the monsters back and gave it a fierce stab, the monster pulsed in light and exploded. The room returned back to what it was, the aftermath of betrayal, Resira looked like she was losing her mind and was shaking her head. "Damn that daemon! It won't twist my mind with these nightmares!"

Riku made the reckless move of jumping to her side, grabbing her by the arms and shaking her. "Resira, knock it off! None of this is real!"

The crazy Sister of Battle tried to fight him off and was looking upon reality, breathing heavily and looking at Riku awkwardly. "Wha...how...how much of that did you saw?"

Riku let her go and tried to look tough about it. "I... think the end of that nightmare." He looked upon the mess and symbols. "This... explains a lot about you."

Resira found another elevator and lead the way. "The whole sub sector was at war and this was a cardinal world. The weak willed... those that should be better... turn to the darkness. Any sign of treachery, big or small... cannot be ignored, less death and damnation comes for us all." Mickey tapped his right shoe and asked. "And... we saw burnt bodies bellow-" Resira cringed, greatly ashamed. "You SAW what that corrupted man became through his actions. Do you wish for them to share that faith?!"

Neither of the two didn't and Riku asked. "You burned them alive?!"

Resira breathed heavily and asked him. "Do you remember Hofneil's warning? You're endeavour to stop Chaos, to stop the Word Bearers, will take you out of your world and into ours."

The elevator was ready, Mickey felt he understood more. "It sounds like both sides here are at an extreme... that's...scary."

Resira agreed with him about that. "We do this, for the good of humanity," She stepped into the elevator proudly and invited the two in. "That is why we must escape of this nightmare and stop that daemon from bringing that world into this kind of reality."

The two followed her and Riku hated to give her ill news. "We... also know that people like... who you were trying to save, would just go back to where he was after hearing what that thing told him."

Resira nodded and pressed her hands together. "What was... was already there, daemon or no daemon. I pray for the souls that followed the daemons pawn. May the others have better luck in bringing salvation... and not through the barrel of a gun." Mickey felt confident as the elevator stopped and slowly opened. "You caused a pretty big stir that isn't going to get ignored, someone will get what you had to say to them."

Resira smelled the outside world and smiled with confidence, taking out her sword and marching to battle. "If you can't save everyone, save the few you can."

She saw an open battle field with a legion of guardsmen in black and bronze armor going up against a full force of tanks. Awaiting them, like a divine intervention, was a silver tank with an ornament of stain glass shielding a turret with so many flamethrowers and missiles. Riku wasn't so trusting of the tank and had closer inspection, tapping a rear hatch with his keyblade and watching it fall open with nothing of note inside. "...Is something trying to help us?"

Resira smirked and walked in first. "Or someone, regardless, it's been a long time since I drove in one of these." Mickey counted the forces in a full scale war and went in. "But... what are we suppose to do to get across?" Riku looked to the renegade guardsmen and found a massive spire ahead. "...Get over there-" He silently jumped onto the turret and asked. "How do you use this?"

A radio static and Resira's voice came most gently. "You see the levers?"

Riku noticed and sat in the cockpit, holding onto and adjusted his feet in the pedals. Feeling in control of the turret as the hatch closed. "I just, use the pedals to move the turret and I pull to trigger the flamethrowers?" The Adeptas Sororitas responded more proudly. "You learn fast, but you are simply to guide the machine spirit!" The immolator reved up and charged at the vast horde, flames blew and a mad rush was about to begin.

During the dawn.

Sora searched most of the corners of the city for a trace of Riku and Mickey, only finding not a hint save for a Palace of Justice giving off sinister aura. A squad of soldiers marched out, looking more armored, having darker skin and more organized. Something in his instincts told him not to go in there, he watched a horse drawn carriage drive off and was silently stalking. He found Phoebus on his horse along with the darkened soldiers that left him at unease, by him were Tahm and his guardsmen in undercover, he was lightly suspicious and was looked up upon with stern respect. The carriage arrived and the door open to let out Frollo, who was having a head ache and had sore red eyes, Phoebus gave a usual salute. "Morning sir," Frollo was groaning as Phoebus asked. "Are you feeling alright?"

Frollo answered with some distorted memories. "Uhh, I had a little... trouble with the fire place."

Phoebus was giving benefit of the doubt. "I see, you're orders?" Frollo answered. "Find the gypsy girl!"

Sora gasped and flew to a building secluded, finding five of those darkened soldiers emerging from the shadows and attacking towns people. "Heartless?!" He jumped down and attacked them, being pushed back by ruthless polearms and rolling out of the way, he fired a barrage of fire balls and charged at their backs, watching them dissolve into black mists. He felt something eating at him and listened to a burst of light on the northern far end of the town. The sounds of screams made one thing clear, a heartless outbreak had begun.

At the north of the town.

Kairi was nearly cornered by five of the guards and jumped above them with a glow, she flung her blade to pelt them with flowers and flipped to land. Firing fire balls to clear them out as she noticed more threats appearing out of thin air, three winged, horned heartless with blue bodies and green sleeves. They turned into blue flames and tried to attack, compared to the guards, they were quickly dispatched, let more havoc ensued, the guards were rather brutally breaking into houses, tossing people out and searching for something, even dragging a group of festively colored people out to put in chains. She flew at them and knocked them back, towards a crowd of lighter guards that to her surprise was fighting against the heartless. Despite that, for every group she dispatched, more were eager to take their place somewhere else in town. She undid the chains and followed to the next batch of havoc, jumping up the building and finding Frollo on his black horse, with the group of guards holding people captive. He took out ten silver coins and requested. "Ten pieces of silver for the gypsy Esmerelda." The group refused, Frollo clenched his fists and swiped it away. "Lock them up!"

The guards pulled and guided the prisoners into a black portal, the minister rode off. Kairi gasped and looked to one place where the prisoners could be taken to. The Palace of Justice. "He... didn't."

Jump!

Land!

Sora slammed a swarm of six winged heartless and asked with pent up anger. "He is working with the heartless?!"

Splash! Splash!

The duo readied to fight as a green uniformed town guard with a scar mark lead a group of five town guard to an objective. "Come on, we need to rendezvous with Elric in nine o'clock, before we are found out," A town guard that was tall yet over weight saluted and bumbled through, Sora and Kairi wanted to know what happened as Thompson addressed the two as fellow soldiers. "Sora, Kairi, did you see what madness loose in the town?"

Both nodded as Sora vented from a yell. "Where are these people being taken to?! Why are these punks here?"

Thompson closed his eyes and opened them. "We suspect these people among other prisoners to be taken to the Palace of Justice and we suspect inward corruption. These... punks have heard stories of what happened in the Palace, by the Emperor, please let Resira and the others return safely!" Kairi and Sora gasped and were ready to take off as Thompson glared at the town guard. "Do not let this salvation be in vain! Move!" He warned the two. "Tahm is warning two of your friends right now, go to them!"

The duo remembered and nodded. Taking off together back to the cellar. Finding Tahm and Phoebus together, the guard noticed the duo and open the door in front of them. "Captain Phoebus, you are aware of the chaos wrought. Are you so certain that you should be close to him?"

Phoebus looked more disgusted. "Does he even know? The soldiers are looking and acting weird and I want to know why."

That Tahm frowned upon as he signaled Goofy and Donald to come. He played along with his infiltration and awaited orders. "What shall I do with these four...gypsies?"

Phoebus played along. "Take them to the Palace of Judgement lieutenant, that will be all." Perkins sneaked up behind the duo with a spear and barked out. "You heard the captain, scum. MOVE!"

Tahm lead the way and was fearful for a man of righteousness as Sora watched Phoebus take off to where a mass search party was. "Why hasn't he gotten it yet?"

Tahm sighed. "In a life time of service, your superior matters above all. No matter if they were right or wrong, that is war. These... Heartless, were they the soldiers who stayed loyal to Frollo?"

Goofy and Donald looked unsettled by that fact as Kairi heard something being shot. "And the ones who are trying to help us?"

Tahm found the distant, dark palace. "Fear is a powerful tool, you put the fear of their God in their hearts and they will listen. Yet this is something some of them refuse to!"

Perkins agreed and masked his words with cruelty. "The time for mercy is spent. I hope there is a nice, horrid place for you in the prison bellow!"

The four were translating what Perkins really said as the imperial duo reached the palace, Tahm opened the door and went in first. He was greeted by two armored soldiers that went for the prisoners, starting with Kairi. Tahm took out his sword and flashed into his true appearance. His chain sword roared as he pushed the soldier back. Sora and Kairi took the other one down as Perkins, Goofy and Donald banded together to keep the other one occupied. Long enough for Sora to charge in and finish it off. "Perkins, you have my permission to take off that ridiculous facade! We will be provided with another when our business is concluded."

Perkins saluted and his primitive wears look more up to tech. Goofy watched a hall way glow black and formed yellow eyes, a swarm of shadows sprinted towards them as he charged at them. "Look out!"

BOOM!

The swarm was being pushed back, Donald readied a massive fire ball to shoot into the horde, disrupting them as Sora, Kairi and Tahm joined in a unified assault. Perkins fired at what ever shadow he could.

Out in the city.

Ken was by the border of the outskirts, swiping through the guard like heartless with a combination of Firekeeper's Wish and his air magic. Hearing something across a bridge, he flew across and landed near a tree. Finding a search party raiding a farm and a group of bystanders cowering in fear. A black horse was enough sign that someone important was around and took a deep breath, remembering a warning he was given and allowing his polearm to return to what it was. He had himself in the perfect position to just end the whole conflict, he watched a dark man he was told about, Frollo, leave the farm house and close the door with a pleading family inside. He took a spear from one of his still human guard and used it to bolt the door locked, Frollo ordered a captain of the guard in golden armor to do something. The captain was asking something and was given a lit torch, Ken felt a fire in his heart and his finger was at a trigger.

Rustle! Rustle! BASH!

He was knocked off his feet by a dark guard right out from a shadow, he shot the guard in the head with Cadia's light and caused it to dissolve in mist. Trying once more to snipe Frollo, to Ken's astonishment, he watched the captain of the guard go to a barrel and placed the torches flaming tip in it, extinguishing it. The boy noticed three more shadow guard rushing him from the shadows, sighed and drew out Firekeeper's Wish, the keyblade was burning a bright red and yellow as it made contact with the three and caused them to ignite. He fired again to eliminate the threat and tried again to snipe at Frollo, watching the minister take a lit torch and used it on the roof, causing it to light on fire and quickly spread. Ken stopped and was absolutely horrified, the captain of the guard smashed himself through the window and broke out the door to rescue a familiar of four, a typical man, wife and two kids. The captain gave the kids to the family and for his trouble, a guard glowing into black bashed him from behind, knocking him on his knees and being held in an execution pose from the two. Frollo was saying something that prompted the dark guard to ready his sword. Ken aimed at the guard as he noticed a woman flinging a stone at the black horse.

PEW! FLUNG!

The hot shot keyblade fired at the newly formed heartless, took its head clean off and caused it to dissolve as the rock hit the black horses rear, causing it to fling Frollo off and go wild. The captain of the guard punched the other heartless, jumped on the horse and grabbed onto the reigns. Ken jumped back to a bridge to keep hidden as he saw the horse coming his way. Watching the brave man try to escape as the guards took out bows and arrows to shoot him. One got him in the back and sent him falling into the water. Ken noticed a woman in disguise sneaking down the bridge and watched the guard shoot at the brave man. Frollo ordered them. "Don't waist your arrows. Let the traitor rot in his watery grave," Ken had higher priorities and let his blades fade, sneaking to the base for a rescue as he listened. "Find the girl, if you have to burn this city to the ground so be it!"

The boy waited for Frollo and his minions to walk off and dived into the water, feeling armor too heavy and realizing someone was trying to help him undo the armor. The armor was gone and he pulled the man up, with a familiar woman with him. They swam together to anywhere most hidden, at a shore, the woman carefully removed the arrow as Ken asked. "What we going to do, the whole town has gone straight to-" he stopped himself as Esmerelda lifted the man up, Ken helped and was instructed. "Just follow me, I know where Pheobus can be safe."

In the dungeon of the Palace of Justice.

Sora and Kairi bowled over a swarm of shadows as the four party members followed. The teenagers watched a blacken heartless with hooked claws, a cat o' ninetails for a tail and a cowl, it readied to torture a captive street performer. Sora vanished, appeared in front of the Torturer and struck him away to the group of rebels. The heartless hissed and felt a combination of keyblade, shield, ice magic, chain sword an lasgun. It swiped its tail at the four and knocked them back, it sank its talons into the ground and caused hooks to erupt, both around Kairi. The Princess rolled out of the way towards a cage and was pursued, warning Sora. "Out of the way!"

She rolled forward like a torpedo and slammed the heartless into an empty cage, stopping the attack. The heartless sank into the shadows and crawled towards Sora to give him a good slash from its talons. The boy rolled out of the way and watched the heartless jump out of darkness to pounce on Perkins of all people.

BLAM!

The Torturer felt a bolter round against its skull and staggered as Perkins jabbed it in the stomach with his bayonet. Tahm stabbed it in the back with his chain sword and revved it, bringing such brutality as Sora and Kairi went after the heartless together and struck it in its right. Knocking it against the chain sword and bayonet, leaving a grisly mark as the heartless fell into half and dissolved.

Sora went to the cages and used his keyblades to undo the locks as Kairi felt a dark presence fade away. Goofy and Donald looked in the spilling cages to find no sign of Riku, Mickey or Resira. Goofy was greatly worried. "If our friends came here, what happened to them?"

Tahm wondered that himself. "Could it be that...Frollo had a force of darkness hidden this whole time?"

Donald doubted that. "If he did, he would have used it earlier."

Kairi felt the worry and asked a random person with a red shirt and black beard. "Have you seen anyone else come here?" The man shook his head and left Kairi stumped, Donald asked with another worry. "How are we going to get these people out of here?"

The random man had an idea. "There is a sanctuary for us in this city, but-" Tahm answered for him. "But we need to be quick? Lead the way and you will have our full protection!"

The man did so, the keyblade wielders followed him as the other four party members followed the mass group out of the slightly restoring palace, finding the whole city on fire. The party realized they left most of the city unprotected, Kairi and Sora were given a text from Ken. "Something came up and I had to help someone get someone to safety. Where are you guys?"

Sora growled as Kairi asked. "He was by himself, would any of us be able to stop this alone?"

Sora was still frustrated and found plenty of heartless marching in numbers of ten. "No... but-" The heartless guards charged after the refugees, the fighters went to work to carve their way through.

In a battle field.

Riku watched many of the renegades and mutants burn as a noble dressed in symbols of chaos was trying to fire and realized the immolator was charging at him. "This wasn't what I was-" Thump! The immolator skid its rear to the palace door, Riku saw a grisly reminder of why one should get out of the way from a fast moving vehicle and listened to the hatch open. Mickey was the first out and the teenager jumped off, Resira was the last and watched the many imperial tanks bombard the traitors into oblivion. She felt exhilarated and notice another elevator awaiting them, she ordered the two. "Go, we have a governor to bring to justice!"

The three entered and Riku watched the door close, asking as he heard delusion. "Resira, remember that none of this is real."

The sister of battle clenched her fists and asked him. "But everything was... like I remembered. Governor Petraeus was another that thought to take his lot with Chaos, I drove Inquistor Willian to this very spot... we were going to put an end to that war from a decade ago."

Resira looked nauseous as Riku rubbed her back. "You liked that life, did you?"

Resira took a deep breath and hesitated, Mickey saw a mixture of anger, zeal and hatred in her eyes and asked. "...If you don't, you... don't have to go back to that."

Resira gasped and spoke clearly in respect. "But that is not possible! My duty to the Imperium, to the Emperor, is needed. I cannot abandon it for a galaxy that in comparison is in an era of peace! I am only here because the galaxy you all battle to protect is under a great danger from the Great Enemy. You do not need us when the war is over."

The elevator was taking its sweet time going up as Riku asked her. "But... what of your galaxy?"

Resira looked him in the eyes and gave the gaze of a martyr. "The war will not end until we purge the Emperor's Realm of Chaos! Only when I can no longer fight, will my duty end." She looked up and felt conflicted. "Tahm, his guard... even the Emperor's finest have all been affected by their time in this galaxy. The longer we stay... the harder it becomes to go back."

Mickey and Riku understood that much, the mouse asked. "Is it... because your hearts found connections to the people you met here?"

Resira squinted her eyes. "That could be a reason."

Riku asked her with a respect of his own. "Or is it because your heart wants peace? But it is use to so much war that it would never have a rest when there is something out there out to kill everything you care for."

Resira bit her lip and looked at Riku with regrets. "Is... that a sin?"

Riku didn't want to answer that and listed a few things she done. "You have killed innocent people before, you went to war on my friend and among all the others, you kept to what you knew instead thinking about lightening up. There... is darkness with in you, whether you want to admit it or not."

The Adeptas Sororitas growled. "Nonsense, I remain as pure as I was!..." The growling felt shallow as Mickey let her know. "There is darkness inside just about everyone. It will always be there."

Resira looked dim, she looked down to her hand and saw the white, yet a shadow loomed. "...That darkness... came from all the warfare?"

Riku nudged to her smugly. "That darkness came because you had to be darkened to survive a galaxy that is completely insane. But, you... don't feel as sickening as those that gave into evil. Frollo, those that followed Chaos and so many others. You keep to that light to fight darkness like that."

Resira blushed to him. "That... is what pushes us to keep going... how humanity survives. That is how you and the others survived against Chaos and even before this came to be?"

Riku admitted it. "I might have done things that...someone like you would not have forgiven."

Resira poked to him teasingly. "But you came back from the darkness rather than continue digging your own grave. Is this why so many people in this galaxy are quick to understand the dangers of Chaos?"

Riku blushed back as Mickey answered with sure faith. "It is because people generally have common sense. It is when one person tries things that they shouldn't that can hurt so many."

Resira mentally counted the people she seen in Twilight Town and tried to compare the population of an entire city she visited once, looking overwhelmed and blocking it out. "...Never go into a hive city, for your point would become much more true."

The elevator stopped and opened a door to what looked like the inside of a governors palace. "...So this is why things become as they are." Riku and Mickey sensed something with in this tier, it felt like a way out was calling. They lead the way, Resira sighed to something and heard something outside, explosions.

At the Bell Tower.

Esmerelda was at the doorway as Ken tried holding onto a limp Pheobus by himself, using his left arm to do so and keeping Cadia's Light in a firm grip. "This really is the only place we can hide him?"

The goat sniffed the keyblade as the woman opened the door, whispering in hope no one else was hearing her. "Quasimodo."

Ken heard the voice and let Cadia's Light fade, one eager to see a dear friend. "Esmerelda?! You're alright," Ken watched the woman embrace the hunchback that cheered. "I knew you come back."

Esmerelda smiled back and asked with a heavy heart, knowing she hasn't repaid the deeds he done. "You have done so much for me my friend. But I ask you're help one more time."

Quasi was more than willing regardless. "Yes, anything."

Ken stepped in with the limp Pheobus, Esmerelda helped him carry him and asked. "This is Pheobus, he is wounded and a fugitive, like me. He can't go on much longer, I knew he be safe here. Please can you hide him?"

Quasi lead the way without hesitation, towards a make shift room with a mat, Ken noticed an odd set of holy statues and a trio of gargoyles, thinking to himself as he saw two birds sitting on one of them. "Was he... talking to them again?"

He let Esmerelda place Pheobus on the medical ward and was hesitate to use the bell tower of a church as a sniping position, he heard a woman's voice in his mind ask. "Could they be his only other family?"

Ken nodded and watched Pheobus weakly wake up, seeing the woman ready something. "Esmerelda?"

She quiet him. "Shh. You'll hide here until you are strong enough to move."

She took out a leathery bottle and pulled the cork out, Pheobus looked more than pleased. "Great, I could use a drink."

The bottle was poured into his wound and it caused a sting. Ken wanted to ask certain people who been out in the field about this use as Pheobus came to terms that he was being treated for his wounds, not pampered. "Feel's like a 1470 burgundy, not a good year."

Esmerelda had a needle and thread, ready to stitch the wounds as she spoke. "That family owes you their lives. You are either the single bravest soldier I have ever seen or the craziest."

Pheobus corrected her. "Ex Soldier remember."

He gritted his teeth from the needle as Ken voiced himself. "You are not the only person finally doing something about all the awful things going on. Tahm, his guys... and even some soldiers are trying their best."

Pheobus wanted to know how that was possible and sighed. "I always knew they were off, eeh." He focused back on the woman tending to the wounds. "Why is it, when ever we meet, I end up leading."

Esmerelda pulled another needle and went for the wound in the back. "You're lucky, that arrow almost pierced your heart."

Pheobus stopped her and placed her hand at his chest. "I'm not so sure it didn't."

Ken and Quasi realized what the guard and woman were going to do, they gave each other a kiss, Quasimodo looked heart broken and tried to keep a distance. Ken knew the feeling and whispered to him. "Hey, would you like to hear a story?"

Quasimodo looked more confused and met an innocent smile, welcoming him to a tale that's intention was to mend a broken heart. "Bleat!"

The group's focus went to the goat alerting something. Quasimodo, the goat, Esmerelda and Ken looked bellow to find grey carriage, two dark guards with torches stood side by side as Frollo stepped out with a basket. Quasimodo gasped and tried to lead the group out. "Frollo's coming! You must leave."

To a door, Ken and the goat were the first to leave and listen to instructions. "Go down the south tower steps!"

He listened to Esmerelda warning him. "Be careful my friend. Promise you won't let anything happen to him."

Quasimodo vowed. "I promise!"

Esmerelda thanked him and left him be, following the instructions as Ken asked her. "I'm going to stay behind and check something out."

The woman was in a hurry and asked him. "You know what Frollo will do to you if he sees you?"

Ken nodded and looked to the roof. "I know, there is a trick a certain someone taught me that will make sure he never does! Go!"

Esmerelda knew who Ken was talking about, nodded to him and went for the exit.

Ken burst in air magic and flew to the top of a ledge out of sight of the window, it was a poor place for him to snipe Frollo and he settled for listening. "If someone doesn't tell him something about crushes, he won't be able to take it well." He heard the sound of someone stuffing someone under a table and approved of the sound. "Although he is still cool with helping Pheobus." He climbed down to watch Quasimodo setting up his miniatures and saw Frollo climb up the ladder, basket in hand.

Quasimodo stuttered. "Oh, master I...I didn't think you were coming."

Frollo smiled to him and went to take a seat. "I'm never too busy to share a meal with you dear boy. I brought a little, treat."

Ken felt suspicious about the words as the womanly voice asked. "Bearer of the Flame, can thou make that shot? Would thee make that shot in front of him?"

Ken was in thought as he watched Frollo place his hat on his lap and coughed to Quasimodo to set up the table. "I can, but if Quasi doesn't break from this guy right here and now... I would just be hurting him."

Quasi clumsily gathered two plates, like he was in a hurry to get Frollo out, the minister took out a bunch of purple grapes by the vine and asked. "Is something troubling you Quasimodo?"

The hunchback answered in an attempt to keep his secret hidden. "Oh uh, no!"

Frollo pulled out his own grapes and plucked one. "Oh but there is, I know there is."

He let a grape drop from the vine, it rolled off the table and to the floor, Frollo was expecting Quasi to pick it up as Ken prayed. "Please don't make me have to step in. If Frollo knows, he'll kill the both of them."

Frollo accused with a raised eyebrow. "I think, you're hiding something."

Quasi tried to to deny it. "Oh, no master I-" Frollo stated. "You're not eating."

Quasi went to stuffing grapes in his mouth to keep the facade up. "Oh. Nom It's very good, thank you."

A groan was heard from under the table and Quasi tried to mask it with a hum. Ken sensed a sharp kick under the table and Quasi pretended to choke on something. "Cough! HACK! HUFF!" He addressed his excuse. "Seeds."

Frollo wasn't completely buying it and stood up to ask. "What's... different here?"

Quasi answered with a hint of fear. "Nothing, sir."

Frollo noticed eight miniatures on the table. A spikey haired boy with a keyblade, a silver haired boy with a keyblade, a red haired girl with a keyblade, a blonde boy with two keyblades, a duck with a staff, a dog with a shield, a mouse with a keyblade and finally a certain woman. Frollo picked the gypsy woman figure up. "Isn't these new? They are awfully good, looks very much like the... gypsies." Frollo growled. "I know, you helped them-" He slammed his fist to rest of the miniatures and yelled. "escape!" Quasi tried to say something as Frollo yelled more. "And now all of Paris is burning because of you!"

Quasimodo tried to speak in defense. "They were kind to me master!"

Frollo slammed Esmerelda's figure, smashed the other miniatures and destroyed the small buildings in rage. "You idiot. That wasn't kindness, it was cunning! They are gypsies!" He grabbed Quasimodo by the collar to yell it to him. "Gypsies are not capable of real love! Think boy, think of your mother!"

His rage went back to being masked with indifference as Ken felt in pain listening and felt Quasi's fear. Frollo let him go. "But what chance could a poor misshapen child like you have against their heathen treachery," He stood up, took a small knife and stabbed the Esmerelda figure with it, bringing it to a candle. "Well, never you mind Quasimodo, they be out of our lives soon enough." He set it on fire with a promise. "I will free you, from their evil spell." He flung the scorching miniature to him. "They will torment you no longer."

Quasimodo asked with his world coming undone. "What do you mean?"

Frollo walked back to the stairs. "I know where their hideout is," He turned to him. "And tomorrow dawn, I attack with a thousand men!"

He walked down the stairway and left the hunchback distraught. He heard a groan from behind, Pheobus, crawled out and knew what needed to be done. "Ugg. We need to find the Court of Miracles, before daybreak!"

He waddled from injuries sustained. "If Frollo gets there first..." He nearly lost balance and leaned against a support piece. "Are you coming with me?"

Quasimodo looked defeated and answered. "I can't."

He tried to stand up despite all the abuse he went through, Pheobus asked. "I thought you were their friend."

Quasimodo responded more distraught. "Frollo's my master, I can't disobey him again."

He turned to a wall and hugged himself, Pheobus lectured sharply. "They stood up for you! You got a funny way of showing gratitude!"

Quasi took it with more doubt as Pheobus readied to leave. "Well I'm not going to sit by and watch Frollo massacre innocent people! You do what you think is right."

The ex captain left Quasi to himself, Ken took his chance and crawled in, not really surprising him as the boy gave him an awkward stare. Quasi asked him. "What I'm suppose to do? Go out there and rescue the girl from the jaws of death and the whole town will cheer like I'm some kind of hero?!"

Ken shook his head. "Someone is trying to hurt countless people and she needs to be warned. The last dummy I saw try to be a big hero... nearly got himself killed and he was lucky the pretty queen he had a crush on even bothered listening to him or allow him to stick around to be a friend."

Quasi argued back with a point to make. "But Esmerelda already has her knight in shining armor and it's not me!"

Ken joked back to him. "And the dummy was some fourteen year old that thought he had a chance with an adult," He blushed. "A friend of his had to tell him to cool down." He focused on what he was trying to say. "But he still tried to protect that queen regardless if she was going to give him a cold boot or not."

Quasimodo listened and looked conflicted, looking upon his left hand. He looked at the burnt remains, took his necklace out and felt there was something he needed to do. Ken found a cowl, tapped him on the shoulder and gave it to him. "You don't have to be the big hero. That's... not why you go be one."

Quasimodo slowly took the cloak and went to do what was really in his heart. "I must me out of my mind."

Ken followed him down a passage way to the south tower. Both above a door that was opening, Quasi climbed down and popped his head upside down to greet a certain blonde man. "Pheobus!"

The man was startled and felt like he nearly had a heart attack as the hunchback whispered. "Shh! I'm coming with you." Thud!

Ken jumped down and listened to Pheobus appreciating it. "Glad you changed your mind."

Quasi made it clear. "I'm not doing to for you, I'm doing it for my friends."

Pheobus asked regardless. "You know where she is?"

Quasi answered and gave Pheobus his pendent. "No but she said this will help us find her."

Pheobus took the pendent and hoped greatly. "Good, good, ah great. What is it?" Quasi had no idea and Pheobus tied to decipher it. "Hmm, must be some sort of code like how what those guys tried to use. Maybe it's Arabic... no, no it's not Arabic. Maybe it's Ancient Greek or Norse."

Quasi was in thought and realized. "When you wear this woven band you hold the city in you're hands."

He and Ken realized something, Quasi said it out loud. "It's the city!"

Pheobus felt confused at first. "What are you talking about?"

Quasi pointed toward the cross. "It's a map, here is the cathedral and a river and this little-" Pheobus argued. "I never seen a map that-" Quasi argued back. "I been in the bell tower for twenty years and I think I know what the city looks like from above."

The two devolved into more bickering and Pheobus, with little understanding, gave in. "If you say its a map, fine its a map! If we are going to find Esmerelda and the others we have to work together. Truce?"

He patted Quasi on the back, who gave one back. "Truce!"

The hunchback didn't quite know his own strength and accidentally smacked Pheobus in the back, the man grunted in pain as Ken promised the both of them. "I'll... get a torch when its safe to do so!"

Quasi covered himself with the cowl and lead the way, to the east of the city and to a grave yard. Ken had Firekeeper's Wish out and lit the way. Towards a crypt with a symbol much like on the map. Pheobus looked upon it and tried to decipher. "This looks like the symbol on the map?"

Quasi asked. "But what does it mean?"

Pheobus took Ken's keyblade and tried to have a closer look. "Hmm... not sure. Can make an inscription but it could take a few minutes to translate."

Quasi felt his hands on a slab, pushed it to the left side.

Thud!

Showing a set of stairs, Ken took his keyblade back with force of will as Pheobus thought of the route given. "Yes, well, or we can go down those stairs."

That the trio have done, going into a murky underground of the city, littered with bones. Quasi asked. "Is this the Court of Miracles?!"

Ken shook his head. "More like a Court of the Grave."

Pheobus answered. "On the off hand I call it the Court of Deep Sewage. Must be the old Catacombs."

The three looked around, Ken asked. "Not my first visit."

Pheobus agreed and chuckled. "Ha, makes you wish you got out more often eh?"

Quasimodo answered shyly. "Not me, I just want to warn Esmerelda and get back to the bell tower before I get into anymore trouble."

Ken felt it was mutual. "I'm pretty far from home, but I want to explore the world and meet all kinds of people!"

Click! Clank!

He heard something as Pheobus held his guard. "Speaking of that, we should be meeting those by now?" The two wondered what he ment, Ken felt danger crawling up his neck as Pheobus described. "You know, a guard... or a booby trap... or an ambush."

They sensed bright lights from above, hearing a variety of cries as a group of men dressed up as skeletal pirates, holding torches jumped down after them. Quickly subduing Pheobus and Quasi. Ken tried to parry with his burning blade, formed Cadia's Light and parried another, being in a situation surrounded by people to where he was in a position where he either needs to fight back or get pushed around. A jester in purple clothes and a hat appeared. "Well, well, well. What have we here?" The costumed thugs took off their masks to answer. "Trespassers!" "Spies!"

Pheobus tried to object and was bound in a gag of cloth along with Qausi, Ken noticed Firekeeper's Wish bursting into flames, he was consumed in a flash of light and found himself by a fire place, away from the chaos ensuing. He was next to the Firekeeper, who was holding his hand gently and fading to ashes. "Keeper of Flame, the others are here! Stop this madness."

Ken blinked and found a four man group he was familiar with; Sora, Kairi, Donald and Goofy, just as startled as he is, like they saw the fire place spit him out. Sora had his mouth opened. "How did you do that?!"

Ken gave up guessing and answered. "That doesn't matter, two guys we might know is in deep trouble."

Kairi heard singing. "Where it is a miracle if you get out alive!" She was witnessing pure chaos. "You three went in by yourself?!"

Ken nodded as Donald cringed. "That was a big mistake."

Goofy agreed with that. "They think they are with Frollo and Tahm hasn't told them what is going on yet."

They watched a jester rush to a gallows hanging around with tied rope, the jester announced. "Gather around everybody! I got good noose for everyone," The group were astonished as they watch the security bring up two people they know of, Pheobus and Quasimodo. "It's a double header, a couple of Frollo's spies!"

The crowd gave a mass booing as the Fire Keeper found humor in the event and giggled. "Thou, tee, need to stop this."

Ken readied Cadia's Light in an instinct as Sora, Donald and Goofy try not to laugh at humor beyond wrong. Kairi growled and heard the click of a gun. The jester had more news to the audience. "Not just any spies!" He pretended to be a soldier. "His captain of the guard." and a hunchback. "And his loyal, bell ringing henchman!"

Ken aimed at the rope above Quasimodo and had his finger on the trigger. PEW! BLAM! Two laser beams cut Quasi's rope as a bullet cut through Pheobus's and exploded. Ken stepped forward and noticed Tahm and Perkins making a bold stand. The jester looked at them, annoyed that they spoiled the fun. "Look at that, the critics excecuted that one."

Tahm broke into laughter to where his hat dropped and revealed orange hair as Perkins got the joke. "We could write a whole summary with just the Commissar. Mr. Clopin." Tahm laughed harder as Ken blinked and looked up to Clopin. "There might be people up there that deserve this, but not these two."

A feminine voice agreed with that. "That's why you all need to stop!" Esmerelda and her goat stood past the crowd, she jumped up the platform to confront Clopin. "These men aren't spies they are our friends."

Clopin asked the crowd. "Why didn't they say so?"

The gag was taken off and both said in unison. "We did say so!"

Esmerelda undid Pheobus's bindings first. "This is the soldier who saved the miller's Family," She went to the hunchback. "And Quasimodo helped me escape the Cathedral."

Pheobus shouted to the group of refugees. "We came to warn you. Frollo is coming," That caught the crowds attention as Pheobus continued. "He said he knows where you are hiding and he is attacking at dawn with a thousand men."

Ken gasped, turned back to the team of four and went to Sora as Esmerelda advised the next solution. "Then we must leave here immediately!"

The group of refugees agreed and went to get their stuff, Sora knew what Ken was suggesting and smiled in arrogance. "That loony thinks a thousand would be enough?"

Donald and Goofy shook their heads, the duck laughed at that number. "That's nothing new." Goofy nodded to that. "Even if those heartless are pretty aggressive."

Kairi smiled teasingly at Sora. "He should have tripled that!"

Ken agreed and asked. "Anyone got a statistic?"

Sora answered bluntly. "Nope! But this isn't even a sweat with all of us here."

Tahm over heard, he and Perkins approached with more humor in their minds. The Commissar spoke of the kind of odds they have. "Excluding me and a simple guardsmen, who require tanks, fire power and numbers to fight back a full war. I... say," He counted. "one who has witnessed countless battles, one of which is exactly what we are facing and became one of the strongest wielders of the Keyblade currently available. Two wielders that have the power to fight back against this foe and... two that manage to support when they can and have... thought of ways to deal with those numbers." He nodded. "Oh yes, Frollo has declared war upon us, but is he really prepared to fight those who have already gone to war or are prepared? We have a... eighty five percent chance of absolute victory?"

Perkins looked around in the underground court and found ashes scattering. "That fifteen percent... might end in you five causing this whole Court to crash down on their heads. If this is really the catacombs-" Tahm agreed with him. "If this caves in, a part of Paris will collapse with it!"

Kairi imagined the absolute havoc, shook it away and was nearly freaking out. "What kind of world did you two come from?"

Perkins sighed. "One where there is only war ma'am! One where there is only war." Tahm nodded and smiled. "Fortunately if... I dispense that signal, that fifteen percent would drastically decrease to a... five percent chance if Dabriel decides to... suddenly use his missile launcher. An absolute zero if he doesn't. Since Frollo refuses to listen to the Emperor's Angel of Mercy, he will listen to the Angels of Death! Then and only then will this city finally have peace!"

Ken cringed. "Hey I tried!" Tahm asked him sturnly. "But did you? Surely your circumstances made it... excusable?" Ken counted. "I was getting jumped before I can make a clear shot and if I did it infront of Quasi... that would be pretty bad for him since he NEEDS to stand up to Frollo before any of us can bring that minister down."

Sora agreed and looked at Esmerelda giving thanks to Pheobus first. "You took a terrible risk coming here. We may not exactly show it but we are grateful!" She embraced him as Pheobus saw the heart broken hunchback and drag him into the reunion. "Don't thank me, thank Quasimodo. Without his help, we would have never found our way here!"

"NOR WOULD I!"

The group saw a familiar dark figure and his army of heartless guards charging in. Ken gritted his teeth as Tahm guessed. "None of you three closed the door behind you?"

Ken clenched his keyblade. "There wasn't a door, just a stone slab and if I used a fog gate it be more obvious!"

A radiant light formed above Frollo, taking shape as Sora kicked started the plan. "Come on, we are finishing this."

The Commissar didn't mind and readied his position. "This was exactly what we planned for. He fooled you into thinking he was coming and if you three never came... you wouldn't have lead him to us!"

The rather joyous tone spoke of praise rather than disappointment. Donald realized. "He was lead to us."

Kairi agreed to that. "His worst mistake was taking his own bait." Goofy nodded and patted Ken on the back. "Good work. We all got this." Sora smiled to him battle ready. "Let's give it everything we got!"

The other four readied their weapons, ready to go to war as Frollo was boasting to Quasi, Esmerelda and Pheobus. "Twenty years of searching, the Court of Miracles is mine at last!" He mockingly petted the hunchback. "Dear Quasimodo, I always knew you be of use to me."

He noticed five particular adversaries in the distance, carving against his heartless minions with no effort. The light took form and a blinding angel snared the five in fire, the angel roared. "To finally bring justice to the heathens and heretics!"

The five realized that was a meat grinder plan that immediately backfired as the angel chanted to Frollo. "So long as you trend this path, you will not be harmed!" The chained fire was slowly consuming the five as the minister felt he was under protection, Tahm squinted his eyes at the figure, gasped and whispered to Perkins. "...Do you see it?"

The guardsmen did so and almost dropped his weapon. "...By the Emperor. Frollo has-" The vast guards were closing in on them, Tahm pressed a button to let loose a distress signal. The two were grappled by the heartless and the signal was smashed. The Commissar watched the five be engulfed and dropped down in fire, he felt a static noise and whispered. "The Emperor Protects."

With in a futuristic palace.

Riku, Mickey and Resira took down a group of noble thugs and carved their way to a governors throne. Finding a brown haired, middle aged man in cybernetics and a marking of Slaanesh carved into his forehead. Holding a rifle that had a mixture of flesh and speakers, the governor aimed it at them, Riku flowed straight to the man and kicked him across, the man was backing away in fear for his life. "No...no! I was promised that my trap would work, I would live forever!"

Riku was grossed out by the mutated, form grabbed the squirming man by the scruff of his neck and tossed him to Resira. Mickey wanted to look away as the Adeptas Sororitas remembered what happened. She sighed and aimed her flamer stoically. "In a kingdom of ashes!" Flick!

SCORCH!

Petraeus was burned with in the fire and yelled in pain, the scene was getting too grizzly and Riku looked away to ask. "What is this guys deal?"

The screaming was dying down as Resira answered. "This is a case I had dealt with before my pilgrimage to another planet. If I found something suitable, I would have quickly advanced my rank to a Palatine... a rank of Canoness. Alas... before I reached the rank... all this happened. Ten years of work... I would be lucky if I wasn't demoted already." She went to the subject matter. "Petreaus was the governor responsible for introducing the Ministortum officials of this world to... Chaos. Among other things he failed to maintain. Heed my words, no matter how sympathetic you may find a heretic, know they are supporting those like him!"

Snap!

The sound of a limb falling off gave enough mental images as Resira sounded more drained. "Selfish, stupid, no regards to the lives under them, that is when we come to clean up their mess, when innocent people have to be brought before the torch. People like him fall under temptation willingly and listen to the lies of those like Zagor. They are the reasons we must do this, for who else listened to the Word Bearers?" She sounded more guilty and asked. "What did you and the King hear from Frollo?"

Mickey blew at the air. "He was blaming Esmerelda and her people for something... similar to what you are talking about."

Resira found it completely outrageous as Riku asked her. "You want to know the real difference between you and him?" Resira growled and chuckled. "I actually bothered studying those strange people before making judgement? I am aware that some would swindle people, but that is minor and people should know better. I have been told that I would have made an excellent Inquisitor had things been different."

Riku and Mickey felt the answer was kind of valid, yet the teenager shook his head. "Well... that is part of it. You actually have the heart to admit what you do is wrong."

They heard stamping noises and more burning, Resira agreed to that. "The heretic is guilty of bringing Chaos! Those in power, like me... are guilty of allowing it to happen. One of us, bothers to correct that mistake."

Mickey asked and heard more collapsing. "There is also... the reason that when things get bad because of these guys. Gulp It can get bad. How... much longer should we keep looking away?"

Resira answered content. "You don't have to, but I am almost done. He is already dead... I'm making sure there is nothing remaining to corrupt the next sorry soul." She stamped again, they heard something collapse entirely. They turned around to find nothing but ashes, Resira had one more confession to make. "So long as those brought into question don't hide from me, I'm easy to drive away. It's those that do...that leads to complete disaster if some of us were in the wrong place... at the wrong time."

Riku nodded as an elevator appeared. "Like you were when Kairi showed up and had to stand up to you." Resira nodded back. "In the eyes of another, she was protecting innocents. She is in no obligation from anything in regards to me." She wondered as she noticed the elevator. "But... if this isn't our final obstacle... what is?"

Riku escorted her like a one would a lady as Mickey realized what it might be. "Resira... what... would happen if an Imperial official goes too far? Have... you worked for people like that?"

Resira growled and nodded, her mouth dropped in a realization. "...We need to go and get out of this realm! Now!"

Mickey hurried in, Resira pressed the buttons and looked to be sweating. "There is... thankfully an organization with in the Imperium for when that that happens. The Ordo Excorium... a force of the Inquisition that... questions our last resort for certain wars."

Riku didn't wish to think about what the last resort was. "...You know what last resort is?"

Resira nodded and was panicking, hoping the elevators machine spirit would hurry. "William told me of it. Exterminatus... in normal circumstances, it is only called upon if the world is beyond doomed and beyond salvage. Although the more... unreasonable of the officials would declare it anyways."

Riku and Mickey sensed the fear with in what was a bold figure, the mouse asked. "You... are worried that is what will happen to this planet?"

Resira walked back and forth. "This was my homeworld... and while we were certain we purged this world of the heretics, everyday I wonder if we have severed the roots completely. For... if this wasn't stopped as it was... more like what you saw would be the fate of those of this world." Riku guessed. "And you don't want to be on a planet that is scheduled for... Exterminatus?"

Resira wheezed. "Riku, Mickey, no one does! Everything and everyone on this planet would be denied to the enemy and the sickening things they have in mind... but at the cost of...?"

Riku and Mickey felt something in their minds explode, they were silent about the topic, Resira felt her point was made. "It is with in good fortune that power is not with in your galaxy and it is the reason me and the others have to go back when this is over. If the Word Bearers, the only real way for our enemies to plant the seeds of corruption, are removed. You would not need any of us to even think about the word Exterminatus, you would only need to think of a way to minimize the corruption to where it is a more manageable ordeal. If there is someone you know of that would intend to use the powers of Chaos, stop them and see they never rise again."

Mickey realized one person that would, he and Riku looked to each other in realizing the looming horror. The elevator stopped and the door slowly opened, like the realm itself was playing upon Resira's fears. They heard a distant shouting ahead. An accusation of some kind. It opened half way and stopped, Resira growled and took her chance, charging at the door and sliding forward, the door was closing, the keyblade wielders slide past it and felt the mighty thud. Finding a figure on top of a white throne accusing a group of captives about something. "You are guilty of being either a mutant or a xenos!"

Resira gritted her teeth and got up in an unlady like manner as Riku and Mickey stood up to seeing a man with a white beard and a mighty sword. Riku asked on seeing the scowl of anger in the Sister of Battle. "Is.. this someone you know?!"

Resira charged in without a word, he was definitely someone she know, the two followed and heard another accusation. "You are guilty of being, a mutant or a xenos as well as being an rogue psyker!"

The three entered to find well armored guardsmen and five people bound in cuffs, Goofy and Donald looked both confused and mentally hurt. The man on the chair yelled out to Sora and Kairi, who were both angry at the man. "You are guilty of harboring these scum, using these heretical powers unbound and defying judgement!"

Sora growled at him. "They are our friends, you wacko!" Kairi agreed with him. "We been trying to fight Chaos for days, are you nuts?"

The man on the throne threaten the duo with a gun wielded by a mixture of man and machine. "And you continue, your guilty of wasting my time with a plea of innocence! Continue more and you will be the first to be executed!"

The duo kept an unbroken glare at them and felt a third agreeing with them, Ken howling to the man as he tried to break his cuffs. "We were taking that minister down because he IS bringing Chaos!" The man on the throne scoffed to that. "And you committed as much Heresy as they! You all brought corruption among the Emperor's faithful, you delay the Imperium's justice upon these heretics and are allowing the influence of Chaos across the worlds!"

Riku and Mickey found the accusations completely irrational, they jumped into action and met dark chains, the group noticed and were completely astonished. Shouting the twos names in unison, the man on the chair looked upon the two. "And you brought more Heretics upon these halls, who seek to advert justice!"

The gun glowed, Resira bolted against the man and stabbed at the man with a power sword, she flung it off and was snarling. "Fyodor are you insane?! They are their worlds only hope of stopping-" She reminded herself and stopped, this isn't really the man she knows of, just a figment. The man took his sword and swung at her, she jumped back, took her bolt pistol and shot the dark chains, Riku and Mickey dropped and recuperated as the hall distorted, to a dark hall with skulls and pyres. A heartless emblem shined, yet the man on the throne looked the same. The guardsmen aimed their guns at the three, Riku freed the keyblade wielders as Mickey freed Donald and Goofy.

The five were glad to be able to fight, Sora bull rushed three of the guards on the left, Kairi pounced on two of them and Ken sparked out in his fire, he rushed at the five to the right, firing his weapon and doing a variety of dirty tactics as Donald and Goofy joined in the right. Leaving the three to take on the man on the throne by themselves. Resira answered the unspoken question. "Fyodor Karamazov of the Ordo Hereticus. He is what you should argue with me about in regards to the Inquisition."

Fyodor glared at the Adeptas Sororitas and felt he was justified by something. "And you allow yourself to be tainted and rebel against an Inquisitors judgement? This is what I fear, that galaxy is only a nest for Chaos!"

Resira aimed her flamer and scorched the illusion, seeing it distort in black mists and trying to reform. Riku and Mickey jumped at the burning figure and attacked with quick speeds. Resira joined in with her sword and slashed with great faith, letting loose a pulse of light that caused the figure to break down. The vast group quickly took down the soldiers and watched the darkened place distort back to a simple court and leaving behind a simple rift of light. Riku and Mickey didn't think the Adeptas Sororitas had it in her to be that open. The mouse asked as Goofy and Donald were rushing to his side. "What... did he do to make you... do that?"

Mickey was tackled down as Resira noticed the keyblade wielders observing the place of light, she answered. "While he claims to be faithful to the Emperor, his methods of enacting his will are far too extreme, I was warned that his tactics leads to such... unnecessary death and I witnessed too many innocent people be dragged into his court... without even letting any fellow Inquisitors partake in interrogation and voice another suggestion. A whole regiment of Tempetsus go under his command... they don't come back. They are a cousin of the Imperial Guardsmen in a way and are most obedient, would they fall to Chaos after a simple witch hunt?"

She shook her head as Kairi overheard. "You... were wanting to do this to him for a long time?"

Resira nodded. "I am in no power to confront him, even with an army. This must be what that demon wanted from me, to see if I would have the heart to do it if I could." She felt something holy calling to her as she and the many, heard something. Riku looked out the window to find a large explosion and the sight of an inferno coming. She barked. "We will discuss this later! Go, go, go!" The group did as ordered, Riku feeling overwhelmed and rushed into the light. Resira felt herself shaking from such an act and jumped in, hearing the shattering of glass and escaped from the intense heat.


	25. Judgement

Tahm, Perkins and Pheobus were in a cage before Notre Dame. Countless other people were locked away in separate cages and all were guarded by the town guard, completely consumed by the darkness. Towns people gathered to try and push against the corrupted guard as a heartless in an executioners hood and holding a torch. Pheobus noticed the cathedrals door opening up, the Arch Deacon tried to get out and intervene, only to be blocked by the guards. The ex captain asked a rather patient Commissar. "You're quiet for an captain."

Tahm looked up to the cathedral to find chains and closed his eyes in a prayer. "I hope the angels heard my plea and are watching this! They are our last hope."

Pheobus wasn't exactly buying it. "Look, I know you were never from any continent I know of. Were you calling for help?"

Tahm nodded as Perkins was permitted to tell a truth Pheobus would understand. "What was... stopped, was something that would have called those angels sooner. They only know we need their help and one strike... is what is needed," The sound of drums were heard as Tahm spoke of the grim situation. "That strike... is the signal Elric and Thompson need for their efforts to work. I never waist good men and they take upon that guidance."

Pheobus sighed and waited for his chance. "This was all part of your plan and why you four never... really followed orders?"

Tahm nodded and looked upon the heartless. "These men, chose their path or never had the chance to hear Resira's message. The ones that heeded are those who may once again bask in the light for when it prevails."

They watched Frollo with a certain woman tied to a stake, she was in a white dress. The man took out a scroll and accused. "The prisoner Esmerelda has been found guilty of witchcraft! The sentence death!"

The many screams of the towns people pushed against the guards. "Release her!" "She is innocent!"

To Perkins surprise, more towns people came to try and push against the guards. With two particular men leading from behind. "...We... were never good leaders sir."

Tahm looked to where the flood came from, those two men were more trying to order the towns people to fall back. "...No... but they set the pieces in place."

At the pyre, Frollo was given a torch and spoke to Esmerelda. "The time has come gypsy. You stand upon the brink of the abyss. Yet even now it is not too late; I can save you from the flames of this world and the next. Choose me or the fire." Esmerelda spit at the mans face, defying him still and glaring at him. Frollo announced to the crowd trying to rebel. "This evil witch has put the soul of every citizen in Paris in-"

Up at the bell tower.

Quasimodo was chained to many stone pillars, mentally broken. He felt four specs of light from behind, something heavy appeared. He looked to his left and right to find four figures in grey robes. One wielding a tube of some kind, took aim. "Brothers, is this the disaster we were called for?"

A robed figure wielding a sword and maul looked upon it, a man in black was near a woman in white, tied to a stake. Surrounding him was an army of darkness and many who were imprisoned. The man listened and nodded. "It is Dabriel, we eliminate this heretic and this will be over!"

A robed figure with a blue glow in his left hand object. "But he is so close that we might hit the civilian. If she perishes... would that truly beak the tide of darkness? Hofneil, Nathanel, what should we do?"

A robed figure with a heavy, strange looking weapon noticed Quasimodo and some rope. "Someone needs to rescue that woman and this one could be her only hope. Pyriel, Hofneil, shall we test him?"

Hofneil and Pyriel nodded, the sword glowed as the other figure drew out a large knife. They attacked the chains and were repulsed by the darkness. Pyriel noticed the chains power coming from the hunchback, he ordered. "You, these chains are drawing something out of you! What ever it is, fight it!"

Quasimodo muttered. "It's all my fault this happened."

Pyriel gasped and asked. "Was it?!"

Hofneil refused to believe it. "By the way we see it, you are as much of a victim as the innocents bellow. You must fight this darkness, only you can break these chains."

Quasimodo responded with more doubt. "I can't, I tried. What difference would it make?"

Nathanel answered loudly. "You could save this civilian before the evil bellow claims another soul! You can't let this evil win."

Quasimodo grumbled in despair. "He already has."

The robed figures listened and looked to each other, Pyriel tried to strike the chains again and concluded. "It... isn't just the chains. You have something else binding you to this prison."

Quasimodo gave up on listening. "Leave me alone!"

The robed figures took the request as Hofneil sighed. "*Huff* Very well, we will have to rescue her through another means. Dabriel, may she find rest from this madness if she does not survive."

Dabriel obeyed and took something from his robe. "So long as we bring the heretic to justice, her soul can still be saved."

Pyriel agreed and looked down in silence. "But try to see that no more innocent blood is spilled." Nathanel was the most disappointed and aimed his weapon to help. "We are not the angels the innocent pray for. But if we can save the souls of the righteous, it will be done."

Quasimodo felt the words echoing in his mind, he pulled against it and saw the fire bellow, Frollo was finishing his speech. "It is my sacred duty, to send this unholy demon back where she belongs!"

He lit the stake on fire and the robed figures had their hands in the trigger. His heart resonated with the fact, if he doesn't try something, the very woman that gave him kindness would burn along with the others who shared that kindness. More innocents would die if he doesn't try, he roared with all his might. "NOOOOO!"

CLANK!

The angels were astonished and watched the pillars crack, a bell rung, Hofneil felt it and ordered. "Hold your fire!" He begged and sensed a light with in the misshapen. "We are not the angels that would save her life, you are. Fight this evil!"

The rumbling continued and the chains caused the pillars to crumble, freeing the hunchback from the chains. The angels stood aside proudly. Quasimodo grabbed rope, lassoed it to a gargoyle and dropped down to a wall, determined for a rescue. He rushed against the wall and swung to the platform with the pyre. Right in front of Frollo. Quasi undid Esmerelda's bindings, the woman fell limp, the hunch back caught her and carried her unconscious body over his shoulder as a trio of heartless crawled upon the platform. Quasi took the stake, tore it out from the stand and swatted the heartless away. He swung off of the platform with Esmerelda in tow as Frollo glared at him with murderous intent. "Quasimodo!"

With the opening given, Nathanel and Dabriel fired their weapons at Frollo. BOOM! BOOM!

A dark barrier formed to block the bullets and missile. The Hofneil squinted his eyes and found a dark barrier glowing in fire. "...What in the Emperor's name has this man dabbled in?"

Pyriel had no idea and watched civilians bellow pushing against the army of darkness, the platform ignited into an inferno. "It's the reason Sora and the others are missing brother! Without a keyblade... can we break the tide?"

Hofneil wondered and ordered the devastators. "We can try, Nathanel, Dabriel, support fire! Pyriel, with me."

The angel understood and followed his captain into a reckless charge down bellow. The imprisoned masses looked in astonishment to the figures coming down and at an orb of light forming.

PEW!

Thud! Much to Frollo's annoyance, the light dropped out eight figures he thought were banished to the pits of Hell. Mickey, Goofy and Donald landed off first, followed by Sora and Kairi. Something shot to the most prominent cage like a bullet as Riku appeared with an angelic figure that caused Frollo to back away in terror, that same angel that judged him. Riku glared at him as Resira landed gracefully. The minister was cornered as the arrivals heard something from above. They turned around to find Quasimodo holding the unconscious body of Esmerelda, looking rather horrified for the worse as the hunchback stood in

front of a stained glass window of the Cathedral. The hunchback lifted Esmerelda with both arms and laying on her back, yelling to the group. "Sanctuary! Sanctuary!"

Not that Frollo cared, he ordered twenty of his heartless. "Seize the Cathedral! I'll deal with these heathens myself!"

He took out a sword with a darkened hilt and was ready for battle, the heartless charged at the cathedral and were crushed by two grey angels. The shadows twisted and horned figures emerged, with fiery swords, gibbering maws, flicking tongues, a buzzing of humanoid flies and black rays. The fire twisted into many distorted faces and the sky became blackened with a cloud resembling an eight pointed star, the keyblade wielders had a sense of horror as Frollo yelled at them. "What have you done?!"

Sora barked at him. "What you have done?! Look around you."

Riku agreed and readied to charge after the daemons. "This happened because of you!"

Frollo refused to believe that and lunged at Sora. Parry! The minister snarled at them. "You opened the gates of Hell upon us all! You are not simple peasants, you are all demons!"

Kairi had it with the mad man as she and the others not preoccupied charged, the forming fire shot at them to break the fight apart. Resira ordered Kairi, Mickey, Donald and Goofy. "Deal with the heartless! We'll handle this heretic!"

That quote sent Frollo into a frenzy and caused him to focus his attacks on her, Hofneil parried and felt him pushing back as Pyriel focused on shooting the many daemons trying to reach the Cathedral. Kairi flung stars and flowers of light as Mickey through himself into the horde, Donald and Goofy readied a combination, the shield bearer used his shield as a platform and mage jumped on. He was pushed high in the air, raised his staff and shot a barrage of magical bolts upon the near infinite horde.

Sora and the imperial duo noticed a wooden beam coming down upon them. They jumped out of the way, Frollo felt the shock wave and nearly tripped, he ordered the waiting heartless. "You men, bring down the door!" The heartless done so without question as Frollo lunged at the three, swinging more like a complete mad man and facing a series of strikes that were mitigated by the darkness around him, Resira jumped back and aimed her flamer, Hofneil and Sora skid out of the way and watched Frollo become consumed by fire.

At the caged area.

Kendry apologized and broke the door open with Cadia's Light. "I'll get the others broken out, can you and Pheobus handle this?"

Tahm appreciated it and ordered him. "Go! We will lead this army to its glory!"

Kendry nodded and saluted the two, flying off to another cage as Pheobus found a spear, picked it up, climbed up the cage rallied to the pushing back towns folk. "Citizens of Paris! Frollo has persecuted our people, ransacked our city and now he has declared war on Notre Dame herself!" He raised the spear in the air as Tahm and Perkins walked out with tranquil fury, Pheobus asked as he gave a shine of radiant light. "Will we allow it?!"

The citizens gave a unified shine of light, pushing back against the heartless. Tahm and Perkins felt the vigor and charged against the chaos, weapons and all. Uniting with Thompson and Elric, the scarred guardsmen saluted and jabbed. "Sir, the town guard that we lead charged straight in before we said so!"

The burned guardsmen pushed with a yell as Tahm cared little. "You rallied those seeking redemption! Now we all fight against the darkness! The angels have come to purge the wicked and we fight by their side!" He himself gave off a glow of light as his guardsmen radiated with him, he yelled proudly. "For the Good of Mankind! FOR THE EMPEROR!"

In the top of the cathedral.

Dabriel took out a roaring sword and swiped against the many heartless climbing above as Nathanel gunned down as many as he can, the holy rally bellow gave him and his brother a glow of light, causing the heartless to dissolve as Quasimodo placed Esmerelda in the bell tower, let her laid unconscious on a bench. "Don't worry you will be safe up here."

He jumped down and tried preparing a cauldron as a figure appeared from the corner, one in dusty robes. The robed figure took out a small packet of something and a match. "He of flesh, do you think this would halt the siege alone?"

Quasimodo thought he was going a little crazy as Dabriel noticed and ordered. "Magitinus, help us push back this incursion!"

The robbed figure sighed and placed the packet underneath the wood of the cauldron. "Very well Angels of Death," He shot out flame, the packet combust, burst and revealed a mechanical body that vaguely resembles a human, freaking Quasimodo out as a liquid pooled, Magitinus looked upon the hunchback and asked with a static. "What is this? It is meant to be heated?"

Quasimodo nodded with a hint of fear. "Y..Yes, it melts...c...copper."

Magitinus was impressed by the molten metal and observed his own work. "The substance I poured will heat the cauldron in time! When it bubbles-" Quasimodo understood. "I pour it into the canal, they won't get in then."

Down bellow

Kairi and Mickey were carving a vast hole in the dark army as Goofy and Donald's combos kept most from attacking the towns people. WOOSH!

BOOM!

A pile of heartless were incinerated by a bullet of fire and more were blown apart left and right from laser beams. The girl jumped back from dark rays trying to fly down and bite at her. One particular was shot into oblivion and another met an inferno bullet. Ken landed and looked to be scorching in fire, he cooled down and noticed Firekeeper's Wish was sparkling. "You noticed the towns people fighting back?"

Kairi nodded and used her ease of breath to stab another ray and sent it dissolving from a glowing light. "You noticed the light in them?"

Ken nodded and shot a fourth ray away, he watched Riku charge at the heartless trying to ram the door down and doing his best to try and stop the chaos. "What do you think caused that?"

Kairi guessed and was sweating from a fifth ray being giving a full blast of a star. "They are fighting for justice and to defend this city! It took enough people to bring out the light." She gasped and looked up to the cathedral as Ken snipped a daemonic fly. "To defend the heart of this world."

She felt more certain with a glow of her own and watched her friends give off that glow. A swarm of seven flies flew to the cathedral and Ken burst in flames again, realizing the fire wasn't hurting anymore and laughed. "Ha. Watch this!"

BOOM!

He shot himself into the sky and carved against the flies that tried to claw back at him, Kairi was blown by the force and saw beast like heartless with flickering tongues and an aardvark like body charging at Riku. She charged and was striking them back, giving the silver haired boy time to focus on them, he smiled to her fiercely, looking at the heartless causing a dent to the door and at another fire ball of fire being shot at them. He asked Kairi. "You want to try something?" The princess was willing, he raised his keyblade in the air and gave a glow looking of dark. Kairi aimed her own blade and glowed in light, tapping it at Riku's blade. Both floated in the air and shot into a rift of light and darkness.

In the main battle.

The ramming of the door and Frollo swiping balls of dark fire caused Sora to roll out of the way and focus his blade at him, Resira took the fire and charged with a glow of faith as Hofneil came at Frollo with both a power maul and power sword.

PEW!

Homing beams shot out of the keyblade and fired at Frollo, knocking him to nearing a loss in balance as he glowed black, dodged Resira's sword and trusted her in the chest with his blade. Bringing her into more anger as Hofneil missed with his power sword and hit him with a power maul. Leaving him open to two rifts from left and right, one of light and one of darkness. Kairi shot out from the rift of light, Riku shot out from the dark. Resira was on her knees and growled, Sora cast a healing spell and noticed the Sister of Battle was giving off a dark glow. "Resira, something is-"

The Adeptas Sororitas watched Frollo get struck left and right, being tossed to a corner towards the cathedral and being shot further to the doorway that had a hole busted through. She felt like she was enjoying that a bit too much and looked up to find something pouring down from above. "...Damn it, not now!"

She ordered. "Go, if he gets in now, we won't have another chance!" Sora was concern of the darkness growing and saw a molten metal poured from every pipe. He took a deep breath, knowing what was ordered, focused on Frollo trying to get up and flew at him.

The boys blade was ready and he dodged the molten liquid raining from above. The heartless trying to barricade the door were scorched by the heat and Frollo climbed up and shot another bolt of dark fire, giving a rather cold glare as Sora had to jump above and out of the way. The boy watched Frollo crawl in as he landed on the wooden ram, he rolled in after him and chased to a spiral stair, where the Arch Deacon was attempting to make a last stand against Frollo. Yelling is justified anger. "Frollo, have you gone mad?!" He pushed the man firm. "I will not tolerate this assault on the House of God!"

Frollo knew Sora was after him, grabbed the Arch Deacon by the collar and hissed. "Silence you old fool," He hurled the Arch Deacon at Sora and knocked him off his feet, going up the stairs to a door. "The hunchback and I have unfinished business to settle and this time, you will not interfere!"

He closed the door and locked it, Sora was dazed and saw the image of that angel he saw at the court, raising his sword and trying to stab the boy the ground. The boy grabbed the Arch Deacon and rolled backwards with him, accidentally throwing him to a wall and leaving the man dizzy. The angel gave a dark glow and caused the cathedral to distort, the many holy statues resembled fiends of twisted flesh and maws, the candles went black, the saints in the glass windows resembled things Sora and the Arch Deacon certainly viewed as blasphemous.

In place of the saints, was an image of a black warrior on top of a throne littered with skulls. A green bloated, diseased fiend stirring from a cauldron, a tentacled blue creature and a feminine pink daemon. In the most center top was an eight pointed star. The Arch Deacon took out his cross and faced it against the angel, seeing more of what it is. "Be...begone from this sanctuary, you demon!"

The angelic figure faded and its place was a black demon Sora knew of. "You! Is there a low you won't sink to?"

The demon gave a twisted smile and glowed in the dark. "This pitiful thing they call God will not protect you child! That zealot mortal, lead the way in!"

That much the Arch Deacon feared and looked heart broken as the demon approached him, ready to tear into him. PEW! The demon looked to his right and was struck in the back by a bolt of plasma. Sizzling his skin as a robbed figure shrugged drippings of copper and was more furious at the demon. The demon turned to the angel and taunted. "So the actual angels have arrived? You are far too late to stop me."

Stomp! Stomp! BURST! Another angel burst through the door, one with a sword and maul, the angel was more horrified and glared. The demon charged at the two angels, ready to do battle as he hissed.

Outside of the cathedral.

The townsfolk fighting saw the molten copper pouring and bolted out of there as the heartless soldiers were washed away in the fire. Leaving Riku and Kairi to worry for a struggling Adeptas Sororitas. She was on her knees, gritting and trying to hold on as the darkness was surrounding her. Thud! Mickey, Donald and Goofy pushed back against the deamonic heartless and rushed to her, Mickey knew what was going on. "Resira, what did Frollo hurt you with?"

Resira checked her chest and found a dark power pooling from that, she wanted to yell out and felt she was lacking the energy to do that. "Ha...ha, so... this is it." She looked more weaker and looked up to Kairi and Riku with a smirk of respect. "That sword... struck at my heart with a dark power. Ha!" Kairi tried to reach to Resira and felt a pulse of power pushing her back, the Adeptas Sororitas was pushing the group back with a dark power beyond her control. The sister of battle's smirk was breaking down to trickling tears, she was smiling at the irony and stood up. "This darkness... that is leaking out? My faith... punctured. Ha! Ha!" She looked up to the many demons attempting to assault the cathedral and seeing the world devolving into chaos. She tried to counter the darkness consuming her with a golden light, not even being distracted by Ken landing and asking out loud. "This is starting to get out of control, what is happening?"

Resira was in a haze as Mickey noticed the towns people being overwhelmed by the Heartless corrupted daemons, he had a feeling of what needed to be done. "Resira's heart was struck by a dark power and I think it is consuming it. But... what is she trying to do?"

The group had no idea, yet the keyblade wielders were being drawn to the light being given off, Resira chanted in prayer. "Emperor, shield the souls of the people of this world. Let your servant give these guardians the power they need."

Riku thought she was talking insanity. "Use your... light?! Do you even know what that will do to you?"

Donald and Goofy had an idea, the shield bearer answered. "If she uses her light, there won't be anything holding the darkness in her back." Donald remembered more. "Like what... happened...to-" Kairi gasped and remembered, fearing for the Sister of Battles heart. "Resira don't... you will just turn into a...a-" Ken was easily drawn to the Adeptas Sororitas and tried to force away, the distorted fire was taking form of something, Resira noticed and chanted. "Emperor, let me test the will of the guardians. For they are descending into the dark depths of the Great Enemy's domain. It is better for one to suffer, than for many to suffer! Let my light cleanse the world of Chaos, let my light set things right."

Riku swallowed and pushed through, holding the sister by the shoulder and aiming his keyblade into the sky that was distorting an eight pointed star. "...If we do this, we will... have to fight Resira."

Mickey understood and joined in, frowning to the thought. "But... do we have a choice?"

Kairi looked like tears were dripping from her own eyes. joining into sacrifice "We... don't. She is...trying to hold on this long."

Ken saw the flame taking shape into something blasting sanity and joined in. "The dark is getting to her anyways, we need to give this... everything."

Kairi agreed and the dreadful thought. "If we don't-" Riku nodded to her and let his keyblade glow. "We will fight both that and her."

Kairi, Mickey and Ken aimed with a keyblade in their main hand. They glowed and drew from Resira, she looked relaxed as the entity noticed them.

PEW!

A combined beam of radiant light fired into the sky. The entity howled and rushed at them to consume, the light of the group pushed it back and left it realizing what was happening. The beam struck the eight pointed star and caused a pulse across the world. The deamons trying to attack were vaporized and the distorted reality stabilized. The entity of dark fire collapsed into a fire ball and returned to a regular fire ball.

PULSE!

In a pulse of darkness, the group were pushed away, Tahm, his guard and Pheobus pushed through the odd twisting of sanity and noticed the woman in armor covered in a complete shroud, Pheobus cringed and looked at the church clouded in darkness. "What...did this do?"

Mickey turned around to find bystanders in great danger and tried to tell them to get back. A dark energy engulfed him and the other five, time stilled. He felt himself dropping into a void, into a darkened church. The five were getting up to gaze upon a forming figure, resembling a woman in armor, the mouse readied himself. "With that light used up, Resira's heart couldn't take the darkness anymore."

Riku felt his heart heavy and knew the foe before them. "And now... she is turning into a heartless?!"

Kairi tried to control her sorrow and nodded. "She... saved us, we need to save her."

Goofy had his shield ready and was frowning. "We gotta!"

Donald nodded with his staff ready. "Let's get it!" Ken nodded and watched the womanly figure enlarge and sprout black wings, she glowed a golden halo around her head and she drew out a sword. The Dark Saint's eyes shined yellow and the armor became a dark grey, the heartless that was, readied for battle.

In the Church, during Resira's Collapse.

The demon sensed something and snarled the bold angels. "So the purest of the Corpse Emperor's sows have finally fallen to darkness!"

The two angels kept doing battle with even more fury, Hofneil yelled to him. "She would not succumb to that, demon!" SLASH! BASH!

Pyriel fired his gun at the demon as Sora joined in the attack, slashing at the demons face. With the only non combatant sensing something occurring, he placed his arms together in a prayer, one still dedicated to his God. Sora remembered the wound and felt his grip becoming tighter. "What... did that sword do? What... did you do to Frollo?!"

The demon backed up and took flight to answer. "Nothing he wouldn't have done. The old man's heart was seeping with evil." He flew down to the trio and knocked them back, he caused the twisted statues to crawl at the trio, clawing and biting at them. He kept boasting about his work. "He was so blind to the smallest bit of power I gave him! To affect those that follow him into the wondrous forms you fought all across the city."

Sora kicked a statue back and slide to a column, he rolled around and launched himself to hit the demon in the chest, Hofneil and Pyriel broke a statue away and went back into combat. The more battle oriented angel asked stoically. "The heartless we saw?! What more has he done?!"

The demon laughed as the stained glass images moved on their own, laughing with him. "He has struck your precious angel in the heart! The darkness with in her has spiraled out of control! He claims to do the work of God, yet he is chose to be blind to his own evil that he care not for the darkness he commands! Someone truly damned has brought this whole city into hell itself."

Sora kept attacking wildly and was swatted by the demon, the boy gritted his teeth and he had vengeance in his mind. "So that's your deal? Get lost and go back to where you came from."

The demon tilted his head and growled. "Oh, like what you sought to do with the Angels of Death?" He pointed to Hofneil and Pyriel, who tied to attack and were struck back by a blade of the shadows. "Do you even understand the kind of world they live? How could the purest of souls, fall to darkness?!"

Sora shook his head as Hofneil looked at him and answered. "They understand enough! That is why me, my brethren and those who keep to the light continue to fight you!"

The demon scoffed at that, he sensed something outside and watched something pulse across the church, the corrupted imagery was burned away into normalcy. The demon's overconfidence became that of fear. "Wha...what happened out there?! The warp was suppose to have been-" Sora smiled aggressively. "My friends stopped that! Now this city is kicking you out."

The corruption siphon away and the demon was cornered, being surrounded by holy imagery was causing him to burn, the images of creatures most dark fade away with the saints. The demon screamed and was desperate to attack the angel taking the assault to him.

SLASH! POW!

The demon was being pushed toward a holy cross, he barked at Hofneil. "Do you even care for the world you seek to return to! The endless war and the Great Game of my masters will never end for you!"

He pushed the marine back and rushed out of the light of a stained glass, no longer tainted by chaos. Hofneil looked up to him with a glare. "And that galaxy fate will not be this ones!"

POW!

The demon waddled back and was bleeding, he laughed at him bitterly. "Yet you allow the light of this reality to affect you and all the others! If you return, those you sworn to protect will look upon you all as heretics!"

SLASH!

Hofneil struck him in the chest with his power sword as Pyriel watched, the angel duel wielding responded proudly. "Yet the Imperium, time and time again shines as one against the darkness with or without us! You speak lies once more!"

The demon tried once more to spit vile at him. "If you go back, they will never see you again. You will just die in another pointless war in an existence bound to the dark! You will die, alone and forgotten."

The angel scoffed at that and swung his power sword, it radiated in light and took the shape of something that caught Sora's attention, a key that glowed in blue light, its hilt had the image of a metal serpent and dangling down was a key chain with sword wedged in a winged skull, the sword was of brass and the skull was white, yet the wings were black. The angel spoke content. "So be it!"

SLASH!

The demon's head came off, it disappeared in the shadows along with the rest of the body. Pyriel was amazed by the weapon. "Did that power sword become a-" Hofneil looked down upon it and raised it to the air. "...I believe it did."

He kept it in grip as the Arch Deacon finished his prayer, he looked upon the two angels and the restored sanctum with gratitude. He nodded to the three. "Thank you."

Hofneil wanted to know what happened and looked upon the flowing molten copper bubbling outside. "...We are still trapped with in these walls."

He asked of the spiky haired boy that was taking the words and the sight in. "Sora, we still have an evil man that must be brought to justice. If his heart is that dark, then he must be stopped before he claims another."

Sora felt a heart shining in acceptance and agreed. "You... you're right."

He went up the stairs and tried to open the door, it was locked, he used his keyblade to undo the door. Deeply troubled by what he heard, Hofneil felt it and called to the boy. "Sora," The boy tried to keep a brave face and asked. "Is something wrong?"

The angel nodded to him. "It is the nature of demons like that to lie and mislead, as he tried to you and as he done to that man. Do not let his words trouble you, for he is sent back to the shadows... for now. You and your heart are stronger than that demon. Now go, me and my brother will keep the Arch Deacon safe." Sora nodded and felt better, he climbed up the stairs towards the final battle to restore the light of the world.

In the darkened arena.

Donald and Goofy's attempts at doing damage to the Dark Saint were minuscule as they were knocked across the room by a mighty blade. Ken fired Cadia's light in a distance and dodged missiles of fire as Kairi struck the Saint in the wings, Riku at her torso and Mickey at the saints face, the saint slammed her blade to the ground and spun around, knocking the three back. The saint felt piercing fire power and flew to Ken, the boy yelped and jumped back to a northern wall, he used his air magic to push himself forward and struck the saint with his melee oriented weapon. The saint dodged and kicked him towards a wall, Riku wall jumped while the saint was distracted and pounced on her, dealing rather significant damage as Kairi took her chance, spun into a missile and glowed with golden light. The saint turned around and faced a drilling princess right in the stomach, she was flung to a north east corner. Ken slide down the wall and landed dazed as Mickey dashed to the saint and upper cut her, leaving the sniper to focus a charged shot with his gun oriented blade, Firekeeper's Wish sparkled and ignited into a glow, feeding a heat into the hotshot lasgun. PEW!

A beam burning in fire shot the saint in the head and caused it to simply fall forward limp. Kairi cast a heal on Goofy and Donald to get them back up as Riku felt something was off. "...This heartless isn't dead yet."

Mickey knew that was true. "They disappear when they are... but... what is she."

The wings of the saint sparked in fire, the body burst into a pillar as bright as the sun, rising again as a figure engulfed in flames, the sword was on fire, her face was on fire and the surroundings were burning up. Kairi whined. "It's on fire now?!"

She sighed and stepped back. "Just.. don't be close to her for long!"

The Dark Saint aimed her blade and shot out a torrent of flames, Riku and Mickey formed a barrier to keep the grouped up three shielded. Goofy tossed his shield at the Dark Saint like it was a boomerang and knocked her over the head, Donald caused an icicle to erupt from under the Saint and nearly impaled her. The Saint took the spell and shrugged it off, she flew after them with a leap, knocking both asunder, Riku tried once more to charge in after her and simply dodge the sword, yet in getting close, he felt an intense heat and felt himself burning. He was able to get a couple of good hits in and had to jump back in a retreat, laughing sarcastically. "Hey, is it a good idea to throw fire on top of this?"

Kendry tried to aim, the saint turned to him and aimed her sword, shooting out an intense, focused beam of fire, he flew towards the ceiling and watched the beam follow, the walls of metal were melted away and smoldered, he flew downward to the right and jumped forward to the left. He shot into the Dark Saint like a fiery bullet and knocked the Saint towards Riku, the heartless kicked Ken back and spun a slash to parry the silver haired teenagers blow. Riku flowed to the ceiling and dropped down upon her, knocking the saint on her knees if for a moment. The burning became much and he ran away from her, Kairi flung a star flower and caused the Saint to to be knocked to her right, the saint aimed her sword at her and Mickey, readying another beam. Both rushed left and right to circle around her and struck in unison, feeling the burn as she was exposed to another quick shot from behind and a mighty swung combo, Ken pushed away and rapid fired, the Saint became a pillar of fire, flew above and slammed to the ground, sending the group flying back.

She was kneeling for a moment and Riku spear headed at her, right into the chest. JAB!

The Saint fell backwards to the ground as a smoldering angel. The room itself ignited in fire and in a flash of light, the group found themselves at the base of Notre Dame, to reality. A trio of guardsmen yelling out in horror as they watched the Dark Saint burn away, ready to rush the boy that was standing on top of the saint as Tahm had his bolter at them and barked. "Men, hold!"

The trio stopped, wanted to argue and were forced to listen as Riku stepped off and looked sorrowful. "Guys, I didn't want to do this, especially not after what I saw in... that place."

Tahm was clenching to both his chain sword and bolter. "But how did she turn into that?! Was this Frollo's doing?!"

Mickey answered more guilty. "He was part of the reason, with what was happening in Resira's heart...this was going to happen. She... held on for us to use her light and push back the Chaos."

Tahm was believing it and asked. "So now there is one more thing remaining. Sora and the angels are in that Cathedral, hunting down that bastard? Yet... none of us can make it across." Pheobus approached and looked upon the heartless breaking down in fire. "But some of us have to, our friends in there could use some help... so any ideas?"

Riku held Pheobus by the hand and smiled sarcastically. "Hold on and hope for the best!" Pheobus tried to ask what and was yanked across to a balcony. Kairi sighed focused on a jump, sprouting something from her back that caught most of the group off guard, a set of golden feathery wings, the entrance to the cathedral was no longer blocked by molten copper and she flew towards it and landed on the other side of the moat.

Ken and Mickey readied to jump and felt something compelling them not to, the mouse openly questioned. "Why... are we not going in with them?"

Ken wished he knew. "Because... we kind of went into a full scale war already?"

The mouse felt that made a bit of sense. "And Notre Dame doesn't want that in her walls?"

Tahm sighed and answered. "Or because we need more of an explanation for Resira's fate... a creature of darkness... that... can't be the fate we just saw."

Mickey relaxed to his answer. "Actually... it isn't, we just did the first major part in saving her from that."

Ken blinked and asked. "What... do you mean?"

Mickey realized the boy was never told about the phenomenon. "...This happens when a strong willed person, like Resira, turns into a heartless. The body she left behind might act on its own and become... a nobody."

Tahm didn't find that anymore appeasing. "So what remains is an empty vessel?" He cringed. "A hollowed existence? That's... not assuring."

Mickey agreed with that. "This could depend on what that nobody does, but if that nobody is dealt with, Resira can become whole again," Mickey remembered the things he saw in those visions and felt nervous thinking about the future. "She was a lot more complicated than we thought and... that can be said about you."

Tahm notice his guard calming down and lowered his pistol. "Without a heart... a consciousness, those without a filter... could... be either be a great threat or not." Ken felt a connection. "She... is mostly alright as long as you don't break rules, no one in their right mind, not even strangers, would try someone armed with a flamethrower."

Mickey agreed with that. "And you don't want to be the poor fella that pushes her. I just don't think the nobody will have a real way of stopping if she does get pushed."

That was Tahm's reason to ask. "If there is one place you know that creature will appear, then you are to monitor that before it goes up into flames. Now... if you'll excuse me," He turned to a vast group of towns people. "There is a small task we are to request from these people... a do over if you will. Thompson, Elric did you lose track of who was among the crowd?"

The scarred guardsmen counted in the group, Elric squinted his eyes to count and report. "They... took off their uniforms to try and blend in, otherwise they would have been spotted like a Salamander in an Ultramarine meeting."

Tahm grunted with his order and left the keyblade wielders to watch from bellow, Goofy worried and up. "I hope everything is alight in there."

In the bell tower.

Sora followed up to the bell tower and found three robed figures being bound in dark, burning chains. Two with mighty weapons, struggling against the bindings as another was still in calculating trance. Sora quickly undid the chains and asked with a still, near stoic tone. "Where's Frollo?!"

Magitinus looked up and heard a shove and clanking. "Up above in persuit of the misshapen one and the girl. Requesting that we come along?"

Sora shook his head and looked at the weapons. "No, I don't want this place to be wrecked anymore than it already has."

Nathanel and Dabriel respected the decision, the bolter wielding angel wished him luck. "May the light guide you to justice!"

Dabriel grunted to that. "May nothing stop you!"

Magitinus sighed and stepped aside. "Expel this city of this corruption once and for all!"

Sora agreed and wanted to say something, he decided against it and smiled. "...Thanks guys."

He followed down the path and heard Quasimodo's voice, like he was furious to someone. "No you listen! All my life you have told me that the world is a dark and cruel place!" He heard something being tossed. "But now I see that the only thing dark and cruel about it is people like you!" Sora nearly paused and smiled proudly. "Quasi finally did it! Now there is no holding back." He heard the sound of something running and reached to the top of bell tower, where he found Frollo with a sword. He was looking for something, or someone.

Five faint shadows creep in to attack, Heartless still crawled on Notre Dame. It was nothing that couldn't have easily been dispatched, yet is a still indicator that darkness lurked. The boy looked down to find Quasimodo holding onto a ledge and Esmerelda holding onto him, trying to escape, Frollo looked down at the two and gave a demented smile. "Leaving so soon?"

Quasimodo jumped from ledge to ledge to dodge to avoid the swinging of a blade, leading Frollo to confront an angry Sora. The man growled and slashed at Sora, who parried with ease. The man used his cloak to disorient the boy and nearly send him falling, Sora grabbed to a hanging gargoyle head that was firmly in place, like it was only carrying a feather. With the boy out of the way, Frollo kept going after Quasimodo, who reached to a ledge with a perching gargoyle. The hunchback helped Esmerelda to more solid ground that would have led her to a tower down, Frollo tried to slash at her and Quasimodo pushed her out of the way into the solid ground. The hunchback dodged the blade that slammed into the back of the gargoyle and jumped on to try and get away as Sora pulled a jump on his. Frollo glared at the hunchback and woman with his blade ready. "I should have known you'd risk your life to save this gypsy witch! Just as your own mother died trying to save you."

Quasimodo muttered. "What?"

As Sora was putting together more that happened, he was ready to strike Frollo and stop him, the minister gave a sinister vow. "Now, I am going to do what I should have done," He swiped his cloak at Quasimodo's face to try and sent him falling into the burning grounds bellow. "Twenty years ago!"

Quasimodo fought back and fell bellow the edge, clinging on to the cloak and reaching his fingers with climbable stone. Frollo was yanked off balance and was left dangling on the cloth. Esmerelda rushed to the ledge and grabbed Quasimodo's hand, trying to lift him up, Sora jump to the solid ground, grabbed her from behind and tried to help her, it was a struggle to try and lift two heavy people. Frollo used the cloth to swing to the gargoyle headed ledge on his right. Frollo climbed up with a dark laughter, taking his sword and held with both hands, ready to swing down, quoting a boast. "And he shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit!"

Crack!

Sora and Esmerelda heard something crack beneath Frollo, the gargoyle head edge was falling its support, Frollo lost balance and tried to hold on. Grabbing beneath the gargoyle and clinging on, the gargoyles face twisted before Frollo, giving from a still stone image to that of a snarling beast with a red glow in his maw and glowing red eyes. Frollo freaked out and screamed, the gargoyle ledge snapped from the edge and fell with the man. Sending Frollo screaming into the fiery pit bellow. Sora and Esmerelda saw a burst of fire and darkness, the woman felt Quasimodo slipping through her fingers and hoped. "Come on Quasimodo, hold on."

Slip!

Quasi slipped from her fingers and the two screamed in unison.

Mid fall, a set of arms reached out to catch the hunchback, a faint image of Pheobus and another set of arms keeping him from falling through the force. He was pulled back into safety and the duo felt a bit of relief, Sora noticed from the cloud of fire and darkness, that wasn't fading. Sora readied his weapon as Esmerelda couldn't believe it. "He is still..." A pillar of fire and darkness erupted to the length of the bell tower, Sora asked the woman. "Go find Quasi, I'll handle this!"

Esmerelda nodded and fled, leaving Sora to confront the figure in the dark fire. Twisting into the shape of a red robed figure with a black cloth underneath, glowing embers, a sword in hand its right hand, fiery bat like wings, a long black horse like tail and horse hooves.

The figure's sword glowed in fire and rushed at Sora, the boy jumped high and glided to mid air. He focused a series of beams and made Hell's Judge turn around to cloak itself in fire and try again to swing at him. Sora flew to the side with no effort, the judge raised its left hand and caused pillars of fire to burst from bellow. Sora was sweating and dodged the streams, he flew at the judge and blitz a combo, ending in a short range burst of ice magic as he smirked. "See ya!" PEW!

The judge kicked Sora back with its hooves and spun downward into the fire. Letting loose a trial of fire pillars that Sora had to dodge, one with a wider radius let loose the judge that struck the boy with his blade. Sora cast a healing spell and readied to fight as a shining light from the top of a bell tower and flew high. Sora was in the middle of the battle and didn't get a good look.

BOOM!

A figure with angelic wings crashed down to kick the judge away from him, that figure was Kairi, the girl dished out a few hits, jumped back and looked like she was slow falling as Sora flew to catch her. The duo thought of a finisher and held hands together, Sora's left for Kairi's right. One wing for each took form and the two flew at the judge together, spun the judge upward, a barrage of feathers that gave the two fond memories glittered the sky. The judge immolated and fell backwards, back down into the inferno, dissolving into black mist. The duo flew to where Quasimodo was taken, hand in hand. Landing to find Pheobus being given a welcoming hug from Quasimodo, they duo found Riku leaning on a wall and folding his arms, smiling to the aftermath of a big battle. The teenage duo blushed and went to him to watch, they noticed Esmerelda arriving to confirm what happened, she rushed to give the hunchback a warm hug of her own.

Riku felt heart warmed and let the two know. "I saw the whole thing once that heartless came. Kairi, who knew you were able to fly like that."

Kairi smiled proudly. "Oh... just someone I had a little play fight with. So now what are we-" Pew!

Light flashed, the trio found themselves standing before a stained glass window, the very one of Notre Dame. An image of a particular woman with a infant shined a keyhole and in an instinct, the trio aimed their blades in the air and glowed in unison. Firing a beam at the path and feeling a way clearing. The vision dissipated and they found themselves seeing Quasimodo giving Pheobus and Esmerelda his blessing for something, that something became clear as the ex captain and the woman embraced each other.

Down at the cathedral.

Hofneil and his team of four stepped through the shadows and back upon the gummi ship. Out of their angelic forms and back to the futuristic forms they knew. Magitinus tapped his fingers together and noticed a pathway leading somewhere, towards a distant space station that resembled a castle within an asteroid a rock. The tech priest stilled and beeped. "Analyzing new pathway: World- unknown. Structure: Unknown. Possibilities. Base of the Word Bearers."

Nathanel agreed to that. "It isn't a possibility, its a certainty! That is where those heretics are hiding."

Hofneil agreed and looked closer to find a faint glow of darkness. "And... they are conducting something."

Dabriel nodded and guessed. "Trying to bring in reinforcements?" Pyriel corrected him. "A light statement compared to what we know. Captain Hofneil, that demons words trouble the child greatly."

Hofneil saw it coming and looked upon his keyblade, putting away his power maul and marveling the structure. "It's the nature of ones heart. Through the bonds shared, brotherhood is formed, even beyond written words. The inevitable departure can pain ones heart, for that departure to be forever more... one can only imagine."

Pyriel understood that. "And that is something medicine cannot remedy. Brother, you know the Word Bearers are expecting us and will seek our deaths. The chances of all of us surviving are slim."

Hofneil was more than prepared to face it as he placed the tip of his blade to the floor and watch on. "If it means this galaxy survives and stays in peace, then our lives are well spent. Seydon will welcome us back with open arms and Guilliman will look upon us with pride! We will find ourselves at the Emperors side forever more when this is all over."

Pyriel nodded to that. "Well said captain. Whether we go down in this galaxy's history or not, doesn't matter. They will understand that one day."

Hofneil looked down at the world being left behind and smiled. "They will, they are strong in body, mind and spirit."


	26. Into the Maw of Madness

In Paris.

During a bright morning, Ken nearly dozed off as a crowd of towns people gathered for a main event. His mind drifted and he forced himself to wake up. He, Mickey, Goofy, Donald, Tahm and his guard watched Pheobus and Esmerelda exit the from door, with a particular friend that needed a fresh start, guiding Quasimodo out from the building he was bound to through out most of his life. Ready to meet the towns people once more, Mickey yawned to a mutual feeling. "We been up and about for over two days, let's hope we solved the problem in this place first."

Tahm nodded and let the mouse know. "Then we should discuss our next move, Hofneil and the others ordered me to report to you about their finding and for us to fall back to the gardened city. Me and my men are ill equipped to descend down into that... nightmare."

Ken grunted to that. "Bryn's waiting for you and you be there in no time."

Goofy, Donald and the guardsmen watched a small, blonde girl in purple slowly approach Quasimodo, giving him a small hug of acceptance and guiding him into the crowd of society. The shield bearer sighed in satisfaction. "Looks like our business is done here."

Donald nodded and watched a trio of teenagers walk out of the building, giving the captain and woman a parting and joining up with the group. "But why's Hofneil suggesting we take his ship for this?"

Tahm laughed at the naive. "Magitinus, Cid and those two mechanics out did themselves with that ships function and details. A simple arrival into that fortress is ill advise and... lets just say we were never planning on giving those heretics any quarter."

Sora overheard and asked even more naive. "What do are they going to do? Shoot us into the fort?" Tahm stared at him in silence, hinting that was exactly what was planned. Sora gasped and was openly protesting. "Are you all crazy?!"

The Commissar rolled his eyes and answered. "Magitinus will explain along the way, you'll live through it."

Kairi and Riku watched Quasimodo be carried by two of the towns people and being celebrated properly, the silver haired teenager took a deep breath and asked. "This is something Hofneil and his men do all the time?"

Tahm wouldn't exactly say. "We are part of the Astral Millitarium, not the Imperial Navy. But boarding an enemy vessel is a tactic they use."

Sora swallowed and asked. "So we really are going to be shot into there?"

Kairi agreed with how suicidal their approach sounds. "If we are lucky, it would just shoot us into where those guys are."

Riku wished that was the case. "But it would be stupid to make a whole room near the edge when there are several people wanting you dead."

The church bells rung and the group watched on to find Quasimodo feeling happy and at peace. The group disappeared into a corner and in a flash of light, found themselves on board a gummi ship that was built with warfare in mind. They found Magitinus looking out the window and finding a particular ship shining light in questioning and flying its nose to the direction of it, it took off as Sora asked. "Could you tell us what you're plan is?"

Magitinus turned towards them and pointed to the right of the ship and to a tunnel resembling a boarding pod. "If you were informed, you know that a simple arrival is not enough for our entry and they might be aware enough of our presence to stop us from entering the traditional way."

That made sense, though Sora felt a familiar consciousness warning him about where he is going if he goes past the door. Jiminy jumped out and asked. "Once we start, we will be going straight into all kinds of trouble."

Riku, Kairi, Donald, Goofy and Mickey looked to be in mutual feeling as Magitinus put it into perspective. "The confines of this ship will be the last haven we have before we descend into hell."

Hofneil climbed up a set of stairs and instructed bellow. "I will join you shortly once we begin our travel." The seemingly unarmed marine let the group know he was listening in. "It is what you were warned about. You will, metaphorically, descend into our world. Sora, are you and your friends ready?"

The boy took a deep breath, nodded and walked in to find thirteen harnesses strapped to seats, with a screen as the main focus, he was taken by surprise. "Wow." Riku counted the thirteenth and stepped in. "...We already lost someone... but why thirteen?"

Magitinus looked to be smiling. "For those who can fight, although we did not expect our first casualty so soon."

He gave a moment of silence for the one soldier missing from the picture as Ken asked. "You're coming with us?"

Magitinus nodded as a servo skull flew by his side and dropped a strange gun Ken was familiar with. "That's the thing you used to wreck that Soulgrinder."

Magitinus beeped. "We are going into a place with machinery like it and foes that will be well armored. The Meltagun would fire a beam like that of the sun, that thing you have has improved upon its evolution?"

Ken showed Cadia's Light and nodded. "I heard it became something comparable to a hot shot version of a lasgun. It's not that different other than one thing, armor means nothing to it."

Magitinus tapped his fingers together. "It can puncture even ceramite armor, the armor of a Space Marine, with ease. It is beyond the standards of the lasguns machine spirit, but I believe the machine spirit wished to become much more." Ken blinked and took the compliment well, he gasped and realized something was wrong as Riku asked the tech priest. "You are saying that because this could be your last chance to make peace?"

The tech priest wasn't denying it. "It is no apology, but I wish to see its evolved power, just for one time."

Ken whistled in good will. "I still forgive you, besides... I got an idea of how we can really mend the bridges before... setting up the bridge."

Those words caused Sora to simply sit down into a seat and get ready, Kairi guessed with another festival in mind. "A going away party for them?"

Donald snapped his fingers. "Now that's an idea!" He went in next. "Come on Goofy, lets do this!" Goofy chuckled and went in, both sitting by Sora and noticing something was off. Donald asked. "Sora?"

The boy kept it in and smiled fore them, Riku went in next and wanted to lecture. "We just been to a festival days ago, you're thinking of another one now?"

Sora shook his head. "That's... not what I was thinking about."

Riku yawned and joked. "Go take a nap Sora, it's going to be a while before we get there." That was an idea, the spikey haired boy yawned back and went to trying to nap, Kairi entered and found a harnesses right next to her friends. Taking a rest of her own as Ken entered feeling dizzy and found a seat to the far end. Snoozing away and hearing talk of strategy.

At Radiant Garden.

Leon and Cid looked upon two generators in the southern districts of the town and felt the defenses were a tad paranoid. The engineer debated. "That mechanical shrimp has a point if we have to fight big guns."

The man with the gun sword agreed to that. "If we do, but the canons sound handy if those brutes at the vale come knocking."

Yuffie noticed someone coming and winked. "Just aim and watch. I wonder how-" Cough Tahm and his guardsmen arrived with something of an inspection to finalize. "Adequate for the time we have. They found the final passage to the domain of the heretics. Now we wait and hold position."

Yuffie saluted cutely and let the Commissar know. "We have the castle ready in case trouble is coming and we need to hide all these people. This isn't the first time this sort of thing happened."

Tahm nodded as Cid let him know. "And just in case, I got her all fixed up while you were off."

The Commissar hummed and took the mans word for it. "I seen it, it looks suitable enough for battle. Men, we should have sufficient fire power from our Valkyrie to fight back against the enemy, but it is only to a limit."

Cid took offense to that. "How about I show you, ya old vet."

Tahm smiled and sighed. "Then lead the way."

The five took off, Leon smiled and looked up to the sky. "Good luck kid."

With in a mental dream scape.

Sora was looking upon a tranquil shore and had a few things in his mind. None of them making a cohesive pattern, a familiar voice asked. "Scared?" Sora looked to his left to find a boy with golden blonde, spiky hair, holding two particular keyblades in hand. "...Roxas. Was... what that thing was saying to Hofneil true? Once he and the others go back home... things aren't going to get better for them?"

Roxas sighed and patted Sora on the back. "Any world that allowed Mc. Krazypantsoff to be in the power he is has to be messed up. But then again, Resira said he was an exception to the usual rule. You know Hofneil and his friends are trying to set things right for the worlds as well as their own."

That Sora understood as his keyblade formed on his lap. "They are, if it wasn't for them, we wouldn't have been able to get things back to normal. If it wasn't for Resira," He felt it difficult to just let go. "Then Hofneil's power sword became a keyblade."

Roxas wanted to know how that happened. "Someone that close to war was picked... but why?"

The two noticed Riku, Kairi and Namine sitting by them, Sora took a deep breath and told the three. "Hofneil got a keyblade while fighting that... thing responsible for some of the chaos back there."

Riku growled and asked. "It was that same demon we saw in the dream?"

Sora nodded. "You don't want to know what it was doing to the church."

Kairi was just as angry about the implications. "He was trying to mess it up. Is nothing sacred to him?"

Riku shook his head and warned her. "No there isn't, that thing is a Daemon Prince... someone who use to be human before throwing all that away."

Namine sighed and drew. "That only makes it worse."

Sora and Roxas came to that agreement, the spiky haired boy asked his friends. "No matter what happens or how we part from those guys, they did a lot for us."

The group agreed wholly and Kairi had her right hand under her head. "That's going to be the hardest part. All of them are giving everything to protect the worlds, they helped us too many times. They are heroes," She was mentally preparing herself. "They came from a place far away from ours, yet it felt like our hearts had always been one."

Riku nodded and smiled proudly. "That's why its hard. When they do go back home, it might be the last time we see them."

Sora smiled and felt better. "No matter how far away we will be, they will always be in our hearts."

The feeling of smooth sailing dulled the worry, Roxas tensed and looked to Namine like there was something that needed to be done, the blonde girl asked. "If what we hear about is true, anything is possible in there. Do you think you might be able to-" Roxas nodded and smiled arrogantly. "We might need the impossible to go down there."

He found an odd humor as Namine teased to him, seeing that the trio were in their dream bliss and not listening. "Seven keyblade wielders together. With … one more in the boarding party, that will also mean thirteen people are going into the chaos."

Roxas found that more hilarious and laughed to it. "That will make those grim dark wise guys lighten up... even if it is going to go crazy in there." Flicker, the two found themselves looking at each other in a boarding pod, anxious for the final battle. They noticed the screen catching something in a blip, the hour draws near.

At the top of a tower with in the Realm of Heavens,

Aqua was feeling dry as the Heartstone was giving off a pink glow more vibrantly, the evocators were on work for nearly three days. Moonfang was cautious about something being too easy, Raelorian and his judicators kept a valient watch as Gashen observed. "The way this is going, that stone would be at its full power, Lady Aqua... do you think your enemies know of this?"

That was what Aqua was afraid of happening. "It's why you and some of the others are here to keep watch, they will try to destroy the stone above everything else."

Realorian had his hand cannon ready as Gashen was feeling more at unease. "And if the story is true, your enemies are not that easy to expel from this realm. Chaos is one thing and we ensure it never sets foot, but darkness," He kept a firmer watch as Raelorian was looking around, like something was watching him. "What do we make of the place in between, the blackness of the sky? That is always there, it's in order with the celestial bodies."

Aqua was thinking that to be a good point. "It's like how a friend of mine talked about a balance between light and darkness. The Realm of Azyr isn't a realm of pure light, it's a realm of Order. Hmm."

Gashen asked as the tension reached its limit. "If you are thinking about the balance between order and chaos, stop right there. I think the more... correct term, is freedom. Where there isn't a law beyond what you have on your own, that... alone isn't what we are fighting."

That Aqua was getting at. "It's when those with that freedom, completely damages the rules. That is when it becomes disorder, chaos."

Gashen pointed to her and was in complete agreement. "Exactly and those damages can... and have, shattered the laws of physics, the basic idea of right and wrong, common sense, cast into the void, where your only option is either following the strongest or becoming the strongest, where you're not obligated to do things that would waste your time. We battle powers of Chaos because, through that, you end up becoming a slave of a different kind."

Raelorian agreed with that and whistled to Aqua a term she would definitely understand. "For the poor souls that follow Chaos, whether willingly or because it is all they know, they are often called Slaves to Darkness. Trapped with in their own madness, their own wants, having to to survive against those that would betray them for their own gain. Does that sound like freedom?"

Aqua shook her head and watched dark creatures slither from the shadows, twitching and approaching the stone, Arresia glared at them and ordered. "Hold the line! We are almost done!" The liberators charged after the flooding darkness as the judicators readied to fire, flapping bats by the dozens flew from the darkness of the sky. The cross bows fired and the hammers swung, the prosecutors done brutal combat with their hammers and a great hammer as Nerax snipped any important looking Unversed. Aqua readied her keyblade to as she and Moonfang readied for battle. They looked up to find three odd parts flying toward them, a white copter, a jet and what looked like an upper torso. The copter split into a set of arms, the jet unfolded into legs. The torso connected the arms and legs with electrical energy and readied a fist towards her, unaware of Nightscale and Loru flying from above, pelting the parts to, to the ground with what looks like comets. Nightscale flapped his wings to blow a thunder storm and caused the unversed to be in a quick disadvantage as the sheer power shoved it to the ground. Nightscale flew down to claw at the unversed Lorustro smashed at the arms and caused both of them to break apart. Aqua was speechless and watched the Stardrake bite down at the set of legs, shattering the pelvis and leaving just the torso remaining. The torso flew away and fired laser beams, stinging Nightscale and angering him. Lorustro took out a mighty bow and arrow, firing swift and true to let the monster know it wasn't escaping. Nightscale charged at the unversed to continue its brutal attacks, tearing the armor apart and leaving its head for a chomp.

FLAP!

Night Scale nearly fell off the platform and flew back to the sky as Lorustro noticed floating jars trying to pelt his comrades in arms. He aimed his shot at a green herbal smelling one out of doubt as Nightscale wasted no time clearing a swarm of five red jars. Aqua sighed and shot a fire ball at three blue jars, Lorustro noticed and had Nightscale bombard the green jars, asking him. "Nightscale, we should land once this... mages are dealt with!" He shot a blue jar and left it for Nerax to snipe it with his own arrow and eagle. The Star Drake landed and the Templar lowered his hand to Aqua. "Do you wish to take this to the skies?"

Aqua snapped out of the hint of envy and shook her head. "That... trinity armor, wasn't exactly the easiest thing to fight alone."

Lorustro rolled his eyes under his helmet. "Nightscale alone, would have crippled it before it could fight back. I doubt that is all that is coming, come on we are only a small army and you might need a higher ground."

Aqua felt a wink at her and was tempted to take the offer, smirking at him. "This is what Ana sees every time you do this?"

Lorustro wasn't going to lie about it. "Eh she had a Retributor Squad among other things. I wouldn't have been able to get away with this," He counted in his head. "It's probably my rank and how she kept herself that low for a while," He went back to serious duty. "But we shouldn't banter, should we try this to obliterate those things or not?"

Aqua accepted the offer and sensed something from the shadows. She felt a bolt of dark energy being fired at the heart stone and jumped in the way to block it, Lorustro had a change of plans as he, Nightscale and Moonfang saw an intruder approaching. A black figure with red high lights and a helmet masking his face, holding a keyblade, having a quick one for Loru. "It's ever wonder you don't have many friends." The Drakesworn cringed like he felt that, the price for being a prideful motivator, Aqua tensed, refused Loru's offer and was ready for battle. "Vanitas, get lost!"

Simultaneously

Ken was having a dream of a raging storm and woke up, he looked upon the blipping and heard various stomping coming. Mickey found himself comfortable in a seat and buckled up as Hofneil, Pyriel, Nathanel and Dabriel entered, stirring the nappers up. Sora yawned. "We...we are here already?"

Pyriel nodded. "It was approximately four hours, but we are. You're rest should be enough to push through this mission."

The harnesses were held tight as Riku noticed the lines of a fortress, with a blip on the very top and leading downward to a hall way in the belly. The screen had a visual of the hallway making a split, the hall way to the left lead to a series of massive rooms. The hallway to the right had what looked like smaller rooms and a massive one in the end. The teenager pointed to that room. "That has to be where Zagor is hiding. Told you."

Ken swallowed and asked nervously. "And the blip is the safest place we can actually get to," He had a flash back of the Soulgrinder as the other teenagers had a flash back of the Defiler. All four of them had a mental note of larger monstrosities that Zagor very likely has at his disposal, Ken skipped over his question and asked. "Well we don't have to really go the other way... that's a death trap." Nathanel agreed wholly. "We need much more equipment to deal with a daemon engine. You only dealt with one at a time."

Kairi tensed her lips and didn't wish to think about the variety. "And some of them are not as obvious to defeat as undoing the lock." Dabriel nodded as he made sure his missile launcher was in place. "The best course of action to destroy those monster enmasse is anti tank weaponry like a missile launcher or a melta." Bleep! "If you suspect the fortress to be... acting out of the ordinary, press the button Cricket and it should bring us back." Magitinus stepped in and pressed a button to close the door. He had a servo skull float to the screen, the ship swayed a particular direction and the tech priest watched a count down of a minute. He went to a harnass right next to Ken and kept something hidden. Sora tensed and knew the time was for when the boarding missile fires, Ken asked the tech priest. "You... have something in case things get bad in there?"

Magitinus nodded. "It's in case of an emergency, you should have no fear, for that will unmake you in there."

The minute counted down for what felt like an hour. Boop! Shhhw. The group of twelve felt like the missile was fired, the blip changed from a minute to ten rumble! Rumble! CRASH!

With the feeling of a fast slam, the passengers held on and undid the harness immediately. Hofneil took the lead, charged at the hatch and kicked it open, stepping out into a moderately decorated room, decorated with blasphemous symbols of chaos and the ground itself had the symbol of Chaos Undivided. Hofneil drew out his keyblade as his battle brothers stepped out to follow, looking above to an image not for the faint of heart. Ken wiggled his way out and was left witnessing something that made him take out his blades and aim. Sora, Riku and Kairi ran out with Goofy, Donald and Mickey behind them. They saw a vast tide of heartless shadows forming together into a core and together, took the shape of a symbol to Chaos Undivided. The shadows squirmed with in a red center and to the core was a black orb, resembling an eye. Magitinus stepped out and took his more electrical weapon. The eye shot out a connected chain of squirming shadows and gave the group a reason to split apart, the shadows with in the arrows shot themselves against the five keyblade wielders and at Goofy and Donald. Sora and Riku slide into the core and attacked it in unison as Kairi locked her aim and flung a star letting loose angelic feathers. Ken focused on some charge shots as Hofneil swung against the heartless swarm and felt some of the numbers thinning.

Nathanel, Pyriel and Magitinus had their guns ready as Mickey heard something from behind a door. Like something was tearing through. "Watch out guys!"

Sora and Riku listened to something being smashed, they jumped back and watched tide form into a twister.

BASH!

Mechanical tendrils pierced the door and pushed a hole through as Donald readied a stormy spell and raised his wand in the air. Goofy had his shield ready as the tendrils ripped open a large hole, letting through a figure that aimed a long double barreled gun of a right arm at the space marines. A mixture of a robotic machine and flesh, on its left shoulder was a collection of twitching mechanical tentacles. The machine was box like with legs on the bottom, from its back where smoke stacks and in the center was something of a sarcophagus. Bound in wires that merged with the flesh, with in the sarcophagus was a horned man looking in a maddening frenzy. "SPACE MARINES! DIE! DIE!"

BOOM! BOOM!

"DIE!" The space marines rolled out of the way of gun fire, Hofneil took the four shots, shrugged it with his armor and charged at the head. The heartless swarm dived down and swatted the Space Marine back, Mickey and Sora dived into the swarm and stood side by side, they jumped all around to let loose explosive orbs as Dabriel warned the smaller, more vulnerable party members. "Watch out for that Helbrute and its reaper autocannon!" The Hellbrute watched the desctruction and barreled towards a landing Riku, with its tendrils lashing to him. The teenage jumped back and skid to the right to avoid the aiming guns. Dabriel aimed his missile launcher and fired, aiming at the Helbrute's chest and causing it to laugh in pain. Ken fed his melee keyblade's power into his more ranged one and fired quick scorching shots at the sarcophagus, the Hellbrute pointed his tendril at him. The demon tide shot from the massacre and at the boy, who flew into the ceiling and lead the swarm to a dive bomb of light from Kairi. Goofy sent Donald into the air to let loose a storm of lightning, doing significant damage to the demon tide.

The Helbrute slapped Sora, Mickey and Hofneil back toward the missile pod and asked in a craze. "YOU THINK YOU CAN KILL ME? HA! HA! HA!" He aimed his tendril into the air and caused the swarm to recede. "DWELLERS LOST TO THE DARK! PIN THEM DOWN, IN THE NAME OF THE WAR MASTER!"

The demon tide sank into the orb and left the many attacking that slightly confused. Kairi gave the injured a quick heal as Pyriel gave Hofneil a quick jab with a needle. Riku remembered the initial trick the tide did and signaled at the orb. Nathanel agreed and fired his heavy bolter into the void, Ken fired charged shots into the void and was the first to watch the tides burst in large, dark chains snared and caused the many to feel a pain that burned into their souls. The Helbrute laughed in triumph and charged at the pinned Space Marine Captain. "IN THE DARK, YOU WHELPS FINALLY PROVEN YOUR USE! DIE LAP DOG!"

Sora tried to force out of the chains as Hofneil forced himself out and parried the tentacles. The chains became tighter and the pain was becoming overwhelming, something shined with in Sora and shot at the eye. A boy with golden blonde, spiky hair, duel wielding a keyblade of light and darkness. Sora gasped. "Wha... Roxas?!"

The Hellbrute turned to the sight of a keyblade wielder striking the core in a rather aggressive manner and with oathkeeper and oblivion, stabbed the eye. Causing the tide to halt and recede into the eight pointed star, spinning out of control and dissolving, Roxas landed and turned around to confront the Helbrute that was howling. "HOW?!" Roxas smirked and answered. "You didn't expect somebody to do this?"

He taunted and set the Helbrute off into a firing frenzy, Roxas wall jumped and watched Magitinus take out his melta gun and fire a heated beam at the brutes back. Fire scorched from the Helbrute's chest and caused it to spasm. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! NOOOO!" It kept shooting at Roxas and burst into flames, into a glorious explosion. Leaving behind a pair of legs that fell limp on the floor and bled.

Roxas landed and turned around to an elevator. The group followed him without much of an argument, Hofneil asked formally. "It... was good that you came to our aid at a moments notice. Could you explain how you... did that?"

Roxas bluntly answered. "This place isn't just tied to darkness it is tied to all that Chaos junk that... can mess around with whats real."

The marines were not sure if they should identify Roxas as a daemon or not as Sora bopped himself in the head. "So you can act outside of me?!"

Roxas nodded. "While I'm here. I figure that out from seeing that world going absolutely nuts one moment and becoming... normal once it got kicked out."

Riku spoke in the boys defense. "Roxas is a bit... special among us, he can be trusted."

Roxas smiled away from the others view as Magitinus approached like he didn't care where he came from. "Trusted enough to distract that abomination, among other things."

Mickey wanted to ask. "What was that thing anyways?" Kairi, Donald and Goofy stepped in as Nathanel answered. "It is a tradition of ours to take our most wounded battle brothers and wire them into a war machine called a Dreadnought so he can continue to fight in the war for millennium. The Helbrute is a perversion of that idea, a Chaos Dreadnought where the pilot is... less than willing and instead of always being sleepy, it is off the rocker."

Dabriel looked back at the wreckage. "He must have been a figure head before he was double crossed, commanding those Heartless like he did."

Ken shivered and followed in with the marines. "Sheesh! They... were waiting for us."

Riku felt chills from that. "And that was the welcome," Magitinus looked at elevator buttons and pressed down. "Well it's far too late for regrets now."

Hofneil agreed and broke from his stoic tone. "We either kill these heretics or we are going to die here." The elevator made a long descent down, past glowing red lights that flickered on and off. The feeling that something was watching them, waiting for just one of them to make a fatal mistake and drag them into the darkness. Yet, danger did not come. The sound of a faint buzz filled the air, like it was static, a sick attempt at the melody of an elevator? The elevator stopped at the bottom and slowly opened, revealing an ordinary hall way. Riku was the first to speak his mind. "...Something isn't right, after... that... there is no way this elevator would have... nothing."

Hofneil agreed with him and took the lead. "There is no way this hall way would have nothing. This... is clearly a trap," The other marines agreed as Pyriel recommended to the group. "Just clear your mind and don't think about anything else besides the mission."

The four marines entered the hall, finding nothing. Mickey followed and tried to ignore the uncanny emptiness as Goofy and Donald followed him. Roxas and Sora entered to look around, the brown haired boy felt something warning him of imminent danger as Riku and Kairi followed, the girl cleared her mind more. "Nothing here is safe, we just need to find out what this danger is."

The silver haired teenager agreed and answered as he felt like he heard breathing. "...Everything."

Ken and Magitinus exit into the hall way. The boy with the mix and matched blades had the vision of the Kharibdyss for an odd reason, the feeling that he needs something strong and big, he asked Roxas. "You said that the Chaos junk is messing around with whats real... right?" The boy from nowhere agreed. "That's the problem here... but," Magitinus pressed a button on the side of his head dripped oil from his front and made it his effort to push the marines. "It's the problem! Move!"

The marines did so with out question, the rest of the group blinked, felt the light flicker off for a second and watched it flicker on, Goofy and Donald nearly dropped their weapons as the teenagers halted for a brief moment to a scenery that blasted the sanity out of their minds, a hall littered with twisted lumps of flesh, gnarling maws, humanoid limbs, tentacles of flesh and glaring eyes. Kairi felt the boys trying to think of something in their minds and pushed them toward the space marines. "Don't think about it, think about nothing! Nothing is our friend here."

The boys did so with no complaint as Mickey yelled to Goofy and Donald. "Just hu-" One of the eyes focused on the group going to the right and the many maws opened, letting loose a combined howl that was incredible. Goofy and Donald wasted no second to follow the group. Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap! The ground quaked and the sound of beasts rushed behind them, distant for the first second, then feeling like it the beasts were going to arrive in a moment. Donald raised his staff in the air and quacked. "Sora, help me make an ice wall!" The boy obeyed and with a combined will, erected a thick wall of ice. Ken topped that and tapped his fiery keyblade to the ground to summon a giant monster, the Kharibdyss appeared and looked on in instinctual hunger. "That will slow them down!"

The group hauled it past a hall way with more misshapen flesh, the human like limbs reached for them and tried to bite, the swings from the keyblades kept them back and moments in the sharp turn, they heard the ice smashed though and listened to a beasts smashing something into bloody bits. Donald turned his head around to see what went wrong and saw two large, red, metallic beasts mauling the Kharibdyss in unison, with mighty fists, mechanical tendrils and their fanged, fiery maws biting down. Donald quacked. "Rawawarack!" Faced the hall way and caste a haste spell on the party. "Don't look back! Don't look back!"

Goofy tried not to. "That didn't slow them down at all!" Nathanel ran even harder as Dabriel noticed something in the other end of the hallway. "And we can't afford to slow down from those Maulerfiends. Look!"

The group did and Donald recognized a beast with a similar body structure to the Maulerfiends, a monster with four legs, an extra head on each side and a main head biting down upon the flesh. The demon tore it up and chewed as Ken realized. "Those are guns." The fiend glowed in an a fiery red. Sora got an idea, grabbed the techpriest by the wrists and asked. "Donald, Ken, give me a boost!"

The two did so without hesitation, the spiky haired hero jumped high into the air with the disoriented mechanicas and flew at the fiend. Landing on its back and placing the mechanicus down. "D...Do what you did to that Helbrute, hurry!"

The fiend's main head looked up and it growled, Magitinus aimed his gun down at the neck. "That was your plan?! Talk before doing something that irrational!"

PEW! BOOM!

The fiend felt a scorching blast and shrieked, its body short circuited and it fired a barrage of heated beams that let loose screams. Missing the group entirely, Sora noticed the flesh mending itself together and struck down at it to keep it from regrowing. The fiend tried shaking them off and felt another melta shot. It howled in frustration as Kairi gave off a glow and aimed her keyblade at the monster's exposed chest cavity. "HIYAAA!"

PEW!

A flower glowed by the tip of the blade and fired a beam of light at the monster, causing it to burn from the inside out and screeched, it fell forward and landed in a thump, dead. The group eleven caught up they tried running together, the shifting flesh reached out tentacles to try and snare the group, Riku noticed and yelled. "Jump, now!"

The space marines did so, the shield bearer and mage did so, the keyblade wielders did so and watched tentacles wiggling after them, Magitinus however wasn't so lucky and tripped, being caught in it and turning around to see the maulerfiends crush the dead engine and charge at him. Ken, Nathanel and Dabriel aimed their guns in an attempt to save the tech priest, who pulled out a trio of oval shaped explosive packs.

Magitinus ordered loudly. "FIRE! THIS WILL DESTROY THESE MONSTERS IN THEIR TRACKS!"

Nathanel gasped. "But you will be caught in-" He tried to aim his bolter and was trying to dodge the many tentacles, Dabriel had little luck and Ken realized he had to make the shot. Hesitating to shoot the bombs as Riku barked to the tech priest. "Are you crazy?! You will be caught in that as well!"

The tentacles circled around Magitinus's limbs and pulled, the tech priest laughed proudly. "I'm already dead! FIRE!"

Ken aimed, closed his eyes and pulled the trigger, feeling immense guilt as the hot beam made contact with one of the bombs and caused it to rupture, Magitinus saw the beam pierce it and punctured a hole in one of the maulerfiends. He chuckled to the boy. "Excellent shot!"

BOOOM!

The bomb exploded as the maulerfiends were in arms reach of the morsel, it became that of a fire ball that melted through the arms, the central bomb exploded and blew off the chest cavity and the third engulfed the fiends and tech priest entirely." Pieces of tendrils flew and stabbed the pulsing flesh, causing a brief receding as Ken was still in his legs. Nothing remained of Magitinus, save for a scorch mark. Roxas grabbed him by the back of the collar and ordered. "It's like he said, he was already dead, move."

Ken agreed and looked devastated as he turned from the smoldering wreck, finding the fellow keyblade wielders just as speechless. Hofneil took command and saw a vast room ahead, glowing in twisting energies. "Boy, that was not a murder, we would have had to confront two of them in the open room and he was our best chance. Do not let his sacrifice be in vain."

Mickey sweated and tried to keep the thoughts out. "We...we need to keep moving and worry after we get out of this hall."That was agreed with as the band of twelve took their time to fight back against the twisting flesh and make it to the end of the hall. The flesh tried to close in on them and the group picked up the pace to dash to the end, making it to the next room and for a fleshy door to close behind them. Sora, Riku and Kairi gave a quick stare at Ken, who was closing his eyes and expecting the worse, the silver haired teenager barked. "Don't act like we are going to kick you're butt. We... made it across and we knew what was coming when we came. Let's try not to repeat that."

The group focused on the words and agreed as they heard a small clap. Standing before them was Zagor, holding his staff proudly and on top of a massive heartless emblem that was center to an eight pointed star. "Well done surviving my Hall of the Surreal. I was hoping you would have brought those darlings along with you, but credit where it is due. The Admech certainly had plans for THAT."

Nathanel aimed his gun and fired, a barrier of darkness protected the Master of Possessions. The group looked around to find themselves in a room with eight corridors. Three on the left and right, one behind them and another ahead of them, the six to the sides glowed and opened as Sora felt something crawling behind. He turned around to find a red, spider like monster aiming its guns and glowing of darkness, its white teeth, black skin, blue tongue, tendrils and eviscerator talons. Roxas sensed something greatly unnatural from the rifts and guessed. "But you had plans to call in friends of yours?" He looked at the bloated monster. "And this thing is calling them?"

Zagor wasn't speaking and gave away that it was in his silence. He stared down and caused demented whispers to echo. A horde of chaos daemons appeared. Plaguebearers festering, Bloodletters snarling, Pink Horrors giggling and Daemonettes laughing. They came in nearly thirty each, Sora, Donald and Goofy nodded to each other in confidence to a plan. Kairi whispered to Riku. "We do that same thing as before?"

Riku had a slightly better idea. "Dawns twist. Just follow me and don't let up." Ken readied his burning keyblade and had it ready to stab the ground as Dabriel turned to the monster and the remaining space marines focused on the daemonettes. Zagor was even more impressed. "Even in the depths of hell, you continue to fight on. Ha! Ha!" He snapped his fingers and ordered. "Devour their souls!"

The bloodletters, plague bearers and daemonettes charged as the pink horrors fired a barrage of fire balls. Sora and Mickey dived straight into the bloodletters as the marines focused the massive daemonette horde down in gunfire and Hofneil carving a suave into them. Riku and Kairi struck into the plague bearer horde. Goofy raised his shield up and let Donald jump on, pushing him into the air, the duck fired a barrage of magical spells to rain down upon the horde. Ken stabbed the ground, burst into flames and flew at the pink horrors like a fire ball, blowing a hole in the horde and firing left and right. Zagor raised his staff and summoned ten flesh hounds and ten blue rays. "You boasted to best a thousand heartless! But can you best the infinite?"

In a quick combo, Riku and Kairi were side by side, spinning together and firing a barrage of light and darkness. It was doing rather significant damage to the flesh hounds and the rays flew at the two, missing badly as the vast horde was being pushed back by the keyblade wielders.

In the back, Roxas dashed underneath the bloated crawler and struck the monstrosity in the fleshy belly. The fiend turned around and raised its talons in the air. BOOM!

The demon felt the might of a missile and kept trying to focus on the random boy that jumped above and struck at it with both blades, avoiding the tendrils when he can and dashing to the side when its two side cannons spewed out darkness, spilling over to the shadows and forming misty heartless. JUMP! THUD!

Dabriel landed on the beasts back held on, he tossed his helmet to reveal a bald man, he took out a grenade and pulled the pin with his teeth. He punched it into the bloated flesh and caused an inward explosion that caused the fiend to bleed. Shadows crawled and pounced at both battlers, Roxas had a realization of what the thing was. "Did... it got this way by eating-" He was disturbed. "That's creepy."

He burst in light and struck the heartless swarm with that light, evaporating them and leaving the disoriented monster to throe the marine off balance. Roxas flung at the monster and let loose, causing the armor to crack and for it to burst in a mixture of darkness and warp energy, it gave a sinister laughter as the boy grabbed the marine and pulled him back to the group.

BOOM! The crawler exploded and left Zagor disappointed. "Heartless and daemon alone is not enough. It is never enough."

He floated into the air and brought a horde of twenty bloodletters, plague bearers, pink horrors and daemonettes. Goofy and Donald landed from their combo and Sora back flipped to their side, thinking the whole thing was becoming pure insanity. The trio raised their weapons in the air and caused a radiant shine, a trinity limit that obliterated the daemons and vaporized Zagor's shield. Leaving him exposed, yet not finished. Mickey and Ken jumped back to the healthy group, Sora panted and barked. "Is that really all you got?!"

Hofneil looked at the emblem and shook his head. "No, it isn't!"

Zagor gave an eerily calm laughter as six figures crawled out of the closing rifts, he gave a slight glare at Roxas and boasted. "That?! That was just bits and pieces of my long research in the Darkness. The putty that molded and bent to my will, that treasonous brother of mine that would have had you if it wasn't going to be-" He stopped and pointed to the door of flesh. "Those pathetic cultists and my pets! None of that matters now! For the ritual is near completion."

Those not of the space marines felt disturbed by one of the obstacles behind them as Hofneil aimed his keyblade towards him. "You mean a ritual to bring in more of your kind?!"

Zagor gasped in shock. "HAAA!" The group felt a sinister smile as the figures took a more recognizable shape, Chaos Space Marines with mutated limbs and appearances that looked like something out of their nightmares. Zagor broke into laughter. "My kind, ha, ha, ha. HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!"

He broke in insane laughter as a winged marine with talons snarled with a combined voice. "We are the ones here!" Another with a maw on its chest spoke with it. "Master Zagor seeks to complete his task for the Warmaster!" Another with crab claws drooled at his prey. "But he does not need them to break you!"

Those not the space marines were horrified by the monstrosities, Roxas was the first to realize and was stuttering, he looked upon them like they were madmen. "They... tossed out there...there-" Mickey nodded and kept guard. "They tossed their light and... let those daemons take them!" Sora blocked that image out. "If they can't get any more desperate."

The possessed took offense as Zagor was more humored and caused the ground to distort. "You naive fool, it takes any one to try and wield the powers of chaos, to wield the powers of darkness!" He yelled with an odd vigor. "BUT TO BECOME ONE WITH THEM, IS THE PATH TO TRUE POWER! WITH THIS POWER, WE WILL FINALLY SNUFF OUT THE IMPERIUM OF MAN AND CLAM THIS GALAXY FOR THE GREAT GODS!" Pyriel aimed his plasma pistol and snorted as it super charged. "Or we can give you this medicine!"

PEW! Super heated plasma shot out to Zagor, the possessed marines waited and watched a massive black talon reach out from the ground, from the shadows. Riku's eyes widened and quickly realized. "...You actually-"

Thud! A sickening voice whispered into the groups minds, feeling like a sting. "We tapped into a power, far superior to what you skimmed across!"

The claw revealed many yellow eyes, a slit maw that stuck out many blue tongues that itself had maws. Sora and Kairi looked like they were going to have nightmares as they recognized the missing marine, Kairi asked. "Gurak?! What did you do to yourself?!"

Thud!

Another hand emerged from the darkness, less a hand and more of a black crab like claw with many yellow eyes, they pulled a figure out of the emblem, revealing a creature with a horned head resembling both a heart and the mark of chaos, a set of red and green eyes, crimson red armor, eyes bursting from the cracked shoulders, an upper torso with two sets of eyes and a second maw on its stomach. On its back were thing wings resembling the heartless emblem and pulling from under was a set of legs with black taloned feet, a monster around five times the size of a space marine and one revealing all the horror unleashed. Zagor relished their terror and announced. "Gurak has ascended beyond his mortal name! He is Darkness Incarnate, the monster from your nightmares, the Abyss itself!"

The head of the creature split apart to reveal a lamprey like maw and a dagger like tongue, letting a whisper sting the intruders minds. "We are Xaw'Rak." The figure let loose a shroud of darkness that consumed the area and surrounded the forces of light in the void, the possessed marines eyes glowed yellow and Zagor let loose an infernal power upon the possessed. "Do you see the looks on your faces? To witness the work of the Great gods in all their glory?!"

The group readied their weapons Kairi, Ken, Donald and Goofy looked at the possessed to the left as Nathanel and Pyriel focused on the possessed to the right, Dabriel counted, placed his missile launcher aside and took out a chain sword to join his battle brothers. Sora, Riku, Mickey, Hofneil and Roxas looked up to the monster. Xaw'Rak charged at the five standing up to him and used both limbs to slam the ground, the five dodged and saw a dagger tongue shot at the Hofneil. The space marine swiped at the tongue to counter as the four more agile keyblade wielders circled around the monster and gave it their strongest combos, they watched the flesh mend and the monster take flight. He opened his stomach like maw, firing down a barrage of dark spikes.

At the left side, Ken's gun like keyblade glowed in fire as he shot a charging possessed in the head. Burning it and drawing its attention, he jumped to dodge and flipped with his melee oriented blade, knocking it to the ground as Donald shot a thunder bolts and Goofy dashing at the injured possessed with his shield. The possessed punctured the shield with its misshapen claws and snarled at the brave, if terrified for his soul, knight. Kairi glowed as the crab clawed marine pounced at her, she dashed towards it like an angelic missile and sent it flying, the marine burned from the holy power and was pelted by a heart shaped star. Howling in pain and trying to fly at her, Kairi saw melting flesh, skid to the right and kept striking with her holy glow, she saw pieces of bone and left it exposed to a finishing thrust in the chest. The possessed marines limbs fell off and saw pieces of its flesh slopping.

Nathanel gunned back one of the possessed marines as Pyriel shot one in the head with supper charged plasma, managing a frenzy of attacks, stabbed it in the chest, twisted and punched it in the back of the head. Cutting it into two as Dabriel was clawed across the face by a talon and punched it in the stomach with a krak grenade. Walking away towards the remaining possessed as it exploded. Zagor was angered and fired bolts of lightning from his eyes at the marines. "Would you just die already!" BOOM!

Dabriel was knocked to the ground and was still as Nathanel dodged out of the way and aimed at the Sorcerer. Pyriel went to checking on the wound with a taunt. "Not on my watch heretic!"

Sora, Mickey, Riku, Roxas and Hofneil parried the unholy barrage as Xaw'Rak looked upon the marines and at the four pushing back against his brothers. He roared and dived down into the darkness, Sora looked to the ground and found a heartless emblem glowing beneath the team of Donald, Goofy and the two key bearers. "Watch out!" The four noticed, Goofy shoved the possessed as Donald jumped back and the key bearers flew away. Dodging a talon that clawed out and flailed tongues, reaching out and failing. It sank back into the darkness as Kairi slid to the possessed Goofy had problems with and stabbed it in the chest, a glow came from with in and the marine was melting to bones, Ken cringed and shot the prone possessed in the head, ending its existence and jumping to the air for the last of the possessed, he aimed his gun and fired, snipping it across the head and causing it to fall over. Zagor glowed in unholy power and flew at him, swiping with his staff and causing Ken to shoot down.

He noticed the emblem glowing beneath the three marines. "He is jumping! Move!" Pyriel shot a medical needle into Dabriel and refused to leave him. WOOSH!

A crab like claw emerged and grabbed Pyriel, knocking a recovering Dabriel aside and for Nathanel to prioritize shooting the monster. Pyriel kept his defiance and fired an over charged plasma at Xaw'Rak's right eye, bringing it to anger and for it to shoot its tongue at the apothecaries neck, severing his head from his body and dropping him. That caused the forces of good to yell in shook. "No!"

Thud!

Hofneil jumped with all his might at the demons chest, Sora and Riku flew to the fiends sides and attempt to strike at it as Mickey leaped at the demons face to let loose his anger. Roxas looked upon Zagor and dashed after him, going fully aggressive and pushing him back. Zagor swung and hit Roxas in the face, questioning more about him with a hint of fear. "What are you?!"

Roxas wasn't going to answer and looked above to realize most of the best attacks are doing nothing against Xaw'Rak. "He is...regenerating." He barked. "Everyone, get away from that thing, he isn't going down!"

Sora, Riku and Mickey listened as Hofneil punched Xaw'Rak back and fell down against Zagor. "Then what are we to do?!"

Dabriel bull rushed the Master of Possession as Nathanel waved to the monster and shot up at him. "Find a way while I get him busy!" BOOM! BOOM!" Xaw'Rak felt a bullet shoot past him and glared down at the marine who yelled. "Hey, remember me?" Mickey cringed and saw what was coming, Xaw'Rak grabbed stubborn marine with its crab claw and brought him to his face. Nathanel dropped his heavy bolter, took out a crack grenade and tossed it at Xaw'Rak's maw, blowing it shut. Snip! Nathanel was snapped in two and fell to the ground, he sees his feet from the ground and grabbed his heavy bolter, shooting at the demon that scorched his body with fire.

Mickey watched the deadly battle and the first casualty of war. "...We...need-" He saw Kairi pulling a possessed that was burned from the light and had an idea. "The light... seven," He snapped his fingers. "Hey fellas, if you got a keyblade, come to the center, I know what we can do to win this!"

Zagor shook his head and realized. "...Light?! You think that can save you from Xaw'Rak?! You think that exists anymore?" He shot a lightning bolt and sent Mickey flying, Dabriel shoved the Master of Possession back, Sora gasped as Mickey jumped to the upper center and gave off a glow. "So that's it!"

He spun his keyblade at a busy Xaw'Rak and barked. "You dived so deep into the darkness to be these demons, you forgot the one thing that you had."

Xaw'Rak growled and left the charred marine to attack him. Riku appeared from its side and slashed it across the face, Xar'Rak was distracted by that as Dabriel laughed at Zagor. "And that is how you just lost!"

The Master of Possessions grabbed Dabriel by the head and focused the powers of the warp to make his head explode. Kairi jumped into the upper left of the center as Roxas taunted at both followers of chaos. "You lost the one thing that made you whole and now you'll just be one bad nightmare we're waking up from." He shot light at Zagor and caused him to sizzle as Hofneil went to the upper right of the center as he watched his headless battle brother lay dead. "This war is over Zagor, you and your abomination will meet the darkness you sought after!"

Riku agreed with that and jumped to the lower left. Ken spun and shot a fire ball at Xaw'Rak, giving Goofy and Donald the time they need to get to the center, the boy with the gun and fire stick back flipped to the lower right. "Then we can be free to do what we want without worrying about you!"

Roxas jumped into the lower center as Kairi barked. "Get lost!"

Sora jumped to the center, the seven keyblade wielders stabbed the ground in unison as Goofy and Donald raised their weapons in the air. Giving off a flower of light, Xaw'Rak roared and shot a beam of darkness at the force, he was being pushed back, Zagor focused his energy upon his remaining brother. "NO! NO! WE DID NOT COME THIS FAR TO BE SNUFFED OUT! WE WILL SEE THE DARK GODS TRIUMPH!"

Xaw'Rak bellowed. "THIS CHANGES NOTHING! THIS SACRIFICE."

The light glowed stronger and pushed the abomination back, Zagor jumped in front of him and exerted a force of will to push the light. "WILL HAPPEN! YOUR GALAXY WILL BURN!"

Xaw'Rak shot dark beams from his eyes in a vain attempt to push back the light. PEW! The light was vaporizing the marines body and caused it to break apart, he screamed in defiance and evaporated, Zagor was pushed back against the wall and was in disbelief. PEW! WOOSH! The darkness was dispelled and the room returned to a still, if warping station. Zagor laid defeated and was left giving a broken laughter, the station twisted and turned, the Master of Possession felt his body fading into darkness and he embraced it gladley. "Ha, ha, ha, ah, ah ah ha, ha! You have not won! He comes, the Lord of the Black Crusade comes!" The void consumed him and he broke down into a delusion. "Brothers, we did it! Ah, ha, ha ha!" He faded into the void laughing as the remaining nine felt a strong force pulling them away.

PEW! Thud!

The party of nine felt themselves on top of the gummi ship and were looking upon a fortress becoming consumed by a bright twisting cloud. The many were on their rears, looking on at a battle that costed much. Hofneil turned on communications device with quick succession as Jiminy asked in disbelief. "...Please tell us Zagor was bluffing."

Sora and Roxas watched the cloud take form into an eight pointed start, something was coming, the brown haired boy shook his head as the gummi ship made a turn far away from the site. "...He... wasn't, that was the ritual?!"

Riku clenched his fists. "It was either us... or himself. We're not done yet."

Blip!

Hofneil noticed Even of all people on the other end of the call, the space marine yelled. "Where is Ienzo?! We have a Code Black emergency! A code black!"

The scientist gasped and was panicking. "That code... Ienzo is picking up Miss Wanda and her guild right now, they should be-" The marine pointed to him. "Then you issue the alarm and pray for a miracle!"

Even was ready to do just that as he confidently answered. "I don't need a miracle, but we do need a plan."

That Hofneil was going to address. "Leave that to us, Tahm would have already given the committee their instructions! Hofneil out!"

Blip!

Something emerged at the tip of a spear head formation, a fortress like ship with large guns, flying towards Traverse Town. Roxas sensed a terror and went back into Sora. "We need everything we got for this."

Hofneil wasn't going to ask as he watched a four smaller ships of various forms and colors fly out of the rift, one particular looked organic and alive. Ken noticed Brynhildr flying to the gummi ships side and tried to laugh it off. "Ha, we just need to go into that and see if we can't give this thing the boot. Easy!"

The invading ships gun glowed and aimed at Traverse Town, Sora shook his head with a realization. "It... isn't, it isn't going to-"

In the Realm of Azyr.

Aqua, Moonfang, Lorustro and Nightscale stood before a sinister figure that was laughing loudly. "Bwahahaha! All he does is show off to everyone, do you think anyone likes seeing someone better than them brag."

Lorustro and his steed approached with a rather calm demeanor. "They really don't!"

WOOSH!

The Stardrake charged at Vanitas with claws in hand, actually succeeding in landing a meaningful blow, the fiend with the helmet tried to dodge and met a hammer to his torso. Vanitas landed and wasn't given much of a rest as the sky fell down upon him, Lorustro had his bow and arrow ready. PEW!

Vanitas vanished, Aqua raised her hand up and formed a barrier, blocking the corner from any interference. Ding! Vanitas nearly struck the at the Heartstone and was denied it, he turned around and dodged the breath and claws of Moonfang, sinking into the ground and prompting Aqua to dodge with a back flip and give a quick counter attack. She raised her blade and caused ice to form, Vanitas stilled, disappeared and appeared from above. Aqua dodged and watched Nightscale and his rider charge after the fiend. Pew!

The Stardrake clawed at an illusion, looked around with his guard up and Loru looking behind him and above to hear a taunt. "Too slow! SWAT! Loru was knocked off his Stardrake and swung to his right, parrying Vanitas as Nightscale growled in annoyance, the Drakesworn had his own words to dish back. "Nightscale and I brag through deeds! What can be said of yours beyond just evil?" Vanitas felt cavernous jaws looming down upon him and dodged the brutal sounding snap through a vanish, Loru raised an eyebrow and scoffed. "Exactly. Every tale needs an antagonist, that's what we are to those that can make better of themselves." Aqua would have gave him a nod of approval if she wasn't focused on finding where Vanitas hid to.

Woosh! Purple chains erupted from the ground to snare Nightscale and Lorustro down, they squirmed and moved with the duo to bind them back into place, finding Vanitas glaring at them bored. "That will keep you out of this." Moonfang and Aqua charged and attacked in unison, like a storm chariot.

BOOM!

Vanitas was slammed against a wall and vanished, letting loose a barrage of fire balls that knocked the two around. He caught Aqua from the front and was ready to strike her down. parry! Aqua parried back, giving a determined glare and wasn't giving up. Vanitas saw a faint shine from the sky above and looked up, the sight nearly caused him to break into a panic, he jumped back and focused on attacking the barrier shielding him from the Heartstone. He was bit in the cowl by Moonfang and was tossed to Aqua, who realized something was off. "Where did all your arrogance go?! Hmm?"

She noticed a reflection in the helmet, a comet of storm and lighting was heading straight towards the battle arena, Loru looked up to have a closer look at the comet, he gasped and smiled under his helmet as Nightscale looked up and growled something the Stormcast understood. "Straight back into the darkness that spawned him. Welcome back."

Those words caught Aqua off guard and she was pushed back, Vanitas attempted to think of a come back as the comet made its landing, like a bolt of lightning. CRASH!

The force of the lightning washed over the whole arena, vaporizing the unversed, the chains and even the barrier, knocking him on his rear and for Aqua to turn to the edge of the platform, finding a silver figure glowing in lightning and shining metallic stubs from its back, it shined in holy light and gave off a crackle. A certain figure with a familiar helmet, blue shoulders and in its right hand, a silver hilt Aqua and Vanitas were familiar with, it resembled a keyblade. The hilt lead to the rest of the blade that to little surprise to Aqua, resembled a lightning hammer, the figure held the keyblade with two hands, stood up proudly and glared at a petrified Vanitas. "Begone from the Sigmar's Realm demon!"

The dark figure readied his blade and attempted to say something as the figure burst in lightning and struck him in the stomach, Vanitas felt that, was engulfed in lightning and was sent flying out of the east of arena, falling with electricity overflowing his body. The Stormcast searched and looked down to find the figure vanishing into a shadow, a feminine voice barked to the dark. "AND STAY OUT!" That voice caught the evocators, Nerax, Arreia, the judicators and liberators by surprise. Lorustro casually stood up and felt a little sore from the bindings. "Eager as always Ana, that... certainly gave him a message of that didn't flat out killed him!" Aqua looked still as the Stormcast with wings let her keyblade fade and took off her helmet, to reveal a woman with tanned skin, a braided black mohawk and a scar on her left cheek, confirming once and for all who the wielder is.

She stilled and approached slowly as Moonfang barked and dashed to Ana, giving her a mighty head butt that the Stormcast took with a cough. "Oof!" She petted her steed. "H...Hey Moonfang, were you good while I was gone?"

Moonfang licked her face as Aqua had her turn and dashed to her in an embrace, the keyblade master was near tears as Arreia sighed. "From my reports, Moonfang had been helping Aqua in her quest to gather the fragments of this thing... when the situation calls it. It felt like it was way too long!" The Lord Arcanum saw the Heartstone giving off a radiant pink glow and ordered. "A little more and-" PEW!

The Heartstone finished its bright glow as the Retributors and Knight Venator landed, ready to give their respects, the evocators felt their task was complete and approached the returned Stormcast. They asked many questions and overwhelmed Ana to where she shouted. "Okay, I'm back! I'm back!" She pushed the crowd back and was being given more affection from Aqua and Moonfang, the two let go as Lorustro approached her in silence.

Ana gave a respectful if grudge holding frown. "I knew what you tried to do and I saw that."

Lorustro gave her a respectful bow. "If I was paying any attention I would have found the fragment. Now what exactly was that?"

Ana nearly squeaked from what a long time rival was asking and focused, holding a two handed keyblade that resembles a lightning hammer and answering. "I...I have no idea, Sigmar and Grungi never gave a name for what I got...promoted to."

She stared at him awkwardly, Lorustro took off his helmet to reveal white skin, stormy grey hair and a young, welcoming smile that was completed with dark grey eyes. "A Knight Hammer Blade?"

The smile became prideful and Ana growled. "A...damn it that's actually a good one!"

He and Nightscale laughed with the frustrated Hammer Blade. "Ha! Ha!" He stopped laughing and kept smiling. "But seriously, this is something you been wanting for a long time?"

Ana let go of her grudge and let her hair blow. "Something like it."

BOOM!

A winged stormcast with a lanturn and three on foot stormcasts with a javelins arrived by the stone. The leader of javelins wielding soldiers snobbishly gave in. "Fine, I suppose I could spend some time away from training the next line of Palladors if it is that important to you Tarnos." He noticed the heartstone and its shine. "A once in a lifetime event." Tarnos nodded as five gryphons appeared in the light. "All of us, partook in this moment."

Sathea listened and agreed. "If it wasn't for all of us, Aqua wouldn't have came nearly as far as she did. Be proud to be here Eldriel."

Davas agreed with that. "For we won't get another chance again."

Arreia stepped forward to ask Aqua. "With the power given, would it require a realm gate?"

Aqua remembered the various ways the fragments were used and shook her head. "Not if the user puts their heart into where they want to go." She walked to the stone and stood before it, the light the guide the way. The many Stormcasts waited as Ana and Moonfang approached her, the friend that started her long journey asked. "This had been something you really wanted for a long time and you thought out of hell and beyond to get. Once you start, there is no going back until Order and some kind of peace is restored to your realm." She asked her. "Are you ready to give this a go?"

Aqua envisioned a vast realm with in a cosmos and felt her blade glowing. PEW!

A beam made contact with the Heartstone, it floated high in the air and shot a beam of its own to the north of the platform, causing door sized keyhole to form. The many were in great aw and Aqua found it difficult to believe it, she slowly approached and felt a pathway calling to her, Ana and Moonfang followed her, Loru gasped and asked. "Ana, what...what are you doing?"

Arreia guessed. "Sigmar didn't just reforge her like this out on a whim, there is a greater purpose for her being back." She felt crestfallen and asked her subordinate. "Is it?"

Anatesis turned around and nodded. "The realm Aqua came from is being hit by the Forces of Chaos and it isn't going to be the end of that even if we beat them back. Archaon knows of it and will seek to being ruin like he always has." Aqua turned back and agreed, feeling heavy in the heart. "And he isn't alone... Ana, are you asking... to come with me?" The Knight Hammer Blade nodded. "Ei! The Realm needs all the help it can get."

She looked at her fellow stormcasts with a frown that told them enough, Arreia was respecting the silent wish and ordered her men. "And this... is her battle... not ours." The Drakesworm Templar babbled. "B..B-" he stopped and was given a nudge from Nightscale. "..." He smiled to her. "With the kind of power you unlocked, you don't need someone taking that glory from you. Good luck."

Ana felt the hurt words and promised him. "You wouldn't have, but remember what we were reforged to do."

Loru does. "Protect the Realms and its people." He kept a duty bound pose as Arreia repeated it. "To Protect the Realms and its people. None of us are stopping you three." She gave a relaxed smile. "Farewell for now, strike true into the forces of darkness and make a tale that will be sung through the ages!"

She yelled out to her men. "For the people of the realms! Only the faithful will triumph this day." The many gave a repeat of that phrase. "Only the faithful!" Cheering and celebration was heard, making the pain of departure even harder, the trio stepped through the keyhole and found themselves in a cragged path in between the void.

The cheering became distant, until it was but a faint memory. Aqua wondered. "How was that possible?!"

Ana blinked and looked upon her keyblade, she placed it over her shoulder and wondered. "It came not so long after I was reforged again. It kept feeling like... something or someone was cheering for me, like a distant storm."

Aqua wondered and had two distinct memories, one was of an anvil on the moon, a memory that was dear to Ana, the other was of a boy giving praise. Ana noticed and asked. "You had a hand in it when you tried to piece together my soul?"

Aqua guessed so. "That might have been it, but there is someone from the realm we are going back to... that speaks a lot about you."

Ana know exactly who she was talking about. "Kendry?! How did you figure that-" She felt confused as Aqua guessed. "Because he kept you're memory is his heart." She blushed and confessed. "Like many others, calling you back from the dark."

Ana took a deep breath and had a few tears of pride as Moonfang saw a keyhole in the distance, shining its way into a cosmos. The Stormcast found a good comparison. "Like how people you know if and those who never heard of you. That's the sign of what a heart is and what makes it strong to endure life's hardships."

Aqua remembered words from an otherwise unsavory foe and interpret it in a way that was less savage. "To keep going no matter what beats you back." There was one more question she had for Ana. "How long ago did you have that keyblade?"

Ana counted. "It happened when I was reforged and was given my old hammer, it turned into what you saw while the tempestos hammer is back in reserve. I was put through a trial of illusions at around... I think the time you built that stone back up."

She looked back to the glittering keyhole back home. "And the Heartstone is going to be kept in tighter storage. For now. I know enough about a keyblade to work with it, it feels like my old hammer."

Aqua agreed with that. "But that is just using the keyblade like it is a weapon, rather than like it is apart of you. If it wasn't a hammer?"

Ana agreed back. "I wouldn't have given that evil thing what he deserved, that trial... that retraining was one of the reasons it took me so long to get there. But it will be more than enough for the three of us to get things back in order."

Aqua nodded with something on her mind. "It will do for now, returning home is just the beginning of another journey. Hmm."

Ana listed the remaining objectives. "Then ya got to find out how to fix ya friend and free the other while putting up with more trouble. It will be home, so-" Aqua felt more positives on the way and found herself standing in front of the keyhole. "So we have time."

She noticed something wrong and watched from with in the cosmic gate, a world with a particular town in the way of a ship glowing its massive gun. Anatesis recognized the patterns of Chaos. "This is what everyone been fighting?!" Aqua was ready to draw blood if the gun does what she thought it was going to do.

At Traverse Town.

Wanda oversaw her men going into the much larger train, the demigryphs stationed with in the rear kart and seeing to her anxious Gryphon being nice and comfortable with the others. "I know Stallwing, but this is just for political purposes, we will be back soon!"

The gryphon obeyed and was nice and comfortable with in. She found a smugly smiling Ienzo waiting for her out of the cart, he confessed. "Most of this was done because of you. This could prove a promising adventure for all of you."

Wanda admitted and pointed to the cart with her men. "Besides business, this world is pretty much the only one in the realms we know. We need to figure out how to deal with the Forces of Destruction when all this is over with. They can get into pretty big numbers."

Ienzo took the offer and walked into the cart, turning around to give a charming smirk. "And the town could use someone with a bit of experience in salvaging settlements. The garden has seen better days."

Wanda pointed her thumb behind to the town ringing a bell. "If we can keep a tank up and running, fixing some old ruins would be like eating cake. Consider it good as new in a couple days like this one."

She readied to enter as she heard the sound of a beam from behind, Ienzo looked to find the beam right by the bell tower and looked up, to find a massive ship. A mixture of confusion, shock and terror filled him as Wanda turned around to see the beam expand, disintegrating the tower and causing the world to rumble. Ienzo grabbed her by the back and dragged her in. The train door closed and it tooted its horn as the apocalypse was occurring. It chugged as the rumbling was becoming out of control, explosions and what was felt like a scream shook the train. The men were asking questions of panic as they saw green light outside, they crossed over to a tunnel in between.

WOOSH!

They felt something push from behind and nearly fell, Wanda looked baffled and her heart was pounding as Ienzo's eyes widened. He realized what happened and crouched into a corner, still and stiff, the general felt she understood what happened, looked like her whole world came undone and joined with the man to crouch and brood. She wanted to say something, stopped and curled up in a ball.

At the gummi ship.

Sora and the group watched in horror as a beam fired on the world of Traverse Town from the gun ship. They watched the explosion vaporize the settlement and cause the world to give off a glow, it blow into chunks and causing the keyblade wielders to feel a death scream in their hearts. BOOM!

The world burst in fire, rocks scattered and the beam cleared, leaving behind a faint pink glow that flickered away. Even a space marine like Hofneil was left still as Mickey asked with his heart hurting. "Thats...thats what Abaddon can do?!"

The space marine nodded as he watched the many shedding silent tears. "...In one dreadful moment, a world and its inhabitants... murdered." He saw many ships making a flight to Radiant Garden and a mixture of peril sparked. Riku asked the Space Marine. "Tell us what we need to do!"

Hofneil pointed to Kendry. "Our solution is before us, but if we do not defend the next world, it will be the next one to perish."

Kendry swallowed and counted as Sora blurted out. "But it took everything we got just to beat those guys-" Kendry agreed and looked to Brynhildr as he felt his heart lighting the way. "It... might need that as well. But-" Riku heard a suggestion that is completely suicidal. "But if you go in there by yourself, they will destroy you IF you're lucky."

Hofneil agreed with that. "The Black Legion... a traitor legion that makes up of various Chaos Space Marines from other factions. The Word Bearers, World Eaters, Thousand Sons, Emperors Children, Death Guard, Night Lords, Iron Warriors and the Alpha Legion. That doesn't begin the renegades."

Ken kept a still. "And they are heading straight to my home world! If I can go in there and give them the boot like the Eldar... that will... be it."

He looked to the group like he was talking mania as Hofneil sighed. "Then we will provide you with the time you need to banish the Black Legion. You have the strength to best a Chaos Space Marine, but heed the numbers."

Ken got it and felt something calling to him. "Yeah I got it, one wrong move and game over!" He looked to a terrified Sora, perked and cheered for him. "Come on I heard and seen you fight back scarier things than this! You all can do this!"

The perking was breaking through the fear as Kairi flared up in agreement and cheered to the group. "We will do this! Are we going to let this evil have its way?"

Sora broke more from that, stiffen and answered like a knight. "No Ma'am!"

Kairi gave a rally to Riku, who felt the motivation and stood ready. "No we will not!"

Ken laughed and let himself disappear into the light. With in Brynhildr, he left a texted in open chat, Kairi took the message and texted back as Mickey asked. "Then we should get there soon before they do!"

Hofneil went to his seat and raised his hand. "And I know just the thing to do it!" He formed his keyblade and pointed yonder, encouraging the other four to do the same. A beam shot to Radiant Garden and the ship traveled with the light of the beam. Leaving Brynhildr to fly to the Planet Killer for a battle for


	27. Only War

In the lanes between, Ken felt Brynhildr's fury as she made a dive towards the main structure of the Planet Killer, the pilots heart and the Machine Spirit felt as if they were one. Light cruisers flew from the underbelly and toward the lone ship coming at them as four escorts covered from left to right. Ken yelled out. "Bring these guys to justice! Fire the Lascannon!" Brynhildr shot from the front and punched a hole in one of the escorts, the rest fired intense shots and Bynhildr dived downward. "Hit it with the torpedoes!"

PEW!

The ship fired its side torpedoes and damaged two of the escorts, the cruiser fired its own barrage of lance artillery, Bryn barrel rolled and gave light fire towards the damaged escorts, causing an explosion as it let loose its lascannon and missiles into the cruisers underbelly, creating a hole that was dropping its cargo into the void of space. The lone escort flew down to meet a missile to its face and one more lascannon shot caused the cruiser to implode from with in. Bryn continued her flight past wreckage and through a few escorts, flying to a fortress on top of the Planet Killer's guns. From behind, three metallic jet like dragons of warped energy took flight and pursued, Bryn turned around as Ken had flash backs of the daemon engines. "They have flying versions of those?! Blow em up!"

PEW! PEW! POW!

One of the dragons was blown to bits as another flew above Bryn and clawed her with its talons, another pounced on her and opened its maw at the cockpit. Shooting a balefire in an attempt to roast the pilot, the shield held, yet the boy pulled to the right, Bryn rolled hard and caused the dragons claws to skid across the glass, throwing it loose and exposing the other dragon to a barrage that quickly turned it into flying scrap. The last drake tried to pounce once more and was met with a bold thrust that punctured the drake in the stomach and sent it falling toward the eight pointed structure. Throwing Bryn off from her intended destination and sending her to the right side of the citadel. Ken felt a glow and made a bold dash for an advantage. PEW!

Light flashed and he was with in a dark, foreboding space station, flying down a hall way that lead to an open room with cat walks, sanity blasting symbols and an elevator.

He knocked several boxes loose and caused ten guardsmen with black uniforms to take notice. One of them, with a snarly scar under his chin growled. "How did a single intruder get in here?!"

Another with a shining, demonic looking mace shrugged and aimed a hand that looked like it was merged with a plasma pistol. "What ever, he is dead anyways! FIRE!"

Ken looked behind and jumped high to his left, he swung Firekeeper's Wish and caused a wave of fire to wash over five of the guards, burning them to cinders and screaming as he aimed Cadia's Light and felt more in sync, he rapid fired and shot two of the guards dead. Two of the remaining three screamed and ran, irritating the lone guard for him to fire his merged plasma in a super charge. "Come on, he is just one kid! Di-" BOOM!

The plasma pistol over heated and vaporized his hand, the guard screamed in agony as Ken dashed to him, sliced him into two with his burning blade and fired at the fleeing cowards. Stomp! Stomp! Ken felt a presence behind him from the cat walk to the elevator and jumped with his air magic. Dodging bolter fire and finding a five man squad of black uniformed Chaos Space Marines, they had golden trimmings and on their left shoulders was as symbol of a golden eight pointed star with an eye. Three of the marines had bolter rifles, one had an autocannon and another had a bolt pistol and a chain saw axe. BOOM! BOOM!

Ken aimed his hot shot gun at the marine with the scarier gun, shooting him in the chest to puncture a hole and causing him to gasp as he fell dead, the boy aimed at a bolter wielder marine to silence his gun and watched the marine shrugged it off. The marines fired their bolters where the boy was landing. Ken shot himself to the other direction and shot a marine in the head. Knocking him dead and forcing the leader to bark. "He has a hotshot lasgun! Take cover!" The marines went behind boxes as Ken did the same, he felt his heart true and jumped high above the boxes, he shot himself above the boxes guarding the marines and fired down at the left most marine, killing another and thrusting his melee blade to the marine on the left side, shooting a torrent of fire that knocked the marine on his back and earning the anger of the leader with the chains saw. "Clever for a whelpling! But it ends now!"

He took a grenade and pulled a pin, tossing it upward and prompting the boy to jump down to the prone marine and finishing him off. "You didn't open your mouth until after you had your guys fired, that was pretty smart!"

The Chaos Champion grabbed the stack of boxes and tossed them at the boy, knocking him out of his cover and nearly causing him to trip as he charged with his chain axe. "And why you have no hope! For Chaos!"

He swiped with his axe and was parried by the burning blade, Ken felt the push knocking him towards a rail, he grabbed the rail to hold on and aimed his gun like blade to the marines face. "For Traverse!"

PEW! The Marine took a shot through his heart and fell over dead. Ken heard more foot steps and ran to the elevator, pressing a button to go up and felt it rise up. Stomp! Stomp! He noticed a group of ten chaos space marines and twenty traitor guardsmen approaching from a hall on the other side of the room. They looked up to find the boy and the elevator reaching to the higher floor. An alarm blared and Ken looked up to find many doorways above, he felt Cadia's Light guiding him to the high most floor to his right. "Now they know we are here." He cooled himself down and heard something open. A warp rift, letting out eight blood letters. He tapped the ground with his fiery keyblade and summoned Stingy Bites and his spider. "These things again! Come on lets clear them out!"

The Goblin felt himself in an alien place and yelled. "Wha... that the ting that blew up a planet to-" Ken yelled. "Yes and we are in that ship! Let's teach these guys a lesson!" The Spiderfang Scuttleboss agreed and had his steed charge at the daemons charging back, the daemons howled in unison. "BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!" Ken charged and trusted himself to a group of four, vaporizing three of them as the spider bit two of them into oblivion. The goblin stabbed a bloodletter in the forehead and laughed maniacally as the two demons swiped their blades, one struck the goblin good as Ken rolled to the left and fired his gun to blow the demons head off. Leaving the lone demon to feel four legs across his torso as he was sent back to Khorne. Ken looked up to his passage way and knew death is marching from the other halls, he gestured and thanked the goblin. "Thanks, I'll summon you again soon!" Stingy Bites blinked and refused. "I want to krump more of thes-" Pew! The goblin was gone and Ken jumped high in the air with his magic, seeing as predicted, a Chaos Space marine with a heavy bolter in each of the door ways, even the one he wanted to go through had a marine with a flamethrower, readying it and looking bored.

The marine gasped at the sudden flying child and readied his aim, Ken shot himself towards the marine with Cadia's Light trusted forward. Firing his hot shots and catching the marine off guard as they punched through his armor. The marine fired his flame, the burning keyblade glowed back and set the boy on fire. The boy felt a sting and kept torpedoing through the fire, striking the marine in the chest and sending him flying down the hall way, towards a two way corridor. Ken was in a panic as he see the corridor to the right. "Oh, no, please let no one see that!"

He aimed his gun and heard a deep shout from the right. "Our intruder did that to Jiram?!" Another one with a deep snarl answered. "Of course he did, he is either brave or stupid if he is going fo-" He gasped and laughed cruelly. "He thinks he can stand a chance against him?!"

Ken heard a whisper from with in. "Flicker the flame and stab the ground."

Key obeyed, spun his burning blade to bring a spark and made a dash to corridor, he stabbed the ground and found four Chaos Space Marines, three armed with bolters and a more decorated marine without his helmet, he wore a grill and had a red top knot, he aimed what looked like a bolter gun with a nozzle to a metal gun above the nozzle of a bolter. Ken stabbed the ground, burst into flames and appeared back from before he entered, seeing a heated beam shoot across the hall and hearing boasting. "Heh! Dead in a flash!"

Ken charged with his gun aimed and appeared in front of the confident marines that realized their leader completely missed, he looked at the oversized weapon and growled. "Shoot!" PEW!

He bull rushed the marines and ignited into a fire ball, shooting through the leader and knocking him against his squad mates, he rapid fired the marines while they were down and heard the death screams. He noticed to the front was an elevator leading up. He rushed in and pressed a button going up, watching the door close and feeling the elevator going up. He noticed a feminine voice from behind. "Wielder of the Flame, thou does not require a weapon like that."

He turned around to find the Fire Keeper offering assistance. "I seen that gun wreck vehicles and it can scorch me to kingdom come. Do you think I ca-" He gasped. "I can if I charge this blade-" he waddled his burning blade. "With this-" He glowed Cadia's Light. "With more power."

He approached the Fire Keeper, she held his hands and chanted. "Let the heart of the flame burn with the heart of justice! To vanquish the dark powers and let the people bask in the light of the flame!" Ken felt his knuckles burning and felt a mighty fire in his heart. The burning keyblade was consumed in fire and it flowed into Cadia's Light, driving it into an appearance scorching in fire, but very much similar. It's highlights became that of an orange, glowing in mist to the flame and the barrel of the gun resembled that of a melta. The Fire Keeper vanished in ashes and wished the boy luck. "This form will not last long, but it will be enough for the enemies of the light to fear it!"

Ken appreciated it and felt the elevator stop, he readied his blade and jumped above the door way, perching on top and watching bullets, laser beams and a shot of plasma flood the door. He popped from upside down and aimed his keyblade at the five guardsmen, the three chaos space marines and a champion with a plasma pistol and a glowing sword. "Did ya miss me?"

PEW!

A beam of fire incinerated the guardsmen and scorched through the chaos space marines like they were nothing. Startling the champion into a frenzy as the boy landed right side up. "URRGH! Would you just die!"

He charged the boy who side stepped to the right and thrust, letting loose a three swing combo that carved through the marine with bursting fire. Ken stabbed the marine through the stomach, realized something and kicked the kneeling marine over, hearing the death rattle and feeling himself holding the burnt blade by itself. "...This is like a light saber." He nearly squealed and felt Cadia's Light guiding him to the left. Leading to a hall way that was oddly empty save for a turn to the left, he noticed he was in a room with a window overlooking the outside cosmos, finding more ships flying to Radiant Garden. "I won't let you guys down, just... survive!"

At Radiant Garden.

Sora and the crew were half relieved to find Wanda and her men alive, if mentally scarred. Hofneil ordered Cid. "Activate the shield generators and pray! Expect the Black Legion to change their assault pattern."

The mechanic understood and pressed a button, causing the shield generators in the north and south corner of the town to glow and form a large, double shielded barrier. Squall felt a dread and looked up to find a large ship hovering over the town. "Like that?!"

Hofneil looked up and answered to a fully arrived committee. "More or less that! Sora, Donald, Goofy, you go with, me, Leon and Aerith to the south generator."

The trio stiffened in obedience as Riku guessed. "Me, Kairi and Mickey go with Yuffie and Tifa to the north?"

Tifa tightened her glove and asked. "So we are going up against a bunch of heavily armored psychos that want to shoot the generator down so their legion can fire their guns at us?" She gave a confident smirk. "Too easy!" Hofneil appreciated the moral as Ienzo had his duty. "I'll get... Wanda and the others to Tahm," He looked at the frantic Gyphon as well as the Demigryph knights having vengeance. "It will give them time to calm down."

Wanda heard and jolted. "These Chaos worshiping monsters blew up everything I worked for! By Sigmar's Storms, they need to be brought to justice!"

Yuffie heard and agreed. "Not just that, that world was there for all of us for a long time and they just murdered it in cold blood!" She broke from her cheerfulness into a deadly desire. "They can't get away with this!"

Wanda barked to her rank and file men. "Get to the castle and be there for the towns people! Demigryphs, you patrol the outer rim of the castle for ANY place they would try to assault!"

The knights saluted and went to their duty as Ienzo had a hand on her shoulder. "You are forgetting that these guys have dangerous guns among other things. That is what I want you to talk to Tahm about."

Wanda had her gryphon follow as she followed the man. Hofneil appreciated the moral boost and instructed. "The enemies that are going to come are an assault squad known as Chaos Raptors, avoid their guns and disrupt them before they fire at the generators! There is another variant that is far more deadly, fight as if you never fought before if you see them."

Kairi guessed. "We will know quickly what they are." She smiled to Sora and went with Riku and Mickey. "Good luck!"

Sora, Donald and Goofy went with Hofneil and the others to the generator. They looked above to find ten figures falling from the sky and splitting into two. Donald asked the space marine. "There are more of them coming?"

Hofneil nodded. "A first wave of a chaos warband! This could be a strike formation and if we defend these pylons long enough, they will go for desperate measures to cripple our defenses. These are only hope or we will just be bombarded from afar! Abaddon and his legion have plagued the Imperium for ten thousand years, far long before my time."

Goofy figured it out. "You battled one of his Black Crusades before?"

Hofneil appreciated an observant mind. "Not quite but after his Thirteenth Black Crusade, the Imperium was in so much disarray that if it wasn't for one of the Emperor's Primarchs, Chaos would have consumed the whole galaxy."

They arrived and Leon felt he heard enough. "So they got numbers, experience fighting places like this and we just scrounged up everything just to fight back for a couple hours?"

Hofneil nodded. "If the one who can banish the Black Legion from this Galaxy fails... we are doomed! We need to hold on and minimize the casualties long enough for his victory to matter. Sora!"

The spiky haired teenager was ready for what was coming and aimed his blade to the left most chaos raptor and fired a barrage of beams fitting for Ragnarok, they shot into the raptors of the raptor, caused one of the jet packs to become busted up and give way. Causing the raptor to fall off direction and into the vast canyon, towards his demise. The remaining four readied for a landing and were trying to crash into Sora. The boy and his two friends dashed out of the way and have a look at four space marines with spiked jet packs, taloned feet and a vox grill in various parts of their armor. One of the marines held a melta gun and aimed for the generator as the other two fired bolt pistols at Donald. Goofy stood in front of his buddy and blocked with his shield as the leader of the squad landed, readied a power sword and aimed a combi melta at the generator. "We will destroy these accursed things and make way for Haarkan's message! You're world is doomed!"

Donald raised his staff in the air and quacked. "Oh year? THUNDERAGA!" The marines fingers were at the trigger. BOOM!

Lightning struck from above and stunned the chaos raptors. Giving Sora the time he needed to go into battle with the two raptors with a bolt pistol and chain swords, Leon joined with quick slashes and Goofy shield bashed the melta marine off his mark. Hofneil rushed his sword through the raptor champion that dodged a swung from the keyblade, the raptor thrusted his sword as Aerith glowed and cast block spell on Hofneil, stopping the sword and leaving the marine in a panic. "N...No!" STAB! Hofneil thrust into the raptor, impaled him in the chest with his blades and tossed the dead body aside.

Hofneil rushed to the melta wielding marine that readied his gun and swung his blade, creating a glowing slash that carved the marine in two. Gun less and leaderless, the chaos raptor duo yelled. "Hit and run, Haarkan will have our heads if we fail!"

The two tried to jump away and were caught in a flow attack, Sora bashed the two upside the head and towards the ground. Leaving them to the non existent mercy of Hofneil, who finished the two off with quick stabs. Aerith noticed to the south, three chaos raptors being sent flying out of the town with out their backpacks and another punched through a wall with broken gear. Leaving slight hints of flashes in the distance. "The others are having about as much luck as we are."

Hofneil nodded and lectured. "Because they know not to hold back, if the Black Legion gets the upper hand, they would slaughter us all without mercy or worse!"

Sora looked down to the caverns. "If the fall doesn't do these guys in. They are not giving us enough room. Hmm."

Goofy and Donald cringed to an idea, the duck asked. "Sora, there is a reason we had you stop using that technique once we stopped-" Sora agreed with that. "You and Goofy give me that power, but it leaves you two knocked out for a while. But do we got a choice?"

Hofneil shook his head and notice in a corner, warp fire glowing. "If you don't, these are going to kill us!"

Aerith let Sora know. "Don't worry, I'll keep your friends safe! Leon, don't do anything reckless." The man promised he wouldn't and watched claws tear open into reality, letting out five figures that resemble the Chaos Raptors, except more mutated, with wings on their backpack and generally big scary claws. The fire flashed and blinded the party.

WOOSH! BLOCK! A line of thorns with flowers blocked the charge of the taloned monsters and gave the group valuable time. Sora glowed, Goofy and Donald went into a daze and the boy shined two keyblades, oathkeeper and oblivion, his clothes looked mostly white, the boy was hovering and his two keyblades hovered with him. He looked to the side to find a pink haired man aim his blade to his left, impaling two of the marines and giving a little bit of room to let loose. The two warp talons fell over dead as the remaining three flew at Sora, the boy twisted his wrists and sent the two keyblades flying at the three, pushing them back and unleashing a devastating combo of blades and light, the four bystanders looked on in astonishment as the warp talons were burning before the light and were disintegrated by the combo.

Sora hovered down and noticed the pink haired man with a rose like keyblade, the man noticed something from above. The boy glowed and reverted back to normal, Goofy and Donald regained consciousness as the teenager appreciated the effort. "Thanks for slowing those things down, what is-" He looked above to find twenty raptors descending from the sky, heading straight towards the center of the town, leading the formation was a figure with something glowing in his hand. The pink haired man questioned why and asked. "Is there a way for any of you to get back here in case they are using that as a distraction?" The group gave a no, leaving the man with little option. "Go and deal with it, I'll keep this guarded as long as I can. Savages."

Sora, Donald and Goofy had a faint feeling they shouldn't trust him as Hofneil guessed from above. "That must be the leader of this raptor force, we cut this head and we would earn a small respite before the next wave!"

He asked the pink haired man. "But should you be left here alone by yourself?"

The man took a deep breath and answered. "No, but leaving it unguarded is not the viable option."

That much Leon agreed with. "Then you know that these guys are not intending to take any prisoners. Lauriam, don't screw this up."

Lauriam agreed with that and looked to the castle. "No, I believe they are wanting something else, it is the only reason we haven't suffered the same fate as Traverse."

The castle was enough of a hint; Sora, Donald and Goofy disregarding any subconscious pretense and make way for the center of the town as Leon and Aerith followed, Hofneil nodded to Lauriam in agreement. "And I think I know why they are going to the town instead. If we survive, thank you!"

He ran to follow and left the man to ready his keyblade. "We lost enough already."

At the south Power Generator.

Riku impaled a swift clawing warp talon as Kairi obliterated another with a starry light. Tifa dodged two swipes of a claw, grabbed the third warp talon by the head and punched its skull to paste. Mickey let loose a flurry upon a fourth as Yuffie carved with throwing stars without mercy. A fifth warp talon was locked into an electrical cage and spasm as a blonde woman aimed her electrical keyblade and finished electrocuting the warp talon to death. Mickey caused a burst of light to erupt from the ground and consume the remaining warp talon, vaporizing it as the blonde woman looked up to find a raptor formation coming to the town. "Why are they going there?!"

Kairi shook her head and felt she was in an agreement. "The thing they are going after is right here... unless."

Riku sensed the intent of the lord with the glowing spear. "He is trying to scare us into giving up, as if!"

He rushed ahead, Mickey and Tifa followed and Yuffie calmly disappeared in smoke. Elrena growled at the thought. "Was that why they blew up that world?! To scare us?!"

Kairi didn't want to think about it. "There was nothing for them in that town, we thought Wanda and the others-" Elrena crackled in justified anger. "I know and you see how mad Wanda is over it?" She shook her head. "She has to be hurting inside."She knew Kairi wasn't trusting her and promised. "If another raptor or what ever comes here, I'll make sure to hurt them even more. Go teach them a lesson!"

Kairi felt a mental tug and a whisper. "She isn't lying but we shouldn't stick around to deal with those guys." Kairi nodded and gave Elrena a thumbs up. "Good luck, we are counting on you to keep this barrier up!" She left the blonde woman that was putting together a larger puzzle and reached to the center of the town.

A twenty man squad of raptors landed with in the town, a champion with a power fist and razor sharp claws laughed maniacally as he stood to the closest south. "Pillage and slaughter! Then charge the pylons!" Tifa growled and readied her fist, giving off a faint glow as the various raptors aimed their pistols and two marines with plasma guns over charged to fire at a charging Sora. PEW! The boy dodged flashing, near burning shots, Kairi gave a glow of her own as Tifa noticed the descending chaos lord. "Think you can knock some of these guys out of the way?"

Kairi nodded, spun in heavenly light and launched herself at three of the raptors like a missle, knocking them back and in the air as she back flipped and left the champion exposed, the champion wondered what that attack was about as Tifa launched herself at him like a missile, fist first. The champion charged his fist to aim and was punched in the chest, he felt an intense force from with in, realized he made a critical error and screamed. BOOM!

Tifa was at the other side as the marine exploded. Startling five of the other raptors as they tried to attack her with swords, they were tossed asunder from explosive punches and kicks as Kairi dived in, Riku disappeared and slashed away as Yuffie appeared and disrupted three more, with Mickey doing what he can to make the marines look like fools.

On the other side, Donald shot a barrage of fire balls at the marines that tried to shoot Sora as Goofy bashed three out of the way, Leon jumped into battle with three as Aerith let loose support spells. Hofneil quickly chopped apart four and bull rushed to confront the dropping down Chaos Lord. One with a jump pack, a lightning claw for a right hand and a burning spear in his left, the chest of his black armor looked like that of skulls, his left pauldron was that of skulls and he wore trophies of skulls, to compliment, he looked to be wearing a mask to compensate for his baldness. The chaos lord noticed the four approaching him and flung his spear at Hofneil. The Space Marine parried and watched the spear fly back to its master, the chaos lord jumped back from a swing and watched his raptors in an all out sprawl. He stabbed the ground and yelled something that could be heard from with in and out of their minds. "You're efforts are for nothing! The Warmaster comes to pillage and strip this world of its knowledge! Only when the earth is drenched with the blood of all, will your souls be devoured by the Chaos Gods!"

His jet pack ignited, he pulled his spear out of the ground and he went for the trio of Sora, Donald and Goofy. The boy rolled out of the way as Goofy and Donald were knocked back by the brutal force. The boy took the advantage and dashed in and let loose built up anger. "You're a wacko!"

POW! Haarkan was sent back by the surprising force as Hofneil grabbed him by his right arm and hurled him away, Haarkan caught himself and readied his spear as Hofneil stabbed him in the stomach with his keyblade and sent him flying. Haarkan kept his jet pack ignited and boasted. "Best me if you can, this changes nothing! Even now the legions of chaos descend upon your world!" He pointed to the sky over the canyon, revealing many ships that were preparing something, one of crimson shot down drop pods that looked like claws. Haarkan felt his point was made. "The greatest champions of Chaos are but one wave! Do you think you will survive this war?!"

Sora rolled his eyes and kept attacking, giving off a dark glow as he felt the marine needed to know why he wasn't welcome. Hofneil jumped at Haarkan and with a downward swing knocked him down. The Chaos Lord pounced on him and clawed at him to taunt. "Surely you had more forces with you?! Or were they lost during this long war?!" Hofneil kicked him back and answered. "My battle brothers died winning the day! No matter what, we will hold!" Sora agreed and glared at the Chaos Lord as he felt himself slipping out of control "Or you don't have a clue."

He gave a fierce snarl and let himself be cloaked in the power, looking all black and catching the Chaos Lord with his guard down. "Wha-" STAB!

He felt a keyblade trusted in his chest and was sent into the air, being left exposed to a dangerous, fierce combination of claws and a barrage of dark light. Goofy and Donald realized Sora went into that form on purpose and were content with letting it happen as the darkened boy grabbed Haarkan by the collar of his armor and hurled him to the ground. The Chaos Lord tried to crawl up and felt he was being lifted by the back of his collar, giving him a good look at yellow eyes and seeing the darkened boy revert back, showing a boy that looked mentally hurt, the boy took his keyblade and smacked him across the face, exhausted from the constant terror tactics. "Get out, just get out."

Haarkan was knocked to the ground and tried to pick himself up, refusing to give up and seeing from the sky, something flying towards him, large, with feathers and with talons. SWOOP! A gryphon picked the Chaos Lord up and flew high above the town, towards a canyon, on top of the gryphon was a vengeful Wanda that ordered something from her gryphon.

Stalwing tore at the chaos lords jump pack, Haarkan struggled to fight against the bird from his position and left Sora to watch the raptors, despite their efforts, fail to do much against the committee and his friends, being cut down and reduced to five that tried running away. A security system glowed and shot several disks to keep them from running, leaving them to Hofneil who simply executed them. Goofy and Donald approached the boy with a worried look. They understood what was going on in the boys mind and patted him on the back, calming him down as he watched the gryphon tear the jet pack away and sent Harkaan falling down into the canyon, screaming. The gryphon returned to the ground as Wanda saw a jet flying from a scrap yard, a Valkyrie taking its landing. The door opened with Elric waving and getting off. "This invasion is starting to look grim, the commissar got something for us to hear!"

Riku, Kairi and Mickey stepped forward and looked worried for Sora as they were eager to listen, Tahm stepped out of the Valkyrie and gave an order. "That Chaos Lord won't be troubling us anymore, but this isn't the end of this war. I believe Abaddon is sending down much more to follow."

Mickey looked at the clawed drop pods and looked up to find the ship flying out of the way. "And they won't be the first to try attacking the town directly. So what are we going to do?"

Tahm pointed towards the canyon, Wanda guessed. "Someone has to go meet this army from the rear and make sure by the time reinforcements get here, we can just shoot them off?" Tahm nodded. "More or less! With the guns of this Valkyrie, we should carve a suave through their heavy armored weapons. Lord Hofneil, how should we divide the forces?"

The space marine looked upon Sora, Donald and Goofy. "Four of our strongest fighters should come with me and strike into the heart of the enemy. The rest, should focus on protecting the town."

Riku and Mickey looked to each other and had to refuse, the mouse grimly explained. "If Abaddon is allowed get the knowledge in that castle, he won't need to keep doing this siege." That much Riku was afraid of. "He then fire his gun at this world."

Kairi stepped forward and volunteered. "Then I'll go with the others while the rest of you bunker here."

Sora and Riku wanted to refuse that offer as Mickey felt it made a bit of sense. "If he figures out what is needed for his plans, we would need all the time we can get." Kairi took a deep breath and jumped in. "Exactly, we just need to keep ourselves alive. Sora, Donald, Goofy, are you ready?" The trio nodded and jumped into the valkyrie, cramped, but enough room with Perkins and Thompson. Leon nodded and looked to find a generator covered in a thorny bush and was confident of something. "We just need to keep this up a little longer, don't get yourselves killed, this isn't a suicide mission."

Tahm promised him with a bold salute. "We will not waste anything in this war, I promise you that." He turned to Hofneil. "My lord, it is time." The marine nodded and climbed in. "May the light shine upon us this day! Survive well." Tahm nodded and had a compliment where it is due as he looked upon the active members of the committee and those making an active part in the battle, with a smile of pride. "Of all my carrier, I never seen a defense force like this so eager and competent." He cheered. "The Forces of Chaos will be sent screaming back into the hell they belong by the end of this day! To victory!" The many felt the moral boost and cheered back. "To victory!" Tahm jumped in and took the pilot seat. The door kept open and the ship took flight towards the canyon.

Sora rubbed his eyes as Kairi bit her lips and asked. "You were trying to make sure that... Haarkan, knew that what he was pulling wasn't going to work? That was why you went... there on purpose?"

The boy nodded and looked back to the town. "Magitinus, Pyriel, Nathanel and Dabriel... they gave everything just to help us get through that... place." Goofy and Donald remembered with a moment to mourn. The shield bearer asked. "And these guys just keep coming?" The duck looked upon a small ship in the sky and ask. "Is there anything out here that isn't going to get hit?"

Hofneil shook his head as the guardsmen kept a watch. "We will be lucky if a remedy arrives. But we must not give in, the Black Legion underestimates us and that is how we will survive." Kairi noticed a warp rifts in the distance, pouring out where several waves of soldiers, a defiler, several tanks and two maulerfiends. "We are dropping down into that instead?" Tahm answered and went in full speed. "That is our plan! Allow me to do the honors." WOOSH!

In the Planet Killer.

Ken fired against a heavy weapon squad of guardsmen, flew to their face and struck them down with his burning blade, the long hallways was split into three corners and he heard three things charging at him from the corners and kicked back. Seeing two armored berzerkers, in blood red armor and with chain saw axes taking a swing against each other by accident and cleaving themselves apart. They were pushed through in a splatter by a berzerker with a chain sword and chain axe, Ken felt the piercing green eyes, yelped and fired his gun. Shooting the berzerker and running back, the head was struck and the berzerker kept charging, the legs were struck limp and the warrior was limping towards him. Ken charged his shot and shot the maniac in the head, sending him tilting back and landing on his back. Cadia's Light shined to the front and was guiding him towards a hallway splitting from forward to the right. The keyblade shined to a door that lead to a vast open room, the sound of marching ahead let him know. "Bet I'm going to get shot at if I run in, so... I should ready my fl-"

WOOSH!

Crack!

A meteor struck through a window and caused many marines in the room to scream in peril, the vacuum of space was sucking marines, guardsmen and even a defiler into the void of space. A marine with a staff and a glow was among them, firing bolts of power from his eyes out of spite. Ken felt his keyblade forcing itself to go the other way, he felt the vacuum sucking at him and watched the door slide down. He took a deep breath and guessed. "That thing was someone... and that someone is maaaaaad!"

He rushed to the guided direction and heard heavy stomping. He shot himself into the room and found himself in a weapons station, he dodged a barrage of bullets being shot by two hulking figures of flesh, metal and guns. With three hulking figures of flesh, metal and bladed weapons tried to charge at him. The gun monsters growled. "Must OBLITERATE!" The weapon monsters hissed. "We should mutilate!"

The weapon monsters charged and shot from their pulsing flesh balls and chains, Ken dodged, felt the weight of the weapons crush a pile of heavy guns and flew at the monsters as the obliterators tried to aim and realized he was out of line of sight. Ken let loose a flurry of burning attacks and scorched the flesh of one of the multilators, exposing its head to a clear shot. BLAM! One of the multilators tilted back as the other two erupted chain saws and trusted, Ken jumped above them and leaped behind the obliterators. He trusted his burning keyblade into one of twos backs and sent them falling on top of the rampaging multilators, watching chains saws tear at the mutated flesh and for the obliterator to punch one in the face for a brutal kill.

The lone obliterator swung at the boy and missed, Ken felt the fire in his heart returned and caused his burning blade to merge with his shooting blade. He aimed at point blank and smiled.

PEW!

A heated beam scorched through the obliterator and caused it to collapse as the one of the two multilators had half its body burned off. It fell in a heap and drew attempting from the remaining duo, the multilator growled. "Weapon spirit...strong! Consume!" It rushed at the boy that tried flying to the other end of the room, the obliterator laughed and fired its shoulder gun. "So many weapons for us down there!"

BOOM!

Ken shot to another corner and circled around with a trial of fire. He rammed into the obliterator, stabbed it in the back and caused it to burn from the inside out. He kicked it straight into the multilator and watched the hulking monster burst into flames right into the other monsters face, leaving it's face revealing a skeleton and for Ken to gag. He fired at its face and finished it off, leaving him alone in the room and having a closer inspection, seeing a door to the rooms left and for the keyblade to guide him there. Towards a part of the ship that doesn't have an elevator, just a set of stairs leading up. He felt his burnt blade return to his left hand and climbed up towards a room with steaming vents and mechanical turrets.

He saw a tall figure with many mechanical tendrils and a mighty axe order a squad of marines with heavy weapons, following them to battle. "Our intruder is testing our patience and cost us Tumus of all things! We will make the elevator to the Warmasters quarters his final resting place!"

Ken kept quiet and watched the marines lead the way left, with the mechanical man following them along. The boy smiled at the convenience and with the marines gone, sneaked into the room to find a doorway next to the room we went to. Leading to an elevator descending down, six heavily armored marines with trophies, one with a large flamethrower and the others with a combi weapon attached to flamethrowers, four of them had a mighty fist. A squad leader stood by the side of a heavily armored sorcerer that had no helmet and a staff that had a slit eye at the tip, asked annoyed. "You're certain our intruder isn't coming here Deja? If it it even is a single intruder?"

The Sorcerer assured him with confidence. "Our intruder thinks himself like the assassins and he behaves much like them!" Ken saw the flamers, used his burning blade to cloak himself and charged as the sorcerer ordered. "Fire to our right!" The armored soldiers aimed their flamethrowers and scorched as one, Ken felt nothing and skid towards them, the soldiers readied their fists, Ken jumped above and landed behind them. Firing his gun at the marine with the big scary flamethrower, the bullet punched into the armor and did nothing more. Deja distorted reality and teleported himself and his men to the other side. The Sorcerer proudly smiled. "As I predicted, terminators-" Four of them aimed their bolters, Ken dashed to the right, the terminators aimed where he was dashing. The boy jumped and looked just as annoyed as his gun glowed in fire and he shot a fire ball at them. BOOM! The terminator with the heavy flamethrower yelled out in pain as Deja gave credit where it is due. "You know of how lethal our weapons are and focus mostly on avoiding that. Not that it will help!"

Ken shoot himself behind the terminators and watched the heavy flamethrower wielding terminator turn around to charge. "That flashlight won't save you! Die!" Ken aimed his gun like keyblade and shot the terminator in the head, watching a hole burn through the horned terminator and caused him to fall over. The squad leader gasped. "That's a hot shot! Kill him!"

The terminators turned toward the right as Ken tried to make that escape, realized they were trying to manage against his movement and slammed his right hand on the ground, causing a glow and summoning a furious, three headed monster that jumped out of the light and after the terminators. The fanged tentacles tore against armor that kept a hold as the claws sliced a terminator in two. The remaining fist wielding terminators punched against the monsters hide, the Kharibdyss used its tube like heads to snatch up the remains of the terminator and its tail to wack the champion back. Deja realized the beast was regenerating and felt a heat from behind.

Ken fused his blades once more and aimed at the Sorcerer. "Cool trick! Bye!"

BOOM!

Deja was given a face full of a shot on par with a melta and was reduced smoldering limbs. The boy dashed into the terminators doing battle and stabbed his blade through one of the two, slaying him in an instant and leaving the lone terminator to be crunched up by the Kharibdyss and for the champion to howl with his sword. "Y...You will go no further! The Warmaster will not tolerate this intrusion!"

He swiped against the boy that flew to the ceiling and shot himself down to the terminator like a burning meteor, crushing him to ashes and leaving behind a slaughter. The Kharibdyss disappeared and Ken waved goodbye. "That ought to make up for last time!" He heard screaming from the hall he came from and went to have a look, finding the mechanical man firing desperately and being rushed by a pheonix that back flipped into the unknown and burst like the sun. Vaporizing him and leaving Ken intimidated. "Eek! I'm not going in there." He walked to the elevator and pressed a button leading up. The elevator ascended and he expected the worst. "And I'm going to have to think of something for when this guys last line of defense figures out I can... do that to terminators."

Cadia's Light shined brightly and separated from the Firekeepers Wish as a figure of ashes appeared to cheer the boy on. "Wielder of the Flame, we are so close to the ships heart, but the Despoiler's sanctum would most certainly be guarded by those like them." That was something Ken was afraid of. "I had to move fast just to not get shot and it took finishers and crazy stuff just to take them down. Do you think they now know where we are?"

The Fire Keeper nodded. "Thou witnessed something so catastrophic that it did not go unnoticed. These people are arrogant madman that are not use to fighting something like a keyblade wielder. They are not so much of imbeciles that they won't learn of it."

Ken understood that. "It's the reason when ever we run into them, we can't let them go running and calling for help." The Fire Keeper agreed and warned him. "Surprise is the only advantage thou have. Do we still have that?" Ken heard a distant explosion and answered, looking up with a hint of fear. "Kind of, who ever came here is doing... a pretty good job in not holding back and is the bigger thing. But they will know someone is leaving behind the scorch marks. Is our guy spending so much of his guys rushing to the garden... or is there more coming?"

That the Fire Keeper didn't wish to know the answer. "A Warmaster that commands the blackest of souls and the daemons you and the others have been battling. He is but worming his way in, thou are best to stop this force at its weakest and soon." Ken agreed with the Fire Keeper as he felt his fear draining away. "And I'm the only one that can do it. So many people back at home... the people from the worlds we seen and the world's we haven't, they are counting on me." He smiled with confidence. "Once this is gone, we will finally be free from this war, we can finally get back to our lives."

The elevator risen up to a distortion that smelled like that of blood, the boy saw an odd red symbol and felt a glow of fire and darkness. Eight muscular, horned heartless flew out of the rift and towards Ken, the boy dodged and wasted no time hack, slash and shooting the eight. He was slashed back and flew above, he shot down at the eight and caused two of them to dissolve into black mist. The six vanished and appeared where the boy was flying towards, Ken looked above, saw them inhale and shot away to a wall. Avoiding a combined fire breath attack and snipping two more into oblivion, he charged up a fiery shot and fired at the middle of the four, vaporizing to a single one that dived after him. Ken simply landed and fired, taking the last of the heartless out.

Stomp!

Ken felt a rumble and turned to the rift, with his gun aimed, he felt a vision of home in his mind and heart, a familiar black daemon in crimson armor emerged with an axe and whip in hand. The daemon stared down at him and snarled to taunt. "What is the pup doing?! I remembered you trembling in fear along with the rest of the fleas!"

The blue eyes glared at Ken, who was keeping his fear contained and was ready to fire. "Trying to save my home. You won't stop me!" The Bloodthirster nearly laughed at him. "And what for? For the Stormcast you call a hero?" Ken wasn't answering as the Bloodthirster corrected himself. "No... for the ones you call heroes that down bellow, fighting a hopeless war." The Bloodthirster cracked his whip. "You think to become their hero? Foolish." He snarled and glowed in fire. "Allow me to teach you of what that word means."

At the canyon near Radiant Garden.

The Valkyrie shot against the tanks and caused various explosions, Tahm ordered. "Now! Jump while we have the chance!"

Sora and Kairi jumped off the flying vehicle towards the ground, hand in hand as Goofy jumped off with Donald following with a particular spell ready, Hofneil thanked the imperial guard and readied to jump. "We will handle it from here!" He jumped off and dived down three stories in the air toward astonished Chaos Space Marines with heavy guns that were lead from behind by a cybernetic Chaos Lord that was overseeing rifts opening up and spilling over dozens of reinforcements. The Chaos Lord looked up with his mace and felt he was challenged, the chaos space marines readied their guns and were caught off guard by a bellow from the distant settlement. "Waaaaagh!"

The Chaos Lord ordered his marines to aim at the coming army and waited for the descending group to arrive, Sora and Kairi descended upon the Chaos lord and performed a dive bomb attack, the Chaos Lord stepped back to dodge as Donald slowed Goofy's fall and Hofneil crashed down upon him. The Chaos Lord stepped to the left and barked as he watched a Valkyrie attack from the sky. "So this is your pathetic attempt for a counter attack? I seen Orks be more organized than this."

Sora growled and had his keyblade ready. "Won't you give it rest already?"

The Chaos Lord laughed cruelly. "I gave up on that centuries ago!" He looked to a defended town and gave credit where it was due. "You're allies took some heed of our imminent arrival and removed our shock force. It will take a little more than a drop to remove those defenses while we-" Boom! BLAM! He listened to the canons and was half impressed. "Break this siege." The group were caught off guard as the Chaos Lord growled in a shift in mood. "You dare hold on for that long?! It will only result in a delayed destruction, know that I, Heznath the City Breaker, will be its end."

He charged at the group with his mace, Donald and Goofy backed away as Sora and Kairi jumped from left to right. Hofneil rolled as Heznath swung and caused a shock wave that created a rumble. The space marine countered and felt some force field pushing him back, Donald and Goofy hid under a cliff, the duck yelled. "Sora, let him have it!"

The boy understood what he meant and let loose a barrage of attacks, Kairi followed with her own and together, they annoyed the Chaos Lord that raised his mace and slammed at the Space Marine, Hofneil dodged and felt the mountain crack. The Chaos Lord slammed again at Sora, the boy flew out of the way and took his chance to let loose his power, giving Kairi the chance to gaze upon the readying marines, jump high with angelic wings and fire down a barrage of light, carving through the marines to where an army of near naked, green skin barbarians caught them off guard.

Heznath was confused by the arrivals and saw a massive dragon with wings too small for flight, fly towards the Maulerfiends, on top was a well armored Greenskin warlord. "Wha... ho-" Sora burst into light and into a drive form of pure power, letting loose upon the Chaos Lord in a deadly combination of floating blades and magic, Sora aimed both blades in unison and fired a massive beam that the Chaos Lord had enough time to scream. "How?!"

PEW! BOOM!

The Chaos Lord took the beam and was disintegrated, the boy looked up to find a fiery meteor descending from the sky, near Villain's Vale. Kairi noticed wrecked drop pods and warp rifts opening, letting loose several bodies that gave off a sickly green hue. The meteor struck in the middle of the canyon and caused a rumble that made the group uneasy, something heavy emerged, a giant black mecha with golden highlights, a massive gun on its left limb and a large gauntlet in another. Sora switched out of his form and gasped. "If that gets to the town-" Kairi agreed with that. "Then it will be end for all of us! We can't let that happen."

She looked down the cliff to find a passage bellow, leading towards the open canyon, Donald and Goofy were shaking off something as she asked. "We need to-" She felt something keeping her still and looked at the distant mecha that was looking directly at her and the group. It aimed its large gun Hofneil grabbed the two teenagers and jumped off the cliff with them as Goofy and Donald joined in the drop. PEW! A laser beam shot out from the gun and caused three massive explosions, they fell to the canyon bellow and watched a Valkyrie take flight towards the mecha. Thud! The group felt the landing and watched the mecha focus its attention at the flier.

The Valkyrie shot a missile at the monstrosity that formed an ion shield as Hofneil ordered the group. "The Orruks will finish up that siege, lets find what those drop pods let loose."

He lead the way as Donald followed to ask. "What is that thing?"

Hofneil wanted to keep the group's focus away from the Valkyrie and answered. "I think it is traitor Knight, large mechas of great fire power that can end sieges and halt armies by themselves. They are faster than they look, but Tahm and his guard have this battle. I assure you."

PEW! BOOM!

Sora listened and watched a massive laser beam shoot at the knights chest, creating a massive hole and angering it to where it fired at the Vakyrie, missing it. He realized what Hofneil was trying to do. "If that thing hits them-" Kairi held his hand and insisted. "They are trying to protect all of us, let's make sure they didn't put that work for nothing."

Sora chose to focus away from that as Hofneil gave the flying Valkyrie a salute. "Emperor keep you!" He lead to a passage towards a set of ruins, finding an group of Chaos Space marines snipping a group of Ogor's on their steeds, the Ogors were tearing apart a large group of black dressed cultists and renegades, lead by a priest like marine. The Chaos Space Marines were in armor not like the black legion, being dark blue with green high lights and having an insignia resembling a hydra. Hofneil gasped. "Alpha Legion!" The snipers noticed the space marine and chose to ignore him, focusing their massive lasguns on some of the Ogor marauders to kill them off, confusing the group as they went to battle.

In the skies.

Elric was breathing deeply as he held on to a melta bomb, Thompson hold his with a cold feeling as Perkins thought about what their commissar was doing. "We need to take this Knight down, but... Comissar, is this necessary?"

Tahm maneuvered the flier to dodge another laser barrage as the ship took scratch damage from a stubber. "Only if we are closing into this knights space and we have to do this suicidal method. The town cannot survive this thing."

Thompson looked at his bomb and asked. "This... was something you had planned all along? In case the Black Legion throws things like that?"

PEW! BOOM! The Chaos Knight looked limp in its shoulders from a missile strike and landed a shot on the Valkyrie, causing a red light to flash and for the plane to slow down, Tahm confessed. "If it came too it, being reintegrated back into the Imperial Guard would be a daunting task and things have been done to where I would get shot," He laughed bitterly. "You performed admirably, but if you brought any of the behavior you learned from these places, you would have that fate much sooner than I."

Elric was panicking. "You were going to shoot us when we got back?!"

Tahm answered boldly and dodged another shot from the knight, grazing it with a lascannon. "If we got back, you were going to be given the closest honor you could have among these people before I end my own career."

Perkins growled at him. "Yeah, you were going to make sure we keep thinking all is well before sending us to the Emperor. Guess this is what we signed up for. Ha! Ha!"

He laughed in defeat as the Commissar readied a melta bomb of his own. "That is our duty, to fight and die for the Emperor and all we hold dear. On the count of three, you jump and parachute to this knight. Then use the melta charges, there should be enough there to finish this thing off! One." Elric readied his bomb and his parachute. "Comissar, you're insane!" Tahm took it and counted down. "Two." Thompson smiled and rolled his eyes. "We all are, if this doesn't go in vain, we will still go down as heroes." Tahm yelled. "Three!"

The guardsmen jumped off and pulled the string, the chaos knight grabbed at the Valkyrie and felt a full explosive force wedged into its face. Elric leaped at the left arm attaching to the gun, Thompson landed at the crotch and Perkins landed on the lower chest. The knight was still moving and the trio rammed the melta bombs in, Perkins yelled out. "Go back to the Warp, you scrap bucket!"

At the short battle against the Alpha Legion.

The legionnaires were quickly cut down by Hofneil as Sora and Kairi focused on taking the priest from behind and quickly dispatching him. The cultist and renegades to kill the marauder sand severely cripple the many lead belchers that blasted them to kingdom come. Donald and Goofy blew the chaos worshiping group to oblivion and left two lead belchers that grumbled, one on the left whined. "Now that's unfair!" He asked his partner. "Come on Og, Norek needs us back to the town way, some big meats is carving blood!" Og agreed and was annoyed. "This is most of us Xog, he isn't going to be happy about this."

They turned and left their dead kin as the teenagers sighed, the Forces of Destruction are taking the blunt of the casualties and they had the feeling that this was part of the plan. BOOM!

The group were caught off guard by the sound of an explosion and watched the chaos knight take a Valkyrie to the face and had explosions from many corners of its body, causing it to fall over towards the vast horde of Chaos and letting loose an explosion. That caused the four to scream as one. "Tahm!" Sora and Kairi felt weak in the legs as Hofneil looked away with a moment of silence. The group looked upon the Space Marine, the last of the friends from that distant galaxy. They took it upon themselves to stay ever closer to him, the teenagers looked to each other to see their tears as Goofy broke the silence. "What those two talked about can't be a good sign."

Hofneil agreed with that. "Carving blood... that could mean heretics that cast their lot with Khorne. That could mean any renegade warband or those that came from the World Eaters. Much like how the forces marching are those from a Nurgle warband, you can tell by the smog that it's origins are tied to the Death Guard." Donald cringed at which force was worse. "One that doesn't like magic and are attack, attack, attack. The other... bleh." Kairi noticed more shining from the sky and gasped, bolts of lightning smack in the middle of the nurgle army. "There isn't a cloud in-" She felt something tense as the five entered what looked like an arena, a Frostlord on his mammoth stood boldly with dead Gore Gruntas, going against a five man squad of red berzerkers with chain axes. Hofneil found himself at the ledge and jumped down upon three that were pushing against the rank and file troops.

CRASH!

He crushed them into pulp and caused the group of four to follow, Kairi found a pathway leading to the canyon and felt someone was in a tight spot. "That lightning didn't come out of nowhere. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Captain?" Hofneil answered. "I felt it as well, that lightning was a sign of the light. If you think it is right to help, go do it, but beware the forces of Nurgle, their plagues are lethal in body, mind and soul." Kairi understood that. "So do what we been doing? Don't get hit." She smiled to Sora in confidence, the boy smiled back. "Good luck." Kairi appreciated it and took her chance. Smooch! She kissed him on the cheek, caused the boy to blush and made her way to an edge, jumping down with a radiant glow. A berzerker with an axe and sword in each hand and a skull shaped helm looked upon the remaining and yelled. "MAIM! KILL! BURN!"

The berzerkers noticed new blood and made a rush towards them, the irritated frost lord had his thunder tusk shoot down ice to impale four berzerkers and leaving the rider to burp out three bolts of darkness, knocking two of the maniacs out of commission and for the four to make contact, Hofneil took the blunt and felt the teeth tearing at him. Donald used a healing spell to slow the damage as Goofy knocked a berzerker away and Sora upper cut another with his keyblade, Hofneil decapitated a berzerker and knocked the skull champion back. The champion snarled and spasm as the two berzerkers tried to get up and collapsed into darkness.

The boy looked at the Ogor and yelled. "You can't be using darkness at a time like this?!" The Ogor shrugged. "From the darkness of me gut! It isn't no heart, ha! Har, har!" Donald sighed. "Touche." The skull champion yelled. "Coward! Fight me off of that thing!" He tried to swing at the Space Marine that parried him and struck him in the chest. Leaving a duo of lead belchers to aim their scrap guns, Hofneil kicked the berzerker aside and tossed the body, ready to thank his unexpected allies. "That made a dangerous force into something much more manageable. More assistance isn't needed."

The Ogor burped bored and counted. "Xog, Og... ah Gorkamorka. You'z saying you the only two left? Now Dragon Hackah is going to kick us out." The lead belchers hated to give bad news, unaware of a red figure from behind them, wielding a large chain axe. SWIPE! SPLATTER!"

A rain of blood showered the battle field and knocked over two bodies that were sliced in two. Leap! SMASH! A figure jumped down into the arena, a red Chaos Space Marine with his left arm bare and showing muscle, he had chains, many skulls for trophies and his helmet's head wear looked to be in the image of skulls. The marine's head wear was complimented by two strands of blue hair and he snorted at the Ogor. "That won't be an issue anymore, you fat bastard."

Norek took that as a compliment and readied his spear. "Not when I get this one under me belt! Har, har, har!"

The marine glared at the four and back to the the Ogor, he leaped at the mammoth and yelled. "Blood for the Blood god!" The axe roared and the mammoth inhaled to breath down ice and pelted with one icicle that was deflected back by a barrier, the marine readied the axe and swung down to the mammoth's cranium, forcing Sora, Donald and Goofy to look away as they heard a creature scream and various unpleasant sounds. Hofneil realized who that marine is. "...Kharn." Sora wasn't taking too kindly to that name. "You heard of him?"

Hofneil watched and focused on the Ogor trusting back with his spear and jumping to the center of the arena for an advantage. "A Champion of the World Eaters and infamous for his desire for slaughter." He readied his keyblade and yelled. "We won't let him continue his carnage any further!"

He charged, Sora and Goofy followed as Donald readied an ice spell that Kharn casually resisted and readied his axe against Nurak, who burped a dark haze into the warriors face and punched him square in the jaw. SWISH! SLASH!

The axe swung and sent the ogors head clean off his shoulders, the warrior turned around and parried against the various attacks. Kharn pushed them back and fixated on Sora. "A pup that needs to harness his anger! I'll deal with you soon!" Hofneil tackled Kharn and let loose a a taunt. "Not while I stand! For the Emperor!"

During the explosion of the Chaos Knight.

Riku, Mickey and the rest of the committee realized the valkyrie and its occupants made an ultimate sacrifice and watched a near crippled group of black legionnaires become overwhelmed by rampaging savage Orruks, a Mawcrusha made quick work of the Maulerfiends as iron jaws marched in. A large brute entered the central square and barked. "Oi! What you lot doing in there?!"

Leon asked back as he listened to cannons blowing up an approaching defiler. "Not out there. You... are wanting to help us?"

The Orruk looked above to find a rather exotic looking battleship and smiled with all his teeth as a Warchanter entered with a rhythm. "Only if we gets to keep da eds." Swoop! Stomp! Darksmasher crashed to the ground and growled as the mighty Orruk, Dragon Hacker, barked. "I be making the deals! It's about damn time something good came knocking!" He growled. "Where the zog is Nurak and his boyz?! I lend them me Gore Gruntas an hour ago."

"Out there fighting the forces of Chaos like you all should." The Orruk looked to the north and found a certain pink haired man with a keyblade and the look like he seen too much. "We getting to that, all the fighting is appening out there and ere, me and the boys need to think of something cunnin." "ROAR!"

The sight of a Manticore of spectral energy clawed in what seemed to be the remains of the second wave. Mickey looked up at the ship and expected the worse. "And it might be a good thing you call came here. We don't have to tell you why this town is so important."

Dragon Hackah nodded as Lauriam explained politely. "I have already addressed him the details your majesty."

Riku wasn't too pleased by the fact. "And you... drew in one problem to fix another." Laurim agreed with him that it wasn't a savory deed. "But we can manage these forces in another time." The megaboss gasped and asked. "Eh, if the castle is that important... and if the Chaos tings can jump over... is... someone guarding it?" Aerith nodded. "Aeleus and Dilan are keeping the entrance secure while Ienzo and Even manage the canons com-" Riku felt his instincts kick in and wanted to search the castle. "It isn't that I don't trust them, but things seem too quiet and the Black Legion just needs the information before Abaddon decides to stop toying with us." The group felt the chill as Mickey asked. "If you feel you need to look, we can take care of things from here."

Riku smiled and flowed from post to post, skipping a large chunk of the town and to an entry way. Finding two men climbing up on a corridor, a man with short brown hair and a black, well made suit and a black haired man with braids, signs of a detail that was neglected. Riku disregarded any grudge he had and asked. "Aeleus, Dilan, what happened?!"

The brown haired man growled in shame as the braided man answered scared. "We were tossed aside like refuge when this... Sorcerer appeared out of thin air. If Aeleus didn't make a quick grip-" Aeleus bluntly answered to Riku. "This was a minute ago. We need to go after him and-" Riku brashly refused. "No thanks, but someone needs to get rid of that Sorcerer. Any tips?" Dilan had one. "His power is like from the mind and he might have laid something out in case someone followed." Riku got the blunt of it. "So watch out for traps," He took out Way to Dawn and pursued. "Thanks for the tip!"

He chased down the hallway towards the small maze and found nothing trap worthy. "...Is he waiting in the library or-" Click! Riku jumped to the ceiling and dodged a shot of plasma, he looked behind to find a Chaos Space marine in blue and green colors, wearing a brown cloak and warning him. "Do not interfere with the Masters plans. This knowledge could provide use for us." Riku scoffed and dashed to the wall towards the space marine with a plasma pistol and a glowing axe, he trusted into the marine and noticed another from the hall way he left, with a plasma pistol and a glowing axe.

The other warned the boy. "You are right to pursue, but this will only ensure his plans. Alpharius, must we?" Alpharius nodded and bled. "Of course Alpharius. It is as ordered." Riku pulled away, jumped up to the wall and remembered a warrior with a burning passion, he shot a stream of fire from his keyblade and scorched the marine from the rear in purple fire. Causing a yell of pain and exposing him to a quick stab through the heart, Alpharius charged after him and the boy jumped to the ceiling again to finish him off. Riku pursued and listened to someone boasting. "And that is why I seek the knowledge of hearts. If you will not share this, I w-" Boom!

Riku barged in to find a figure standing before a stubborn Ienzo and Even, a horned sorcerer in red robes, having matching blue armor. The robed sorcerer raised his staff and formed a barrier to keep the two men from interfering as they noticed Riku. The sorcerer turned around to show a helmet with three eyes and a horned staff with a glowing blue eye, he looked upon the boy condescending. "Well, well, well. It was about time someone thought to check on this corner of the settlement."

Riku readied for battle as the Sorcerer introduced himself. "Since it isn't the time for excuses or banter, I am Azhek Ahriman. You came here because you know the instant one of us acquires the knowledge with in this lab, hope will be extinguished along with this world?"

Riku was eager to fight as Even taunted Ahriman. "It also sounds like your master's plans wasn't as fool proof as he thinks it is."

The Sorcerer laughed in agreement. "Unless he can sort out the virus in his own ship, then this will be another Black Crusade where his victory is pyrrhic at best." He floated and summoned a disk to battle. "But this is an if. I cannot allow you to stop me from acquiring this knowledge. Riku is it? You and you're friends have been a thorn in our plans long enough." He crackled lighting. "It's about time you fully understand what you are going up against."

At the town.

Mickey and the town committee awaited for the coming wave, feeling at unease at something not happening, Yuffie felt something in the ground. "...They are not trying to charge the gates anymore. Watch out!"

Rumble!

The group did so and watched two drills burst from the ground, they had a vibrant pink that was encrusted with dirt, they poured out twelve pink chaos space marines that gave off an intoxicated aura. Leon could tell by looking at them. "These are going to be special customers!" One of the marines, with a face that looked partially melted, took in the many smells and sights, going into a crazed frenzy and attacking the leader of the committee with a giggling bull rush, Leon jumped to the right as the chaos space marines made their attack on the group. "WAAAAGH!"

BASH!

The ironjaws counter charged and got themselves stuck into the fight as Mickey and Lauriam attempt to pick off any stragglers, the marines struck down nearly broke down in an orgasm as more rumbling came. Tap! Tap! BZZZ ZAP!

Two of the marines were shocked dead as Elrena came rushing and figuring out from the vibrant pink and the ecstasy the marines were in thorough combat as she electrocuted what she can. "Nope!" Yuffie carved against another as the rank and file orruks were taking the damage the marines were giving. "This isn't the last of of these guys. Wha...what do they-"

Tifa gave a marine a round house kick and knocked a helmet off, seeing a demented smile answered the question. "Don't ask."

More brutes joined into the fray as the committee dedicated to fighting back the wave, a drill emerged and left Mickey and the two keyblade wielders with the next arrivals. The remaining drills tried to rush to the group and were smashed apart by the Mawcrusha and a way was cleared for Dragon Hackah to prey upon the arrivals, an eleven marine squad with base weaponry and a Chaos Lord that caught the three off guard in pure dementia, armor that look like screaming faces, a fleshy whip on his left hand, a sword on his right, a back pack with three cylinders of liquid drugs and a carved face that was to the point of being without lips, complemented by a wide smile that spoke in a high pitched voice that left Mickey disturbed. "Ohhh what have we here, have the play things resorted to working along side the Orks! MMHHHM!" The orgasm like moan didn't help as he readied his sword. "Well that's just fine. Now which one of you morsels will be the first to savor. EH HEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHE! Oh brothers!"

The bass wielding marines aimed their guns at the three as Dark Smasher roared at them and knocked them to walls, some of the marines were not getting up. "SQUAWK!"

A gryphon flew down from the sky after the marines as the Mawcrusha charged them. The marines focusing their bass weapons and letting loose high pitch noise that made the Mawcrusha more angry. The Chaos Lord didn't care as Mickey sensed a collective screaming with in, something the marine noticed. "HA! AH, HA, HA! You hear the fools that thought to kill me?! Oh this will be fun!" He shrieked and charged at him.

Down at the canyon.

Kairi landed and watched a vast army chocked in disease fight against a figure of thunder and lighting. She noticed something crawling from the settlement, spiders, charging after the forces of Nurgle. She rushed to battle and saw various diseased bodies swarm against the lightning, with bloated, rusted machinery having ruptured from with in and laying dead, save for a trio of fly like machines that kept themselves propelled with helicopter like jets. One of the machines had a rusted mower, the other two have bile guns, all have tube like feelers slurping the gravel, Kairi felt nauseous looking at the machines and knew going near them was ill advised, she glowed and flung mixtures of flower and stars at the fly with the mower. Causing the machine to burn from the power and irritating the others, they aimed their guns as Kairi jumped high with angelic wings, she fired a barrage of fire at the mowers rear to cause it to burst in ooze. She dived into the back with holy power, causing it to burst into green mist and make the girl's skin burn. The two flies aimed their spewers to try again, the girl flew out of the way, focused locked the next fly and shot down a barrage of light, damaging both of the flies to where their movement became sluggish, she launched fire balls to finish them off and watched them explode in putrid energy. "Groan!"

She listened to a collective groaning of the diseased ridden corpses that charged after her, by bodies of thirty. She flew out of their grasp and saw not one, but two figures of light in sight, fighting against the horde with a burst of a thunder cloud that cleared most of them away. Kairi flew down towards the two and caught one of them by surprise, a black wingless dragon the size of horse that roared. Alerting a figure in silver armor, wings and an overly large keyblade that resembled a warhammer, that was fighting against a sickly green bloated figure in thick armor. The figure had flies blowing out of his body, a white helmet and a two handed scythe. The armored angel looked partially wounded and Kairi raised her blade in the air to give the stranger with the warhammer a heal.

The diseased figure looked surprised and snickered. "Well, well Stormcast, looks like the ripe fruit we seek has arrived!" The Stormcast stood in front of Kairi as the dragon stood behind, the Stormcast barked with a feminine voice. "Like I will let a hive bag like you touch her, Typhus."

The diseased creature boasted and stepped back to the horde of corpses. "I won't need to, my delightful poxwalker children will be happy to add the three of you into their collection. Nurgles pestilent bounty is upon us, take them!"

The dragon inhaled and shot a stream of lighting upon a horde as the Stormcast felt herself cornered, she asked Kairi. "Lass, you shouldn't have came this far after me. Ya got any tricks that we can work with? My storm is not for mortals to endure."

The girl looked at the wings and asked as she and the Stormcast struck back at the horde that wouldn't die. "Can you fly with those?"

The Stormcast nodded. "I know what you are getting at."

The Stormcast and Kairi jumped high in the sky with wings of light, the girl raised her blade in the air to form a glowing heart of light as the Stormcast raised hers to shroud it in a storm of light. BOOM!

A barrage of thunder decimated the horde that was being caught from behind by a swarm of spiders lead by a massive spider. Typhus shot his flies at the two that spun together towards the ground. Like a holy lightning bolt, thirty of the poxwalkers were vaporized, yet more came. Kairi looked at some of the faces to see a demented, forced smile and tried to look away as Typhus stepped forward with his patience thin. "You are as meddlesome as a space marine, Anatesis, but no more. I will deliver the three of you to Grand Father Nurgle myself!"

Kairi gasped at the Stormcast. "Anatesis?!" The Stormcast nodded in her answer. "Now isn't a good time to introduce ourselves! This one had been a tough one to take down and more are coming." The princess cringed and readied herself with a battle with a warrior that was much more than what she heard of. "I'm Kairi, we just need to stay alive."

In the Planet Killer.

Ken attempted to use his air magic to dodge the Bloodthirster's mighty axe, realized that wasn't working and slide underneath the daemon for a dodge. He rolled up, took several charged shots at the daemon that quickly turned around and cracked his whip at the boy that jumped to his left, flipped his burning blade and flung a fire ball at the daemons face. Irritating the daemon to where it burst into flames and charged after him, Ken squeaked, felt his burning blade giving off a veil of ashes and flung it at the demons face, blinding him and giving the boy the chance to jump far to the right.

SLAM!

Debris fell on the daemon and Ken guessed. "You had something to do with my usual flying not working? I heard of what you all hate," The daemon growled, took flight and answered. "You think yourself brave, yet you rely on magic like that to fight your battles?" Ken shrugged. "I don't know a thing about using them, but this is something I picked up."

The daemon roared and flew down at Ken like an infernal meteor, the boy ran to his right, glowed his burning blade in ashes and stabbed at the ground, cloaking the whole room in fog, ashes and cinder. The boy saw the glowing blue eyes, sparked his burning blade and fed its power to his gun blade. Shooting beams of heated energy at the daemon that flapped his wings to clear away the fog, Ken flickered an ember to his left and right as the daemon stared into his soul. "From your battle against a Dark Eldar?! That is one thing you never done even at your most pathetic."

The daemon charged with his wings and readied his shoulder, Ken burst into flames and appeared on the right, watching the demon crash into the wall and caused it to melt in intense heat. The boy focued more and caused his burning blade to merge with his gun. "Run away even when I don't really do much of anything?! Not then, not now, not ever!" He aimed and fired a stream of fire that caused the daemon to howl, the Bloodthirster looked a little limp and clenched his fists as he stood up and bellowed. "You will die if you don't! Do you think you have a speck of a chance against the Warmaster?"

Ken fired at the Bloodthirsters face, causing the form to grow unstable. "I'm not running when I know my home is in danger, but you knew that... right?" The Bloodthirster growled and watched the keyblade split into two, he charged at the boy that kept a firm aim charged his shot and fired, hitting the daemon in the skull and causing it to sink into a warp rift, he sank deep with in and tried to keep himself in, fading back into the hell he spawned from. Ken's brave face broke into one that was masking a fear that should have come when fighting a demon the size of a house and having a reputation of being a one man army. "Why did that thing show up?!"

He heard the Firekeeper answer. "Because it is a Chaos Daemon that is in league with-" Ken asked back. "Yeah I know, in cahoots with Abaddon." Cadia's Light shined to the right, brighter than ever, the boy followed the trail to a stairway leading to a throne of cables, the bright center of it all, yet no sign of anyone else. Ken heard gun fire and fighting to the hallway in his front and was suspicious. "He really expected me to be there and went all out?"

He journeyed up the stairs to a throne room that had figures of skulls, spikes and decorating the room, a symbol of Chaos Undivided. Ken readied his blade and felt twisting warped visions in his mind, the warped hell Abaddon and his minions came from. He raised Cadia's Light and readied to jump as the throne became surrounded by an eight pointed circle that erupted in a pillar of energy, a deep voice growled from the surrounding room. "What is a whelp like you trying to do to my throne?!"

Ken felt something flash to his left and jumped to his right to avoid a swipe from razor sharp talons, he faced the image and felt his soul pierced. A large man in thick, black armor that had brass highlights, resembling demonic faces, skulls and a belt with a symbol of chaos, stood before him with a gaze of hellish, orange eyes. Ken looked away from the eyes and found a metal talon for the mans right hand and in his left was a glowing blade. "St...stopping you!" His face tensed to foolish bravery as he aimed Cadia's Light at the man and yelled. "You blew up a whole world and is trying to pillage everything, I won't let you get away with that, Abaddon?"

The Despoiler wasn't even humored as he looked upon a puny weapon that resembled a hot shot lasgun and readied his blade. "That planet was in the way, as are you," The quote sent a chill down the boys spine, Abaddon charged after him with a blade giving an unnatural glow, the boy shot himself to his right with air magic, watch the blade slash through a thick wall and fired at Abaddon. Who wasn't even phased as he asked. "Was that planet important to you? A worthless rock in the void, that important to you?" Those words struck Ken's heart and caused a tear to drop, Abaddon noticed and looked upon a planet his ship was heading towards. "Is this planet also important to you?" The tense reaction of fear answered enough as Abaddon gave an arrogant smirk. "I'll remember that."

The man aimed his talon and fired three shots at the boy who dodged out of the way and flung a fire ball from his burning blade. Causing a grunt of pain and fire to glow, Abaddon charged at the boy with his talon. Ken jumped back and looked the throne protected by the barrier. He fired a beam from his gun at the barrier, causing it to distort from the light, he smiled and focused on keeping Abaddon chasing him, the man looked at the barrier and realized. "That blade can force its power through that?! What are you doing?"

Ken snickered. "I'm not telling!"

He fused his blades together and formed into a burning gun blade, aiming at Abaddon and pushed him back with fire, he focused on the barrier and fired, piercing a hole with burning light and causing it to break apart, on tethers as Abaddon realized with burning anger and shrugged off the damage. "You fool, if you destroy this ship, you will die as well."

Ken shrugged arrogantly, Abaddon felt it was pointless to charge and aimed his talon at the boy, or where he was flying to. The boy tried to dodge as Abaddon circled away from him, he fired again to where the boy jumped towards, Ken shot in the opposite direction and Abaddon followed quickly. BOOM! BOOM! SPLAT! Cringe!

Ken felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder, followed by nothing save for a coursing burn, he was off balance and watched his blade fall to his feet, with a wet red splatter of an arm. He felt weak and was going limp from shock, he looked up and reached for the blade with his left arm, he felt a heavy foot on him and Abaddon growling. "You still won't give up and scream?! Before you bleed, know that we will strip everything from these worlds and plunder the grandest treasure in this Galaxy, you and those you love, will be-" POW! Tink!

Something flew at Abaddon in a glow of light, knocking him off the boy and directing his attention toward another threat, Ken felt dizzy and reached for his burning blade, blacking out and seeing an elegant woman with blue hair.

The woman cast a healing spell to ease the boys bleeding and aimed her keyblade at the Despoiler. "Go back to the darkness you came I'll toss you there myself!" Abaddon shook off the damage and barked. "How about I send the both of you screaming into the abyss instead, for all the damage you brought upon my ship!" He raised his sword to the air and yelled. "LET THE GALAXY BURN!"

Ken felt a frigid light that struck at Abaddon with a deadly combination, crawled to his blade and held onto to the warmth. In the void, a spark of fire took the center of a heart. A voice in his mind chanted. "Heart of the World. tied to the Flame, give this vessel one more kindling to life and allow him to carry on the task for the fate of the worlds. So that the world's maybe mended... so that the world's may be mended. Let this soul radiate and banish this evil forever more." He chanted back and felt his vision glowing orange. "Banish this evil...forever more." Scorch!

His vision returned from where he laid still and he felt a firm grip on the burning gun blade, he watched the woman in blue fighting desperately against the Warmaster that was fighting with sword and talon. The boys body was on fire with the blade and he used his keyblade as a pole to step up on. Abaddon readied a brutal blow and was taken by surprise, he was sucker punched as the woman turned to the boy and looked both amazed and horrified, Ken focused on the barrier and swipped his blade unevenly, scorching the base of the barrier in bright fire. He gave off a fiery shriek at the sight of the barrier dying down and leaped at the throne with his blade, sinking it into the center all be sloppily. Causing a burning keyhole to form, Ken felt something unlock and pulled away to watch a pillar of light erupt from the throne.

Abaddon gasped and roared, he tossed the woman to a wall in a brutal manner and charged at the boy. "NOOOO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Ken jumped back and watched the woman cringing in pain, he glared at Abaddon and gave a silent smile, he shot at the Despoiler and knocked him on the ground and jumped to the woman who was watching something and asked. "What did you do?"

The boy looked to the window and watched keyholes of energy open to drag the many ships back to where they came, the world bellow gave off similar shines, the woman looked and smiled in triumph. Abaddon got up and watched his work become undone, he bellowed in a fury and tried to attack the two. "RRRR. YOU WILL NOT LEAVE HERE ALIVE!" The light became brighter as the duo avoided his attack, Abaddon fired at the two and the woman formed a barrier to shield herself and the boy, in turn, the boy slammed his blade's hilt to the ground and let loose a wave of fire that infuriated the man more. Shake! Shake! Abaddon was holding onto something and felt like something was pulling him. "No. NOOOOOOOO!"

The woman fell on on her rear weakly and felt something was pushing her, Ken felt the feeling and landed on the ground in a thump, the fire gone out and he watched his burning blade split into two, Cadia's Light at his side and the Firekeeper's Wish burning brighter as the light blinded, the last thing he felt before the void came was familiar ground.

Simultaneously.

Hofneil parried against Kharn's super aggressive attacks as Sora attempted to assist and was sent flying from the sheer power of the berzerker. Goofy attempted to shield bash the berzerker and was kicked back, leaving Donald to focus on healing those injured. Hofneil struck the Chaos Lord back and jumped to a wall, he forced himself downward at the berzerker that was knocked back, felt the blunt and readied his axe. "All this time in this Galaxy and you managed to become stronger?"

Hofneil readied his blade and circled around the berzerker that did the same. "My battle brothers, the imperial guard and even one from the Adeptas Mechanicus have given everything to save this Galaxy. What have you given besides skulls and blood?"

Kharn snorted and confessed. "Nothing more than that, I think its time I finish the Imperiums business here." His axe roared as he yelled. "ONCE AND FOR ALL!"

He swiped and caused Hofneil's keyblade to fly loose, the Space marine watched the blade glow back into his hand and parried once more. Hofneil struck Kharn in the stomach and brought the berzerker to a confusion, the Space Marine answered the unspoken question. "This is what makes this weapon special, traitor. It and the wielder are like one."

The berzerker knelt from the pain and head butted Hofneil back, readying his axe as Sora came through and watched a battle turn against the Captain. Kharn cling to his axe and asked. "Just like Gorechild?" Sora cheered for Hofneil. "Come on get him! You can do it." Donald agreed and used another healing spell, irritating Kharn as Hofneil swung at him, the berzerker dodged and charged at the marine with a leap, his axe was in hand and Hofneil trusted into the marine's chest. SWIPE! SLASH! SPLAT!

A head was sent flying, Hofneil's armor became drenched in blood from a missing head, the head landed on Sora's feet and Kharn watched the body fall, the blade faded away from his chest. The boy was let speechless, glared and charged at Kharn with a yell for blood, Kharn took out a chain with a brass claw that glowed in darkness and focused on the boy. The berzerker dodged a swing and hurled the claw at Sora's chest, causing a sharp burning pain and putting him in place, the berzerker pulled the keyblade off and tossed it back to the space marine as he barked. "That anger was precisely why I was sent here!" He yanked and watched something black tear out, a inky blob of shifting darkness that was trying to take form, he watched Sora fall limp and was holding onto his chest, as if it was bleeding, let not a drop was spilt. Kharn watched the shadow take a form resembling the boy and wasn't impressed as Goofy and Donald yelled and charged. "Sora!"

Goofy bashed Kharn back as Donald used a healing spell and aimed at the berzerker that watched the creature of shadows looking disoriented and be dragged into a forming dark rift, breaking into a form of shifting shadows. Gorechild roared and Kharn was ready to take more victims as a black figure with blonde hair and a massive sword flew down at the berzerker, pushed him away and slashed at him in brutal speeds. Goofy and Donald recognized the short spiky hair and black clothes as Sora looked up to realize who arrived. "C...Cloud?!"

Kharn attempted to swing with Gorechild and was knocked to a cliff edge to glare down at a warrior with a large sword, Cloud glared at him. "Haven't you had enough blood for one day?"

Kharn jumped back down in a yell with Gorechild in hand. PEW! A keyhole shined in the sky and sucked something in, Kharn felt his fall broken and struggled against the pull. He quickly realized what was happening and let himself be sucked up the keyhole, along with many chaos space marines fighting in the valley. With one threat gone, Cloud focused on a kneeling Sora, realizing he was hit badly as Goofy tried to help the boy up. Cloud helped the shield bearer as Sora kept his gaze upon the dead space marine and felt chest pains. He asked the sudden savior. "Wha...how did you-" Cloud answered calmly. "I was around and was put a corner by some green dumb asses when some psychos came after them, shouting about skulls." He noticed after math and encouraged. "Just hold on until we get to the town."

In the Town.

The scarred lunatic felt his noisey marines become crushed and slashed by the Megaboss and his steed as a gryphon and a human woman took their turn. The whip master licked his lips at the variety and went after Mickey with his sword, being parried back and flinging a whip that Lauriam and Elrena blocked and felt the sting. Mickey felt the screaming from the armor and realized. "They... use to be people?!"

He pushed the madman back as Elrena felt it made little sense. "The creepy look isn't just decor?! But ho-" She gasped. "They use to be those this looney killed?!"

The whip master giggled as a marine yelled out. "Lord Lucius, these green skins are-" BASH! SPLATTER! A brute grabbed the marine with his rocky claw and bashed his head in, giving Lauriam time to process the new knowledge as more drills came to pour in more chaos space marines. "No...that wou-" He swiped at Lucius and held him with in the thorny vines, far away from the group as he focused on the marines readying sonic weaponry. "That's his trick, its when someone kills this depraved monster that the armor becomes important."

Lucius's smile became worse as he let loose a sonic scream to shatererd the vines, he laughed at the man. "Oh so you know the game? Well that's just fiiiiiiiiiine!"

He echoed like he was in a high as the Orruks were becoming overrun and the committee fighting were being pushed back. Lucius hummed. "Mmmmh! Now the real fun begins, who will try to stop me now in this kill or be killed-" PEW!

A keyhole opened in the sky and caused the chaos space marines to float in the air, they were sucked into the keyhole along with their dreadful war machines, Lucius felt the grip and cling to a ledge with a whip, realizing his raid was ubruptly halted and hissed. "N...No, we are not going back, this isn-" Elrena looked at the living whip, crackled her keyblade and struck at it, causing it to recoil loose in pain and to smile sadistically at Lucius. "Yeah I don't think we invited you into this party. Too bad for you."

She waved goodbye and caused Lucius to shrill in that infernal high pitched voice as he was sucked away. Leaving behind three dead ard boys and two dead brutes, the committee tried to calm down from the near encounter and Aerith looked to the sky to find several ships being sucked through keyholes. The Black Legion and their forces were being repelled.

It was something assuring to see as Dragon Hackah cringed at his dwindling boys and had his Mawcrusha take flight. "Zog it, come on boys, lets get out of ere!"

The Orruks looked upon the humans and mouse, looked annoyed and turned to the gate to run off. Dragon Hackah promised the group. "Once I get done counting up da boys, we be back ere real good!"

Swoop!

Wanda kept her vision at the Megaboss and felt an evil force was leaving, she fell off Stalwing and was shaking, like one ordeal was gone for another, Tifa helped her up and asked. "Do you want to go lay down? These guys are finally gone."

Wanda spit out and felt herself broken. "I...I need to do that." PEW!

Yuffie noticed two glowing lights laying by the Inn, a knocked out woman with blue hair and a blonde child that had a keyblade laying near his right side, the right side was missing and arm and the wound looked to have been cauterized shut. "Wha...Aerith, we got a code red!"

Aerith turned and recognized the boy. "Ken?!"

She ran to the knocked out duo and checked on the boy first, he lost a lot of blood, Mickey followed the noise and recognized the woman, dashed to Aerith's side and asked. "Aqua?!"

The woman was out cold, like she pushed herself through a series of intense battles. The brown haired woman asked Leon. "Go get the... thing we were working on, this boy needs it and they both need to be checked on." The man was out of his usual calm and ran to a mech shop. "I'm on it, we got a lot of answers to hear."

At the vast field.

Anatesis bashed Typhus back with her warhammer as Kairi jumped on the dragon and worked with it to fire a mixture of lightning and fire balls at the vast zombie horde that seemed endless. Typhus's disgustingly resilient body oozed as he looked above to find a massive ship in orbit. "Ha! So the Warmaster is finally arriving."

He extended his hand towards the group. "You're planet's doom comes, but I can still save you! Come with me and embrace Nurgles gift."

Kairi looked upon the zombies and scoffed. "Like what you gave them?! I don't think so."

Anatesis agreed with her and called down the storm. "He may think they are gifts, but they are anything but."

Typhus looked hurt and crackled psychic energy, pushing back at the Stormcast that took the blow and dueled in a lock of blows, Typhus asked. "You fight much like a space marine, Ana and you know about Nurgle, what kind of universe are you even from?"

Ana wasn't answering as she looked above to find a keyhole opening and sucking the horde of zombies and scrap with in, the ships were being drawn in and the Stormcast smiled to him in spite. "Not yours." BASH!

Typhus was knocked into the air and felt his body being among the forces being dragged back from where he came from, he tried to scream and was so distant that only a buzzing was heard.

Leaving the trio alone and with the sight of dead spiders and dead goblins burning, as the vast swarm retreated to the vale. Kairi found it difficult to believe as she watched many rifts open up. "He... actually did it?"

Anatesis turned toward her. "He?"

She let her keyblade fade and took off her helmet to reveal tan skin, stormy blue eyes, a scar on her left cheek, a braided black mohawk, revealing a very human face that looked to be guessing. "There is four people that know of me here and I don't think the other three would be able to do that."

Kairi shook her head and closed her eyes for a moment of silence, Ana sighed and apologized. "The other three were lost in this war? Eek, I'm sorry to hear that." She asked her dragon. "Moonfang, lets get her home." The dragon nodded and dashed to the canyon as Ana followed with her glowing wings, Kairi worried. "I hope the others are okay."

In the lab.

Riku was in a one sided magical battle against Ahriman, who hurled bolts of blue energy and slowed the boy down and a fire storm. The boys attempts to be mobile were halted by a sorcerer who was completely bored and asked. "You call that fire ball magic? Hmm!" He turned off the barrier and felt something, holding his head and shaking it. "Uggh! Looks like Kharn had gotten what he came here for as well and Abaddon is preoccupied."

Ienzo took a book, remembered a spell and cast it on the wall, blocking it with light. "You're not going into Ansem's computer room. Too many people are hiding in those labs."

Ahriman focused on the spell and tightened his grip, causing the light to flicker in blue fire. "And would you know that Lucius is too focused on the few... toys, out there than he is raiding here. I had this planned long before I arrived so stop embarrassing yourselves."

WOOSH! A wall of ice formed and Ahriman glowed, turning towards Even and flowing in power as Riku tried to get up and watched a keyhole open by the door way, Ahriman noticed and felt the suction pulling him. The Sorcerer had his disk fly in fast speeds and with force of will, opened a corridor in the middle of the room, he focused his power in a distortion that caused him to flicker to the corridor as he warned them. "I won't let Abaddon's failure stop me. This war maybe over, but you just witness the seed of another!"

Pew! The corridor closed up and the keyhole sucked into nothing.

Leaving Ienzo and Even to look at the phenomenon as Riku glared at where the corridor was. The younger of the two scientists guessed. "This... is the power of a keyblade banishing these people from the realm of light?"

Even guessed so as Riku sighed. "Nothing there saying about any realm in between. Damn it."

Even caused the ice to break down and knew of an issue to be dealt with. "If he is the only one, then our issues are not yet over... although."

Riku agreed back with him. "Although Ahriman sounds like has his own plans from Abaddon, he doesn't belong here and he might cause another issue to turn up again. Tell the people hiding in there to wait a minute before coming out." He turned. "I got to go see this myself!"

He left without even a goodbye and rushed to the central square, finding that it was hit hard from beneath. He saw the committee survey the damage and saw Donald making way for Goofy and a blonde stranger carrying a limping boy, Sora. Riku gasped and went to his friends side without hesitation. "Sora?!" He asked Goofy and Donald. "What happened?!"

The duo had nothing to answer as Sora looked upon a town not bound by chaos and smiled it wasn't a worry, he cringed in pain as another voice yelled. "Sora?!"

Thump! Thump!

Riku turned to find Kairi on a black scaled wingless dragon and being followed by a silver armored angel, bringing more questions to bare as Yuffie appeared to blow a whistle and signaled. "Everyone in the Inn except for Cloud, the dragon and... eh-" The angel sighed. "Ana." She looked around to ask. "What in Sigmar's name was happening?!"


	28. Mending a Wounded Heart

In an room. Sora looked sleepy on a bed as he listened to what Mickey had to say. "That thing tore a hole into my... heart?!"

The mouse nodded with confusion in himself. "I seen something like this happen before but in a worse state. What Kharn did was tear out a manifestation of your darkness... if that is what you say. That can lead to massive damage on your heart if something isn't done to mend it and especially after all the things we gone through, it won't be able to contain it." Goofy asked. "In other words if something isn't done, Sora's heart might collapse?"

The mouse nodded as Riku remembered words he knew of. "To mend a damaged heart. The Power of Waking, but... do we really have that power?" Mickey nodded. "You both traveled into the dreams to awaken the worlds. But... what might manifest in Sora's heart could fight back. Are you sure you want to go through this alone?"

Riku nodded as Kairi looked teary eyed and asked boldly. "But, would any of us be able to dive in there?" Riku figured. "I think so since Sora and I had to be sent in there first. But I might be the one who could do the work." Donald asked. "Or...She could be a help, she helped Sora when he was like this before." Sora looked dizzy and remembered. "R..right. URG" He felt more pain and laid down smiling sweetly to his friends, he whispered as he let his mind drift. "I'm... counting on you." Riku and Kairi took a distance and aimed their keyblades at the boy's chest. They glowed together as Mickey, Goofy and Donald wished them luck.

Pew!

Riku and Kairi found themselves with in a void that lead to a rather devastating sight, a stained glass image that was shattered. They found several images that connect, yet they over a tower that was clawed at. Memories of an islands destruction, of stinging betrayal, of a tender embrace, separation and bonds shined as they descended. Riku and Kairi felt some of those memories as something familiar, then came those of worry, feelings of being lost, longing to be home. Kairi sighed. "We thought when we returned home, that would be the end of it." Riku agreed and imagined what some of the bleeding with in Sora's heart was. "That's what we all thought... that's what we all thought." More memories came, those of various, out there and dangerous adventures most recent, they confrontation with a Defiler, meeting Tahm and his guardsmen, a show down against a tech priest and a confrontation with various space marines One in a Coliseum and one in a jungle, followed by a reunion in town with a certain Sister of Battle. Topping the bright images off with a battle against a particular fan of his that was giving it his all.

Then came several images that looked faded, one was a confrontation against Zagor, another against dark daemons and the most painful of memories, a sister of battle looking weak and in darkness, a tech priest ready to confront two mauler fiends, three space marines making a last stand against an eldritch horror, a valkyrie going against a giant mecha and the image most striking, a space marine with a keyblade confronting against a crazed berzerker. The two friends felt that pain and found themselves landing on a stained glass shard floating with in the void. Riku focused his keyblade on the fragments and felt himself peppered by laser beams. Kairi looked to three fragments and took flight to confront the closest one. Resembling a simple soldier that tried to charge at her, the girl struck at the soldier without much thinking, feeling the fragments reconnecting and dodging the peppered shots. The girl felt a shift in the void and rolled to dodge a man with a hat and sword. Kairi felt the figure meaning something, struck the soldier to where he faded and dodged the man with the hat, she flew to another and dealt with the soldier and a distant laser beam. Slowly realizing what the figure was as she parried the man with the hat and kicked him into the void, she took down the next soldier and jumped to the last one, finding the man in the hat appearing and aiming something at her. Kairi glowed in light and flung a golden star at the soldier, focusing her attention towards the man that jumped into the void. The fragments came together more, a stained glass image of a certain sleeping boy with various people close to him. The pieces clicked and something flew from the void, a ship with the man in the hat and a robed figure.

Riku felt it was all together and focused on the ship, putting things together himself. "It's like how we met some of them and like the last we met them." Kairi nodded and saw Riku feeling mournful, the boy confessed. "Magi was out of control, but once he learned his lesson, he did a lot of good for the town and for us. Tahm and his guard... they were there when it counted."

Kairi wiped her eyes and readied herself to take the ship down as it closed in and readied beams of energy. The duo fired fire balls at the ships jets and caused it to land on the platform, bringing the images of Tahm and Magitinus out. The man in the hat had his sword ready as the robed man readied a rifle, Riku dealt with Tahm as Kairi took down Magitinus. Causing the jet to dissolve and take shape of three a space marine with a missile launcher, a space marine with a heavy bolter, and a apothecary. They looked hesitate to do battle and Riku asked them. "Thinking it wouldn't be a fair fight with the four of you? Come on, we are much stronger than we look."

Step. "That's exactly what is happening." Kairi and Riku turned to their right to find Roxas, looking injured from something, yet is drawing his two keyblades against the space marines. A blonde girl stepped out of Kairi and went to check on him. "Roxas, he hurt you too?"

The boy looked and Namine and was given a hug tackle, he gave one back, winked at her and answered. "When he got hurt, I got hurt... but I can manage. These imperial guys, all of them, gave everything so we can have a peaceful life." He looked upon the three marines proudly. "The guys who were made to fight the kinds of nightmares we just fought. The regular soldiers who fight with them and those who fight the darkness... even if it came at a price."

Namine let go and turned to them. "That is the worst part of these memories." Roxas agreed and looked ready to put some ghosts to rests. "Even if they knew it was coming.. one way or another." He drew his weapons and looked at the apothecary. "I'll get Pyriel, the other two shouldn't be that tough." Kairi looked upon the marine with the heavy bolter and smiled to an idea that came. "This isn't why this is hard." She flew high above to Nathanel's specter, the marine aimed his bolter and the princess rolled out of the way as Riku vanished behind Dabriel's specter and went to attack, the marine tossed aside his missile launcher and readied a sword, attempting to do close combat with him.

Roxas went for Pyriel's specter, dodged a burning ball of light and made quick work of the specter as Kairi dived down on Nathanel's specter like a star and quickly dispatched the ghost. Riku dodged the blade and quickly took the ghost down. The platformed shined one more figure emerged from the darkness, a space marine with a keyblade and a jet pack, the jet pack looked something like wings of fire. Hofneil's specter landed in the center and awaited for the trio to ready themselves, the three charged and the marine shot himself to the sky to crash down upon them, the trio jumped out of the way, felt the vibration and the marine charged at Roxas. The boy parried with his blades and was knocked off from the sheer force, the boy air jumped back to the platform as the marine jumped towards Kairi and swung. The girl rolled out of the way and launched herself into the specter, the specter was lightly pushed as Riku dashed for a quick combo, he and Kairi raised their blades in the air and vanished into rifts of light and darkness. Striking the specter across and sending it to a pillar of twilight as Roxas closed in to kick the space marine to the edge. Hofneil's specter refused to give up and noticed a figure approaching from the void, a warrior in silver and golden armor, wielding a wing like keyblade with its hilt by the wrist and the blade facing outward of the warriors right hand.

The two approached each other for a duel the others stepped away to let a barrier form. Riku, Kairi and Roxas had no idea who the warrior is, yet they watched the two prominent figures approach each other. Hofneil took off his jet pack and waited for the warrior to approach, the warrior flew at him like wind and struck fast, the space marine rolled out of the way and struck him back with a flurry of his own, ending the combo with an electrical blue light. The warrior back flipped and combo'd the marine in quick succession and raised his keyblade in the air, trapping the marine in a whirl wind, Hofneil forced his way through the wind that carried him and slammed himself down to the warrior, the warrior flipped to the right as the space marine swiped to the right in a spin. Parry! The warrior parried and knocked the keyblade out of the marines hands, Hofneil focused and took the blade back, facing the keyblade to his face and giving a respectful bow. The warrior placed his left hand on the marines right pauldron and nodded to him in mutually, Hofneil's specter faded away in peace.

The warrior looked upon the three and to something shining in the middle of the cracks, a keyhole. Riku and Kairi watched the barrier drop and approached to aim their keyblades, the keyhole shined and the cracks faded. The duo felt warm in the heart as the light shined to take them to a familiar island, Roxas and Namine looked to find the warrior gone, they sat together on the beach as Riku kept trying to hold it in. "This should fix Sora's heart, it's like him to keep making new friends every time someone new comes along."

Kairi agreed and smiled widely. "It is... once we wake up, we should see the new day together."

The two teenagers sitting together looked ready to accept a truth as the sun shine bright, the two woke up together to find Sora waking up and holding to his chest, feeling more cheerful than usual. Donald and Goofy were the first to embrace him with a welcome hug as Riku and Kairi disregarded decency and joined in the pile, Mickey closed his eyes to a task done, the turned around to leave and attend to unfinished business.

In another medical ward.

Ken felt a sting with in the void and woke up, feeling something filling a void in his right arm and looking to find torn pieces of his shirt and a mechanical arm. He wailed. "Waah!"

OOF!

He was given a hug from his mother, who was babbling a mother's worry, he hugged back and felt the warmth as he noticed Aerith smiling to him. "Good afternoon sleepy head."

Ken blushed embarrassed as his mother let go and lectured. "Next time, tell me before you go off fighting evil like that." He saw his mom bursting into tears and promised. "I will, that was complete chaos up there." He raised his right arm forward and watched Cadia's Light shine, feeling like it was an even greater match as Aerith advised him. "Already?! You were that close that we thought we would have lost you if your wound wasn't cauterized."

Ken agreed and was allowed to step up, feeling himself in balanced as his cybernetic arm felt like his old. "It might have if the Firekeeper didn't cause that keyblade to burn like it did and-" He looked around in memory. "I probably wouldn't have pulled it off if an angel didn't come at the last moment to shake A..A... that bad guy off of me. So... its over now?"

Ken's mother shrugged it might be. "You were not the only one who was hurt from all that, Sora had a heart injury and that is the last I heard of before his friends came rushing to him."

Ken gasped and worried. "A heart... oh no!" He heard celebrations from the room over as Aerith guessed. "I think his friends just fixed that." Ken's mother listened and smiled. "They are good people." She asked her son with earnest. "If you want to go out and have a look around, that's fine... they might want a word with you." Ken imagined what was to happen and blushed nervously. "I...I will mom, then I'll be home for dinner." He bowed to Aerith with gratitude. "Thank you for the new arm." The woman giggled. "Don't thank me thank-" She stopped herself as Ken realized another factor. "I...I'll try to thank Magi and Pyriel."

He rushed out of room and out of the inn to try and ready himself. Hearing a feminine voice gasping in shock. "Well, well, what kind of trouble have you been getting yourself into lad? Going about saving the world instead of going home."

The voice was familiar and Ken turned around to find a warrior in silver armor and angelic wings. "A...Ana?!" He rushed to her and had a hundred things to say, babbling to where the Stormcast asked him. "Kendry, stop. You... know what you did for the people of this realm, right?" Ken didn't care much for that and showed her the gun like keyblade. "Guess what that lasgun turned into when you left?"

Anatesis was impressed and gave a smirk of respect, she raised her right hand and formed a similar weapon, except much like a warhammer, Ken's eyes shined as the Stormcast showed her teeth in a smile. "I knew that courage wasn't misplaced. Ya just needed to get stronger in body and mind."

Ken agreed and asked. "There was so many cool people I met because of how you saved me, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have gotten as far as I did. But... but-" He shook his head. "How did you get back?" Anatesis looked at a blue haired woman basking in nostalgia and a black dragon without wings, she whistled. "Hey, Aqua, how did all that happen again?"

Aqua turned with the dragon, the woman was astonished to find a keyblade wielder. Ken turned around and remembered perfectly. "I...Uh-" The dragon approached Kendry, smelled him and licked his face in affection, giving him the sight of bright white fangs, Ana asked. "Moonfang, leave him alone." Ken didn't mind and felt the words connecting. "Aqua-" He remembered hearing the name and blurted. "I heard of you! A lot of my friends were talking about you."

Aqua looked ready to confront those people with her own anxiety. "You... why do you look fa-" She remembered a faint dream and contemplated something as a voice from behind spoke. "Welcome back home, Aqua." She turned to find Mickey looking upon her like an old friend. Both took a deep breath, Aqua embraced him proudly. "It's been so long since I heard that." They let go and looked up to the sky as Ken felt there was something he wished to ask, he paced to a smashed open lamp post in thought, unaware of people leaving the Inn and a trio shouting his name. "Ken!"

The boy yelped and turned to find an eager Sora along with Riku and Kairi, wanting answers as Donald and Goofy were looking at something else. Ken looked more embarrassed and at the wreckage of the town. "I... heard you kicked the Black Legion's butts a new one." He yelled out. "You guys are amazing to protect the town like you did."

His eyes glittered as the trio were nearly knocked back, Riku had it with the flattery. "If you didn't kick those guys out, none of us would have been here." Ken felt the piercing words as Sora agreed with his friend. "Seriously, no matter what ever was in there, you didn't give up." He smiled impressed. "Thanks for saving us." Ken breathed deeply in pride as Kairi gave it where it was due and noticed the cybernetic arm. "You had no idea how close things were."

Ken didn't want to know and looked upon the blue haired woman that was astonished by familiar kids grown into teenagers. "A...well... someone saved me right at the last moment when I got into a pickle. It's how I lost my arm, the one you should be thanking is right over there... not me." The trio turned to find the blue haired woman looking upon them like she barely recognized them, yet at the same time.

The trio cheered and approached the Keyblade Master. "Aqua!" The reunion felt overwhelming and Aqua insisted. "Please, I just got back from places that-" She whistled and asked the six. "If you can give me until tomorrow, I will be ready for what else is to come." That they promised, they showed of their keyblades to Aqua and took her by surprise as Mickey explained. "These are the three I told you about. Sora and Riku are self taught and they done much together." The boys smiled in pride as Aqua took it as a dare, Kairi sparked an idea, looked at Ken and asked her. "Aqua, would you give me a minute? There is something... I want to ask." Aqua didn't mind as Mickey was the first to know what was happening.

Kairi approached the blonde boy and whispered to him. "Did you ask her?" Ken blinked, knew what and shook his head. "Nope, we got pretty far because of what we learned on the spot. But you saw how far those two gotten after their trip." Kairi nodded. "In one lesson. I... met Aqua when I was small, it must have made her day for her to know what the some of us of us grew up to be." She blushed as Ken watched Anatesis whisper something to Aqua, he gasped. "Oh no, someone is talking about us... Eh... did you meet Ana yet?"

Kairi turned to the Stormcast, squeaked, she whispered back. "Yes and I... tried to rescue her from a battle she landed in. She is powerful, even with the bare knowledge of a keyblade." Ken agreed with a smug statement. "That's because she is a powerful warrior who experienced a lot of battles... and got some upgrades. So... what are going to do?" Kairi answered firmly. "I'll tell you what we are going to do, we are to show Master Aqua respect and asked her a question both of our hearts wish for. One." Ken countered with her. "Two." Aqua heard the rabbling end with a loud. "Three!"

The two approached the keyblade master, knelt before her and placed their blades in the ground. The many looked like they didn't see it coming, Kairi spoke first. "Master Aqua, Kendry and I have only recently acquired a keyblade and we have a long way to go before we can learn everything we need to know about them." Ken nodded. "We had to learn on the way and it was a pretty rough road." Kairi agreed with that. "We, would like to request." The two asked on sync. "Would you take us as students?"

Aqua was taken aback from the request, took it to heart and closed her eyes. "Kairi, Kendry, stand up." The duo obeyed without hesitation, Aqua smiled to them and opened. "I will." She exhaled as the two promised her, with Kairi breaking in a cheer. "Thank you Master." Ken promised her proudly. "We won't let you down Miss Aqua." Those two titles warmed her heart as Anatesis folded her arms and promised the two. "I... might need to know myself. Lady Aqua, do you mind if I join for lessons?" Aqua answered more amused. "Certainly, starting tomorrow."

The formed trio cheered together as Sora wished them luck and asked Mickey. "So now what do we have to do?" The mouse had a few that were of a concern. "Now that we don't have to worry about the Word Bearers or Black Legion anymore, we can try to get ready for... that other thing that could be a problem again." Riku whistled to one of his own. "Along with one of the Chaos warlords that escaped that, Ahriman. It's going to take a while before we can all go back home." Aqua over heard and approached to explain a task she had to do with a hint of stress. "I need to go help two friends of mine that have been waiting for me. When I know where to start, I'll ask." She had one more detail to warn Mickey about. "And... your majesty, he isn't alone. He is working with someone that could be as much of a threat as what you fought or event he same type. Archaeon, the Grand Marshall of Chaos." Sora gasped and asked. "More Chaos?!"

He stopped embarrassed as Riku answered. "A force of Chaos that came from Ana's... world instead of Hofneil's." He thought. "But we been through a lot in one day, can't we just... celebrate?" A masculine voice answered him. "Not just yet." The group turned to find Leon looking half depressed and half relieved. "Someone... is finishing up something for the guys who helped us survive that. Once it is done, then we can move on." Sora understood what was due. "We owe them for everything they... did." He breathed in and wanted to take his mind off of the death as he asked. "Aqua... what kind of places did you go to... to get back here?" Anatesis wanted to know. "That is a tale we ought to know." Aqua looked upon the Inn and knew where to tell a story. "The eight realms might be beyond what we all thought we would see here, come on, we got to start somewhere." Leon wanted to know himself. "Eight Realms?" Ana chuckled and had Moonfang stay outside. "Ya might fit in any of them." Leon took that as a promise. "I'll go ask the others before you start. Could lighten the mood."

By a manor in a world basked in a sunset.

A corridor opened up to let out Ahriman, who looked upon the world in new freedom and sensed no one with in the manor as he dismissed his disk. "Abaddon has failed in his schemes yet again. But the knowledge Zagor's cult gathered could be of use." He walked into the manor without any obstacles and found a wide room, he took out a small glowing green cube and tossed it, revealing twenty Tzaangor on foot, three Tzaangor with bows and arrows on floating disks, ten still space marines in blue armor that had yellow highlights and gold trimmings, ten terminators of similar color and design, two wielding autocannons and shoulder mounted missiles. A Tzaangor with a mystical staff and disk, appeared and gave a bow to his master. "Lord Ahriman, the Warmaster's plan faltered and now we can carry on your plan?"

Ahriman nodded and appreciated his luck. "I am sensing a rift that someone left open in this very manor. Perhaps it will lead us to a more suitable hideout for me to at least-" He took a deep breath. "Have a better understanding of this galaxy before we can act." He smirked and ordered the still marines. "Rubrics, come. Ztardon, you watch from behind and follow, I don't want anyone meddling in this old place."

The Tzaangor wizard obeyed and had his minions follow him as he followed his master, going past an odd room with pods and into a computer room. Ahriman wondered the kind of ordeals that happened in the manor and typed away. "With one simple chat I know enough from that boy to know the secrets of this computer." Bleep. "Sea Salt Ice-cream." Bleep! Bleep! In a corner, a beam shot down and the Sorcerer instructed to his lacky. "We will send our small army down through this beam to a place of data and simulations. That way I won't leave any of the rubrics behind."

He and Ztardon watched the vast forces step into the beam, three at a time and reducing the army to another prison like plan. He and his lacky went in next and explored to find a rift, Ahriman was in thought and the Tzaangor asked. "Master, is something troubling you?" Ahriman shook his head and watched the army keep their march and guiding the only friend he considered talking with. "With the little knowledge Abaddon passed along, has Zagor... neglected some of his research?" The shaman thought of it and stepped into a strange rift like hall that lead to a green rift on the otherwise. "He, squawk, is from the Word Bearers." Ahriman agreed with that. "And he had been obsessed with daemons, thinking they have the answers. They are a means to an end Ztardon, nothing more." The army had an uneventful journey across the rift and found themselves in a world more suited to their liking, Ahriman and his underling exit the rift to a dark, foreboding city.

He sensed something watching him from the shadows and ordered his minions. "March and attack anything that moves." The rubrics and tzaangor obeyed and kept a sharp eye as Ztardon smelled and knew. "Heartless?" Ahriman had his underling keep quiet. "More than that... this world... is empty save for two. Don't let yourself be deceived by the darkness, for we are not in sanctuary yet." BAM! BAM!

The rubrics shot a few squirming shadows as the tzaangor charged ahead, through many corridors and pathways, the army reached a skyscraper and had a view of a black and white castle. POP! Clank! Ahriman turned around to find a swarm of various heartless behind him, readying to attack him, the Sorcerer glowed and fired a barrage of eldritch bolts at the horde, he and his shaman glowed together and brought down a fire storm to reduce the horde to a small amount, the terminators turned around and gunned the remaining heartless away, the rain poured down and the army of magic continued towards a blue lighted bridge. A booming voice echoed in front of the bridge. "Halt minions of Chaos!" Green fire burst and took form, into a black robed witch with horns and green on the skin. The Tzaangor and rubrics readied to attack, Ahriman had his right hand aimed side ways, the army stood aside and made way for the Sorcerer as a fat cat like creature, followed with many valid reasons to not trust him. "After all the trouble you caused, you got some nerve coming here."

Ahriman agreed with him. "If you witnessed the Black Crusade upon this galaxy, then no one and I repeat, no one would want to see my kind around here. But I assure you Pete, my intentions are nowhere near as destructive unless they are necessary." Pete gasped as the witch asked with an elegant smirk. "Yet you are another Sorcerer of Chaos, with ambitions beyond what you speak of?" Ahriman sensed the witch's venomous thoughts. "And I refuse to, for that is my own business as much as your have yours. But, Maleficent, the castle over yonder is a suitable place for me and my minions, for shelter and for study about the mysteries of this galaxy. Mysteries that Zagor neglected in his obsessions."

Maleficent raised an eyebrow to ask. "You counted on the Black Crusade failing, for the worlds could provide better use to you whole?" Ahriman nodded. "For the will of the worlds wished to repel the darkness of a galaxy bombarded by war. I ask because you are of use to me in understanding them, guide us through the castle and we will fortify while better understanding things that we both could use." Pete snickered and asked. "And what if we say no?"

The Rubrics aimed their guns at both him and Maleficent, the two were wide eyed at the very open threat as Ahriman kept his manners. "If you do, we would be wandering this galaxy endlessly without a guide and you would be in a position that will make your efforts of crawling back into power, all for nothing. I won't ask again." Maleficent laughed with the sorcerer. "Ambitious or desperate?" She turned around and lead the way. "Come, for this castle holds many secrets."

Ahriman followed and had his minions follow. Ztardon looked at Pete with his head tilted and urged him to follow. "Secrets?!" Pete was weirded out and answered with a scowl. "We took it from some weirdos in black coats see." Ztardon chirped. "Hmmmm. Secrets of the castles old masters? Could they assist master?" Pete shrugged. "Maybe, we don't know nothing about the nobodies. Hmm... maybe your not as psychotic as the last batch." Ztardon understood the term and advised Pete. "Never assume on fates first blowing. For the fires of change will claim you." The minion would settle for this and followed their masters.

At an Inn in Radiant Garden.

The group listened to a summary of a tale of hoping between the realms, Ana bobbed her head as the rest of them were speechless. "I can get how the realms would be that strange. We haven't even gotten to what happened in each." Sora felt his head spinning. "Metal, Fire, Beasts, they are like a bunch of worlds in one." Donald and Goofy had a memory of a large heartless with in a vast Pridelands, the shield bearer agreed. "And each is just as stranger. The Realm of Beasts sound like a place we wouldn't want to be stuck in."

Riku agreed and imagined it. "The realms are tied to the laws of their element, it's no wonder it took you a while to gather the eight fragments of the Heartstone." Aqua exhaled with some memories. "Some of them went out of control and compared to what you were putting up with, they were not as high tech." Yuffie was interested in the details of the tale. "But Chamon sounds cool with those sky ports. What actually happened?"

Aqua tried to pick which one and gave up on it for the moment. "It's one of the things I needed to warn you about. Nearly all the realms had their own dangers that we may have to deal with in the future." She asked the keyblade wielders. "Like the dangers you fought and that horde of destruction near the town. They are not safe to keep around." Kairi agreed back and asked. "Master, are we sure we should worry about Dragon Hackah? He and his boys sounded like they were pretty beaten up fighting Chaos."

Aqua had caution as Anatesis counted. "Twenty savage Orruks, their shaman...a handful of Ironjaws to organize things and the Megaboss. As long as we keep the numbers under control, they wouldn't want to mess with us. Speaking of unfinished business," Kairi understood and relaxed. "I know, there is a shift in between the Princess's of Heart and I want to finish my count when I can. I'm not in a hurry anymore, but it still needs to be done. There is also a dangerous man out there causing trouble, Garland. We need to stop him before he becomes something we can't ignore."

Sora agreed with her and had another worry. "Riku and I woke up some worlds with the Power of Waking." Aqua gasped. "The Power of Waking?!" Riku answered that with throbbing memories. "Don't ask why we had to use it. If we didn't, we would have had a worse war on our hands." Aqua gave a scowl to the boys. "That power isn't meant to be used for that kind of thing."

Ken wanted to break the subject and smiled to a few stories of his own. "But we didn't have much of a choice Miss. We dealt with some crazy people and some of us needed to go to extremes." Aqua squinted her eyes at her student. "Like how you charged into that ship and... I assume gone to complete war. Once I crashed in, there wasn't a point in stopping or catching a breath." Ken nodded and smiled to his teacher, forming a burning keyblade along side his gun blade. "I... might need to tell you about this particular keyblade, I figured out how to fuse it with Cadia's Light and it was one of the reasons the Chaos Space Marines went down as easily as they did."

Kairi agreed with that as Aqua felt distrustful of the burning keyblade. "Cadia's Light use to be a very simple weapon our friends from the Imperial Guard use until it became stronger and became... a stronger version of a lasgun. A hot shot that would go through the armor of a space marine." Aqua had a closer look at the burning blade and remembered. "Magic is a good substitute for dealing with something like them, but I see you're point. Kendry, what is this?" The blonde boy felt the judgemental tone and told Aqua the brief description. "Firekeeper's Wish, it's a pretty special keyblade I got from a world that was about to die. It is what is left of its heart and it saved my life way too many times."

Riku let the keyblade master know. "It's origins are dark, the keyblade itself isn't although it draws upon that and it's been through dark places to burn." Aqua sighed and felt the heat. "It might have helped you... but I saw what else it did to you." Ken shivered and remembered. "Miss, it isn't an evil keyblade. After everything we been through together, Benedict would have liked to know that this keyblade saved a lot of worlds." He sniffled. "I was still in control of myself, I was just low on blood." Aqua relaxed and felt it was a good point. "I would still like to see what more it can do."

She felt she rested enough and spoke of a few things she needed to have done. "Sora, Riku, since you know of the power to fix a heart, you could help me with what I'm trying to find out with a friend of mine who's heart was nearly destroyed a long time ago. You heard of Ventus?" The boys nodded with a suspicion feeling as Riku asked. "Kairi and I just went through fixing a nasty wound Sora had using this power." Sora scratched his head in confusion. "Ventus's was hurt like that?" Aqua looked more uncertain of what to do. "He was, Ven suffered from a battle with an evil creature called Vanitas. I need to retrace any clues of where Ven's heart has gone." Sora felt the chill. "Van...itas?" Aqua felt she should warn the group. "If you see a boy in red and black armor and wearing a helmet, stay away from him. Through some... unholy power, Xehanort and Archaon were able to bring him back from the void and he brought a lot of problems to the realms."

Ana blew wind and agreed to that with a boom of thunder. "He freed Slaanesh! Wars are breaking out all over the realms because of that demon." The group felt intimidated as Mickey asked. "Then we need to figure out how to start getting ready before that brings more chaos." Anatesis tried to calm herself and kept a feeling of static around her. "He would be in for another rude wake up call if he shows himself here. Now, before I blow another storm. Ken, you fused your keyblades together and they changed form? Is that new?"

Aqua shook her head. "That is a form change... or a demi. A key blade wielder can sometimes change their keyblade to different forms at will. Cadia's Light sounds like a case where a keyblade... evolves based on the heart of the wielder, while the other form is more the other blade giving it its power." Sora had that idea memorized. "But the one you are talking about? Sounds like it can get pretty strong if used right." Aqua frowned in doubt. "It can, but... that isn't something I practiced often. You're not going to get much help from me." Sora and Riku snapped their fingers as Aerith had a message and announced. "Everyone, its ready."

She lead the way out of the Inn and to pleasant park, where a set of six stone pillars were placed firmly, all carved into plaques and decorated with roses. Wanda and her men were among the many present to give a moment of silence. The plaque to the most left was marked with four names, burnt green helmets, an angelic image and words bellow that felt warming. "Elric, Thompson, Perkins, Hank: Humorous, eager, courageous men from another world." Another plaque with a damaged chain sword rested by and similar markings read. "Tahm: General, intelligent, friend." Then another with a dormant servo skull that made Ken, a duo of chipmunks and Cid emotional. "Magitinus: Engineer of the future." Next towards three more plaques, was a stone marked with an over abundance of various flowers, causing Aerith to tear up. "Pyriel: Angel of Miracles." Kairi read the next one, marked with a yellow and blue flower, she was barely containing herself as she knelt. "Nathanel, Dabriel: Angels ever watching." Finally, a plaque marked with a helmet and a keyblade: Sora, Donald and Goofy, knelt before the words. "Hofneil: Angel of the light. The bane of Chaos. Commander." Ken remembered something, took out a burnt helmet and placed it by the plaque with the guardsmens names. "I never got to meet you, but... you can rest with your friends now. You earned it." Kairi burst into sobbing tears as Sora's eyes dripped over the ground. Riku rubbed his back and listened to his friend sob. A sun began to set upon the memorial and the mourning gathering, closing a chapter marked by war.


	29. Silly Old Key

During a bright morning in Radiant Garden, Sora was in an cheerful mood and greeting the rising sun. "*Yawn!* Hello, new day!" Tap! Tap. "You are awake this soon? I thought yesterday tired you out?"

The boy turned around to find Riku and had an even more chipper smile. "Can't let that hold us down."

Riku noticed Goofy, Donald, Mickey, Chip and Dale approaching. "Remember, we are not exactly on a break. We need to find more clues about Ahriman before he starts something up... he is one powerful sorcerer." Dale noticed Sora and scurried to him. "Morning Sora, morning Riku." Sora greeted the morning. "Morning Dale, what's up?"

The chipmunk answered as his twin followed. "We got a message from Merlin before he took off," Chip waved good morning. "Morning guys."

Sora gave him a morning back. "Does Merlin need us for something?"

The chipmunk nodded. "Yep, I think it's got something to do with some kind of book. He said he'll set up a breakfast meeting while he waits for y'all." Dale asked his twin. "A breakfast meeting? Where?" Chip gasped. "Oh, no! He said breakfast meeting, but he didn't say where." Dale was dumbfounded. "Do you mean he left before you could find out?" Chip answered nervously. "He is a tough wizard to pin down."

Sora felt he got the message. "But where could he be having that?" Donald answered confused. "I don't know." Goofy snapped his fingers to an answer. "Say, if you were going to have a breakfast meeting that important, wouldn't you want to have it at the best restaurant you could find?"

Sora blinked. "But where?" Riku felt a ding in his brain. "That bistro that opened up in Twilight Town?" Donald remembered the name. "Little Chef's Bistro, I think I saw someone I knew there." Mickey remembered more vividly. "Scrooge Mc Duck? What is he up to this time?" Riku wondered as well. "If we are going there, it's a perfect town to get out of here and find some clues about Resira, the only reason her... memorial wasn't made is because she could still be alive." Mickey understood. "And I need to let Yen Sid know that the Chaos Space Marines are gone and that Aqua is back." He looked around. "Speaking of which, where are the others?"

Sora wanted to know and noticed a familiar, red haired girl entering the district and stretching to greet the sun, she had a sleeveless pink dress with black highlights, shorter hair, a set of purple gloves and purple boots with white highlights. "K...Kairi?!" The girl turned towards him and approached with her hands behind her back. "Mmm. Morning everyone. Did you all sleep well?"

They let her know she did as Sora was blushing. "We...we have a meeting to go to. Kairi... you look... different." Kairi knew she had him, hook line and sinker. "Thank you, what else is going on today?" Riku explained with an eye for taste. "It's like he said, we got invited to a break fast meeting in Twilight Town, do you want to come along? It's a train away." Kairi wished she could and cringed. "Eh, I can't. It's my first day of training and no teacher wants that as a first impression."

The group remembered and Sora whined. "Aw." Goofy and Donald snickered as Mickey didn't mind. "It's very important to learn how to use the keyblade, it took everyone to make today happen and we could have another disaster like yesterday happen again in the future." Kairi agreed with that and nearly flexed. "That's why I want to be ready."

Thump! Thump! Thump! Kairi turned around to find a frantic blonde boy, chewing and swallowing something. "*Gulp!* Don't want to be-" He looked around to find no sign of Aqua, yet a familiar Stormcast flying from the garden was a sign that the time was coming. "*Phew.* I'm not late." He yawned and was in a brown shirt that covered part of his cybernetic arm, he noticed Kairi's new attire and was wide eyed. "Wow, someone is ready."

Chip and Dale lead the way to the train as Mickey lead the way. "Well, come on fellas. We don't want to be late." The group followed as Riku tugged a distracted Sora into following. "Come on, they have their own thing to do while we got ours." Sora did so and followed, realizing what he did in front of Kairi and keeping silent.

Leaving the students by their lonesome as Ken looked at Kairi with a smirk and half dropped eyes. "You totally got him." Kairi flushed to the boy in embarrassment. "Ken did anyone tell you that there are things you shouldn't say to a lady?" Ken laughed about that. "Oh come on, you know you didn't forget what happened back at Tra-" Kairi growled. "Alright, if you kept that under control, then you can keep this one a secret." Ken vowed. "By the storm, flame and light, I won't tell because it's only a matter of time until people can freely talk about it." Kairi's blush was crimson. "I hope it happens soon."

Flap! Flap! Thud!

Anatesis landed to greet the morning. "Morning, what are you talking about?" Kairi answered the armored angel. "Nothing important." Ken answered with her. "Just wishing her good luck about something." He looked upon his pocket with a phone for a scheme as Ana warned them. "Ya can keep that to yourselves while the lesson starts. What do you think this one is going to be about?"

Kairi was just as lost. "She only saw Ken fight and that shouldn't count." The boy agreed with that. "There was a reason I was disarmed. Wait a minute..." Ken thought as a dracoth entered the district with a blue haired woman that looked energized to seeing two ready students. "That's the lesson, seeing us fight and telling us what we are doing wrong." Kairi yelped and realized. "You might be right."

The rivals looked concerned about hurting each other as Aqua felt refreshed to be in a familiar town. "Morning Kairi, morning Ken, morning Ana." The teenage students took a bow of good morning. "Good morning Master Aqua." "Good morning Miss Aqua." Anatesis pressed her hand on her chest. "Good morning Lady Aqua." The titles of different words, yet similar meetings felt respectful as Aqua took out her keyblade and got started. "Bright and early? Excellent."

She went to a wall with Anatesis and asked the teenagers. "As you know, we all have a keyblade and use them as a part of ourselves when we battle. But we also have a different style, for example." She pointed to Anatesis. "Ana might be less experienced with a keyblade, but she has much more experience with a weapon, uses her force and speed to rush at the enemy and from what I heard, uses her power with the blade to bring down a storm. Ana."

The Stormcast nodded, readied her two handed blade and flew to the center in a speed of light, hammer first. She flew herself high into the air to form into a storm cloud and struck down like lightning, the mortals felt their hair standing as Moonfang nodded with approval. Ken and Kairi clapped in unison as Aqua asked them. "Before I show you mine, I wish to see how you two battle. Have you both grown accustomed already?" Kairi nodded and went to the left side of the arena as Ken went to the right. Anatesis left the arena to watch and realized. "You two young uns are rivals?"

Ken laughed and readied his blades, his gun like keyblade forming in his cybernetic hand and his burning blade in another. He posed with his gun more focused and kept his burning blade relaxing, Kairi's stance was a bit more two handed, she readied herself against a more confident foe and frowned fiercely. She skid to the right in the speed of light and dodged a first shot, dashing with a glow of light towards the boy that shot himself in the air with wind magic and charged a shot. Kairi jumped out of the way and after him with wings of light, reaching into close combat and letting loose. Ken parried with his burning blade, let it spark and back flipped an upper swing. Kairi fell to the ground and landed as Ken went to shooting once more, Kairi rolled to the left and launched herself at the boy like a torpedo of feathery light. The boy jumped back to the left and was knocked back by stars that shot out from the torpedo's burst. Ken looked slightly surprised, shot himself to the right and readied to fire. Kairi flung a flower of light at his direction and watched the boy fling right behind her. PEW! PEW!

She felt a sting and watched her attack miss, she back flipped right behind Ken, caused him to have to turn and adjust himself. Pow! The boy spun back and glowed in flame, tossing a quick fire ball that knocked the girl backward. Both gave a fierce aura as Aqua called a time out and was impressed. "Similar and... different."

The rivals sweated as Aqua summarized the princess's style. "Kairi, you're attacking close and aggressive while always on the move. Making use of the powers of light for most of your attacks." Kairi felt it was accurate as the teacher moved on to the boy. "And you Ken, you're first action in battle is to shoot as much as you can and keep yourself out of danger's reach. You move fast for a different reason to Kairi's and if someone does get close, you have ways to escape and do it all over again." Ken smiled proudly as Aqua thought about it. "And neither of you let loose yet." Kairi cringed. "That's the thing, someone can get hurt if we do." Ken agreed with that. "You don't play with fire." Aqua looked at the town and agreed. "Not now, especially when it is rebuilding. Anatesis? Would you mind helping me demonstrate something."

The Stormcast didn't and went to the center. Aqua had her students step to the side and asked. "It would normally be unwise for a teacher to demonstrate using a student unless it is for discipline." She smiled with apologies as Kairi understood. "Ana... is a different case from both of us." Ken agreed with that. "She is strong even without a keyblade. You're not fighting her because she did anything." Kairi nodded. "You are fighting her because she is the only one of us that can keep up right now." Anatesis nodded and took flight as Aqua approached her. "I can take this..." Aqua raised two fingers in each hand to help Ana quote. "punishment."

She readied for battle as Aqua drew out her keyblade to instruct. "I won't do that, though I will do what is needed if one of you... if..." She realized she nearly singled Ken out, the boy sighed and understood. "Kairi isn't the problem, she doesn't have darkness in her. Me along with nearly everyone else not a princess of heart has that problem though. Then there is Ana who is a Stormcast, darkness isn't a problem for her either." Aqua watched her student feel like the needle in the hay stack and apologized to him. "I shouldn't have brought it up. You both seen enough of that to understand what is the problem."

They certainly do as Ken answered. "People mess with darkness and it is why problems come, or people who are nothing but dark go out of control." He shivered as Aqua stood for battle and knew how to lift his spirits. "That is why you are smart to never follow that path. Ana, shall we?" The Stormcast nodded as the keyblade master formed a barrier. Ana took flight and charged after Aqua, who flipped out of the way, performed quick attacks that were complimented by lightning spells and dodged a spin of the hammer. Anatesis swung low, Aqua flipped to the Stormcasts side and burst into lightning, attacking along side electrical attacks and aiming an orb of lightning. BOOM! Ana felt that as Kairi and Ken put together what their teacher's specialization is, the Stormcast flew back to the center, crackled her keyblade and flung it at Aqua, the teacher dashed close to dodge a shock wave, glowed in magical power and attacked the Stormcast with close range barriers and boomerang like attacks. Ana focused on her blade and formed it back into her hand to parry, the two landed and the demonstration ended.

Kairi said it first. "You use magic in your attacks. Nearly all of them once you get started, is magic in some way." Ken was amazed. "And... that was just the basic? There really is only one way to know how strong someone is." Aqua agreed to that. "You need to feel the power before you, before you try thinking of a way to defeat it. It's a bit of common sense to just look at someone and tell." Ana agreed with that. "Like a big Orruk and his Mawcrusha, they look big, strong and ferocious... and they are." Kairi had a flash back of two metallic monsters and asked the teacher. "Or if the opponent is coming at you and you have no way to avoid anything they have besides just... running. Sometimes it is a good idea to know when a fight isn't worth it?"

Aqua nodded. "Exactly, but they are not always obvious. Take for example... Mickey." The teenagers took the knowledge, the boy asked. "Someone that is nice but can knock you down before you get to say something. Or some of those grots at the vale, the Scuttleboss and shaman look puny... but they know not to fight alone and those spiders just need to bite you once to really hurt you." Anatesis sweated to that. "Power isn't just strength, its how it is used." The sun risen high and Aqua felt satisfied with the impression she and her students made to each other. "At noon, we will go to the canyon to practice some of our more dangerous combinations." She smiled to all of them. "Well done."

The proud students took it well as Kairi spoke of unfortunate news. "You missed Sora and the others just now, so it is just us and the town waking up. What do you want to do Master?" Aqua tried to think about it. "It is just rebuilding so-" Tink! Woosh! Ken wedged his burning keyblade by a bench and warmed up to the fire. "We can tell each other stories to past the time? Miss, the realms you been to sound fun... would you tell us more?"

Aqua felt two clashing forces with in her heart as Kairi was interested as well. "We know you didn't stay in one realm, but there has to be more in those realms we wouldn't ever see." Aqua sat to the middle and invited Kairi. "Alright, you are right that I didn't stay in one place. But there was one of the realms that... can open a new perspective. What it takes to survive."

Ana leaned on a wall and asked. "Ghur? That's a lesson everyone has to learn in that realm, be it Orruk, Human or otherwise." Aqua tapped her head. "Like why the settlement I landed in is protected in a dome, that realm isn't like most of the others, it is one the Forces of Destruction make home. It has beasts the size of-"

In Twilight Town.

Rumble! Sora, Donald, Goofy and Riku listened to a hole in their stomach and saw a closed sign on a bistro. Mickey returned from the store and gave ill news. "The chef disappeared from a trip into the forest. Do you think he ran into trouble?" Sora, Donald and Goofy guessed so and looked to the north, the spikey haired boy sighed. "And Merlin is trying to keep a spot in the line. Fine, we'll look for him." He took off to a familiar direction and left Riku behind to ask the mouse. "Always more, but we could use something like this after yesterday. The eight realms... it keeps sounding weirder and weirder. The place Wanda and the others came from. The place Aqua traveled through." Mickey agreed and felt like things were a dream. "It's almost too out there to be true, but... ha, ha." Riku agreed back. "It would be like if you traveled here for the first time in forever." Rumble! The teenager was feeling impatient over the detour and hoped the breakfast conflict is resolved.

In forest past a water way.

Sora, Goofy and Donald stepped off to find a trial leading to a trial of kiwis, oranges, apples, pears, lemons and grapefruits, scattered around and leading to a tree that had a branch cornered by a swarm of monkey heartless. Sora asked, too hungry to think. "What do you think they're up to?"

Goofy squinted his eyes to find a rat on the branch. "Look! On that branch. The heartless have him surrounded!" Sora gasped. "Oh no!" Donald readied himself. "Let's help!" Sora agreed as he and his friends drew their weapons, the monkey like heartless jumped down from the trees and revealing a swarm of eight. The monkeys were annoying in throwing rocks at the trio and scattering to where they had difficulty taking them out quickly. Rumble!

Though the monkey like heartless were otherwise easy to deal with, as the last heart was released, the grey rat scurried down. Revealing a pink nose, pink ears, pink paws and a pink tail, he looked up to the trio in thanks, Sora waved goodbye, thinking none the wiser. "Well, take care." The trio journeyed off down the path to the mansion, not even a minute past and Sora felt something crawling on his back and parts of his spiky hair was pulled. Sora felt himself spin and was drawn to the fruit against his will. "Wooaaah! What is-" Goofy and Donald turned around to find their friend acting weird, the duck asked. "Are you okay?"

A piece of the boys hair tugged, he went for the an apple with his right hand and was coming to conclusions that he was going insane. Goofy noticed the rat on the boys head. "Lookie! That little feller's parked on your head." Sora was forced to turn around and asked. "Huuuh?" Tug! Sora felt his left hand reaching for another and yelled to the rat. "Would you cut that-" He picked up another apple as Donald quacked. "Sora, you've been hijacked." Goofy realized. "Ya know, maybe he wants you to pick up the fruit for him."

The rat nodded to the duo and Sora whined. "Okay, that's fine. But I can do this by myself." The rat let go and jumped onto the boys right hand, right on top of the apple, the boy asked. "I just need to collect the fruit?" Sora turned to the pile of fruit and was near to laughing in his own predicament. "Right then." It wasn't too long of an ordeal, they gathered the fruit and put it on the pile, the rat looked upon the pile and turned to the group with a thankful smile, the trio lowered themselves and Sora asked. "So what are you going to do with all this, anyway?"

The rat looked like he was imitating chopping something and spreading it, the trio had no understanding and the rat lowered his ears and looked to be frowning. Sora raised himself up and felt a deed for the day was done. "Well, okay. You better get going home." Donald gave his goodbyes. "Bye-bye." Goofy gave his. "See ya' around!" On the way to the manor to find the missing chef, Sora nearly went into a laugh. "Ha! It's been a while since we been through something like that." Donald agreed with that and saw the gate wide open, with a door being left open. "Wa-" The trio noticed and had an aching suspicion and Sora looked up to the doorway's gate, like there was more to the place than he would admit. "What do you think? Did our chef come here?"

Goofy doubted that. "I don't know, this place is normally empty and it feels a bit... haunted." Donald shivered and was weirded out as Sora looked at a blowing, white drape on a window. Something didn't feel right. "But... someone came here... who-" A tap on his shoulder and a boy's shoulder. "Hey there!" Sora cringe, yelped and pushed the hand away, turning to meet a boy with dark, blonde messy hair, brown eyes, a red vest, a white undershirt and a pair of dark blue pants, by him was a brown hair boy with a bandanna, brown eyes, a dog themed t shirt and a black pair of pants and a brown haired girl with two dangling strips of hair, green eyes, a sleeveless black shirt and red pants with white and blue stripes.

Donald and Goofy yelled out in shock as Sora yelled to the trio of teenagers. "Thanks for the heart attack!" The dark blonde boy asked cocky. "Oh, what? Did I scare you?" Donald lost his temper and answered. "Not a chance, Hayner!"

The girl apologized for the sudden arrival. "Our bad." Sora watched Donald fold his arms and asked. "S..So, Olette, Pence, what were you doing here?" The boy with the dog t shirt answered a bit tired. "Work, we were asking the town about the missing chef of the bistro. You were waiting like everyone else?" Sora nodded to Pence as Hayner had half pleasant news. "We ran into him on our way here and he told us some people were wandering to this abandoned house."

He looked up to the house as Olette wondered. "This was a mystery ever since yesterday when... we saw the sky burst into flickering stars. Someone went into this house and never came out." Sora, Donald and Goofy wished to forget about that as Hayner described the unknown. "A explosion in the sky scared nearly everyone, even Seifer was running. But then those stars flickered and things felt...normal. That was when someone came wandering here to find foot prints and that door opened. Hmm." He knew the talk was bothering the trio and changed the subject. "But you're not going to find anything in there besides the computer room. We should get back to town." The trio appreciated it as Olette wished to ask. "So kind of adventure are you three in this time?" The trio were too hungry to answer, they followed the group of friends back to the town.

At a bench in Radiant Garden.

Aqua finished her story. "Then I jumped up the eye hole and was in Ghyran." Anatesis's jaw dropped as the teenagers were speechless, the Stormcast asked. "You got Gordrakk to respect you. That... isn't easy." Kairi appreciated that a heartless like the Destroyer Dragon would never show its face around the worlds. "The whole realm sounded like a crazy ride." She sighed. "It's sad about the Deepkin though." Ana agreed with that. "They are good allies of the Stormcast, but remember, they do horrible things like raid villages and steal souls to survive. Don't be afraid to fight back against them," She frowned to more of the story. "And that man really needs to stop putting the tools of darkness in the hands of those crazy or stupid enough to fool around with it. The moonclan grots are dangerous enough."

Ken agreed with that. "Raknab got what was coming to him... it... feels wrong wanting to laugh at that." Aqua nodded and remembered the taste of squig. "All that man does is destroy lives and those grots are more victims... even if they did finished Raknab and are probably better now that they kicked the darkness out of the mountain." She shook off the memory and warned her students. "You three have a lot to learn before you are even close to ready to confront him." Ken stood up to the fire and gaze deeper in as Kairi understood perfectly. "Sora beaten him twice already, with all of us ready, Xehanort won't stand a chance." Anatesis warned the girl. "Parts of him were beaten and it sounds like that man is more of a planner than some dime a dozen overlord. Lady, Aqua, when's noon?"

Ken took out his gummi phone and answered. "In three more hours." He was nearly weirded out. "Things feel... normal around here. Am I the only one having that, itch?" Kairi folded her arms and answered. "The people that tried to kill you are gone and most of the issues from that galaxy is dealt with. But-" She admitted. "With a whole week of that war, a town back to normal feels... good." Ken agreed to that. "I like it as well, I guess the feeling we have before leaves the itch behind and we are... trying to use to it." Aqua spaced out and felt the itch of her own. "But it won't last long. Kairi, Kendry, is there nothing else for you to do here?"

Kairi shrugged. "I don't live here anymore." Ken bluntly answered. "I got some Star Wars movies that might be... nice for us all to watch. Hmm." The teacher refused the unspoken request. "Kendry, we can't go wander off into another world yet. Not until we know whats out there." The boy sat down disappointed and placed his hands to the fire. "I know." Anatesis felt the bored itch and thought to lighten the mood. "I got a few old stories to share about my fellow Stormcasts back home. Maybe that will help while we wait it out." The three were listening, Aqua asked. "What's the rivalry you and Loru had with each other? He seems like a good person and a good warrior along with Nightscale."

Ana agreed with that and tightened her grip. "He is, he IS one of the best we have and he is a figure head for most of us. He also has the idea of picking out those he thinks can do better than they are and push them. That's why he always gets under my skin and Nightscale is a beauty." The teenagers wanted to know who Nightscale is and Ana started. "Moonfang is my trusted companion I befriended a week ago, but she is a Dracoth. A powerful creature, but compared to a Star Drake. Only those who completed the Trial of Starwalking can ever hope to bond with either, but the Star Drake requires much more. Finding the rare solar gems and using it to find and bond with a Star Drake is another adventure."

Kairi asked with the mental image. "You are connecting with a dragon. You're problem with Loru, however is that... he earned that and he is using himself as an example for you." Anatesis nodded and wanted to yell to the sky. "He still got the last laugh in the end, but a lot of us would thank him later. He is a Drakesworn Templar as well, both he and Nightscale are fierce in combat, so any big talk he might have in battle-" Aqua remembered with a fierce memory. "He can support it, greatly. What other members of the Stormcast are there?" Ana had a list. "Well if ya get confused, you can ask as I list them. There is the humble liberators that you find as a rank and file-"

At Twilight Town's Bistro.

Order was restored to the restaurant and the group were out in a wide table enjoying some amazing crepes. Hayner was shocked by the details Riku gave to him. "Woah, woah. Chaos Space Marines? Like the guys that were watching over us," Pence felt more disturbed. "Were trying to attack everything?!" Olette realized. "And a Sorcerer that was working with them went into hiding rather than let himself be kicked out? Could he be who sneaked into the mansion?"

Riku answered with suspicion. "He might." Sora felt his brain working properly and lowered his voice. "You know that mansion is spookier than it looks." Hayne felt the connection. "That computer room and the other Twilight Town." Donald gasped. "That corridor was still open?!" Riku stilled and felt the puzzle was making sense. "Someone sneaked into the mansion with that knowledge and used the computer room to sneak into... that world. But... how would Ahriman know of all that?"

That was the mystery as Merlin was enjoying a cup of tea. Sip! "Hmm, Ahriman isn't a sorcerer from these parts... but there isn't a particular magic that would let someone read minds." Donald tapped his foot as Goofy asked. "Is it because of where his magic comes from?" Riku found the question believable and tapped his finger at the table. "Magic that messes with your head... or... psonics?" Donald gasped and answered. "They are alike... so," Riku nodded and realized. "Is that how he read me? Wow, he shouldn't be allowed to roam free."

Mickey agreed with that. "But what could he want from going into that world?" Sora felt something in his mind and heart answering, he spoke it out. "Info about... nobodies?! But how do they have anything to do with... with," Mickey felt that was the point. "They wouldn't... hmm." Riku felt the most confused and warned the three teenagers. "If you see an armored guy in red robes, steer clear of him. That's Ahriman and he is one of the worst kind of dangers we are dealing with right now."

Pence nodded to that. "Someone who is doing something we don't even know and we don't know why." Riku frowned and found his plate empty. "And you don't want to know the kind of people he works with. It's why some of our friends have been strict about keeping you from running into the wrong person." The teenagers understood as the breakfast meeting concluded.

Merlin sipped and asked. "Now... what brought us all the way out here?" Sora realized the wizard might have forgotten and stood up with Goofy and Donald. "But... Merlin, I thought you asked us to stop by." Merlin tried to remember. "Gracious, did I?" Sora nodded as Goofy asked. "Didn't ya leave a message for Chip and Dale?" Donald continued. "About a book?" The memory came to Merlin. "Ah! Yes, the book! That's right." He stood up to his purple bag, tapped a metal lid keeping it close with his wand and opened it, a large orange book with a golden closing pin hovered out, catching the interest of the group. It showed the image of a yellow bear with a red shirt, sitting on a fallen tree by himself and watching a night sky, Sora held the book with both hands and asked. "Hey this is..." Donald noticed something particularly wrong. "Sora's not on it." Goofy asked. "Did something happen?"

Merlin answered and addressed the issue to Sora. "Well, that's what you need to find out, lad." The bystanders wanted to know what was special about the book as Sora gave Donald the book and let him face it towards him. The boy smiled to the others awkwardly, like he knew it was silly. "I'll see you in a bit." Goofy gave a farewell and felt it was better if others saw. "Take care." Merlin spoke with a feeling he had a bit to explain. "Yes and good luck."

Sora aimed his keyblade at the book, glowed in light and as that energy, flew into the book. When the light vanished, he was in a vibrant forest of a hundred acres and felt nothing was out of place. "Hmm." He noticed a tree in the distance that had a door, a fence, several gardens of different labels of plants and vegetables. By the door with many pots with labels, was a yellow bear in a red shirt, lost in a thought with a small piglet standing up. The bear sighed. "Oh bother. Think, think, think..." Sora cheered to great a friend he remembered. "Pooh Bear!"

The piglet noticed the boy and watched him approach, Sora asked thinking about the image. "You okay?" Pooh was out of his thought and answered. "Oh, hello there Sora. Hmmhm." He got up to continue. "You're home." Sora felt it was weird greeting and lowered himself. "Uh-huh. Good to see you, Pooh." He looked at the piglet. "And you too Piglet." Piglet greeted him back. "Hello! Ha." He asked the two and looked around. "You're not in trouble? But I thought something odd must have been going on." Piglet looked at Pooh worried, the bear answered. "Hmm, let me see... I don't remember anything oddish, but perhaps I've forgotten. Mhmm." Pooh tabbed his head. "Think, think, think."

Sora raised himself up and heard a frantic voice answer. "Oh we got trouble alright!" Sora turned around to find a yellow rabbit with white underfur as Pooh was struggling to think. "Oh bother." The rabbit approached as Piglet asked. "Would that be the Rabbit sort of trouble?" Rabbit folded his arms in a scolding, to him it wasn't a time for jokes, Piglet felt the scolding and stuttered. "S-s-s-sorry, please continue."

Sora laughed at the small scale antics and heard a child yell out. "Sora!" He and the group turned to the entrance to a garden and found a plush purple elephant. Sora didn't remember the new arrival. "Wow! Who's this?" He noticed something riding on top of the elephants back,a young kangaroo in a blue shirt that jumped on top of the elephants head and slid down its trunk. He introduced Sora to the elephant. "It's okay, he's my friend."

Sora approached, lowered himself and introduced himself to the new face. "Hi, I'm Sora." The elephant carelessly introduced himself. "And I'm Lumpy! It's nice to meet you!" Lumpy broke into a small, playful dance that caused tremors, he doesn't know his own weight and caused a hole to rupture, a grey gopher popped out from the whole and complained in a whistle. "Sufferin' sassafras! Stomp a little louder, why don't ya?"

Lumpy and Roo looked regretful about what they did, the elephant looked more ashamed. "Oh! Gopher, I'm sorry." Piglet didn't mind the stomping. "Ha, ha! I kind of liked it when the ground gets bouncy." Gopher turned to Piglet with an acceptance. "Well, I suppose if something has to bounce..." He and Piglet noticed something coming, Gopher warned in a whistle. "Speaking of..."

Boing! Boing!

The group heard springing and Sora turned around, he was pounced to the ground by a friendly looking tiger that was bouncing on his tail. Thud! "Woah!" Sora rolled backwards into the dirt and landed, the tiger looked down upon him and asked. "Back for some more bouncin', Sora?" The boy laughed at the fun. "Ha! Tigger!" Tigger jumped off and invited. "C'mon, let's go! You too Roo!"

Roo and Lumpy joined in a series of hops that caused the smaller people to nearly loose balance and left Pooh in his thoughts. "Think, think, think." He remembered. "Oh, I remember now. Rabbit's trouble is harvest related." Rabbit appreciated a moment from an unusual source. "Well, thank you for remembering my plight, Pooh. Better late than never." He focused on the group goofing off. "Excuse me!" The group goofing off didn't hear him and he approached. "Would anyone else care to remember why we are here?"

The group stopped and honestly forgot, Pooh answered for them. "As I recall, we came to help you with your garden Rabbit." He smacked his lips. "After which, perhaps, you'll invite us in for a smackeral or two of honey?" Rabbit answered. "Correct." He realized he wasn't listening to the last part and turned around to correct that. "No, no! I mean, we'll see about that, Pooh." He asked. "Now, the garden if you please?" Rabbit asked the boy. "You can help too Sora." Sora realized he was dragged into community service. "What? Me too?" The group went into various places in the garden, Tigger bounced to a garden with vegetables. "Let's get started by sorting these out, we can get to the fun part sooner."

Outside the book.

Hayner was weirded out by the sight. "So Sora just... went into another world?" Donald and Goofy nodded as Merlin answered. "This is a very special world that I keep safe with me. Sora and Pooh seem to be good friends." Goofy promised the bystanders. "We will keep it safe while you all finish your business."

Hayner was ready to take that offer as Riku asked him, Pence and Olette. "In the mean time, I was searching for something or someone and you three might be of a help. You're majesty, I got it from here." Mickey appreciated it and let him know. "I'll be back in a few."

He took off as Pence asked the silver haired teenager. "There might be something here we were trying to figure out. A day ago, we found some white things acting... strange and they showed up again early in the morning." Riku asked confusingly. "Nobodies?! Is someone provoking them?" Pence knew that was the case. "They didn't attack anyone, but no one wants to get in their way. Every time by the clock tower, they gather there for something and... vanish."

Olette shivered. "It could get weird and dangerous if no one checks it out." Riku looked at the clock tower and understood with a faint hope. "Someone I knew became lost to darkness recently. I think I know who might be stirring things up. Consider this investigation started." He walked off the the clock tower. "Thanks for helping us guys."

He left the three who knew someone was awaiting them in the bistro, Olette was the first to go see. "Let's see what more Mr. Duck wants from us." Donald remembered the last name. "Huh?"

At the outskirts of Radiant Garden.

Aqua looked impressed by the vast descriptions Anatesis gave. "A Chamber for each category of Stormcast Eternal. Strike Command, Strike Troop, Extremis, Vanguard and Sacrosanct." Kairi remembered a few people from Ana's story and asked. "So Arreia is part of the Sacrosanct chamber while those of the knights are part of the Strike Command...hmm." Ken nodded as he noticed ruins down the stairs. "With Loru being in one of the highest positions in the Extremis Chamber, it's no wonder he been someone who gets under your skin Ana." The Stormcast agreed with him as Moonfang ran ahead to the tile. "It's kind of like what the four of us are." Kairi nodded to that. "We are all pretty different as a group. Master Aqua is well... our aster. You are someone who has been to a lot of battles while Ken and I are learning them." Ken divided the two regular students. "One is a mix of two good things that go together, well I seen it. Then there is the other who kind of specializes in one thing well."

Aqua nodded and found a good comparison. "It's like a retributor and a decimator, one of them can hurt a standard warrior with their hammers because of the sheer blunt, the other can hurt those who use numbers over everything else because axes cleave."

The teenagers nodded and took that information in as the ruins looked pleasant for another training session. They reached the place and Aqua turned to her younger students. "We still have a couple hours before we can get started, but we can't just stay in that town for long." Ana and Moonfang kept watch. "It's away from the Claymore to do its thing, but I don't think any heartless would come squirming around. If they do, they will be put out of their misery soon enough." The Keyblade Master thanked the Stormcast and watched the teenagers explore the ruins. Ken felt a few good memories. "I like coming out here away from the town, there is normally some treasures people overlook and it can fetch some munny."

Ana sensed the hints of a treasure hunter and advised against that. "And you are thinking that after an attack from the Forces of Chaos?" Ken shook his head. "By look you mean look for items that belonged to those guys and smash them, yeah. One guy made contact with a daemon and he went from... awful to causing the end of the world." Kairi heeded against even that. "We can do that later because you don't need to have darkness inside you for that to mess with your head." Aqua tensed at the thought. "And it would be smart to not search for things you don't know are there. At least... not without more friends around."

The princess agreed to that. "Something could have been left behind and someone might end up picking it up by accident." She blew to the wind and had a dreadful thought as Ana looked around the ruins. "And it might end up causing something like that war to happen again. Lady Aqua, permission to do a search?" Aqua nodded and ordered. "You can search and bring them into a pile, then we need to find a way to dispose of it safely."

She looked around with signs of nothing of notice as Ken went to explore a rock. "I pick a lot of stuff up when I shouldn't, you got to look in all the corners." Moonfang lowered her nose to the ground and sniffed to try and catch a scent as Kairi searched on the other side of the arena for anything of noticed. Ana smiled to the Keyblade Master and was given a smile back.

At the Hundred Acre Wood.

Sora knocked a bunch of onions into a pile to pick up as Tigger jumped into the garden patch and plucked a suave of carrots into a basket, finishing a bountiful harvest and for Rabbit to carry the baskets with them among the many other vegetables. He placed the onions away and looked upon the carrots. "What a harvest." Piglett agreed to that. "Thanks to Sora's and Tigger's help."

Rabbit turned towards the rather sweaty teenager that looked pleased by the hard work. "Yes, quite right. Thank you, Sora." He noticed Tigger bouncing all over and laughing. "Ho, ho, ho, ho! Well, how's about a little bouncin'?" Rabbit put the carrots down and scolded. "Oh, no, no, no! There's no bouncing in farm work!" Roo whined in disappointment. "Aww, no bouncin at all?" Lumpy joined in the childish complaint. "I want to bounce."

Gopher whistled with a head ache. "Whippersnappers and their bouncing..." Piglett laughed with him as Pooh ashed Rabbit. "Excuse me, Rabbit. The carrots are nice, but might you have some honey to go with them?" Rabbit answered with an attempt to get things under control. "Now is not the time, Pooh. If I give you honey here, I'll end up with a bear stuck in my front door, again." Sora looked around to find nothing else of note and tried to leave. "Well, looks like you're problem's solved. Guess I'll be on my way." Rabbit tried to stop him, for there is more than one kind of crop in the garden. "Solved? Oh, it's far from solved. We still need to harvest the fruit!"

Sora felt his sweat warning him of more work as Pooh asked. "Won't you stay, Sora, for the sake of honey?" The boy lowered himself and answered. "Uh...okay!" Rabbit, Roo and Lumpy went towards the pathway behind the house, leading to an orchard, the boy appreciated on thing about this, he doesn't have to dive into the dirt.

With in a black and white castle.

Ahriman held onto a black hooded jacket as he listened to what Maleficent said. "So those planets are really another reality of their own, each confided into its own settlement or kingdom? That would explain why there was nothing else for miles in that one... world." Maleficent agreed with that and was suspicious of the Sorcerer's plan. "Indeed, it is why this world, so close to the darkness, is in a more bleak state outside of the city or castle. How do you intend to study that which does not exist?"

Ahriman used a force of will and opened a corridor. "By tracing the steps of those who came before and see what knowledge they have to provide. The data with in the castle would be deciphered once the Tzaangor gather all they can. But I suspect a place more strange that would provide for more."

Maleficent raised an eyebrow amused. "That place came to your mind because that foolish boy thought to confront you and opened his mind like a book?" Ahriman chuckled in agreement. "I read enough about him to know the places he been to, to a point before he battled me. It all lead to him in a castle with many secrets and a...hmm, interesting concept. What can be done for one who's existence is an illusion and has nothing else? If I can unlock that secret-" He approached the corridor as Maleficent was amused. "Such a miserable state, you think you can change that towards you're benefit?"

Ahriman raised a finger. "It will open many doors Maleficent. The universe rewards those who are willing to travel them all. I'll be back with the rewarding fruit."

He stepped into the darkness alone and went down a long road, appearing on the other side and seeing a cragged road leaning towards the a cloudy abyss. A castle most distorted and with structures that make no sense brought a near childish excitement to the Sorcerer. "A Castle that leads to Oblivion. This lead to a new beginning for that boy?"

He strolled to the front gate and opened the door to find a still, white hall way that leads to a door. Ahriman scoffed and approached the center, he stood to the side and tapped it with his staff, causing it to break apart and spin away into a black hole. The Sorcerer jumped down, finding the darkness to shift into a battlefield. In a world full of tall, pyramid like buildings, they were on fire and under siege by a legion of space marines with greyish blue armor, orange beards and an insignias resembling wolves. A legion of red armored space marines fired against them in a losing battle. Ahriman held his head in a bitter memory. "It's just an illusion. It's just an illusion."

He glowed and fell deep into the battle, he felt himself resembling a red sorcerer with less horns, a white, scarab themed robe and was wielding a mystical pole arm. Ahriman growled as voices came. "L..Lord Magnus has abandoned us?!" "Chief Librarian, what are we going to do? The Space Wolves are over running us!" Ahriman wanted to order a last stand as he felt the presence of a psyker closing in, he roared and let loose energy from his mind, shattering the illusions and feeling himself in the basement of the castle. He looked around to find a spiral stairway leading up the way he came, he spitefully hissed to the castle. "I know my past, I do not need to be reminded. I will be on my way soon enough."

He approached the doorway to the way he came from, floating orbs of darkness and humanoid heartless crawled around. The Sorcerer readied his dreadful power as a witch like heartless appeared in thin air, he fired bolts of destructive energy at the witch as the heartless swarmed after him. Ahriman blew out a fire storm to kick the tide back, he rushed through door to door to find a way into a hall that had an image less than pleasing. A ten man row of space marine in red armor to left and right, bursting with tentacles and mutation, giving off a variety of distorted screams and charging to him, begging for help as their forms go completely out of control. Ahriman pulsed in psychic power, the mutations ceased and the mutating marines distorted into an image just as haunting. Rubric marines that became still and returning to their position in complete obedience. Ahriman stared at them stoically and walked down the hallway to the next floor bellow. In a floor not too out of the ordinary, he raised his staff and distorted the floor, to a familiar room that had a case containing a spiky haired teenage boy in a deep sleep and a blonde girl tending to the case. Ahriman knew the illusions and boasted. "Huff! I finally maintained some control over this labyrinths power. Now..." He wandered out of the room and through a set of rooms that were familiar to him, stepping out of the gates of a mansion, he found a familiar town basked in twilight.

The sorcerer chanted. "On this very floor, a fate unchosen had been sealed. To reflect... but for what greater purpose in the whole?" He stepped towards the gate and opened it, feeling his vision distort to a faint image of a confrontation, a body faded away into darkness. Ahriman continued. "To be cast aside into oblivion when the puppet masters are finished with him? To die a pointless death, unmourned?" He aimed his staff and clenched his fists, a vision of a blue flame with an eye came in its stead. "Well no more! For his fate goes beyond the tides of change. Memories most grim, heed my command and drag this one back from oblivion!"

Darkness distorted and the vision returned to the town, nothing was there save for the burning eye over the void, Ahriman felt something tug and pull, a body took form with in a temporal flux. Looking like a silver haired teenager with blue and black, skin tight armor that was complimented by a white skirt. Laughter of mischief filled the silence and scattered, the body stirred and Ahriman looked down upon him, seeing a heartless emblem in uniform speaks of a history. "What has that boy delve in? Hmm... for Riku to hit such a low point then and confront me in defense of the world without hesitation now? Where could that path ha-" The boy opened his eyes on the mention of that name, glared at Ahriman, back flipped and took out a sword resembling a demons wing. "Where did you learn that name?!" The Sorcerer was taken aback from the instant rebellious attitude and kept a battle ready pose. "Where is not important, with a simple flip of the page, I know a chapter in his life was in this castle and it lead to much. That is when I know of your existence, you would be grateful that I bothered to grant you another chance at all."

The boy resembling a recent enemy scoffed to that. "Yeah, another chance to be someones tool! What were you planning? Using me to throw off Riku's friend? Pose as him while I do your dirty work?" He glowed in darkness and crackled. "I'm not going to be used for that crap, if you are going to decide that for me, I'll cut you down!" Ahriman tapped his staff and insisted against the battle. "If you are going to continue this, you would be making a grave mistake, boy! Do you even know what I'm suggesting?" The boy slashed at Ahriman without hesitation and caused a wave of dark energy to rush at the sorcerer, who disappeared and appeared behind him, taking his staff and clubbed the boy across his body.

In one swipe, the boy was sent rolling to a wall and caught himself, he leaped into the air and shot a dark fire ball the Sorcerer that stopped him with a barrage of eldritch energy, sending the boy falling once again and causing him to become more desperate, he floated in the air with that dark glow and disappeared into a rift, he shot out of a rift and rushed at Ahriman's left, he was stopped in place by a psychic hold. The boy thrashed and kicked to try and break free as Ahriman found it pathetic. "You're done? Are you going to listen to me? You're fate was unjust and it is pitiful how the name Riku sets your soul into a frenzy, all because you were made to be an instrument of deception, made in his image."

The boy stopped resisting and didn't dare want sympathy from this man. "Oh please, its why you came for me in the first place." Ahriman asked smugly. "Really?" He gently dropped the boy and opened a corridor, he gave him a black coat and a small bag. "Journey through to the world you should have seen and use this as a... gift." The boy took the coat and looked into the bag to find shards of munny. "What am I suppose to do with this?!"

The Sorcerer sighed and extended his hand. "To buy something for yourself, if you have any hope of becoming more than a Replica, you should know what that something is. The other one should be obvious." The Replica looked distraught and let his glow fade, shifting his attire to what looks like an yellow top and blue pants, he took the coat and tried to put it on. "...It's for a set of clothes and this is so no one can see me." Ahriman nodded. "Because the boy you were molded from still exists out there and he knows of my existence. You're face won't be so easily changed, but this could give you some sense of identity. I could also assist you in something else you were robbed of. Knowledge." The Replica felt himself comfortable in the black coat and asked. "Knowledge... of... how you were able to do that?" Ahriman shook his head. "No, that would take years... centuries, to even come close of a tenth of understanding what the Cult of Time could do, least of all what I did to not disrupt reality any further. It's something... more trivial and something my minions could do for me. Worry about the clothes." He placed his hand on his chest in a vow. "I will provide the rest."

The Replica blew air and laughed bitterly. "What are they going to do? Rob a place." Ahriman snapped his fingers. "Exactly, it's a place children these days pay no heed to anyways, so it would go unnoticed. BUT, if you find people that disturb you, do not make contact with them. When you are done, you will find me in the place this castle makes the image of." Another corridor opened and the sorcerer turned around, leaving the boy with a parting. "But do get use to the idea that you will be called Replica... for your true name is not mine to give."

He left the boy alone, he faced the corridor and stepped down the path, feeling a hint of resentment and giving the Sorcerer's word for it, to an extent. "This is too good to be true." The boy journeyed through the darkness and found himself in a plaza resembling a town he remembers, he lurked in the shadows to find a group of people unaware and searching a clothes store closest, being run by a winged, furry creature. "What can I do for you? Kupo!"

At the clock tower.

Riku focused on the building and ran up to it, realizing he was doing the impossible and landing at the top of the building. It was near noon and he felt he had the time to search with in, finding nothing save for six mats for something. He stepped in with the gnawing feeling. "Something is going on here."

He looked around more and saw something crawling out of the shadows, leaning to a wall, almost pitifully and gritting her teeth. A black haired woman with a rather muscular physic, in a black tank top that was complimented by long, white military jeans. She was missing a left arm and a right leg as she snarled to him. "You are not welcome here." Riku recognized the woman without her armor. "Re...Resira, do you even-" The woman yelled to him. "No, no! They... they need me." She looked to the sun and back to him. "They need... order, they need...faith. Faith... keeps them strong." She looked like she remembered him and warned him. "If you break... order, they will lose faith. R..Riku, please leave."

The pitiful look made him hesitate to do so. "Resira, without a heart, that faith is going to be meaningless. I... didn't know you had prosthetics... why didn't they." Resira gave a faint glow of sun light on her left stump of an arm and on the stump of her right leg. A hand of the sun and a foot solidified. In her sun lit hand, a white sword with golden highlights formed. Resira stood firmly and she asked once more. "Riku... if they have no faith, they will have nothing. Please leave."

Riku understood and turned around, he asked. "Are the ones that come here doing anything else?" Resira answered as she saw the boy leaving. "They disrupt the order, their existence ends. That much they learned from you and he, that much, I will not protect them from if they chose to trend that path. If what I say is false, you are free to strike me down."

Riku wasn't taking that dare. "Oh you are telling the truth. You are too stubborn to lie to anyone." He sighed and had a hint of a smile. "I'll tell the others to leave you alone... Exrirsa, as long as you leave us alone. You have my promise."

The nobody took the words well, let her weapon fade and felt her glowing limbs fade, she crouched down and relaxed. "Exrirsa... that will do. Thank you Riku." The boy jumped off and flowed to the top of a smaller building. Bored and with nothing to do, he took out his gummi phone to text someone. "Please don't make me have to fight you again. I wonder how Kairi's training is going."

At Radiant Garden.

The students found nothing and looked half relieved. Kairi guessed. "We found nothing spooky or... feeling wrong. Some junk like that can be hard to miss though." Anatesis nodded to her. "Especially if they look demonic or have unusual parts sticking out. If it was an ordinary chaos item, it be cleansed away in lightning, if it was a daemon weapon... we need to a lot more to make sure it is destroyed. Just picking up a daemon weapon can put your soul in danger."

Aqua cringed to a flash back and requested to Ana. "That's all we need to know." Ken asked with a shiver. "You saw that happen to someone?" Aqua shook her head. "No, but I seen someone follow a path that lead to him being in deep trouble. I.. didn't see the signs until it was too late. A daemon weapon... somehow feels more dangerous." Kairi can picture why. "Because a daemon weapon has in it some of those monsters we been fighting and if it can possess a weapon, it will find another host when it can."

Aqua nodded. "Exactly." Kairi took out her phone to check the time and had a message, her frown became worse and she texted back to him. Ken was left with another feeling. "And we kind of have an ability to sense when something is wrong from worlds ahead if it can get bad. We should know if we ever find a weapon like that when it is trying to be subtle. Right Miss Aqua?"

The teacher admired observant students as Kairi finished texting and went back to class. "It's still not noon, but Riku has good news to give. It's about Resira." Ken tilted his head to ask. "He found her nobody and did something about it?" Kairi gestured with her hand that he was half right. "Resira... or Exrirsa, isn't trying to cause any problems. But the top of the tower can get pretty dangerous if that is where she is staying at. If she breaks on her word, we will set things right."

Aqua asked curiously. "Nobody?" Kairi answered feeling pitty for the creatures. "It is normally when a strong willed person becomes a heartless. The body they leave behind acts on its own and can act like a different person, they don't have hearts and have a pretty bad existence to where they are called... nobodies." Something in Aqua's brain cracked and she looked furious at a memory. "That was what Gillet was talking about?" The students wanted to know what she mentioned and Aqua dismissed it. "It will just make us all more angry. Ana, we both know the ghouls are pretty pitiful creatures that live in that fantasy world if to keep existing from the reality they are. They need to be put down, not toyed with."

Anatesis fully agreed to that. "I would bash who ever thinks their condition is a joke." She realized the scope of what happened, caused a storm cloud to form and kept watch, the other students refused to ask as Ken formed his burning keyblade and placed it to the ground. "I got nothing on that, but there is another secret this keyblade has that is kind of cool. Someone's heart is living in it." Kairi wanted to change the subject with him and asked. "The Firekeeper this blade was named after. How does she show up?"

Ken shrugged. "She tells me pretty good stories that... seem to end abruptly, is a big help when the keyblade has a new trick to show and I need to know and she always gives me the warm feeling that I'm never alone. I wonder-" Aqua felt she had more time to kill and asked. "What are those stories?" Ken appreciated it when his teach asked. "Some of the sillier ones about a Knight of Catarina that tries his hardest in his adventures and normally has to get help when he gets put into pretty awkward scenarios. He isn't dumb, but he always looks at them in the wrong angle. One particular... well, let me start by saying this story takes place in a golden city, where our knight got into a pickle with a band of evil knights."

At the 100 Acre Wood.

Sora finished knocking a half a dozen lemons off a tree as Roo encouraged Lumpy to stomp across the orchard to knock off a half dozen each of oranges, red apples, green apples and pears. Rabbit rushed frantically to gather them all and placed them into various nearly overfilled baskets. At the eve of the task, Sora was near a sweat once more as Rabbit marveled at the fruit. "Yes! Yes! Look at all this marvelous fruit!" Lumpy agreed with that as he stared at the colors. "Oh, it's lovely." Roo joined in the agreement. "Lumpy loves, loves, loves fruit." Roo giggled as Pooh had his mind on food. "You know, Rabbit, I find that fruit always tastes better with a little honey," Piglett agreed with that and envisioned honey baked apples. "You're right, Pooh, it certainly does." Sora had the mental image of honey roasted pears and had to remind himself that he recently eaten. Tigger bounced along with his tail and laughed. "Ho, ho! Then I'll keep lookin' for fruit up at bouncing height!" Gopher nearly whistled to that. "And I'll search closer to the soil."

Rabbit signaled Sora to come close with his ear ready for a whisper. "Sora, could you help me with my flower patch? I got a surprise for Pooh." Sora wondered what that surprise was. "Huh?! A surprise, for Pooh Bear?" Pooh turned to ask. "Yes, Sora?" The boy answered with a slightly nervous laugh. "Oh, it's nothing Pooh."

He went to the flower garden and tried to begin, Pooh noticed and innocently waddled, looking at the flowers questionably and for the boy to think of an excuse. "Eh, Rabbit needed me to help pick some flowers for... medicine. Uh-" Rabbit realized Pooh was wandering to somewhere he shouldn't and frantically looked at a bunch of red flowers with long stigmas. "That's... that right Pooh, like those hibiscus's over there, they are used to make herbal tea." Pooh blinked and waddled to white flowers that had bumble bees with tiny packets of pollen. "Tea... hmmm. And what of these?" Rabbit answered in realizing Pooh wasn't going away and was trying to pick up white lilys. "Oh, no not those. Eh, if I show you, would you promise to help?" Pooh nodded. "I wish to know why we have to pick the flowers."

At the Mysterious Tower.

Mickey finished a full report to Yen Sid, who looked troubled by the tragedy. "Such destruction to such an innocent world, for reasons beyond petty. Though this evil has been vanquished and order is restored to the worlds, Abaddon's actions would haunt us for years to come. May the defenders from the worlds beyond, earn their rest."

Mickey and Yen Sid gave a moment of silence to the heroes from the Imperium, the wizard broke the silence with more heartening news. "It was fortunate Master Aqua came at the cusp of the madness and helped with the final blow, along with her friend from that... peculiar world striking down like thunder." He chuckled amused. "And now she is training students of her own."

Mickey agreed with the pleasant thought. "But she hasn't forgotten the other important thing we need to help her with. Finding a way to restore Ventus's heart and find Terra. The problem is knowing where to start." Yen Sid agreed back. "Indeed, we should allow Aqua to decide when to start on her own... for now. Now, about Ahriman and the threat he poses. He sounds like an opposite problem to the likes of Zagor and his cult."

Mickey sighed. "Zagor was so obsessed with the heartless, darkness and those that oppose it to where he never considered a possibility of someone with neither light or darkness coming to stop him. What's real, what isn't and if they can exist as they do, doesn't matter when the rules are all broken. But what does chaos have to do with a nobody? What Ahriman might be interested in?" Yen Sid tried to think of a possibility and found none. "While the soul is something the daemons seem to covet... Ahriman would have just prioritize everyone. For him to quickly read Riku's memories with his magic... or his psychic power, would mean he has the means of obtaining knowledge on a whim. What does he seek?" Mickey had little idea. "What ever it is, we can't let him do what he want's. Especially at a time like this when we have another force of Chaos that could be just as scary as Abaddon was."

Yen Sid nodded and looked less than surprised. "Precisely, especially if Xehanort has cast his lot with this... Archaon. But how did that happen in the first place?" Mickey looked confused by the question. "With how the Realm of Darkness and Chaos started to intermingle, anything is possible." He perked up to a positive for the forces of good. "But despite that, we will be ready for when they come, we just don't know when. Hmm... it's like how things were right before this started." The wizard stood up and smiled. "So much is done, yet there is so much left unresolved."

At the manor in the outskirts of Twilight Town.

A boy in a hooded jacket held in a bag something crucial and looked behind, panting and praying no one saw him. "What...what is he doing here?" Rustle! Rustle!" The boy heard the noise and felt a presence familiar, turning around to find Ahriman, not really impressed by a simple task completed and less so by the boy acting like he was near death. "Settle down, it's just clothes shopping, it's not like I was sending you into a cathedral or something."

The boy growled, took off his hood and reveal his blue eyes and silver hair. "You never said Riku was in this town and people were looking at this coat." Ahriman sighed and shrugged. "I know much, but I can't be everywhere at once to foresee your every action. That coat was the only way you would have sneaked around without anyone saying: Is that Riku? That would have resulted, with in the span of an hour, a disaster for you and a complete waste of the time I spent."

The Replica listened, hated to admit it and saw a corridor behind the Sorcerer. "...It would have been all that work for nothing." He looked defeated as Ahriman offered to guide the boy. "If it were not for what you were created to be, society would not have cast this shadow upon you, do not blame the ignorant. Come, maybe this would be... enlighting, Ztardon has a surprise for you."

The Replica wondered and followed the Sorcerer, pulling his hood over. The Replica asked. "Ztardon?" Ahriman answered with humor. "A Tzaangor Shaman and he serves as my second in command for the forces I brought with me to these worlds for when my cabal served as cover for a megalomaniacal Warmaster. The Tzaangor are mutant creatures that serve in places I cannot, among other things. You treat them well and they will follow you into hell barefooted."

The Replica asked dumbfounded. "But how did you sneak them in when you were watched like a hawk?! If you were working with someone like... that, he would find out." Ahriman answered the boy as a grey light shined in the end of the tunnel. "I hid them and my rubrics within an ancient alien device called a tesseract labyrinth. It is normally used as a tool of imprisonment or enslavement, but they were willing." The Replica guessed the rest about the Tzaangor. "And that's why you brought them instead of any other tool, the Tzaangor wouldn't think to stab you in the back."

Ahriman corrected the boy with a slightly harsh tone. "They are less tools and more... willfully loyal servants. The rubrics are more special than them and are my actual enforcers. As of now, you would be a fool to try and turn the Tzaangor against me, for what could you provide to ensure their loyalty?" The Replica smiled to him as they stepped out of the corridor and into the castle. "Nothing you haven't already given them and...nothing you haven't already gave me." The two looked around in a grey castle that lead to a lobby feeding into a hallway, the Replica noticed still, armored soldiers with an intimidating, runed gun and several mutated goat men with avian features scurrying from the hall. Ahriman lead the boy to a particular doorway with a Tzaangor wielding a staff and slightly more armored, the shaman looked upon the replica curiously and gave a gracious bow to Ahriman. "Master, we gathered many before someone noticed and all preparations have been accounted for."

The Sorcerer grunted and opened the door to find the accommodations suitable, a well decorated bed room with a viewable window of the city, basic needs and a vast bookshelf with rows upon rows of books. The sight was certainly new to the Replica and he was speechless as he walked in and took a look at ordinary books and various types of comic books. "Wha... was this another reason why you sent me out there?"

Ahriman looked upon the books like it was the grand highlight of standard living. "I'm not going to let you read one word from my own collection of tomes, so I thought this would suffice for someone like you. Providing you don't ask questions about where these came from, for you already know." The Replica's reluctant smile became wide and willing as he answered. "You had Ztardon steal these, right from the same town you sent me to and this whole castle was something you decided to squat in since your actual place is gone."

Ahriman wouldn't consider such a crude term. "You are precisely on the mark with the books, but squat is such a savage word since the lords of this castle are gone and another is using this castle exactly as we are. Consider it... salvaging abandoned architecture." The Replica corrected him back with a half apology. "You're right, I'm sorry for using the word squat, I meant to say, you were taking free real estate."

The Sorcerer tried not to smile and turned around in a laugh. "You are permitted to use the new clothes at any time, but when you go out there again, that coat is your uniform... unless, by an off chance you had plans for that." The replica's mood became much grander. "I'm not going into that again unless I have to. How about I show you what I had planned." The Sorcerer walked out and wished him luck. "I'll try not to guess, you're freedom depends on you're attire."

He closed the door and looked down upon Ztardon. "It wasn't easy, but I think I found our eyes and ears for what goes on in that town. In exchange-" Ztardon nodded and skipped down the hall. "He would find freedom from his previous fate?" Ahriman nodded and walked down to the lobby. "He has much to work towards that path, but how he earns it will depend on his choices." "And what path did you lead you're... guest towards?"

Ahriman listened to the voice and turned to a doorway, Maleficent suspected conspiracy as the sorcerer answered to. "He is not my guest, he is a resident and my own agent for where even the Tzaangor would not trend so easily. How he ascends from the depths I found him in is his choice and it is going to be his choice. Now, if you are correct, there is a computer room with in this very castle? I believe I have a way to obtain the knowledge we need from Radiant Garden without setting one foot in there... while you... are devising a plan with an old contact of yours?"

Maleficent nodded and advised to the Sorcerer. "He was never the most attentive, but he has the secret needed to make this Horned King more willing to serve us. Be warned, your duplicity will become your undoing should just a portion of your plan becomes revealed. But you know you're way around the corridors, how do you plan to plunder Hollow Bastion?" Ahriman felt a spark of inspiration and kept himself out of the witches treachery. "With the most efficient means of robbing a computer. The creation of a virus and one who's design would surprise you. Meet me over at the computer room when I am finished with my agent and I will spin you a tale of the Necrontyr." Maleficent liked the sound of such a plan and left the Sorcerer be. "Intriguing." Ahriman promised her. "Indeed."

With her gone, Ztardon heard a door open and turned around, caught off guard, he squawked and alerted his master towards a more pressing matter. A boy in a purple shirt that was covered by a blue hoodie and an orange pair of pants, hiding his eyes were a pair of sunglasses, he kept a small frown as the Sorcerer and shaman approved, the Tzaangor squinted his eyes and approached the Replica. "Hmm, are you an intruder?" Ahriman answered him impressed. "No he isn't. But they won't figure it out."

He coughed and ordered the Replica. "Until further notice, you are assigned to gather any bits of information of the outside world from the confines of the town near here and gather anything the Tzaangor can cook up. They will eat anything, but considering you lack the knowledge of cooking." The Replica understood that. "I need to figure that part out because I'm having to eat it too, but I can do one better. There is a train way that supposedly connects to another world and if things go the way they do, they will go to a couple more beyond that. You guys found a fridge, so..twenty-" He counted and nodded. "You'll have something brought back by the end of the day to at LEAST last more than one. Is that all?"

Ahriman snapped the fingers of his left hand and opened a corridor. "Then you only require the coat for traveling to the town. That will be all until the evening when I arrive at the same place."

The replica nodded and went back to his room as Ztardon tried to ask something that was answered. "We have no knowledge of how long our venture is going to take and certain things are out of the question. If he is ambitious about finding some peace, he will work for it for the first few days. Until you and your people can find your own means of food."

Ztardon watched a black hooded figure run out of the room and jump into the corridor. "That will be done in due time master. But the virus," Ahriman had him follow. "You and that minion of Maleficent's are to have a history lesson about a xenos threat that you will not encounter here, but it is how I got that device in the first place."

In the Hundred Acre Wood.

Sora wondered why Rabbit was placing the gathered flower pots over towards bee hives as he and Pooh placed the last of the pots for the day. Rabbit returned with a strange pot that was brown at the top and white at the bottom, filled with a golden, sticky liquid. Sora realized that was the surprise for Pooh as Rabbit gave the pot to the bear. "Here, Pooh. A pot full of honey. It's your reward for being such a big help with the flowers. Eat all you want." Pooh took it with surprise. "Oh, thank you, Rabbit!" Pooh sat down and put his paws into the pot as Piglet asked Rabbit. "You planted all these flowers just for Pooh?" Roo asked. "Really? Why?" Gopher answered with a faint whistle. "It's simple, sonny. Flowers mean nectar. Nectar means honeybees. And honeybees... mean honey."

Pooh was nose deep into his pot as Lumpy had his own part to say. "Oh, and the flowers are so lovely. I like the pretty colors." He, Roo, Rabbit, Tigger, Gopher, Piglet and Sora looked at the flower garden as Pooh was half finished and looked on with them. Wind rushed in and blew to the flowers, scattering the petals into the wind. A pleasant sight that caused Tigger to bounce after the petals. "Woo, ho, ho, ho! Look at them all. They're bouncin' even higher than than me!"

The group enjoyed the sight of the petals for a moment, Pooh turned to the human boy in gratitude. "Sora, I believe the one I should thank for all that yummy, delicious honey is you." Sora lowered himself in appreciation. "Don't mention it Pooh, besides, we all helped."

That Pooh agreed with and looked worried, scared even. "Uh, Sora?" The boy was listening, Pooh placed his right paw on his chest. "You use to be right here. Why is it that you went away?" Sora was worried for Pooh. "Away? Oh! That's why you meant by "your home."" Pooh agreed with that. "Yes. You see, when I get a rumbly in my tumbly, it's very hard to think of anything but honey." He turned to his friends. "So I was worried that I might have forgotten you away." Sora sighed and kept a smile. "Silly bear, I'd never." Pooh was relieved by that. "Oh good," he turned to the boy with his desire. "because I want us to be together forever."

Sora promised the bear. "Pooh, we are together." He placed his hand on his chest. "There isn't a second that we're not." He felt the bears words worry some. "Except, our connections weaker... Why is that?" He felt a flash back of the times he had to leave the hundred acre wood, having a good moments with Pooh and his various friends and flash backs most recently, of a group of friends just as close that he wanted to help get home. A vision in his mind repeated something he heard before. "If you go back, they will never see you again. You will just die in another pointless war." "So be it."

The memory caused the boy to feel a couple tears drip down, Pooh tried to wipe them away and asked. "What's wrong Sora?" The boy snapped out of the flash back and had to remind both himself and Pooh. "Oh, it's nothing." He pointed to the bears chest. "What matters is I'll be here from now on." Pooh felt warm from that, he and Sora felt better about that belief as the boy promised. "No going away." Pooh appreciated it. "Thank you Sora." Woosh! He and Pooh heard giggling and turned to find more petals blowing in the wind. The boy felt the image of a honey pot keychain flash into his mind for a brief moment and enjoyed the peace.

Out of the book.

Riku, Donald and Goofy were charmed by the image within the story book and watched light shine out. Letting Sora out. Merlin closed the book and saw the cover page replaced by a charming image of Sora and Pooh sitting together on a fallen log together." Merlin felt satisfied. "Splendid. All is as it should be." Sora felt relaxed by that as Goofy asked. "But how come Sora's picture disappeared in the first place?"

Sora looked depressed and didn't wish to answer as Donald asked. "Sora?" The boy answered in an attempt to understand. "Something's happened to me... that made me vanish from Pooh's heart." Riku wanted to know what that something was. "What did you think that was?" Sora didn't want that answer and looked more hurt as he turned to the wizard. "Merlin, I don't ever want to lose my friends again."

Riku put his right hand on Sora's left shoulder and knew who he was talking about. "None of us do." Merlin agreed with that and had something to say as he picked up the book. "Well, now," Sora and the group wanted to know what as the wizard continued. "There is no need to fret, lad." He approached. "What ever is lost can be found again in some way. There are always new paths between hearts for us to discover and traverse," He was ready to show Sora his handiwork in the world with in the book. "But you already knew that."

He showed him the image and that perked Sora up. "Yeah," He turned to his friends as Merlin put the book away, for the boy might wish to visit the world yet again. "No matter where we go," He placed his hand on his heart. "We will always be together right here."

The other three mimicked the gesture and agreed, unaware of a voice approaching. "Well, bless my bagpipes! It was you laddies who rescued my chef." Sora, Donald and Goofy recognized the voice and turned to a duck leaving the bistro, one with a blue vest, a top hat, glasses, a cane and looking a bit elderly.

Donald knew his suspicions were correct. "Wha?! It's Uncle Scrooge!" Scrooge approached with his cane and a box of something, he waved with his cane as Sora asked, feeling much better. "Huh? Wait... didn't he sell ice cream back at Hallow Bastion?" Goofy answered with a few memories. "That's right. But Uncle Scrooge here's what you might call a world traveler."

Sora took interest and wanted to say hello. "Cool, how are you, Uncle Scrooge?" Scrooge answered back with his own greeting. "Oh! Hello, Sora! You're looking hale and hearty. I heard you were on another grand adventure with these two." He looked at Donald and asked. "I hope Donald isn't making a menace of himself." Donald was embarrassed. "Aw, why did you have to say that?" Goofy wanted to change the subject of family drama and asked. "So, Uncle Scrooge, what's that you were sayin' about a chef?"

Scrooge broke out of the subject and answered. "Och! Right, right. The chef of me bistro here wanted to show ye his appreciation." He presented the box to Sora, Donald and Goofy. "So he baked this for ye." The boy picked it up as Riku had good memories of the crepes. "Wonder what is it?" Sora wished to know and opened it, showing a gorgeous pastry with sliced oranges, apples circled around the top of a firm cream, on top of them were sliced kiwis, sliced strawberries and on top were sprinkled blueberries and more strawberries.

Riku took out his gummi phone to take a picture at the site as Sora, Donald and Goofy addressed the lunch treat. "Wow! Cake!" The top hat wiggled as Merlin looked at the time to realize it was noon, Sora asked Scrooge. "The whole cake? It's for us?" The hat wiggled more and Scrooge wanted the hidden passenger to calm down. "Aye, settle down... The chef wants ye to know it's not a cake, but a tarte aux fruits." Riku found the hat to be a give away of just how close the chef was and expected wacky highjinks as Goofy asked. "He does?" Scrooge gave up on hiding it and asked. "Why keep it under my hat?" He pulled his hat off and revealed a rat Sora, Donald and Goofy met during the morning. "May I introduce... Little Chef."

The Little Chef jumped on the hat." The trio showed their astonishment as Sora spoke. "Oh! It's you who made those crepes?!" Donald asked his uncle. "Uncle Scrooge, you opened a bistro in Twilight Town?" Scrooge answered proudly. "Aye. It all started a little while ago, when I was enjoying one of the best meals of my life." The Little Chef nodded as Scrooge continued. "And when I asked to speak to the chef, I met this wee genius."

Riku smiled impressed. "Talent comes when you don't expect it." Scrooge and the Little Chef agreed, the duck finished his tale. "As it turns out, he wanted to expand his culinary horizons. So I thought: that's an opportunity. And I financed the whole operation." The group definitely found it a investment worth while and wanted to enjoy a small lunch before waiting for someone to arrive from their trip. Ring! Ring! Riku checked his phone and gave it where it was due. "This would have a lot of people keep coming back. Hey Sora, Kairi got a video for us. Should we keep waiting here?"

At the training ground.

Aqua held a phone's camera in place to record something that was rather a spectacle. Kairi flew high in the sky with an angelic glow as Kendry waited for something, the princess fired down a barrage of light as Kendry let his burning blade flow in ashes and slammed it to the ground. Shrouding him into a fog of ashes at the moment of the barrage's fall. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Kairi, Aqua and Ana saw specs that were either the barrage's fractals or cinders. WOOSH! Ken shot himself into the air, blew a raspberry at the girl and aimed his hot shot lasgun, Kairi vanished in a shroud of light to dodge and appeared next to the boy to strike. Ken parried with his burning blade and pushed himself away, the two landed as the fog cleared. Ana and Moonfang felt they saw a rather intense sprawl as Aqua pressed a button. "And, send."

She gave Kairi her phone back and didn't know what to say. "Kairi was that... a shot lock? Where did you learn that?" Kairi answered proud of herself. "From watching my friends use powerful moves like that, I helped with some." Kendry remembered some of them and whistled playfully. "You don't fool around with any of them." Kairi appreciated a compliment and had one back as she turned around. "Little by little you add to that and it gets harder to hit you." Ken shook his head. "I got to keep moving because I know nothing of healing and THAT would send me laying on my back."

Aqua signaled a time out. "Kendry, you need to learn about healing yourself because getting hit is inevitable, while there are times where that won't matter, it's the foundation of any survival." She looked at a few marks, raised her keyblade in the air and glowed in green light, giving the boy a refreshing feeling. "Think of something soothing and who needs the help." Ken nodded and felt a small sting, he imagined a fire place by a cliff side and raised his keyblade into the air, giving off that green glow upon himself, the stinging left and the boy gave a grateful bow. "Thank you Miss Aqua." The teacher smiled to him and had her own critique. "You and Kairi both know how to harass each other in battle. If you keep close to your opponent after you catch them in any trick like that, like what I saw before Kairi went loose, they won't have a chance to heal themselves, cast anything and if you done it from the ashes and cinders. No one can see you." Kairi patted Ken on the back. "Which is exactly what his style is all about. But-" The boy knew what was going to be said. "If I do that fusion trick, I wouldn't be shooting play shots. It can kill a space marine in one shot and melt through pretty sturdy monsters. But it can clear out a tone of heartless as well." Aqua gave it that much. "I'll believe that. Ana?"

The Stormcast readied herself for a demonstration as she felt she had an idea of her own. "I think I got a move in mind when I need to clear the way from afar before charging. But-" Aqua promised she would take it as she and the Stormcast stood in opposite ends, the younger students and dracoth stepped out of the way and watched. Anatesis flew after Aqua with her wings, the Master flipped out of the way and swung back. Anatesis jumped out of the way and hovered, she charged above in surprise and swung her hammer up ward, hitting the teacher and causing her to roll back. The teacher charged to the Stormcast's left and swung for a quick combo, Anatesis countered using her keyblade to shield herself, trust the blunt and shook Aqua off. The Stormcast stepped back, focused and spun into a tornado and flung her hammer like keyblade at Aqua, the teacher dashed out of the way, watchined the hammer strike the ground and burst in a pillar of lightning. She focused on Ana, hovered in mid air and formed a circle of seven beams, together they resembled a rainbow, she fired again and again at the nimble Stormcast that summoned her blade back to her hand, landing several shots and making a point. She landed as Ana felt shaken, the teacher adjusted her standing hair. "A shot lock is a ranged finisher, they hit often and when they do, it can turn a battle around. Ken believed that as Kairi swallowed. "You don't know what to expect when you fight someone with a keyblade."

The boy agreed and was in a deep thought as Aqua felt a long day past. "Most of you have one in mind and you need to focus on when it is the time for a shot lock." Ken practice spinning a circle with his burning blade and aim his gun like blade for a quick one, the teacher approved of that. "It could become a little more complicated with two keyblades at once, but your style could be amazing with a shot lock if you can bring the best of both worlds." Ken nodded as Kairi saw a text from her phone and announced. "The guys are coming back after their meeting. They are bringing something beautiful back for the four of us." Moonfang wondered why she was being left out and was given a packet of crystalized starlight by Ana. "Moonfang you know you are on a strict diet until we find something we can hunt."

During the passing of noon.

Sora and Riku stepped out of a train by their lonesome with a half full box and current events. The silver haired teenager answered a complaint as they found themselves back at Radiant Garden. "Donald has to help finish that trainway so we can open more quick routes. He, Goofy and the King will be back here as soon as they can."

Sora held onto the box and pouted. "It still feels too early for that." The two walked out of the trainway to the main district with another fact to admire, Sora asked. "I wonder what else was going on here while we were away?"

Riku attempted to answer with the video he saw being the more prominent. "Nothing much, other than a teacher and her students starting to know each other. They haven't even gotten started on getting to learn something-" Arms wrapped around the two as they were distracted, Kairi greeted them with a welcoming embrace. She let go and answered. "Not quite but some of us might have new ideas soon."

She lead to a park bench to find Aqua and Ana looking confused at a story Ken was trying to speak of. "How does a drawing on the ground work, anyways?! Hmm." Ana didn't wish to break the boys spirits as Moonfang napped under the sun light. "What mattered is where ever that knight traveled, his friend from Astoria always happens to be around the corner, when the two take on some their foes together." Aqua squinted her eyes and realized a pattern. "This one is more complete compared the other one. Ken... is... there a reason why the Firekeeper is a bit... disjointed?"

The boy thought about it and looked to the bonfire, he noticed the arrivals and waved hello. "Welcome back," Kairi lead Sora and Riku to the small get together, Aqua asked the boys. "How was the meeting?"

Sora answered with warm feelings. "I met some old friends of mine and we might have found out a bit about what was going on in the town." Riku nodded to that. "We might have a trial on Ahriman and you had my message about Exrirsa... or who use to be Resira." Kairi nodded back. "If she keeps to herself, we... should have to worry about her." Riku had one heed. "But Exrirsa is a nobody and most can't be trusted." He looked upon the unknown like he was trying silently say: no offense. "She seems okay with staying in one place until further notice and if she was lying, we need to work together to return Exrirsa back to who she was."

Sora wanted to take the gloom away and gave Kairi the box. "We brought something back from the bistro after Donald, Goofy and I rescued the chef from some heartless." The girl took the box and saw half of a large fruit tart that was cut into four slices. "Wow, a fruit tart." Sora and Riku looked to each other and realized what they were told might have been that name in a different language. Sora admitted. "That place is pretty amazing. Maybe when you get the chance we can go together." He laughed a little nervously as Ana and Aqua looked like they would take the offer, Kairi blushed to the boy and confessed. "Yes, we should."

Ken knew the undertones, tried not to say anything and kept to himself as Sora asked the keyblade master. "Do you need any help tomorrow?" The teacher actually does. "It's another lesson about battle styles and-" She connected a few things she heard about. "you were someone who was self taught and that repurposed... exam helped you and Riku awaken a few things with in." She asked as she watched Kendry draw an imaginary circle in the air. "Is there anything you and Riku learned about recently?"

Sora had one and took out a key chain that had a honey pot. "I use these all the time when I can." Riku, Kairi and Ken already knew that as Anatesis formed her hammer blade and looked upon the dangling keychain with a lighting sparkling hammer. "That can... change the appearance of a keyblade or something?"

Aqua nodded and felt like it was common knowledge. "It can and it can help with what your special in. Do any of you have a reason to change your blades?" The students gave a unified no as Riku shined his own blade and felt too attached. "But it has nothing to do with the lesson."

Sora felt it didn't, let the chain fade in light and drew out his keyblade, showing a form the group found silly, a wooden hilt and a blade that looked like a pillar of honey pots, the pot closest to the hilt had the word hunny and the tip of the blade looked like a bee hive. Still image of bees and a burst of honey make the teeth and the chain attached to the hilt looked like red rope. The many felt the image was too absurd, Ana looked at her overly large hammer blade and smiled to the boy. "That isn't the most ridiculous thing we seen here, people would laugh about you all beating back the forces of chaos with keys." K

en gasped and tried not to laugh. "Ha! I just realized something." Riku and Aqua looked a few moments away from being offended and realized the joke, the silver haired teenager asked. "That some guy that commanded a legion of terror, had a whole plan made to pillage and burn everything we cared about... and he lost to something that would make him a laughing stock?"

Ken nodded and Riku felt an understanding about something. "Was that why Ahriman wasn't going along with Abaddon's plans all the way?" Aqua remembered and wanted to change the subject. "That Warmaster still tore a hole in all of our hearts. A close friend of mine was able to understand and use the power of Form change to change his keyblade into... many things. It's a reverse of what happened with Ana's, Ken's and...Hofneil's own weapons. Hmm."

Ken focused on the burning blade and placed Cadia's Light's tip on top of it, the burning blade enveloped in fire and fed itself to the lasgun, shifting it into something vagely resembling a melta gun. "It's... like this but more real?" Kairi snapped her fingers to an idea of brilliance. "That was possible because you have had a bond with both keyblades and the Firekeeper's Wish came from a world that is all about fire among the other thing we know of." Aqua agreed and rubbed the girls head in affection. "It's more that the heart that is in that blade fights along side yours to unlock your main keyblades power. If.. for a while."

Pew!

Ken caught the burning keyblade that defused and asked. "It's kind of a short cut, but isn't the real deal, it doesn't last long and this one is too limited?" Aqua invited him for a teachers affection, the boy did so and was answered. "It isn't a bad thing, in places where you are going to be close to the enemy no matter what, it would be helpful, but that isn't the style you would go for."

Kendry and Kairi blushed from the affection as Sora was interested. "What's tomorrow's lesson going to be about?" Aqua answered with confidence. "It's going to be exactly like what you saw in that video Kairi sent to you and Riku. I want to see how far you came on your own."

Sora took the challenge in pride as Riku realized. "You two are going to fight each other?!" Ana smirked. "Now that is what I would like to see. The boy who went out and saved this realm too many times. What else is going on?" Riku recalled something the group should know. "There is going to be more train ways soon and someone needs to talk with an expert on posts to make sure the forces of darkness or chaos don't go nosing in."

Sora asked. "Wanda?" Anatesis advised as she looked down at the tart slices. "If ya can, I don't know the full story of what she was doing with Traverse Town, but it all blowing up wasn't doing her any good." Riku answered with pity. "She worked hard on restoring the place, but I'll go do that soon." Aqua and her students went for the slices of tarts and their tongues were blown away.

At the mansion in the outskirts of Twilight Town.

The Replica sneaked towards a tree and held into his hand a massive ice box filled with fish. He put on his black coat and noticed a corridor opening up, letting out an unexpected creature, Ztardon. Who nearly gave a bird man's equivalent to a smile and pranced towards the ice box. "It been foretold that you would be unable to obtain what we seek in a more traditional way?"

The Replica nodded and presented him with the box. "It's hard to come by munny without someone asking for too many questions and the job I got doesn't pay nearly enough in the short time I have. But... there is a beach and a way to islands with the goods. Would this suffice for now?" Ztardon opened the box to find a plethora of fish, he nodded and rubbed his hands together. "Yes, we are pleased for at least three days. Come, come, the Master is busy but you served well."

The Replica closed the box and followed. "I know he has something in mind for me to do what he wants, I will figure it out... but this... wasn't what I expected." Ztardon lead the boy into the corridor, all the way into the castle of nothing, he took the ice box and advised the Replica. "To change your fate and to change your life, it is all in according to plan. We plot, we scheme to elevate ourselves, that is the way of the Raven Lord."

The Replica asked back. "That's why Ahriman had me go out to pick this." He took off his black coat and showed his attire. "He wanted me to think differently from... Riku. If I can... plan this, then I can plan something of my own."

Ztardon nodded as a duo of Tzaangor approached him, one on the left, with a sword and shield and another with more glistening horns. The more glistening Tzaangor squawked. "Great Shaman, we are needed to guard the Master." Ztardon nodded and went to them. "It will be done once I store these precious little things." He turned to the Replica and dismissed him. "You're task for the day is finished. Wait for the Master to finish with his own plan if you seek to explore the outside world again."

The Replica had one plan over and wanted to check out his room once more. "Or wait until the town finishes that train project so I can catch up on more than one world and keep myself up to date." He felt like he was being smiled upon and parted ways with the beastmen, the room had the same splendor as before and with little to entertain beyond literature, comics and manga. He reached for something appeasing, a comic about a band of humans with super powers that were labeled by a prejudice society as mutants. He opened the comic book, felt that the coast was clear and put the comic down. He sneaked back to the lobby and followed the dark scent left behind by the Tzaangor.

He followed the trial towards a well kept kitchen and towards a computer room, where Ahriman, two rubrics and ten Tzaangor stood guard. A witch and a fat cat in clothes watched a computer screen light up to a strange, green, alien like symbol as Ahriman finished part of the story. "And thus, the Necrontyr became the Necrons. I have plundered enough Tomb worlds to understand how they function and how their technology stretches what you would know about physics. That super computer deep within the Bastion would be no match for this... simulacrum of this ancient horror."

The fat cat asked with a chill. "And you are making this whole virus around a Necron you are... heh, heh, pals with." Ahriman nodded to someone who has some comprehension. "This a very complicated virus, Pete, but there is one overlord in mind that it will be made after. A collector of historical moments and artifacts that could be preserved from long before my time. Through this virus, we will uncover everything we need to know about why hearts are the key to the universe and by the time anyone... anyone discovers what the virus has done, there will be little they can do about it." He tilted his head towards the Replica. "This is exactly the kind of thing you thought I would be doing with you, Replica?"

The witch and Pete turned to the sudden boy that realized he was discovered, Ahriman signaled him to approach. "I was told about your mission and the... turn of events that might prove vital for your survival, when you decide that one town won't satisfy you." The Replica approached, took off his sun glasses and undid his hoodie, surprising the witch and her lackey as Ahriman answered them. "Some time ago, the very lords of this castle begun a program to create replicas of particular people to carry about their plans. Through retracing memories and temporal manipulation, I was able to resurrect the seed of that programs result, the Prototype that started it all. Now he is repurposed to a fate for him to decide."

The witch asked with bitter memories. "You are letting a Replica of Riku decide for himself how he will serve you?!" Ahriman corrected her smugly. "I am letting him decide how he wants to live his own fate. For now, he is under my care and anything he does for the betterment of my plan is out of obligation. It is with in your best interested to simply address him as Replica until he dedicates himself to a name of his own."

He looked down at the Replica who wanted to know who the guests are. "These two are also sharing this piece of real estate with us." He introduced the annoyed witch. "This is Maleficent, Mistress of All Evil and someone seeking to restore her cabal of villains in... some way." He introduced Pete. "And this is her underling who toils away much like the Tzaangor. Pete."

The Replica sensed hostility from Maleficent and confusion from Pete, the boy understood the terms of the partnership. "As long as they don't get in the way of our daily things, there should be no reason for me to be involved with them. Right?" Ahriman appreciated a sense of observation. "And in turn we allow them to set things in their own fruition. Less we get involved in a war that would undo this whole castle."

He looked towards the computer, the Replica asked without daring to be involved. "And that whole talk about a virus has nothing to do with me unless I decide to be involved. It would be stupid." The Tzaangor nodded as Ahriman typed away. "Correct and this virus is much more complicated than a program that acts and thinks like the Necron Overlord. Tranzyn the Infinite is one of the most devious of all the Necrons and where this program is going is a new lesson for you."

The Replica spoke it. "Where you are acting, I need to stay away from because attention is going towards there and I'll be discovered if I run into someone like Sora or any of his friends. If that happens right now, I'm done for."

He turned to leave as Ahriman advised him. "You're usual choir is the only thing of matter here right now. I'll be finished in a few hours, then we can talk." The Replica let his duplicity go and ran off, leaving Ahriman to put the program to the side and talk with Maleficent. "He is but a part of a long plan and this is but a start. As of now, there is another tome nestled away in the corners of the worlds I seek that would prove beneficial."

He went to a file listing names of certain people, Maleficent chose to disregard the Replica as a threat and asked. "And what do you seek with the former lords of this Castle? Organization XIII?" Ahriman analyzed each. "Thirteen of the most powerful Nobodies to have roamed, each one sounding more dreadful than the last. Yet... for all their worth, they somehow met oblivion and returned whole. Each one, in their current state, are a struggle to decipher without drawing attention. Except for this listing that is still classified as active and the only one I know is still around."

Maleficent looked to the thirteenth ranking, Roxas. "And how pray tell do you seek to find that one?!" Ahriman turned to Maleficent with his plan in place. "For the boy I read from has a memory of what befell Roxas and if the virus stirs attention, Riku's friend would deliver him exactly where I want him to be. All the secrets of Organization XIII would be mine to use at long last."

Maleficent realized something and laughed at something, like it was something she should have discovered sooner A sign of admitting defeat to a master planner as the Sorcerer didn't wish to spell it out. "The others have memories diluted from becoming whole, proven counter productive or would be much more difficult to track down. But Roxas must have something in his subconscious that would be new, you know exactly how drawing him out could be done." Maleficent cackled harder and got it out of her system. "How has Roxas hidden himself away in Sora all this time?!" Ahriman shrugged and looked upon the vast knowledge. "How is irrelevant, but where Sora goes, Roxas is exactly there."

Maleficent came to a realization and ordered Pete. "You, find the corridor with in the city and close it off! We are not to have those fools follow us here." The minion saluted in fear and took off as Ahriman agreed with the witch. "If this goes exactly as planned, Sora and his friends will learn why my reputation is legend. That corridor is the one complication to it all. If the heroes raided this place once, they will do it again."

At the Varanspire.

Archaon stood at the balcony of his citadel and finished cleaning blood off of his blade as a black knight in a horned helmet knelt behind him. "My Lord, the Summoners have arrived and are making preparations for our breaching into the realm beyond." Archaon turned to the knight that was accompanies by fourteen more like him, the Everchosen ordered him. "Excellent Korxaun, gather to the realm gate, I will tell our guest that the time has finally come!"

The knights in odd organization, obeyed the Everchosen. Archaon traveled through his spire to find Xehanort and a lightning scarred boy recovering, with in a make shift lab that had a strapped down Skaven for study. Archaon barked to him. "The time of wait is finally over! The Pretenders have caused enough of an uprise and will think wisely before they try and usurp their god!"

Xehanort turned around as the battered boy gave a slight glance to the Everchosen, the scientist smirked like his patience paid off. "So we can finally attempt to travel back to the Realm Beyond... or the Realm of Hearts." Vanitas spun a finger next to the left side of his helmet. "Or what ever dumb name matters to these people." Archaon stared at Vanitas' stoically. "What ever name they consider, will not matter once we arrive. It is some miracle that the realm survived this long and you are best to wait until our command before you have your fun."

Xehanort gasped. "She actually-" Archaon shook his head. "She was but one part, when many hearts gather, they can repel even the might of Chaos Undivided. We are not finishing the war here, brooding, are you finished here?" Xehanort nodded without a care for the Skaven. "The knowledge about Chaos and Darkness are going to waste here."

He gathered a binder and had Vanitas follow him, the two followed the Everchosen to a realm gate that was being under effect by nine, sickly thin mages that looked most eldritch, with eyes that did not belong and a blue hue as skin. Vanitas whistled at the unholy site as Xehanort noticed the waiting fifteen knights and a perching Dorghar. Archaon stepped onto his steed and requested from the Seeker of Darkness. "If there is a fortress or a base, we would require that and a thought of that place would guide us. This ritual will take considerable amount of time." Xehanort stepped to the center of the room and to the gate. "I know just the place in mind for us to arrive."

Energy from the Gaunt Summoners flowed into the man and a vision shined with in his mind, a white castle over a city in the dark, the feelings of anomalies and paranoia creep in, a side effect from using the powers of Chaos. The thoughts distorted into the realm gate and energy rippled away, Archaon looked rather pleased as Vanitas looked upon the knights and asked. "And are you bringing these guys?"

The Everchosen glared at him and warned him. "The Blades of Chaos go where I go and just one of them would have the power to destroy armies." He pointed to him. "If you show any signs of disrespect among them, you're life is forfeit! This is your one and only warning!" Vanitas took the hint and watched. "Yeah I know, the... funny guys left a whole mess in the Realm of Darkness for them to use. But Everchosen, what is going to happen while you are away?"

Archaon answered as he watched more of a path way open. "Slaanesh is freed and despoiling all it can, Nagash would take decades to recover, what could Sigmar as his forces do to force their way here while managing the Chaos? Nothing. If those fools in the Realm Beyond think their troubles are over," Vanitas had a sadistic plan of his own. "They'll find out the hard way that it has only begun."


	30. Protocol

During a new day in Radiant Garden. Sora, Riku and Kairi listened to a train blowing its horn as a woman in armor approached to watch something. Anatesis perked Wanda up and let her, Stalwing and Moonfang watch an event. "Ya done amazing things while you were here General and if it wasn't for you, ideas like... that, wouldn't have happened." The General looked to the trio and the train with a defeated look in her eyes. "...It wouldn't Lady Ana... so.. it didn't go completely up in smoke."

Riku tensed and approached Wanda, giving the general a back rub of pity. "Come on, if you can do that kind of work to a whole town, you can do it again." Wanda felt her wounded pride and relaxed to various sounds as she watched the train deposit something. Kairi noticed two more figures coming, Aqua moving her left hand to a clear circle and Kendry mimicking it, she waved. "Good morning Master, morning Ken." The blonde boy waved good morning and felt an idea coming as Aqua felt a dark despair in the general. "Good... morning." Riku signaled Sora to whisper the story to Aqua, the spiky haired boy did so as a trio of Mickey, Goofy and Donald arrived. Ana asked the mouse. "So now this world is connected to three places and if we are not exploring away from them, we can use them for a change of scenery."

Mickey nodded. "Yep." He watched Aqua feel nothing but pity for Wanda's ordeal as Sora finished. "That's why she is depressed." Aqua understood and wanted to get ready for her daily lesson. "She put so much effort and pride that it wounded her heart." She exhaled and knew what Mickey wanted. "Good morning you're majesty. Give me one more day and I'll go see Master Yen Sid. One of my students has been practicing for a shot lock all night and he is trying to perfect it."

Ken waved his hand in a circle and asked. "A fire from the heart... rapid... fire... fire balls." He brought out his two keyblades and looked upon the circle keychain on his burning blade. "But how?" He yawned and went to a bench, eager to watch an ensuing fight. "I'm good, just... Yawn!" He took out a stash of chocolate pellets and munched on three, perking up as Sora readied for the battle and Mickey understood. "We are all trying to get back to what's important."

Sora felt a little nervous about who his opponent was and smiled the worry away. "Never thought this would happen so soon." Aqua agreed and gave a grateful bow. "Neither did I. Thank you, for everything."

She drew out her keyblade as the audience stood to the side, Sora drew out the hunny spout and realized what she meant. Aqua dashed after Sora and let loose a quick combo the boy rolled out of the way from and parried, he was kicked back and slid to a lamp post to get out of the way of an ice ball, he flew back to Aqua and pushed her back with a couple quick swings. Aqua back flipped and let loose a chilly aura, she countered and knocked the boy silly with the force of a blizzard and tried to finish him off with a glaciating blast. Sora glided away from the blast, flew into Aqua's personal space and struck a couple more times, rolled out of the way of a point blank fire ball and with a burst of sugary vigor, raised his blade in the air. "Here we go!" The keyblade enlarged and fell apart in honey pots, the bees that made up the teeth flew out of the honey.

Two of the bees flew to the boys hands and took shape into duel wielding pistols. Catching the audience by surprise and giving Aqua a reason to jump far out of the way, she tried to focus on him for a shot lock and watched the pistols form glowing wads of honey, Sora felt the tide turning in his favor and fired a barrage of honey wands that were supported by bees. Aqua attempted to dodge and was caught in a combo, Sora felt a gentle breeze in the wind and raised his right pistol in the air, wisps of honey formed in both and more wisps circled around the pistol. Sora fused the pistols together and caused it to take the form of a honey bomb launcher, Aqua flowed out of the way from the initial blasts and flew at the boy to try and stop him, she was knocked back and focused to fire three beams of red, yellow and blue, knocking Sora back as he caused the honey launcher to fire a forming blob of honey that resembled a big bee that fired upon Aqua and exploded in many globs. The launcher returned back to the keyblade as the battle concluded. Aqua was covered in honey as she and Sora panted, feeling like a demonstration was made, the keyblade master asked. "Even without guidance, your heart and the keyblade connected like you been one... hmm." She and Sora shook hands to concluded a match, Sora exhaled. "I... can tell you trained for a long time."

The audience clapped in congratulations, Ken tried to keep himself awake, closed his eyes for a moment and felt himself standing on a hard cave floor. He was disoriented and felt a deep darkness around, save for a flicker of light that caught him by surprise, a white robed angel with four arms, its lower arms were folded and its upper left aim raised into the air. It flung a spear of dark light at the boy, Ken yelped into the waking world. "I'm awake, I'm awake!" Sora and Aqua were caught by surprise as they watched the panicking boy fall off the bench, like he saw a nightmare. Both attempted to ask as Ken dismissed it and answered. "I saw it, the actual form change can turn a blade into another weapon like guns and a launcher, it can get more crazy than that! Miss Aqua, what you did was what you showed yesterday and put it all...all-" He bobbed himself in the head to keep himself awake Sora asked him. "We get it, you were watching and listening! You're regretting being up all night?"

Ken nodded with migraines and Aqua allowed him to dismiss himself. "This was today's lesson in understanding some more advanced styles and you got most of the answers right... at least... the ones you finished. You can go get some sleep." Ken looked thankful and forgotten about the angel that lurked in the dark. "I...I should, then practice again." He ran off back home as Kairi shook her head with worries, she smiled to both as Sora had a text message. "Wha?" He asked Donald and Goofy. "Something is going on at the lab, we should go check it out."

The two understood as Mickey volunteered to go with them, with four gone, Kairi asked her teacher. "Master, what do you know about summons?" Aqua thought of one method and shook her head. "We need someone who has a different way of summoning before I can talk about that, there is one I used while traveling the realms, but I thought it was just a spell bound trinket Arreia crafted." Kairi snapped her fingers as Riku considered it tough luck. "We might know another, but now isn't a good time." He readied for a trip out of town. "I'm going to check on the vale, those Orruks have been acting way too quiet. Try not to get bored." He walked out as Anatesis offered to follow. "Hold it, going into Orruk territory isn't the safest decision around." Wanda agreed and got on her gryphon. "Especially if they are sharing it with grots, they are just going to keep agitating one another."

Moonfang followed bored, leaving just Kairi and Aqua alone. The girl wasn't going to give up and asked. "Master, how do you do a command style?" Aqua asked her back. "What are the major magics you use?" Kairi remembered three. "Fire, water and healing...hmmm." Aqua envisioned what Kairi had planned for the last spell. "Healing while you are attacking?! That... could be interesting." She remembered a place in town that would work for target practice. "Come on, we might take a while."

At the lab.

Leon and Cid were typing at a computer that had an odd, green icon resembling an ankh that wasn't going away as Ienzo answered just as confused. "It just... appeared during the morning and it kept itself over the security program." He noticed Sora, Donald, Goofy and Mickey arriving and sighed. "Thank you for coming. Sora, Donald, Goofy, I heard you been taken to a world inside this computer once, is that correct?"

Sora remembered fondly. "A...mainframe...mainframe computer system. We didn't exactly go in because we wanted to, some of us got carried away." Donald remembered it differently and stomped his foot in a temper. "That wasn't my fault."

Leon remembered exactly how it happened. "A unwanted visitor jumped down on the keyboard and Donald tried to chase it off... he ended up jumping on the keyboard and ticked off a Master Control Program." Ienzo nodded with memories. "So this is what Ansem meant when he said he copied a computer system? I know someone who said something about installing an MCP into this. What happened." Cid coughed abruptly. "The MCP kept causing trouble until he hijacked the security program and let loose a ton of Heartless. That's when we all chipped in a way to delete the MCP and get things back to normal, a friend of theirs took over the system and fixed things up."

Sora nodded with a smile. "Tron." He looked at the green icon and asked. "Is this something he found for us?" Leon wanted to find that out. "It doesn't look like anything we seen before, Ienzo... you got any ideas?" The scientist looked at icon and had a feeling something was off. "It looks alien to me and this icon took over any security commands we had remotely ready."

Mickey felt the odd feeling himself. "I hope Tron is okay in there, if this came into the system-" Cid gasped and tried to type a program on the computer. "Then this ain't no bug." Leon and Ienzo cringed in horror as Goofy asked. "Someone sent this?!"

Ienzo answered with urgency. "As with any computer virus, Tron might be in great danger." The trio gasped, Sora blurted. "A virus?!" Cid agreed with that and tried to ready a program. "Like the kind you get when you catch a cold, once it gets into a computer system, it can mess ya up." Blip! The man was taken aback by the black screen with the image of something coffin shaped and with a green alien ankh at its central top. "Wha-" Sora, Donald and Goofy took a closer look, a cold fear glowed with in their hearts, the boy asked. "So this means we... can't go in there to see whats up?!" Leon asked the three and pressed a button to show various, alien symbols. "Do you know any of this?! This is the exact problem we had when deleting that-" "Bzzzwhaaaah. BWWWWWIII!"

The sound of what they hope wasn't an alarm struck their ears, a voice most strange echoed from all around. "Ah, so this drew the famous keyblade wielder I heard so much about here. Welcome Sora, Donald, Goofy." Sora drew out his keyblade and barked. "Who are you and what did you do to Tron?!" The voice gasped in shock. "You knew of the administrator of the OS system? So I was right to preserve him." Sora readied to swing at what ever was coming as Leon felt a repeat of a past event, he tried to stand in the way and was flung aside by a green electrical whip, the voice broke in joy over something. "To have such a prize in my collection would be a moment to remember for the eons." A red circle like structure glowed green, Leon attempted to get up as Mickey tried to strike the device, he was flung all the same by a particle whip as the virus program readied. "Consider this a grea-"

Wrrrrrr- BZZZZT!

They noticed a faint blue color distorting in the green and the virus's cheerful voice turning to that of a panic. "Wha...what are you-" PEW! Sora, Donald and Goofy were shot by beams, became still and before the groups eyes, broke down into pixels that became absorbed into the blue circle. The helpless observers went to the computer to find a mess of pixels distorting, like the computer was attempting to fight the virus. PEW!

The screen distort into an all black with the coffin like symbol once more, the voice returned, it didn't raise itself, yet it gave off a tone of annoyance. "What a meddlesome program. But no matter, those three will be dealt with, as a parting gift." Ienzo was the first to notice a vast hallway down bellow become a deathly green. "I find it appropriate to show the many things I created from this system, surely you won't find them easy to ignore."

Leon and Mickey knew the undertones, opened a door leading down and made a dash, both computer geeks stayed behind to try and breach the hacked system. Down bellow, Leon and Mickey saw sinister figures standing ready to confront the defenders, twenty robotic skeletons that give off a green glow in the eyes and held in their hands, glowing rifles that were more of a transparent tube, the skeletons aimed to fire.

With in a computer system.

Sora, Donald and Goofy slowly stirred to find themselves in what looked to be a mixture of a virtual city and a virtual warehouse, it gave a usual blue glow that was quickly distorting into black with green lines. Sora looked up to the sky to find a green beam and drew out the hunny like keyblade as he looked upon his friends, they were grey scale and in grey armor that had cyan glowing lines. Sora himself found he was in that attire and realized what happened. "Tron... tried to stop him." Goofy watched the black and green spreading and heard a metallic buzzing. "Gwarsh, how long has this virus been in here?"

Donald didn't want to know as something flew down from the darkened sky, tiny green eyes and shapes resembling scarabs, leading from the center was a large machine like spider with a gun on its back, the vast swarm descended upon the trio, Goofy took his shield and waited for the swarm to close in, he spun himself like a twister to break apart the scarabs as Donald raised his staff in the air to call down thunder. Sora joined in with his own, together they wiped out most of the scarabs, the spider shot against the three with particle evaporating, green beams and swiped against Goofy with its claws. It glowed and caused a green light to shine, bringing more scarabs into the swarm.

Sora dashed after the spider as he and his friends heard marching, Donald and Goofy focused on the smaller scarabs as Sora smashed the spider's lens and kicked it into the ground, watching the machine lay on the ground. One thing for certain. "These are not heartless... what are they?"

March! March! "BWWWZT!"

The trio turned to a corridor towards their left to find a legion of twenty, robotic skeletons with shining rifles that let the trio know they don't want to be hit by those. The skeletons aimed their guns at them and fired, Sora and Goofy stood side by side to set off a protection spell, green lightning struck the barrier and slowly stripped it away, molecule by molecule. Sora focused upon the machines, hovered and aimed from the tip of the hunny spout and fired a glob of honey upon the machines, knocking them down and catching them in a sticky situation, Donald fired down another thunder spell to keep the machines down as Sora and Goofy charged after the machines, making quick work of them and breaking them apart with the blunt damage. Donald followed them as Sora turned to find a hallway leading to an platform that would take them across an otherwise bottomless pit. "What ever they are, we can smash them up." He smiled as Donald agreed. "They aren't so tough, but we got to find out where they came from." The two went to the platform as Goofy looked back and five of the machines crawling back up, with five more putting themselves back together with green lightning. "G...Guys." The duo turned, in disbelief at the undead warriors repairing themselves, Donald quacked. "Run!"

The three went to the platform and felt it slide downward, towards an unknown path under where they intended to go. They watched the warriors march after them and flying nearby, a floating wagon like machine, driven by a robotic skeleton arrived for them. The trio watched the warriors march in two rows of five and climb in the wagon. The warriors placed their guns into the sides and position themselves in uniformity. Sora and Donald instinctively readied for the ark flying after them. The ark took flight after them and readied a green glow from its bottom guns. A barrier formed around the ark as Donald shot fire balls and Sora form changed the hunny spout into blasters, both shots bounced against the quantum shield. Goofy took his shield and stood in front of the duo to block a barrage of ten shots, Sora took a last resort as the ark was upon them and in firing range. His shifted his blasters into a launcher and fired, doing significant damage to the ark and slowing it down from the damage. The ark wasn't giving up and the pilot took an orb and raised it, giving off a green glow that resonated across the grid, it was alerting the virus's forces of intruders, Sora fired once more and felt his keyblade revert back, feeling annoyed by what was coming.

PEW! Two orange disks flew at the ark in the speed of light and penetrated through the shield, striking the pilot and causing it to short circuit in orange energy, the ark ceased its glow and fell into the abyss. Sora, Donald and Goofy yelped in shock and turned around to find the disks returning to a cavern across the grid, did a mysterious program helped them? Sora squinted his eyes to find ten, sturdy looking undead skeletons with carbines attached to wires, a cyclops like skeleton that was on top of a metallic spider and two arks much like the ones he saw before, except its passengers where replaced by a large, scary looking gun in each ark. The cyclops like skeleton took out a staff and ordered the arks to do something as the skeletons aimed their carbines, Sora knew what it was. "It's going to fire on us if we don't-" He saw a faint, blue pillar to the east of the arks, focused and asked his friends. "I'll keep the big ones busy, you two try to put up with the others till this thing gets there."

Donald and Goofy watch the boy focus and flowed towards the blue pillar, the cyclops turned and approached to confront the anomaly. Sora shot himself against the wall and pierced through two of the arks, breaking concentration and annoying the cyclops. The cyclops aimed his staff as its spider spawned tiny scarabs that flew to the arks, repairing the damage Sora had done. The staff fired beams of light that caused minor if stinging amounts of pain to the boy, he put a connection together as the arks tried again to fire.

He struck the arks in melee combat and pierced through again to push the two around, he turned his keyblade into blasters and taunted. "Let's see how these guys will do without you!" He fired a barrage at the cyclops to snare him in honey and fused the blasters into a launcher, knocking the cyclops on his back and watching green lightning fizzle away. The boy fired a blob at one of the arks and another at the other, he went back to the other ark and noticed Donald and Goofy enduring the shots long enough for the platform to reach its destination, Goofy shield bashed against the skeletons as Donald focused and aimed his staff to the sky, causing a pillar of blue electricity to strike down upon the less damaged ark and sent it into a short circuit as Sora melee the other for heavy enough damage that it stopped glowing and fell into a mighty thud. The boy shot an inferno at the other ark and watched it explode in green energy. He had a closer look to his surroundings and found the inside of a black labyrinths, with a direction towards the left and right, to the left was ten more skeletons with tube like blasters, to the right was a giant, spider like tank with a skeleton driving it. On the tanks belly was a heat ray that glowed bright red. Sora yelped and rolled back to his friends, who attacked the reanimated skeletons in an attempt to make sure they stayed down.

They felt a burning red light and turned, the trio split apart to avoid the burning ray. Goofy and Donald were to the left as Sora was to the right, the skeletons took their blasters as the stalker gave a beep to the boy. Sora set up a deflection spell and felt himself pushed back by the combined fire power of green light. Donald yelled and called down a thunderstorm. "Scram already!"

BOOM!

The skeletons took the shocking lightning as Goofy flung his shield to them like a boomerang. "Yeah!" Boom! The skeleton squad fell limp, five tried to repair themselves as Sora went after them to quickly finish them off, leaving the stalker to attempt to slash at him with its many legs. A leg slashed at him and cause a major cut on his shoulder, Donald used a healing spell as the boy slide underneath the belly and struck at the ray, seeing the machine had a quantum shield as well and yelling out his frustration. "Come on, how many of these things are there?!" The spider mech turned towards the boy and raised its legs high, unaware of two disks coming at it from the the left and sinking into the mecha's core. Orange light glowed and caused the machine to break down in pixels, deleting it.

Sora watched the disks return to a figure from the far hall that lead to a two way corridor, one path leads forward and the other leads to the right. "Tr-" He stopped himself and found a black humanoid figure with small orange highlights all over a suit that leaves no face, the figure caught two black disks that had an orange line. "That isn't-" The figure fled to the right, Sora followed on an instinct. Donald and Goofy followed to shout. "Wait up!"

On a turn, the three found wrecked remains of three small speeders with still skeletons and a hallway leading towards a room. They saw orange light colliding with green light. They followed to a wide room with a pillar in the center, looking like four cubes were missing in place and having dead scarabs litter around the four. They found a humanoid figure Sora identified, being shrouded in a cloud of metallic insects that were deployed from the cloak of a metallic skeleton in what they assume is a metal hood. The skeleton's rib cage looked blue, his shoulders had blue highlights and he held a staff that gave off a green glow. The humanoid figure paused in a kneel, gave a beep and a flicker as the skeleton looked like he was finished. "That should keep you obedient for a little longer."

The skeleton looked at Sora and his friends, greeting them with a gracious bow. "Ah, you finally arrived. I presumed you three would have been overwhelmed by my warriors, immortals, arks, that cryptek Amabi and the triarch stalker." He introduced himself. "It takes quite some skill to survive the Necrons, with or without the interference of... Rinzler. I am the conqueror of this system, Trazyn." Sora pitied the program that was getting up against his own free will and glared at Trazyn. "You're conquering nothing, give us Tron back and get lost!"

Trazyn chuckled to Sora. "I'm afraid I will not do that, for he is the crown jewel of my collection with in this data bank." Donald growled and readied his wand. "This isn't yours, put it back the way it was." Goofy agreed with him. "What are you doing with all the data."

Trazyn appreciated an intelligent question from a lower life form. "I'm glad you asked." He held in front of them a bright blue cube. "I am here to collect valuable data on the research of the man who created all this. Anything that would prove... intriguing, would be preserved, any that are not." He clenched the cube and caused it to become black with green lights, the black cube reconfigured into a scarab that scurried away. "Will be... repurposed to aid in my adventure. Much like what I attempt to do with Rinzler, but he is too stubborn."

Sora felt confused by the talk of data and readied to attack. "You're hurting him, you know he doesn't want tuis," He charged after Trazyn and was knocked off his feet from a flying kick, Rinzler crouched to Sora and readied a fatal blow as Trazyn asked him. "As much as the two of you don't wish to clash blade? Hmm." Trazyn was in thought as he took out a glowing green cube. "Perhaps this would aid the two of you in...acquainting yourselves... providing you find a way to escape this."

He pressed a button and readied to throw, Donald focused on him and yelled. "Stay away from them!" BOOM! A bolt of lighting shot from his staff and struck Trazyn in the chest, causing him to give off a glow and reveal an illusion that showed a lesser skeletal lord that gave a static shriek and fell dead. The cube flickered and drew the skeleton into a green prison. Leaving Sora to knock Rinzler off and was uncertain of how to break him out of Trazyn's control. "Come on, snap out of it!"

Rinzler back flipped to a cube, caused it to glow orange and tossed an orange disk at the boy, who dodged and flew after him, Rinzler jumped to another cube and watched the keyblade shine, striking it and causing it to give a reddish glow. The cube connected to a socket and floated towards it, Sora flew again to dodge the second disk and skid out of the way of the returning disk, he struck and Rinzler jumped to another. Goofy noticed something as he and Donald felt something lurking from bellow, they waddled out of the way and found three beetle like machines with long coiling tails and whip like claws emerge. "Sora, I think Rinzler is trying to get ya to do-" SWOOSH!

Rinzler sparked from orange to green and tossed a disk at Goofy, he flew after Sora for a brutal punch, the boy took it to the face and fell to the ground. He felt something in the figure trying to fight back and jumped to the cube with an understanding. "If we put this thing back together-" Goofy and Donald tried running away from the wraith like machines as the shield bearer yelled. "Hurry!"

Sora taped it and sent it to the tower along with the previous two, leaving one more. Sora looked down to find Rinzler leaping after him, the boy flew to a wall to dodge, wall dashed and flew to the last cube, tapping it and sending it to the tower. He flew down after the wraith like beetles and tried to beat them back, his blade slid past the three and they charged up a beam from their single eye. Flash! The pillar shined blue light and pulsed against the darkness, causing the cube, wraiths and Rinzler to disappear and leave behind a grey scale room with blue glowing lines.

The trio felt a sense of safety and fell to relax in sanctuary, they noticed a doorway leading deeper that was giving off that black and green glow. Donald sighed. "What a mess." Goofy agreed with him. "Unless we get rid of the Necrons, the whole system is going to be scrambled." Sora nodded and worried. "If we don't stop that virus, more like Tron and Rinzler are going to be hurt by it." Donald teased a bit he seen from the boy. "Typical, we don't even know Rinzler and you want to help him anyways." Sora had a guess of who Rinzler might be. "He could be part of the whole...security thing. It's been a while since we left Tron and this computer is a lot bigger on the inside." Goofy felt it made sense. "He must be a security program made a while back," He looked to the door way forward. "We need to hurry along before Trazyn figures out how to take this place again."

Bleep!

A man's voice echoed. "Sora, Donald, Goofy, can you here me?!" They recognized Ienzo's voice and let them know they can, Sora yelled out. "Hey, what's going on our there?" Ienzo answered. "Not good, this Virus has been keeping Leon and the King busy. You three are in the security net work right now, how were you able to debug it?" Goofy answered that. "We had a bit of help from someone fighting this virus. It's been scrambling him too and it been filling this whole thing is getting dangerous" It felt like someone across a keyboard slammed at something in anger. "Grr. And what of the virus? How are you surviving against that?" Sora cringed. "Not good, the virus has been sending tough enemies called Necrons our way. The Virus calls itself Trazyn."

The scientist from the world outside put together more about the virus and sounded like he noticed something. Click! "...Well, well. This someone helping you has left a surprise in the I/O of the system... but what could it-" The trio heard a pause and the man gave an order. "Sora, Donald, Goofy, further ahead should reroute you towards the I/O. There is no way a security program would manage this on his own." The trio looked to each other with a smile and knew who was trying to help them, Sora yelled out. "Thanks for the tip!" Ienzo listened to that. "Don't thank me yet, if the virus has identified you, it will double its efforts to stop you. Just... know when a battle isn't worth it." The trio understood, Sora felt reenergized and lead the way. "Come on, let's stop this mess."

In a canyon far away from town

Riku looked upon the sinister ruins of Villain's Vale and saw hints of fighting with in the ruins. Wanda growled and took out a telescope. "Typical of Orruks, the Ironjawz know their place in the order... but the Bonesplitterz and grots..." Anatesis agreed with that. "That's a fight waiting to happen." Wanda looked closer and was confused. "Wha... those... are those-" She gave the telescope to Ana, who saw a horde of Ironjawz and Bonesplitters fighting along side each other against an intruding force with in the tower, an army that is a mixture of bones and darkness. "...That can't be the undead?! How are they-" Riku took the scope and felt like something wrong was happening. " Shackled Shadows?! The Horned-" He sensed more. "It's him, Wanda, Ana... we need to stop this guy! Now!"

Wanda knew who Riku was talking about and let him on Stalwing. "Ana, this Horned King is a goon of Nagash! Someone needs to warn the town in case we don't come back!" Ana held to her hammer and ordered Moonfang. "Go let them know danger is coming!"

The Dracoth nodded and dashed back to town, the gryphon and Stormcast took flight towards the ruins. Where they had a closer look at the Orruks fighting back the bones that kept regenerating, even with a Mawcrusha, an ethereal Manticore and an ethereal Chimera in battle. Riku focused and flowed to a misshapen undead monstrosity as Ana shot enveloped her in a storm cloud.

WOOSH! BOOM!

A wave of Shackled Shadows scattered from a suave of light and lightning, the dark energy filling the bones faded away, a brute laughed like he had the time of his life. "Did ya see that smack! HA!" GROWL!

A Mawcrusha scared the brute into behaving and rushed through the door, being too big to fit in and for Dragon Hackah to loose his temper. "What the hell! Well go make a-" Anatesis yelled light thunder. "Orruk, what is the meaning of this?!"

Dragon Hackah noticed the Stormcast with the keyblade and Riku, he yelled back and pointed up the tower. "I tell ya what, some skelly git is charging into the tower of Spidahs and making a mess up there! Those grots are mine to boss around."

SWOOP! A gryphon landed and didn't wish to let his master near the Orruks, Wanda ordered her steed. "Stalwing, stay in the air and wait," She looked up to the tower and listened to the sounds of screeching. "Something is definitely going on up there." She looked to the Megaboss and asked. "You want to keep this vale as your own, wait until that noise goes away and smash through that wall above."

The Orruk tugged at his Mawcrusha and had him take flight, Ana lead the way in. "Come on, we got to remind Nagash's forces that they are NOT welcome here!" Riku agreed with that, looked at the dimwitted Orruks and ran into the tower, half worried about the lost hearts.

In a house in the town.

Kendry was in an average bedroom that was filled with a wide variety of scify movies in the shelves, sleeping away for most of the hour. A desire kept worming into his mind and he cringed in his sleep. He woke up with a feeling of a chill and fell back asleep, closing his eyes and finding himself trapped in the same cave he was during noon. He was confronting that same angel that lurked in the darkness, the angel shot a speak of light, the boy rolled out of the way and fired upon the angel. The angel caused two glowing white ring to form mid air, he formed an orb of dark power and shot it into the ring next to him. Ken looked to the ring hovering above the angel and dashed out of the way, he fired again and the angel flew towards him. The lurker in the darkness caused his upper left hand to glow like a bladed sword of energy and swiped it to the boy.

Ken rolled to the angel's side and swung his burning blade at the creature, seeing the damage being done, the angel curled his wings close and Ken infused his gun like blade with fire. He shot as fast as he can and watch the angel split into two. "Not this again."

The two angels approached side by side with a blade of light energy. Ken shot himself out of the way and turned to fire the two at once, one of the angels vanished as the other raised his upper hands into the air and caused a glowing ring of fire open a way into the void. Ken noticed the other angel appearing in the distant right to form a ring of white light, he looked to his left and back to the angel with the fire ring. He ran to the right as a barrage of fire balls fired down upon him and an orb of darkness flung itself to him. BOOM!

The angel raised his arms high in the air without warning, Ken jumped back to the scorch marks and watched the dark explosion as he made a quick charge with his gun and fired, the angel formed a large white ring and flew through it, appearing right next to its clone and flying into the air, Ken remembered something yelled. "Come on, that faraway?!"

The angels shot a beam together, Ken focused in anger and shot himself to the air, he spun his burning blade into a small circle and yelled down. "GO AWAY!" The circle burned into a dark rift and with an outburst, a barrage of fire balls shot out of the ring, scorching the two angels into smouldering figures and sending both falling to the ground pitifully, he saw something sparkle with in one of the corpses and approached. He rummaged and found a flicker of light fly from the angels hood, he reached for it, realized what he done and cringed. "EEK! If I show Miss that, she will be mad at me!"

Puff! Ken felt himself waking out tired, freed from the grip of a nightmare, he smelled ashes and dragged himself out of bed to find the Firekeeper facing herself to him with a question. "Wielder of the Flame, was that a dreadful nightmare from the abyss itself?" Ken shivered and crouched. "It's the same nightmare I kept having for an hour, it's always the same angel... killing me over and over." He looked down to his hands and laughed. "In the final one, I finally got that shot lock down... but not the one I want. Firekeeper, was that ring a way into the dark?!" The Firekeeper nodded. "And through that ring, destruction comes." Ken got off his bed, took out his burning blade and mimicked the circle, perfecting it and opening a way into the dark, he growled and swiped it away. "No, no, no! I can't show her this. There has to be another way for this or that whole morning would have been for nothing."

The Firekeeper asked him earnestly. "But...Kendry, the brighter the flame, the darker the shadows. What other way is there to harness the power of the forbidden sun?" Ken shook his head and felt he was being tested. "There isn't, but what does the fire give?" The Firekeeper answered. "Light... this power needs to draw from the light. Not from thy anger."

Ken felt stranded and tried once more, the same results from before, he swiped it away and asked. "Even if I ask her, she would not approve of where this came from. But...she is my teacher, do I... ask?" The Firekeeper sighed and answered. "That is thy choice to make, even with the fire, thou are lost." Ken swallowed and took the risk. "She knows a lot more of these things than I do. Hopefully... this doesn't get me kicked out." The Firekeeper didn't think that and faded from the ashes. "It's less than likely, but could that be the shadow this power is coming from?"

Click, Ken watched the door open, his mother came knocking to ask. "Are... you okay?" The boy nodded to his mother. "I had a bad dream and I need to get back to my day." He munched on a chocolate covered coffee bean to energize himself, the woman supported the decision and stepped out of the way. "Don't go scaring anyone, you were only asleep for an hour." Ken promised her. "I'll try not to."

He walked out of his room and out of his house to the outside world, seeing flashes of fire that was going out of control and walking towards it. Finding Kairi letting loose a combo while embedded in fire, causing flames to go towards directions beyond her intention and was trying to keep up with Aqua's finesse. The teacher felt enough was enough and switched to ice magic to cool the flames down. "Kairi, don't be afraid of the fire, it is destructive but in your hands it is something that will help you fight back against those that will try to hurt your friends."

Kairi sweated and wanted to cool down. "I know, but what if I hurt them by accident?" Aqua tapped her foot and sensed someone coming, she turned around to find Ken looking half perked. "You're awake this soon?" Ken nodded and looked on in confusion. "I am, fire's a pretty crazy thing. I'm not one to say much since I tend to... stay away from people when I use fire."

Kairi remembered certain bursts and agreed with him. "You're pretty dangerous when you push that power." Aqua was tempted to suggest holding off on using any fire related commands and noticed a question in her other student. "Kendry, did something happen?" The student nodded, swallowed and answered. "I was having a cycle of nightmares right from when I nearly fell asleep on you all the way to recently. It's some angel lurking in the dark constantly kicking my butt... until I beat him back. I... may or may not have made a step on the shot lock, but it is far from ready."

Aqua gasped impressed. "And that is what you use to beat that dark lurker? But... is your move real?" Ken nodded, aimed his burning blade to an open area and asked. "Please don't be mad, this is the reason why it isn't complete." He spun the drawing of a burning ring, he pulled out to show a hole that darkened into an abyss, Kairi backed away as Ken felt a rush of terror and let loose a barrage of intense fire balls that created burning patches of flame.

Kairi quenched the fire as Ken closed his eyes in expecting a verbal lashing or worst, Aqua exhaled from her nostrils and agreed with him. "It's nowhere near ready. Did this come from that nightmare?" Ken nodded. "When it was using that on me... a lot and again when I finished it off with that move." He stiffened and Aqua felt the emotions she was seeing. "Ken, relax! That's why this power is of the darkness."

The boy opened his eyes and felt a scolding, Aqua calmed herself. "Anger from the cycle of the nightmare... and fear of what I would think about this once you realized what you done. This is not something you wanted to show me and for good reasons." She gently guided him to a bench and she slowly smiled. "But you came when you knew why this power is just... wrong. Rather than allow this to keep going until... a more dangerous time."

Kairi spoke in defense of her rival. "But Master, Ken knows not to mess around with darkness! This is just an accident that he is trying to fix." Ken appreciated the back up. "I know, people messing around with that is how monsters like Xaw'rak happen. I... just need to focus away from that shot lock until I'm better in the head." Aqua wanted to ask the name, Kairi whispered it to her teachers ear. Horror jolted into the teachers eyes and she requested. "Stop... stop. Kendry, we are to never talk about that. For all that is good, that thing is an abomination that needs to be forgotten about." Kendry nearly agreed as Kairi advised. "Or... just not talked about, now we know that is possible... what's to stop another lunatic from doing it again?" Aqua agreed back. "An excellent point, it must never be allowed to exist again." Kairi closed her eyes and let out the horrifying part. "Because someone allowed this to happen to themselves. Master, is there anything... new you learned while traveling the realms?"

Ken knew of one. "Miss turned into a pheonix and wiped out some baddies. That's pretty cool." Aqua questioned if she should show those abilities off. "There is another like it that is about a... frostheart pheonix. But those shouldn't be played with out here."

Kairi had a name for that. "The Pheonix Bomb? Hmm." Ken felt the thought coming. "Miss... is there any place besides that arena out of town we can... use for things like that?" Aqua knows of one and answered. "There is, but we can't use it right now. I'll tell you why when I can." The students accepted that, Kairi thought she was energized enough to try again. "Master, I'm going to try a safer element for now." She stood in front of a make shift targeting dummy and let loose a quick combo, she enveloped herself with water and let loose a combo resembling a whip of water, the bystanders walking about watched where it was going. A Dracoth came charging and roaring an alarm.

Up in a Tower in Villain's Vale.

Riku, Wanda and Ana climbed to a ruined nest that was littered with dead spiders and skeletal goblins bound by a dark cloud, swarming against a scuttleboss on his giant spider. Stingy Bites and his spider Skits desperately stabbed against the undead horde. Riku took Way to Dawn and without hesitation, carved into the undead horde with a strong desire to protect, putting a large portion of the dead to rest as Anatesis swiped her hammer against the heartless, lightning enveloped the darkness and left behind the bones. Stingy Bites and his spider went into an agitated frenzy and tried to attack the new batch of intruders. "NO! YOU AIN'T GETTING ME AND SKITTS!" SWIPE! SWIPE! PARRY!

Wanda parried the two as the horde of twenty skeletons went for the key bearers that combo together and let loose a miniature star of light and lightning. The two stabbed the star together and caused it to go supernova upon undead, wiping them all away and leaving Stingy Bites and his steed behind. Wanda barked to him. "Listen to me, we came to deal with who ever is responsible for this! If he isn't stopped, we will have an army of the undead heading to our door! Are you going to keep this up?" She pushed the goblin back that fanatically yelled to Skitts. "Come on, Spidah Mudah's in deep trouble!" The spider agreed, turned and rushed to a stair way leading up, to the highest point of the tower, where a massive nest of pale spiders were seen crushed.

Anatesis and Riku glared at the skeletal drake pinning down the Arachnarok that was fighting back against a horned lich in red robes that was reaching for a crazed goblin shaman that hit him across the face with a bone staff. The Arachnarok's legs were harassed by undead goblin skeletons and the Horned King reached the limits of his patience. "If you will not serve me, then perhaps she will!" He grabbed the goblin by his neck and hurled him back towards the group, Skitts shrieked and charged with his rider. The dragon swiped the goblin back as Riku attempted to focus a flow motion, GRAB!

Skeletal hands reached from the darkness and held firmly onto the trio's legs, Ana growled and barked. "Fight us you coward, before we send ya back to your dark master in pieces!"

The Horned King ignored her and focused a spectral bolt of darkness. "In a moment, brazen warrior. What an odd find to come to the aid of these loathsome creatures." Wanda didn't care about that. "They are the least of our worries, but you.." Riku felt something holding him down and called the Horned King out. "You and your monster of a master keep trying to mess with our worlds!" The Horned King shot the darkened spirit at the Arachnarok, causing her to bleed in darkness and caused the crazed goblins to yell in unison. "SPIDAH MADAH!"

SMASH! A wall was smashed open, letting in Dark Smasher and his Orruk master, the Horned King cringed and heard bellowing from bellow. "A band of savages actually care about worlds not meant for them?!" Dragon Hackah stomped on the back of his Mawcrusha and barked. "Shut up already! You iz messing up me waaagh!" He ordered Dark Smasher. "Let's chomp up some bones!"

The Mawcrusha agreed and flew after the undead dragon, the Horned King felt it wasn't worth it and yanked his steed's reigns, having it take flight into the sky. Dark Smasher chomped at the dragons tail, tore off a pierce of bone and followed its prey, leaving behind an Arachnarok that quickly enveloped into darkness and shrieked at the three, charging at them as Venom Dancer glowed with magic and caused the hands to break down. "Spidah Madah gone mad!"

Ana let Wanda jump onto her back and flew high above to dodge as Riku dashed out of the way of chitinous legs, Stingy Bites and Skitts gasped and jumped out of the way as Venom Dancah jumped to the back of Skitts and shot out an arcane bolt to get the Arachnaroks attention. His insane cringe and chittering prayers for mercy caused the darkness to become worse, Riku closed his eyes, hovered in the air and aimed his keyblade at the Arachnarok. "We all knew this was coming." He fired dim projectiles at the Arachnarok to injure and draw her attention as a Gryphon flew from the wall and joined the battle, pouncing upon the spiders rear and leaving Ana to toss Wanda at the spiders head. The General smacked the spider and caused it to become disoriented and to bleed darkness. Riku flew to the general, sweep her off her feet and landed by the door as he yelled. "Ana, send this spider back home! She suffered enough."

Anatesis nodded, raised her hammer into the air and caused it to expand and shift into a lance, the Arachnarok looked above and tried to swipe at the Stormcast that somersaulted and flew herself down to the Spidah Madah.

Stingy Bites hid Venom Dancah's vision from the site as Skitts covered its eyes, watching the lance pierce the spiders head and cause the body to envelop in lightning, obliterating the remaining undead and causing the spider to fall to the ground. Giving off a pulse that glowed in an odd light as the body broke down, like its form was containing itself into something. Thud! A green stone landed as the spider disappeared, the dark shade attempted to fly away and left Stingy Bites to snarl. "Kill the dark thing!"

Skitts looked, glared at the ghost and rushed after it, Venom Dancah was allowed to look and yelled with a burst of tears. "Ya did this to her!" He caused Skitts go glow and pounce on the ghost like heartless, biting down upon it with oozing venom that quickly caused it to dissolve as Riku went to pick up the stone, feel a great power with in and jump onto Stalwing with Wanda, the general kept a proud blush as Ana shot a thunder bolt at the heartless for a finisher and ordered. "Come on, let's give the Horned King a piece of our mind!"

Stalwing agreed and followed Ana out of the window, leaving the crazed goblins to an odd predicament. They looked upon the canyon and found Dark Smasher punching the Horned King's dragon into bits and bones as Dragon Hackah grabbed the lich by the neck, strangled him and hurled him down to the cavern bellow where the dragons bones fell down towards. THUD! Riku and Ana looked close and watched the Horned King sink into the darkness along with his dark steed, fleeing for his life and leaving Dark Smasher to punch the fading shadows in frustration, Dragon Hackah yelled something to the Mawcrusha and had it give up, the beast growled and retreated to the Vale. The Stormcast shook her head with pity. "Fighting and survival is all the Forces of Destruction know and love. This realm was never meant with them in mind."

Riku agreed with that. "And without that, they are... dying off." He had an idea and asked the ladies. "But maybe we have a way to keep them happy. We need to go see the guys at the computer room." Wanda sighed and asked. "What could they have for these brutes?" Riku answered with guilt in mind. "Their teacher has made a project involving virtual reality and we could use the... crazy minds of the Orruks to make the virtual world seem... real to them. Ana, do you remember the Realm of Beasts?" The Stormcast does. "I could help with the ideas."

In the Virtual World.

Sora, Donald and Goofy fought against a group of ten Necrons that were equipped with an axe and shield, quickly making sure the ten were laid low and not get up. They jumped through window with in a long tower reaching up to the sky and eerily, found the inner structure as they remembered it, to their right was a red door and to their left was a blue tunnel. The hall way in front of them were of a black and green, eating its way with in. They knew what ever was holding the virus's corruption back wasn't to last for long. They went down the tunnel to their left and found themselves in a circular room with a purple circular platform, a yellow computer and by the foot of the platform was an object that made Sora worry, a small black chakram that had a glow of blue. He picked it up and felt a presence close to the heart, a feminine voice the trio recognized spoke from above. "Phew! You are still alive in there, thank goodness." The trio shouted in unison. "Aerith?!"

In the real world.

Aerith looked upon Yuffie as she dashed through a door to assist in containing an outbreak as Merlin and Cid had a cd disk ready. Ienzo was keeping quiet as the woman in the pink looked upon a screen with the trio holding the chakram. "It's been getting a bit hectic deeper in the lab. Hmm." Ienzo took over the audio and asked. "That... disc, may we have a look at it?"

Sora nodded and stepped into the purple circle, he raised the disk up as Aerith put the cd in. A screen flashed with the sign as Cid watched the disk leave Sora's hands. In a few minutes, Aerith was surprised. "This already had the program?!"

Merlin was just as surprised. "Could it be that this is one and the same?!" Sora gasped and looked above. "That really is Tron's?! But it looked... like...Rinzler's."

His mouth dropped in a realization, Donald and Goofy realized the connection as Cid blurted it out. "That Rinzler was Tron the whole time?!" Sora kept silent as the cd rom popped out, Ienzo found that possible and asked. "Was Rinzler... the only native program you found that was able to delete parts of the virus?"

The silence said yes as the chakram returned, Sora held onto it and looked resolved to do something. "We need to save Tron from this virus... but...how are we suppose to-" The chakram gave off a faint glow, Sora looked to be in a trance as Aerith answered. "You have Tron's disk, you can delete the virus out of his system."

Sora took out his hand and caused his keyblade to form, it looked much more digital, with a disk being the blades hilt and a disk being the tip and teeth. Blue circuit lines radiated across the teeth. Bleep! The screen vanished and caused the group to worry, the alien like coffin flashed in front of the screen and politely warned them. "I'm afraid I cannot allow anymore of this interference. If you all insist on defending the town, you should do so and marvel at architecture you might consider... exotic."

The group quickly understood what the virus meant, Aerith volunteered to rush out. "It's sent something out there! I'll go warn Tifa and the others! Try...try to get control back to the system."

She rushed out, left the rest of the group to the puzzle and made it to the east district, finding Cloud being bounced back by an large odd black pyramid with a green glow, a green crystal and turret mounted guns on the four corners. Tifa punched the pyramid with all her might and was bounced back by sturdy, alien metal, causing but a dent. Aerith knew that if that wasn't able to do much. "That is-" Cloud asked. "Aerith, was this what Leon was busy with?"

The pyramid floated ominously and shot a particle whip at the man, sending him flying back and opening a door, revealing a green gate that had ripples with in, releasing a twenty squad of metallic skeletons. Aerith cast a heal for Cloud and answered. "Yep." PEW! BOOM! Tifa heard a distant explosion and readied his fists. "Something about the gate doesn't feel right." She looked up to the crystal as Cloud got up and focused on the warriors, the trio knew which part to focus on and ready for battle.

Simultaneously.

Kendry asked Moonfang a nonsensical question. "You saw a tone of daemons coming?!" He readied his two blades as the Dracoth shook her head. Kairi saw a collection of pixels forming into black with green. "It's these things?!" The Dracoth shook her head and readied to fight as Aqua understood the answer. "It isn't, but this is our new problem now."

The pixels took form of four pillars with a green crystal, the crystal crackled electricity as more risen, a pyramid, Kendry aimed at the crystal as Aqua felt malicious intent from the gem and pulled him out of the way. PEW! BOOM! A bolt of lightning struck from the crystal as Aqua jumped out of the way with her student. The pyramid took form from the darkness and revealed four turret guns at each of its corners.

The foreboding structure opened a gate to let loose something, Kairi readied her keyblade without fear. "We just need to beat up what's coming out then smash that crystal. Easy." March! March! Out came ten skeletal warriors with a wrist mounted, glowing green gun on their right arms and a two sided blade in their left hand. They looked rather durable as Ken was let free and tensed. "If we don't, it's going to wreck the whole town." Moonfang felt the foes to look similar to what she was trying to warn the town about and growled as Aqua noticed a pyramid rising to the west of the town, uncontested. "If we don't hurry these things will-" Ken and Kairi noticed another pyramid to the east, looking like it was contested. The students readied with their teacher, to deal with otherworldly threat.

In the computer program.

Sora put the chakram away as Goofy and Donald were the first to notice the black and green merging into the I/O. Sora felt a program with in his blade and readied to confront the approaching foe. Five of the beetle like wraiths slithered through the walls and a spider like beetle with a scarab swarm crawling through the entrance. Sora tensed for battle and had a comeback for the silent foes. "Let's go squish some bugs!"

Goofy and Donald readied their weapons as Sora launched himself against the wraiths and swung, causing the phasing body to distort in pixels and flail. Sora let loose a quick finisher and struck the program in the eye, causing it to turn blue and vanish in pixels. He smiled against the four that rushed after him with whip coils, he caused his blade to enlarge and split into two chakrams, he hurled them against the four and sent them flipping. He watched the disks fly back to him like boomerangs that glowed a blue line, caught them and hurled them back to the wraiths, then a third time that caused the four to glow blue and break down into pixels. Deleting them from existence as Goofy and Donald realized Sora had most of the fight over. The boy rolled in front of the scarab swarm, floated the two disks together and formed a hilted staff with the two disks at the tip. He aimed at them and fired a blue beam, vaporizing them from the system and piercing the spider, causing it to spasm and break down like the others before.

Donald and Goofy were nearly silent as Sora felt justice was made, he yelled out to the program "Anyone else want to be next?" Goofy advised. "Sora, we don't know what else this virus got." Donald agreed with that. "We antagonized it enough already." Sora felt something was coming and readied to charge. "Come on, we need to find Tron."

The trio entered the hall way and found a small barge carrying a skeletal overlord that held a staff and commanded two lesser skeletons to operate a gun bellow. Accompanying them were five skimmers that carried carbines bellow. Donald shot lightning to two of the skimmers to the right as Goofy charged shield first against the other two. Sora dashed to the middle skimmer, dodged a green shot and jumped high to avoid the gun from the command barge. He struck against the skimmer and with a few blows, caused it to fizzle into blue light, the skeletal overlord readied his staff and caused it to glow into a scythe of green energy, the barge charged after Sora. The boy repeated what he did to the last virus programs, split his keyblade into chakrams and skid backwards, throwing the disks at the barge and puncturing the quantum shielding, the overlord felt the pain and was hit back. Sora repeated two more times and watched the barge crackle in a malfunction, he fused the chakrams together to form the staff, aimed at point blank range and fired, deleting the overlord and warning his friends. "Watch out!"

Goofy noticed the beam that disintegrated the middle skimmer and shoved the two skimmers he was dealing with into the beam, Donald stepped out of the way and smugly smiled to another two that mindlessly tried to fire. PEW! They were deleted from the system.

Sora's staff returned to a keyblade and he noticed something on his back twitching, a single black and blue disk floated off and before him, he noticed something flickered in the middle of the ring, a black figure that had a glow of green. Rinzler extended his hand and caused the blue disk to shine to a green, the disk flew back to the infected program. Sora, Donald and Goofy hesitated as Rinzler caught the disk and readied to do battle as he pulled out a second disk. The black and green walls surrounded the duo and formed into a cage like arena, with a ceiling resembling the floor. Sora kept his guard and promised an old friend. "Hang in there Tron, I'll get you out of this."

Rinzler tossed the disk on his right and caused it to shoot out in the speed of light. Sora was caught off guard and was knocked back, Goofy charged after the figure and was knocked on his stomach as Donald used another thunder bolt. Sora rolled back on his feet and parried a lightning fast charge from Rinzler, his watched sparks fly and pushed back, Rinzler spun back and tossed another disk. Sora jumped after him and let loose a small melee combo, Rinzler quickly kicked and Sora dodged. The boy shot a thunder bolt to cause considerable amount of damage and flipped to dodge a returning disk, Rinzler caught the disk and ran up a wall, causing an alarm to blare. Sora, Donald and Goofy felt themselves falling to the ceiling, the disorienting feeling left Donald and Goofy exposed to a quick disk throw as Sora split his keyblades into two chakrams and tossed them at Rinzler.

Striking the program back and causing him to back flip as his own disks returned. Rinzler caught them and nimbly dodged the returning disks. Sora caught his and saw Rinzler somersaulting towards him. The two parried blow for blow and caused sparks to fly, Sora kicked Rinzler back and tossed his left chakram at the program, causing it to shift and plant itself onto Rinzler's chest. Sora felt something calling out and caused his right chakram to hover and glow like a button. Rinzler charged after the boy as his chest glowed, Sora pressed the button and caused a ripple of data around the program.

Rinzler stopped and sparkled from green to orange, a faint, recognizable voice that was in a technological tone muttered. "Sora...friends." Sora felt some hope, passed a heal to Donald and Goofy and pleaded. "Come on Tron, we know you are still in there!" Rinzler tried to fight the infection as the alarm blared, he jolted in pain and returned to battle. BLEEP! BLEEP!

Sora, Donald and Goofy felt themselves falling once more, they landed with a clearer sense of balance as Sora's disks returned to him and formed into a boy landed and watched Rinzler jump after him, he dashed to his left and watched a shock wave of an orange light sparkle. Rinzler hesitated for a moment and hurled a disk at Sora, giving Goofy time to charge with his shield and for Donald to shoot a fire ball. Sora dodged as Rinzler jumped above his friends, caught the disc and sliced, the boy parried and hacked back. Rinzler back flipped and threw both disks towards him, Sora dodged to the left, struck once more and split his keyblade into two disks. He waited for Rinzler to catch his disks and threw low, hitting the program back and causing it to float backwards, the returning disks caught him in a stun and gave Sora the chance he needed.

He caught his disks and threw his left one at Rinzler's chest, the boys right disk hovered like a button that glowed in unison with the button at Rinzler. Press! Ones and zeros radiated and caused a diamond shaped cluster of polygons to appear and form six circling squares. A heart shaped disk shined in the center of the diamond and caused the body to shine into blue. The squares closed in and the polygons disappeared with in. Rinzler fell on his back and caused the blackened floor to return to blue. Donald and Goofy approached as Sora lowered himself to shake the program awake. "Come on Tron, wake up. Please wake up."

He tried to lift the heavy, adult sized body up, desperate for a quick response, the body stirred and was given a small laugh. "Ha!...Ha!...G...good to see...you're safe." Sora let go and felt over joyed as he and his friends responded in unison. "Tron!" They noticed their old friend was still in his Rinzler form and wondered the detail of what happened as the program stood up and watched the walls break down. He addressed them in a delayed reaction. "I...hope you...got my message through all this. A hacker...sent a virus to this system and it corrupted a large portion of the data stored here."

He exhaled as Sora asked. "Like what it... tried to do to you?" Tron nodded, tensed and readied his two disks as he saw something green flicker in mid air. "The...virus...tried... to reprogram me. My...data...was...fragmented...its...not...working...like it is suppose to." His disks crackled and the program was confident in the part of him that was functional. "Your friends...are...in... trouble." The flicker crackled and took shape as Goofy asked. "If we delete the Trazyn, will that turn everything back to normal?" Donald wasn't so certain as Sora guessed. "All the data will be messed up, but... beating Trazyn will stop the Necronz. Then our friends will help fix everything up," He looked to Tron with a vow. "I promise we will."

Tron looked forward to that as the energy took shape into a naked, green humanoid body that crackled in lightning and wore a small harness that covered its mouth and shoulders, on its chest was a golden coffin. He readied determined. "It...will...be...up to the users! I will...fight for the users! My...friends." The humanoid shot green lightning at the four, Tron jumped to the wall and flung his disks at the monster as Sora rolled under, Donald and Goofy attempted to jump out of the way and were caught in the blast. They spasm as the disks made impact with the ethereal monster, interrupting it as Sora jumped to its face and let loose. The monster faded through the blows, its hands became tendrils of energy that reached for the boy as Tron jumped towards it, caught the disks and struck its back in lightning fast speeds. The monster felt the damage, flew to the center of the platform and caused the open ceiling to glow brightly, Goofy and Donald realized they were falling down, the duck yelled. "Watch out, its falling stars!"

Sora and Tron back flipped together, the boy split his keyblade back to two disks, the duo dodged the falling stars and flung their disks. The monster faded through Tron's and ignored the laws of force as Sora's caused a blue sparkle, deleting part of its particles. The monster felt fear and flew out of the way of the returning disks, the duo flew them again and pelted the monster, slowly weakening it as Sora turned his disks into a staff and fired a beam at the monster as Tron merged his disks together to fire his own beam. They punctured the monsters chest and causing it to slowly turn blue, it broke apart into data and causing the body to twist and turn against reality. PEW! BOOM! An explosion was felt and the hall way felt restored once more to a blue color.

The voice of Trazyn echoed with a hint of annoyance. "Hmm, how were you able to override that?! The mindshackles were set to absolute." Sora answered back with a tired yell. "You don't know anything about what goes on outside of a program, do you?" Trazyn answered without once breaking the polite tone. "Perhaps I do not, this is what separates beings of flesh and soul from a collection of data?"

Tron looked up and answered. "It's...because...we...work...together as user and...program. Show yourself." Trazyn gave a small laugh. "I cannot transcend that part of the system, but if you wish to... voice your complaint, I am awaiting you right with in the central computer. You're friends are not appreciating the splendor of the Monoliths nor where such an idea came from."

Sora rolled his eyes and yelled. "Yeah, yeah, your and everything else you made are fake. Are you even going to try and be yourself?" The voice stopped its tone, like the virus was thinking about that, in the silence, Sora asked. "Come on, let's go before this gets worse." The group agreed and reached to a station with a minor thing missing for their progression. Tron wanted to curse out of his bugged mind. "Oh, digits! He took the solar sailer too?!"

Goofy and Donald looked down the tunnel leading to a green line pointing to the sky. Sora asked with built up anger. "Why is it always a game to him?!" Blip! The voice of a man echoed. "Sora, Donald, Goofy... you." Tron looked above and waved. "Hello...friend, we...are missing an important program...to...get...us...over...to...the source of this virus... Could you help us?" Sora, Donald and Goofy listened to Ienzo's voice, the man answered and typed. "Right away!"

Sora felt like someone nearby was assisting the man and asked. "Are you... going to make us another sailer station?" The voice of an engineer answered. "Something even better. Just give us a few minutes to set up the download, you been clearing out all the junk and that virus might try something funny if we just replace the thing." Tron looked forward to that and was smiling under his mask. "Alright! Good luck."

Out in the garden.

Kairi, Aqua and Moonfang struck the Necrons down with a combination of water bolts and lightning, Kairi enveloped herself in a veil of water and carved into them with a mighty tide as Aqua and Moonfang electrocuted the robots with electricity. Ken flew around the monolith in an distraction and switched between swiping a blade weilding pretorians, shooting them and striking pitifully at the monolith. The ladies were making quick work of the skeletons as Ken fused his burning blade with his gun to turn it into something akin to a melta gun. The crystal fired at the boy that flew high to the crystal, held his gun with two hands and yelled. "JUST BLOW UP ALREADY!"

PEW!

The crystal's surroundings melted in fire and tried to repair itself like flesh to a wound. PEW! Another shot caused the crystal to sink into melted metal and green energy. Ken aimed down and fired. PEW! The monolith neared a collapse on its own and the boy separated his keyblades, growled at the fact it wasn't enough, spun Cadia's Light and felt like flinging something as he let himself drop. Woosh! An orb of light was flung into the hole like a grenade, he landed back to the ground and heard a deep explosion, the monolith's green lines flickered and it ceased its hovering, it fell and halted its glow, leaving behind a smoldering pyramid. Ken turned around towards the Monolith causing distruction in the west of the town against air, earth and ice. "Miss, can I take this one? No one is able to actually stop that."

Aqua looked at Kairi, nodded together and hummed as they looked to Moonfang, who stomped her front two claws impatiently. SWOOSH! The four looked up to find a Gryphon and Anatesis flying towards the free monolith. Aqua had to change her mind. "If they couldn't stop that thing before we take the other one down. Moonfang, go help them." The Dracoth nodded and took off to the west as Ken gave a bow to his teacher and rival in respect, the ladies dashed to the east with the boy following. Finding Cloud slicing five skeletal warriors in half and Tifa trying once more to punch into the monolith. Aerith cast protection spell upon the two as the monolith's weaponry tried to obliterate the duo. The warriors slowly put themselves together as Kairi launched herself into an active squad of ten like a watery torpedo. Leaving them exposed to a barrage of thunder from Aqua. Cloud and Tifa looked relieved that helped arrived as Kendry focused on the safety of the town and tried to fuse his blades together. Tink! Tink!

The group heard a faint noise of penetration and watched the monolith break down in magnetic pixels, its hovering power was drained and it landed in a thud, it was slowly breaking down. The would be rescuers stared at the monolith being absorbed, leaving behind two fist sized crystals. Leap! Swipe! Thud! In place of the monolith was a knight Kairi gasped and yelled to. "Garland!"

The knight laughed in triumph and placed the crystals away. "Ha! Ha! Young lady, do you have any idea where these horrors came from?! Born from a virus's machinations and altered to fit the virus's design. It's machines defy gravity and its form is bound in magnetism, a perfect harvest for me." Aerith gasped. "Virus?! Did you created that?! Sora and the others are in danger bec-" Garland shook his head and wagged his finger. "No, I played no hand in the virus's affairs, I was simply informed and came at just the opportune time." Ken readied his keyblades regardless. "Even so, we can't let you do... what ever you are doing."

Kairi agreed and was ready to join her rival in a strike as Garland opened a corridor and stepped back into it. "Since you have been such a great assistence, I will reward you with a hint. At the summit of the gods peril, the storm blows, through a realm of reflection, ye will fall into oblivion."

The corridor closed and the knight laughed away, the keyblade duo growled as Cloud felt half of the riddle. "Summit... gods...Olympus?!" He and Aerith looked to each other as Tifa heard intense thunder and an explosion, feeling jealous and asking. "But... what about the other half of that riddle?"

Aerith shrugged as Kairi listed down. "He has.. the elements of fire, water, earth and wind. He took a lot of ice magic, time magic, life magic... and now... magnetism and gravity." Aqua gasped. "The elements of magic?! He needs to find electricity and... reflection magic to complete that collection."

Cloud nodded to that. "You will find plenty of electricity near Olympus if you get on the wrong side of Zeus." Ken looked to the vast distance, was blabbering and caused the group to look upon a forming mass of dark pixels in the center of the town.

A gargantuan structure near the size of the castle loomed from the rift, a wide black obelisk, decorated from all its sides in large metalic leeches that seem to be staring upon them. On its four sides were round orbs feeding into guns. Cloud, Aerith and Tifa looked exhausted as Aqua gave off a sweat. Kairi realized her teacher was nervous at the size and insisted. "Master we... got to stop this-" Kendry readied his weapons and watched a Stormcast fly after the obelisk, he smiled with confidence. "We can, let's take this-" PULSE! The obelisk pulsed and caused Anatesis to spin out of control and landing bellow. The group realized flying wasn't going to work as two of the guns aimed at them.

In the computer room.

Cid placed a disk inside an I/O and gave Ienzo the chance needed. Seeing a flat ship meant for four people. The scientist thanked the engineer and looked at the design. "Excellent, this should do as a replacement." Tap! Tap!

Cid had his own news for him. "We better hurry and shut that virus down before those pyramids blow us all up," Ienzo agreed with that. "Even gave me a message a minute ago. He, Dilian and Aeleus barely kept that...Monolith busy until someone much stronger came to deal with it. When Aeleus or Tifa had problems with them, then what was sent... isn't appealing." He watched the station that Sora, Donald, Goofy and the altered Tron awaited within and pressed a button. "Cid just sent you four something to finally track down that virus. A...light jet."

PEW! A black, folded ship pixilated in the place of the solar sailer, the ship glowed bright white lights. It opened a door for the four to walk in, Tron tried to wave to the two, not staring at them. "Thank you,... we... will clear things from here." Rumble! Rumble! The two heard havoc outside and counted the seconds.

In the computer.

Sora was smiling wide like a young boy. Donald and Goofy manned the main, three person cock pit. Tron took the back seat for the rear gun and asked. "Do...you...remember the way?" They three nodded as Donald took the pilot seat. "Straight ahead." Sora and Goofy have a grip on two sets of joy sticks that were complimented with shining blue buttons. Feeling the side guns move as Tron was comfortable in the tail gun. Donald grabbed onto his joy stick and pressed a button, the group felt the jet wings unfold and turn to the tunnel leading out, flying into a vast void of black tiles that were marked by pixels. ZOOM!

The jet flew in high speeds and pushed against the trio, nearly pulling their lips against their face as they adjusted. Tron fired something from behind and alerted. "Scythes, incoming!" Donald looked at the screen showing a rear view and found a trio of black, crescent ships piloted by robotic skeletons. The three ships had a ray like gun bellow, glowing brightly, Donald pulled against the joy stick and caused the jet to fall behind the scythes that missed their lethal looking death rays. "Fire!"

Sora and Goofy focused on the right most scythe, firing beams of white light that caused its crescent wing to break apart and fall into the digital sea. The other two scythes adjusted the guns bellow, the side guns rotated to their rear as the death ray flipped backwards. The guns glowed as Donald directed the jet to the right and accelerated. "Sora, look at the screen and aim!"

The boy did so and saw the image of the ship flying past the left side of a scythe, he fired and caused the jet to slow down and be subjected to the rear gun finishing it off. Donald looked down at the screen and notice the remaining scythe try to ram the jet. Donald had the jet fly above to dodge and left Goofy and Tron to pick it off.

The four cheered in victory and kept a smooth flight towards what looked to be a massive pyramid on top of an island. Sora asked Donald. "Where did you know how to fly a plane?" The duck answered proudly. "I learned it at the navy before I became a magician." Sora had no idea what a navy is and awkwardly kept his other question to himself as the jet reached the island and slowed the jet Tron looked at something from the jets tail and was in disbelief. "It...was...here?" The three wondered what, landed the jet and parked it, the four walked out to find a purple and grey solar sailer with in a green force field. Goofy wasn't impressed and had his eyes half closed. "It was stolen the whole time?!"

The rest were just as annoyed, the pyramid looked relatively unguarded as Sora and Tron charged in, the boy had his keyblade ready as the program had his chakram glowing blue. The mage and shield bearer followed, entering what looked to be a massive, alien throne room. Trazyn sat upon the throne comfortably as five ten squad rows of Necrons, lead from the front by one Necron Lord in each, wielding a staff of light and awaited the overlord's command. Trazyn counted a piece of data cube as useful and sent it into the vast vault. "Ah, this sounds intriguing. The password for the DTD... that would be useful if my creator decides to visit the town again." He noticed the four and greeted them like guest into a museum. "Welcome, I see that your friends found a way to assist you through that-" He laughed in the humor. "complication." He stood up high and knew Sora and Tron have the power to just delete him. "Before we partake in such a barbaric act, I have considered what you said."

Sora wasn't buying the trick. "Yeah right, you're just putting up an act." Trazyn pressed his hands together and answered. "Oh no," He looked upon Tron with admiration. "For a program to embrace being an anomaly is a treasure among the vast system, among those that do as they were built. Never questioning a greater purpose. For a program to forge such bonds with these... users and to fight back against those who threaten them-" He clapped to Tron. "Bravo." Tron readied to throw his disk as Trazyn contemplated. "Yet for me, I am but a simulacrum designed to infect and destroy. Could this vast collection." He raised his hand towards the vaults of data. "Be what the original loved to do? Is this truly what I desire?" He shrugged and looked content. "Perhaps some day I would like to meet the original Trazyn and see how close my programmer was to perfecting me. That is what I truly wish."

The door behind the four closed and left behind the darkness, with the green tesla glow illuminating the way as the four half regretted crushing the virus's dream. Tron tossed his right disk mid air and let it float as Sora aimed his keyblade at the disk. PEW! A beam of light shot at Trazyn, deleting the skeleton and causing a lord from the back left to radiate into the form of Trazyn. "But alas, it is time I finally finish this game. My collection would be at its most... sublime with you four."

The Necrons aimed their guns as Goofy realized. "Trazyn is using the fancy looking guards as doubles! If we get rid of them first, we might get the real one!" Sora and Tron understood, the boy jumped to the right as the program jumped to the left. They dived into the separate rows of warriors and carved into them, causing the many to break apart in pixels as Trazyn approached Sora with his staff in hand. Goofy raised his shield and gave Donald a boost to jump high into the air with his wand and shoot down a rain of fire, ice and lightning, knocking the infantry down and for the two remaining lords to use a shiny green orb and use them to bring back the dead.

Trazyn let loose a swarm of scarabs upon the boy by surprise, the very ones that scrambled Tron. Sora set up a reflective barrier as Tron spun to kick the skeletons down and threw a chakram at Trazyn, stopping his scarab attack and giving Sora the change to form change into his own disks. He threw two at Trazyn and kicked him back into the boomerang, he caught them and tossed them at the lord and three of his minions, causing more of the virus to become deleted. The boomerang deleted a lord and left Trazyn to suffer from a point blank formation of a staff.

Tron jumped to the back right lord and out of the way, Sora obliterated Trazyn and a whole squadron of warriors with their lord. Leaving the middle front by their lonesome and the back right lord to take the form of Trazyn. Goofy spun to the front row warriors and gave Sora the chance to throw himself at the remaining lord, stabbing it through the chest and bringing deletion. Trazyn sighed alone and readied his cloak. "That which I infected, could be infected again!"

He flung small scarabs at Tron, the program had a white shine with in and pulsed, causing the scarabs to fizzle away and leave the Overlord cornered. Tron kicked Trazyn back and flung his disks at the virus, causing it to fizzle in blue light, the lord jumped up and struck Tron with his staff. Sora rushed after the virus and swung, Trazyn parried and it felt like he was smiling at the keyblade. "A keychain that unlocks greater potential. Where did you get the idea of form changing?"

Sora wasn't answering and struck Trazyn in the face as Tron shook off the damage and watched the boy form change his blade, flinging Trazyn and giving the skeleton a swift beating. Sora and Tron stood side by side, the duo used their disks to form a staff and aimed it at the virus. Trazyn got up and stilled before his obliteration. "Fascinating."

PEW! A massive beam engulfed the virus and caused it to glow blue, the entire pyramid gave off a blue glow. Goofy and Donald felt what was happening. WOOSH! Pixels broke apart from the virus and the arena broke apart with it, like an instant, the four felt the blue light shine and were above a blue light. Free from footing and they looked to find an inner dome severely damaged, blocks of data laid on the other end of the dome, as far as the eye can see. Tron realized what was to happen and tried to warn of something, gravity took hold and the four fell into the lake. In a splash, the four felt themselves in a continuous fall, surrounded by a blue void. Deeper into the dark, Tron tried to control himself in the fall, grabbed a disk and threw it to Sora. "Catch!"

The boy listened, caught the disk and felt it fly towards a falling Donald, the duck held on to the boys legs as the disk flew to Goofy, the shield bearer caught the ducks legs. The trio felt the disk elevate them back to the surface and to a stable edge. Thud! Sora dropped the disk and watched it fly back into the pit. The trio relaxed to Tron's fate, it wasn't the first time he was in that pit and he was perfectly fine. Clap! Clap! Clap!

The trio looked to their right and found an armored man in red robes, flickering in and out of existence and had a hint of green fire. Donald quacked and put the connections in place. "Ahriman!" The sorcerer nodded and kept clapping. "Very good, so much knowledge about the data in this world by observing. That virus has served me well, despite all this-" He pointed his staff to the data blocks. "Having to be postponed." Sora jumped up and drew his blade. "You sent that virus?!" Ahriman nodded and had his gaze upon him. "Indeed Sora and by luring you here, all is in place." He glowed and aimed his hand to the three, pinning Goofy and Donald down as Sora felt something gazing upon his mind, feelings of uncomfortableness were exposed as Ahriman asked politely. "But enough about you. Come along Roxas, show me your story."

Sora and a certain person deep with in gasped in shock. They tried to shield their mind and felt misireble memories flash before their eyes, former allies calling the name Roxas, a red spiky haired friend both recognized. Sora felt he was hallucinating more and felt he saw Roxas approaching Ahriman with his keyblades ready, whimpering desperately. "Get out!"

Ahriman ignored his plea. "It's no wonder you're fate was special among the others, you are a rare breed of Nobody, from one who became a heartless and lived to tell the tale. In a little more my use for you will be at a-" FLASH! Sora and Roxas felt themselves on top of a tower, sitting next to an odd, blurred figure. It looked to be slightly smaller then they and had short black hair. FLASH! The memories flicked like a page of a book, Sora and his other half held in their hands that same black haired figure, causing both to cry tears. Both were begging as one. "S...Stop." Ahriman looked confused at what he found. "This...person, seems to have been very important to you Roxas, but why is this memory so... faded?! Hmm."

Rumble, rumble. The duo felt Ahriman's grip lessening in their minds, the Sorcerer stopped and let himself fade. "I think I seen enough, so begins my next study." The mental hold lessened, Sora and Roxas felt confused and hurt, why was a memory they couldn't remember nestled deep with in the mind?

PEW! Thud!

Sora, Donald and Goofy felt the shine of light and found themselves before the duo of Ienzo and Cid. The scientist asked without a hesitation. "That Sorcerer was behind this?! Sora, Donald, Goofy are you alright?" Donald and Goofy were more concerned for the boy who felt like he was having a head ache. "Ahhg. What is he up to?!"

Cid had no idea and felt the rumbling stopping, he looked down a window to find Leon, Yuffie and Mickey all tired out from a constant fighting. "This is a mess thinking about." Bleep! Cid and Ienzo noticed the system attempting a self repair, they typed away as Goofy asked. "So Tron is going to be alright?"

Cid pressed a few buttons and nodded. "He'll be fine after we defrag all the bugs that Trazyn Virus did to him." Ienzo agreed with that and watched the lab door open. "For a program like that to pull through after nearly being unmade... could a heart come even from that?"

Leon, Yuffie and Mickey entered and saw the trio laying down, the trio got themselves up to let them know they are fine. Sora asked Mickey. "Could we talk once we check the town... again?" The mouse nodded as Ienzo informed him. "This knowledge needs to be spread along and soon."

Outside the castle.

A vast group of fifteen people tried their best effort to attack the obelisk firing all its guns at them, failing spectacularly as Riku, Kairi and Aqua were blown to a corner, Anatesis and Moonfang kept trying to survive off of desperate heals from Aerith as they jumped after the obelisk and failed. Ken firing for all he can and wasn't able to even reach the high floating fortress as Cloud and Tifa's attempts at a leap end in a failing thud of gravity sending the two falling down hard, Wanda ordering six strangers to focus on the green orbs and Elrena yelling at her. "Do you think we are not trying that!"

The obelisk and the wrecked monoliths gave off a blue glow and dissolved in pixels, fading away from existence, Riku was the most dazed and asked. "What...what the heck was that?!" Anatesis was sore and answered. "I don't want to know, but it looks like it's...gone." Kairi tried to get her dazed teacher up and was thankful for that. "Someone deleted that... virus we heard about, but how did this happen in the first place."

Aqua regained her vision and felt a concussion as she noticed Sora, Donald, Goofy and Mickey arriving to see a complete wreckage, the four were speechless as Mickey called a meeting. Alright settle down, what happened?"


	31. Evil from Across the Realms

In the district, the vast group was reduced to that of Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aqua and a tired out Ken. Riku asked. "Ahriman was responsible for all of this?!" Sora nodded. "And... he wanted to know about Roxas... but... that lead to more questions." The boy felt a head ache as Mickey asked. "We can't let him do what he wants, what ever it is will mean more trouble for all of us."

The rest of the group agreed as the plan was in motion, Sora had Goofy and Donald follow him to a train. "We will be back, if we can find a way into that world... we can stop Ahriman before tomorrow." Donald and Goofy yelped and followed as Aqua felt there was more reasons for her trip. "I'm not sure if this town can survive another attack like this." Ken looked to the scorched buildings and promised her. "It won't! Those Monoliths wouldn't go down and I don't think keyblades would cut it." Kairi agreed and had her hands at her hips to lecture. "But firing melta shots and throwing... I think it was a grenade of light took care of that one." Riku cringed. "Or smashing the monolith so hard that it might as well have not been there."

Kendry looked exhausted and worn out. "But that obelisk was impossible. Garland is sounding like he is two crystals away to doing something big and cataclysmic." Aqua pointed towards his house. "I know, its tiring just to think about it," She smiled to both him and Kairi. "The two of you have done excellently despite the pitfalls. Well done." The students appreciated it, Ken yawned. "Thank you Miss, I'll go get some rest." He left the group be, Aqua looked decided on the next day and asked Kairi. "If you see Kendry or Ana again before I do, tell them that the three of you have the day off."

The student gave a small bow. "Thank you Master, a lot this can't wait anymore." Aqua agreed to that and smiled with Mickey as Riku asked. "Now we need to figure out how Garland knew about these things... they are no coincidence." Kairi shrugged. "Someone told him this would happen and he... doesn't seem to be lying. Sora... please don't go after Ahriman alone."

At Twilight Town, with in the mansion.

Sora, Donald and Goofy watched Pence type something up as Hayner fully agreed with what he was told. "Looks like it's about time someone beats that guy up." Olette agreed with him. "That Sorcerer messed his friend up and those Necrons would have killed someone."

Pence typed the password. "Sea Salt Ice-cream." PEW! He spun his chair back and announced. "It's all set." He looked upon the three worried. "Don't go rushing into that other world yet; if Ahriman expect all that, he might be expecting us following him right away."

Sora understood that. "What did he want with Roxas in the first place?" He folded his arms and felt a presence feeling conflicted, Hayner shrugged like that wasn't the part he cared about. "What ever the reason, he hurt Roxas by going into things better left unknown," He yelled out to the unknown. "Roxas, if you can hear us, we got you're back."

The presence Sora felt seemed calming down as a beam into the virtual world opened up, Goofy promised the teenagers. "We will be back in a jiffy." The trio went into the beam and into the virtual world, with in ruins, Sora felt warm in the heart and wondered. "Roxas really did know them." Donald wanted him to snap out of it. "Come on, let's find the corridor and get out of here."

Sora agreed with that as a curious thought came to be. "If Ahriman came here... then he was interested in Organization XIII. Why he wanted to see Roxas that badly... but what is he going to do with that info?" He followed his friends to a passage way down a hall, finding no corridor, the boy walked close to the corner and asked. "Hey what gives?!"

Donald placed his hand on his forehead as Goofy answered with similar annoyance. "They figured out that corridor was going to be a problem and closed it up." Sora felt sheer annoyance and tightened his fists. "And we can't find another way into that world because the Realm of Darkness could still be one daemon filled nightmare. What are we going to do?" Donald answered that with his own patience being low. "Nothing here, come on!"

The trio went back the way they came and back into the real world. Olette was the first to guess by the annoyed expressions. "They closed that door?" Sora and Donald nodded as Goofy sighed. "Yep." Olette snapped her fingers. "Darn it. Now what?" Sora sighed and had his hands on the back of his head. "If we come back empty handed, they will feel as down as the rest of us." Hayner agreed with that and advise as Pence got up. "There isn't really anything we can do about it now. Is... there something else going on?" The trio nodded as Sora looked defeated. "There is, but it isn't something you should worry about." The party of six concluded that there wasn't much of anything for them in the manor at the manor and took their leave, wanting to check the bistro for anything new.

In a rebuilding Radiant Garden.

Aqua guided Kairi and Anatesis to the near outskirts of town during a late afternoon, the Stormcast asked out loud. "That was what the lad's move turned into?!" Aqua nodded and looked back to the rest of the town. "A... dark move, He is just going to keep kicking himself over that until he gets it right." Kairi felt the pity. "And a lot of us are going to finally head back out there. Is he just going to stay behind to deal with that?"

Ana shook her head. "That's a bad idea even if he has this Bryn at his call." She looked interested in an adventure. "This Olympus sounds promising of answers if we are to stop Garland." She smiled wide with an eagerness for battle. "Herc might give me a reason to go all out without killing anybody by accident."

Aqua approved of the intent. "You're pretty powerful compared to any of us, so they could use the help." She stopped to think about it and heard a long yawn from behind, finding Kendry looking refreshed if a bit drowsy. "Haaaa! Sorry about being grumpy at the end Miss. I over heard Ana talking about Brynhildr, I always feel her waiting out there for me to go on another adventure, even after flying her towards some pretty scary things." He asked his teacher. "Miss, you said you need to go to that wizard tomorrow? May...may I come with you? I'll stay around the town if we know Ahriman isn't going to show up."

Aqua sighed and answered without hesitation. "No one's stopping you, but this isn't a lesson trip," Ken accepted that. "I just need to stay away from shotlocks for a while. I don't exactly need THAT move anyways and if I just keep doing it over and over-" He stopped as Kairi gave him a thumbs up. "That could be dangerous if something like that Darklurker shows up in real life while you are doing that."

Anatesis agreed. "Very!" Aqua nodded with another warning. "Or because you did use that move. Someone will take advantage of that." She calmed herself with curiosity. "I... do... want to meet Brynhildr. She's your gummi ship?"

Ken nodded, noticed something and broke into a smile, the three turned around to find a scarred gummi ship resembling a valkyrie giving off a beep of joy. The boy returned it back and rushed to her to give her an embrace. "Bryn! I'm sorry for not seeing you lately." The trio watched the affection and the signs that she had an intense battle, the Gummi Ship flashed a light on the cybernetic arm, Ken looked upon at his injury and sighed. "I had to fight against that Warmaster and he was the reason I was given a new arm. Can we not talk about that?" The light ceased its flash as Anatesis whistled. "Ya sure gave her a fine name."

Ken listened and gasped. "Bryn, how rude am I?" He stepped back and introduced the Stormcast. "This is the person I kept telling you about. Anatesis. She came back from her home to help us against the coming Chaos." The Gummi Ship flashed red lights as Ana answered. "I'm afraid we might still be having that, though that whole invasion was put to a halt thanks to you." The red lights became blue as Kairi stuck her tongue out silly. "It still isn't over." Kairi and Ana approached the ship to give her respect as Kendry had one more to introduce, he smiled towards Aqua. "I don't know what Magi was thinking when he did what he did, but I'm kind of glad this made Bryn who she is."

The teacher approached the gummi ship and asked. "These kinds of ships are what is used to travel between worlds today?" She felt like she really needed to catch up as Ken introduced his ship. "Bryn, this is Aqua. My teacher for the keyblade stuff I been learning and she is the reason I was able to pull that off." He blushed like he was confessing something. The lights of the ship flashed to a pattern of green lights that looked like a smiley face. The flashes took the form of a surprised face, the ship noticed Sora, Donald, Goofy talking with Riku, Mickey and a stalwart Dracoth. The group turned around and Aqua felt there was a change of plans. "I want to know more about these. Thank you for introducing yourself Bryn."

She asked. "Have you tried, talking with the others?" The lights shifted to an uncertain face, like she tried something she shouldn't have. Ken gasped. "You did and you think they are acting up because of you?! Bryn, it's lonely out there. Go talk to them more." The ship's lights changed to a closed eyed smile, Bryn took flight out to the unknown and left the four to meet up.

Riku felt he was having a head ache. "So we have no way into that world. Great, who is to say Ahriman isn't working with her now and are plotting something together. Gathering a cabal of villains is the next thing on their list." Mickey nodded to that. "Now we really need to stop Garland. Ahriman and Maleficent have most of the organizations secrets and they are going to use that for-" Sora guessed the rest. "To find Kingdom Hearts?! Here we go again." The dull tone spoke the rest as Ana moved into the conversation. "So it looks like most of us are heading towards Olympus while Lady Aqua takes her trip to that town I hear about. There might be one complication and her name is Brynhildr." Kendry nodded. "She wants to fly again and I... promised that I will keep out of trouble while Miss does business." The group had no problems with that as Kairi smiled tauntingly. "That would mean I get to go out on my adventure again! Ha." She promised the boys proudly. "I'll send a picture if the place is cool." She cheered loudly. "Together we will get to the bottom of this mess!" Sora's defeated mood lessened and he joined in. "Yeah, let's all do it together!" The group laughed about that, a resolve to last for the day.

In a lobby with in a black and white castle.

The Replica watched Ztardon carry away an ice chests worth of fish and a bucket of clams as Ahriman approved and finished a small lesson. "And with their only way here barred, we are free to do as we please." The Replica understood and kept his thoughts under control. "Because after that, Sora wants to kick your butt. You're not going to pull what you already pulled on me?"

Ahriman raised a finger and answered. "This is the problem, if that person Roxas knows about is that shrouded from his mind... yet he holds that person close... why?! This isn't something I could manipulate as easily as I did with bringing you back from the grave." He placed his hand under his chin as the Replica pressed his right fist on the palm of his right hand. "Because that person is different from what happened to me. But what?!" He asked. "If...you, can find that link, would it be worth bringing another person up for this scheme of yours?"

Ahriman listened as he sensed something coming. "I could, but when you are over generous, people will become dependent on you. Unless you are a god, you will only be able to provide what you can. Think about what you can actually do for others before you force yourself into a binding of which there is no going back from. With this small choir, I neglect one important aspect about you that might have been useful right about-" RIIIIIING!

Ahriman went to the door as an intruder alarm blared, the Replica took out his sword to join on the defense and was given orders. "Don't waist your effort now. Allow me to handle this." The Replica refused. "Oh come on, who could be coming here no-" ROOOOOOOOOAAAAAR! A combined, hellish roar answered his question as Ahriman ordered in a harsher tone. "You're skills are commendable, but it is far from ready against these foes! Remember where you stand."

The Replica felt the fear in his heart and nodded in obedience. "D...don't get killed." He ran to his room and left Ahriman to make his way to a large two part room, finding Maleficent and Pete's forces being quickly cut down by fifteen knights on mutated steeds that rushed through a bridge. The Sorcerer focused his mind and appeared before the knights, he raised his staff and summoned a disk, ready to take the knights head on, the emblems look familiar and Maleficent asked spitefully. "Friends of yours?" Pete laughed nervously as he asked. "We just.. want to know since these fellah's are looking all... chaosy."

Ahriman tapped his staff and caused his ten rubric marines to appear out of thin air along with ten terminators. "They are not kin of mine! Dismiss your forces and I will demonstrate." The shadow like heartless sank into the ground as the knight like heartless were dispatched by the intruders. Maleficent raised her staff and gave the rubrics a green super natural glow. "This will aid them, do not disappoint us."

Ahriman snapped his fingers and eight of rubrics rapid fired their guns as two others fired super natural fire at the knights. The knights raised their shields, felt the impact of bullets that melt through their armor and felt a burn from the fire. One of them ordered. "They hold chaotic fire! Take that sorcerers head!" The knights roared as the terminators whirled their autocannons and fired their shoulder mounted missiles.

The knights realized the amount of fire power was ready to do them in a barrier of the arcane and darkness shielded them. Ahriman backed away and asked. "But... ho-" He sensed two powerful presences nearby and nearly quaked as Maleficent was in an agreement. "They have masters supporting them." She smiled slyly. "Isn't that right Xehanort?" Step! Step! Step!

A white haired man in a scientists attire, a masked boy with red and black armor approached, with them was a being the most terrifying; crawling from the hall way. A blackened winged demonic beast with three heads, each one resembling an aspect of Khorn, Tzeentch and Nurgle, being ridden by a horned black knight with a blacken shield and a massive red sword. Ahriman looked astonished from under his helmet at the dark lord. "Wha...how... what is a Lord of Chaos Undivided doing here?!" The knight aimed his sword upon him. "CLAIMING THIS HUSK OF A FORTRESS FOR MY OWN AND YOU WILL CEASE YOUR PALTRY ATTEMPT AT DEFENDING THIS KEEP IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU, SORCERER! Dorghar, lower yourself and guard the outer castle!"

The steed lowered himself to the platform as the Chaos Lord kept a glare upon Ahriman. The scientist watched the Chaos Lord jump onto the platform and advised. "Archaon, perhaps there is a much more suitable way to make use of these...squatters." Archaon agreed with his partner in crime. "There is, Xehanort, leave this Tzeentch worshiping mortal to me."

Ahriman took offense to that. "I serve no god! You... you are... not-" He was feeling confusion as Archaon introduced himself. "I am not from the realm you came from! I am the Grand Marshal of Chaos, from realms that would seem primitive to you." Ahriman shook his head and felt something connected. "So that is why-" He felt a thought nearby and looked upon Xehanort, realizing quickly who he was. "You... you were the lord of this castle?!"

Xehanort folded his arms and stoically answered. "In a past life, I was and today, I still am." Archaon lowered his blade. "But we are feeling generous and decided against slaughtering you for this insolence." Xehanort nodded to that. "And allowing you four and your minions to remain as... guests." He turned and requested from Maleficent. "You are to meet us at the Altar of Naught, I have a preposition for you that you were keen on anyways." Maleficent stepped back as Pete felt the menacing presence from the masked boy, the witch accepted. "We are, but it is for a greater purpose?" The scientist nodded as Ahriman teleported his rubrics away and requested to the witch. "While you, Pete and the rubrics stay on the balcony, I will have to deal with my own preposition."

The two listened and let Ahriman teleport them out of the way, the sorcerer held his staff in hand. "You think me as but a simple sorcerer that knows little of the universe, Xehanort? You have no idea how long I traveled the stars in search for knowledge, I am not some subordinate to dance to your tune!"

Xehanort hovered, drew out his keyblade and caused a shadow beneath to take form as the masked boy stepped back and laughed at Ahriman. "And you couldn't figure your way around the worlds?! HA!" Archaon glared at the masked boy as Xehanort had the two step back, he formed a barrier and taunted the Sorcerer. "We will see where you stand Sorcerer."

The man readied for battle and in his right hand formed a sinister keyblade, Xehanort flew after Ahriman in fast speeds and swung, the Sorcerer's disk flew back to avoid, Ahriman looked down and watched a shadowy demon attempt to upper cut him. The seeker of darkness vanished in shadows and tried to strike the sorcerer from behind, Ahriman turned, parried with his staff and noticed the shadow demon rushing after him. Ahriman glowed and disappeared behind the man, swinging back at him with his staff, Xehanort disappeared into the shadows with the demon. Leaving the sorcerer to try and focus. WOOSH!

The shadow demon burst from the shadows along with the scientist that shot to Ahriman like a bullet and let loose a two swing combo. Ahriman took it and jabbed with his staff, Xehanort vanished to dodge as the shadow demon leaped at the Sorcerer. BOOM! An explosion of darkness came, Ahriman vanished to the side, raised his staff into the air and let loose a storm of warp fire. The shadow demon blocked the fire from his master, Xehanort shot a dozen orbs of darkness at the Sorcerer that aimed his free hand and let loose a barrage of blue bolts of energy, pushing through the orbs and knocking Xehanort back. He growled to Ahriman. "Submit!" The shadow demon flew high into the air and shot a massive orb of dark energy that warped the surroundings and pulled against the Sorcerer. Ahriman sparkled in power and flew towards the orb that tried to collide with it. PEW!

Ahriman disappeared and once again appeared behind the scientist that watched the orb collide into the ground and explode in dark blue power. "Clever, perhaps this is why you held onto this place for so long." Parry! The two clashed weapons once more, the barrier broke apart and the two ceased their sprawl.

Ahriman called a truce. "You have a plan to rise back to glory and this is to see if I am of any use to you?" Xehanort dismissed his keyblade and shadow demon. "And it is the reason you are not wasting anymore resources on this... game." Ahriman nodded as his disc lowered to the ground and vanished, leaving the sorcerer to look up the balcony. "Precisely, the fact that you are not allowing me to simply read you like so many others have is enough reasons for me to listen."

He took interest in Archaon. "You are at much a loss about the worlds as I am?" The Everchosen nodded back. "That I am, Sorcerer, but it takes much to keep you from cowering. What have you wrought?"

Ahriman had a small resume to verbally explain. "Pilfering the knowledge of this castle and towards the secrets of the worlds that my... partner showed me." The masked boy snickered to that. "Oh we're sure you were learning about nothing. What else are you hiding?" Ahriman sensed a vast void of negativity as Xehanort coughed to to the boy. "Vanitas, while you are here, you are to restrain yourself! I have a task for you soon." He politely requested. "Come, it is about time we begin."

In a room in the castle.

The Replica tried to read from a comic book as he listened to destruction ensuing. Feeling trapped and terrified to the unknown as a quiet knock was heard, he felt a presence that was familiar, but not trusting. He opened to find a skittish Ztardon looking behind him in paranoia and extended his hand left hand. "He who's fate is unknown, take into vision who is welcome in this room! Hurry!"

The Replica placed the book away and asked. "Orders from Ahriman?" The shaman nodded. "And in my own interests." The Replica obeyed and took the hand with his left, he had a vision of himself, the many Tzaangor and Ahriman. He aimed his hand to the door as the Tzaangor chanted. "Bindings of will power, see these images and allow only they to pass the confines! Until this soul deems another worthy of entry." He cawed loudly and caused a symbol of a fist to form in front of the door, a glow of blue and surrounded the room, giving the Replica a feeling of safety.

The boy felt the Tzaangor let go and asked. "Ztardon, what that was about?" The shaman jumped and tabbed his feet. "Master... met three of great power and among them is something of pure malice. He thinks you need sanctuary from that... at least."

The Replica rolled his eyes. "Great, want to bet that one of those three was someone who actually owns this place? Ahzek... please know what you are doing." Ztardon felt something forcing its way with in, it ejected out. The Tzaangor laughed maliciously. "Master knows, I think it is appropriate to learn of the corridors." He looked upon a corner of the room. "The way in and out... at you leisure."

The Replica smiled to that and went to put on his black coat. "Just so I can get out of here without risking running into what ever creeps are in this castle. Is this Ahzek's order as well?" Ztardon rolled his eyes. "He simply asked me to tutor you when he cannot." The Replica laughed sinisterly and put on his black coat over his disguise. "He wants me to be along for his plans... and at the same time, both of you want me to be free. Someday I will figure out what this all means... maybe then-" He shook his head and asked. "So... how do I open a corridor?" The Tzaangor pointed to the corner. "Focus your will and your desire, the path will open."

At the summit of the castle.

Xehenort looked upon the black sky and felt something was missing as Maleficent and Ahriman waited. Archaon noticed Vanitas trying to focus his vision towards something and ordered. "Pay attention, for you will be let loose soon enough." The masked fiend obeyed. "I wouldn't have to if someone wasn't trying to hide something from us, aren't we oh Sorcerer of Dust."

Ahriman sharply turned to him and wanted to strangle him. "That secret is under my care and you are to NEVER address me as that again." Vanitas dismissed that with sarcasm "Sure thing, I'll stay out of your business, dusty." Ahriman glowed blue as Xehanort stoically called both of the two out. "We are aware that Ahriman committed an act... forbidden upon nature and is using the results for his own agenda. That is why we gather and why... we are not tearing each other apart."

Maleficent knew who the man was talking about and had her advise to Vanitas. "Keep your friends close... and your enemies closer." Archaon agreed with that and stood next to Xehanort to announce the plan and raised his burning sword into the air to shout. "BEINGS OF DARKNESS, WE GATHERED HERE BECAUSE WE HEARD THE CALLING! TO SEIZE THE HEART OF ALL WORLDS WITHIN THIS REALM! TO REACH KINGDOM HEARTS AND MAKE IT OUR DOMAIN!" Ahriman and Maleficent were nearly knocked back by the booming voice as Vanitas kept himself to the corner, Archaon lowered his sword, yet not his tone. "BUT TO OBTAIN IT, WE MUST OPEN THE WAY!"

He looked upon Xehanort, who had a tale to tell. "A long time ago, a great war had broken loose upon the world before it became the worlds. That war was for a key to open the way into Kingdom Hearts, the Χ-blade. That war engulfed the entire world and plunged it into chaos, shattering the X-blade into twenty fragments. The seven lights that open the way to the darkness... and the thirteen fragments of darkness." Maleficent knew what the lights were. "The Princess's of Heart?! But where do we know of the thirteen hearts of darkness?"

Ahriman placed his hand under his chin and knew of the concept. "Thirteen hearts bound to the worst of human nature?" Archaon agreed with the Sorcerer on that one. "Bound to their ambitions, their greed, their violence, their hopeless stagnate minds, those thirteen are divided!" Ahriman felt the words divided as a truth. "Much like the Four Chaos." Xehanort nodded to the knowing sorcerer. "But would those darkened hearts ever unite?"

Archaon shook his head and asked the cabal. "Not so long as they are allowed to scatter on their own. Is your wish for Kingdom Hearts the same as they who stand beside you?" Ahriman and Maleficent didn't even need to look at each other, the witch smiled smugly. "Of course not, only a fool would believe that." Xehanort gave a smile in that regard. "But perhaps we could simulate those thirteen hearts for that end."

Ahriman asked with a chuckle. "And how are you going to have twelve of us do what ever you say? Duplicated yourself and take over our hearts? Use your past lives as your willing pawns?" Xehanort's stare upon Ahriman became eerily annoyed. "That would be far too complicated and ridiculous to execute. No... the idea is before us, what of the blackened hearts that would not care for who wields the power of Kingdom Hearts? For those that simply wish to see the worlds burn and would make it so?"

Archaon answered with a question. "Those who's agenda do not hinder our own? That would be easier to control and separate the followers from the leaders." Vanitas answered that. "Or those who's hearts are tainted by the touch of Chaos." Xehanort pointed to him. "Exactly, once one goes down that path, they either rise as avatars of terror... or damn themselves."

He asked Ahriman. "You, who acts on ambition has taken a heart down upon that path?" The Sorcerer denied it. "I only teach him how to be his own free person, if he wishes to go down the path of darkness, it will be alone." Archaon dryly laughed. "Something so simple would draw someone cast aside so cruelly towards Tzeentch. He only serves you and your minions out of necessity."

Ahriman confessed to that. "When he finally has the wits and will to break from me, then will he show the ambition of the heart" Xehanort listened and asked on opportunity. "That... makes him a candidate. What other secrets have you uncovered?" Ahriman answered proudly. "Perhaps of another assistance for my plans, I have... acquired the knowledge of the Organization you gathered before from the one surviving member remaining. Through him... I learned of a distorted memory that has not been archived."

Xehanort closed his eyes, had memories of a certain project and answered. "I may know what you talk about. But before we begin gathering those candidates, we have a complication." Maleficent knew who he was talking about. "Sora and his friends would most certainly seek to stop us, they were shaken by the war against Chaos... but they still have not fallen."

Ahriman laughed boastingly. "The Imperium's lap dogs are already dead or... in no further position to hinder us. They would not be able to reach us here anymore, we have plenty of time to gather while they struggle to learn."

Xehanort agreed with just as much hubris. "Ah, but amongst them is one who could undermine our plans if she is allowed to. She who had traveled across many realms to return home. Vanitas... you may leave." Vanitas mockingly saluted and opened a corridor. "She'll get the message alright. Ha!"

He walked through it as Archaon considered the meeting over. "I have my own for the bearers of light, me and my Varanguard will be gone by morning." Swoop!

Dorghar flew to the summit and awaited his master to get on, leaving the two in staves and robes, Maleficent glowed in green fire for her own plan. "I was on my way to acquire an ally, he would be etiquette among the thirteen." WOOSH! Ahriman was left alone as Xehanort spoken of a name. "Xion...that is what you saw."

Ahriman suppose it was and advised him. "I know the location of Xion's demise, it is how I brought my ward back from oblivion. With a simple manipulation of time, the clock can be set back. But... we are to time ourselves at just the moment. It is directly underneath the one Imperial soul remaining and dispatching of her would make her even more of a threat again." Xehanort laughed amused. "One of them actually fell to darkness?!"

Ahriman rolled his eyes underneath his helmet. "It is slightly more complicated than that, but she gave up her light to dispel the taint of Chaos that was unleashed... by a daemon I am familiar with. As of now, that Sister of Battle is broken and she is to stay broken. I read into the memories of one of the guardians of these worlds, that is how I acquired the knowledge."

Xehanort agreed and asked. "What of that daemon? What do you know of it?" Ahriman answered and let a corridor open up. "A Daemon Prince that lurks with in the shadows, we are to not involve him with our plans. They are beings of darkness that gave up their humanity to become the instruments of the Chaos Gods."

That Xehanort understood. "For just one of them could unmake our plans and devolve it into pure chaos." Ahriman nodded. "It is a mistake another Sorcerer made. Sanity is a blessing. Now we can travel, for dusk comes." The two traveled into the darkness for a ritual unspeakable.

At a room.

The Replica opened a hole into the darkness and cheered. "YES! Finally." Ztardon nodded and chirped. "Excellent, do you know where it will take you?" The Replica nodded. "Towards the one town I know... he won't be coming to anytime soon. It's one of the reasons I went fishing and hunting over buying... what wouldn't even be close to what you got."

Ztardon pointed a finger and cawed. "So you do have your own plan!" He gave a respectful bow and walked backwards to the doorway as the Replica pointed back. "What I do from here isn't your business! You got what you wanted." The Tzaangor wasn't arguing and opened the door to travel through. "You learn fast."

The door closed, the Replica stepped into the corridor and ran as fast as he can, the one moment of true freedom from a mundane choir and freedom from the burdens of reality. A light was at the end of the tunnel, he rushed out to find himself in an alley way that lead to a vibrant, colorful town that was under gorgeous stars. The replica took off his coat, his sun glasses and hid under his hood, finding an ice cream stand that had two teenagers, one looking dog like and another looking cat like, waiting next in line. The dog like teenager noticed another coming. "Wow, check this one out P.J."

P.J turned and was impressed. "Nice duds!" He waved. "Hey!" The Replica waved back and kept his face in the dark, adjusting his voice to sound a bit younger. "Hey, I heard of about the ice cream here. Is it any good?" P.J nodded. "Ha! Totally, right Max?" Max nodded and felt there was another ice cream buddy to be had. "We come here every other night. What's your name?"

The Replica quickly thought one up. "Dupmic, the names Dupmic." The teenagers were fooled and welcomed him in, Max chuckled. "Well Dupmic, we got a late night arcade and no one is around to stop us. Think you can handle it?" The Replica took the challenge and readied his munny pouch, smiling to his options. "Totally."

At Twilight Town's tower.

It was the cover of night and two sinister figures standing before a ripple of shadow and warped distortions. Xehanort recognized the fuzzed vision before him. "So it was here it vanished off the face of the earth and from the memories of those who held it dear." Ahriman sighed and focused his will. "So much of Xion was wiped away that only a sliver trace of it existence was kept with in the subconsciousness. That boy really didn't wish to let it go, this might take much more than turning back the clock to make Xion remotely stable. Temporal manipulation is a delicate procedure as it is."

Xehanort cared little for that. "It will be stable, for its existence will have a different purpose." Ahriman understood and felt his fingers slipping from something. "A potential candidate much like the other and where his ambition will guide him." He relaxed his fingers and felt he was in a grip of something. "I think I got a tether of its essence." Xehanort felt the presence and tightened his grip, the two pulled and from the warped distortion, a body of ice formed, melding itself into what appears to be a young girl.

Xehanort crushed something with in his grip, Ahriman watched the distortions flicker away as the scientist explained. "So she would not defy us like she had before. Her memories will be brought to a slate, only you and I will know of her existence, for that will all she will know and envy. Is there one of the four that feeds off isolation and despair?"

Ahriman nodded and adjusted his hands. "Nurgle, it takes a desperate soul to seek company from him, he welcomes all, in spite of the madness." The ice vanished, the two looked upon a still girl with short black hair, the sorcerer picked her up and let the man know. "It is done." He looked around to find no one watching as Xehanort kept a corridor open and guided him. "Now let's leave before someone notices." The man disappeared as Ahriman followed, back to the realm of nothingness.

At an arcade.

The Replica finished a rabbit themed, honey dripped ice cream cone and watched Max and P.J play an odd fighting game that featured some characters he read about in a comic. Max was playing as a man in an iron futuristic suit as P.J picked a hulking green man. PEW! PEW! PEW! POW! The Hulk finished off an Iron Man with a mighty punch, ending a game with Max hiding under a hood in defeat and P.J dancing wildly in celebration. "Oh yeah, who smashes?" Max muttered. "Hulk smashes."

He turned to the hooded boy putting on sun glasses for what was assumed to be good luck. "Dupmic, you're saying you never played one of these in your life?" The Replica shook his head. "It's... complicated, but my Dad mostly got me books, including comics and manga. So it isn't that bad when I can tell who most of these characters are."

He took Max's place at the two person arcade machine and put in a couple coins. "Like this one." He moved over to a man in a mostly red suit with blue highlights, the red portion of the suit looked to be themed like a web and the man had black spider emblem to go along with the attire. "Peter Parker, also known as Spider Man. I wonder how he plays in this game." P.J had an adrenaline boost and put more coins in without a care. "Ha! Don't matter to me, P.J smash!"

The two picked a stage resembling a city and began battle. At the word fight, P.J went to the buttons like a fiend and caused Hulk to jump towards Spider Man to let loose a combo. The Replica adjusted his joystick upward and pressed a button to cause Spider Man to shoot a web to the ceiling and swing past Hulk, P.J knew what was coming. "Oh let's see how you can swing out of this!"

He caused Hulk to head butt against Spider Man to send him flying, Hulk let loose a combo again, finishing Spider Man off with a leap that brought down a Hulk driven meteor. SMASH! The first round ended. The Replica felt he gotten a strategy down and watched Hulk charge again, he had Spider Man slow Hulk down with web shots and went in for a quick hit and run combo. Tricking P.J into having Hulk charge after Spider Man, the Replica went for the web swing, dodged Hulk and had him slowed for another hit and run combo. The Replica pressed a button and smiled aggressively as Spider Man let loose a finisher that knocked Hulk out for the second round. Leading to the tie breaker. P.J tried to time the charge as the Replica had Spider Man jump over the Hulk, knock him into a combo and use the web sling to slow him down, using speed and hit and run to bring Hulk into another finisher. FLASH! "Player 1 wins!"

P.J's jaw dropped. "Wow!" The Replica folded his arms, felt his pockets were loose and sighed. "Hey, being hyper aggressive has its perks... but-" His smile became smug as he folded his arms in victory. "I can think two steps ahead of that. Good game."

Max looked at the time and cringed. "Eek! Look at the time." P.J turned and gasped. "Uh oh!" The Replica looked to find the time a couple hours short of midnight and sighed. "Well, that's that." The two teenagers agreed and went out with the Replica, wanting to get back home as Max casually in a calm manner thanked his new friend. "Sorry we couldn't show you more of the town, Dupmic, but this was fun."

The Replica agreed and felt relaxed. "It beats fishing and digging up clams. You two are alright. Hmm." He walked off in an attempt to look cool. "Maybe next time, I'll bring some comics along and try to come earlier." P.J looked forward to that. "Ha, that be cool dude." Max observed and wished the Replica off. "We will see ya." The Replica nodded and felt the parting, giving the most genuine smile he had in his whole existence as he went to the alley way, put on his black coat and thought to himself. "I'm stuck with a name that stupid until I can drop it, but it was so worth it."

His coat was on and he focused his ambition and desire to learn into making a corridor back home. He walked through it and traveled to the otherwise with ease, finding himself in a familiar lobby that reeked of death and flies. He took a whiff and looked around to find an image of nightmares, a sickly pale, bloated, humanoid demon with open sores, maggots wriggling with in the flesh, exposed entrails and a near fatherly smile that was comforting a teenage girl with short black hair and blue eyes. "And the wanker didn't even know you got up to explore?! That's a shame little Xion." The girl watched a tiny demonic puss ball of limbs and horns playing around in its own filth and asked depressed. "It isn't just him, why does everyone around me act like I don't exist?!" The demon rolled his beady red eyes looking just as confused. "Does it matter? We are here and we see you just fine."

The Replica wanted to scream and spoke at the insanity. "What the hell is this?!" The girl heard him, turned around and revealed ocean blue eyes, she asked desperately. "You are actually seeing me?!" The Replica nodded and was too terrified of the demon to draw his weapon. "Y...Yes." The demon gave a deep chuckle and smiled towards him. "She needs the company, even someone as foolishly ambitious as you would suffice."

The Replica felt petrified and was distracted by a tackle of affection, he felt Xion embracing him and instinctively embraced back. "H...Hey Xion." The girl looked up to him. "Yes?" He asked as he tried to look away from the demon that was being amused. "Do you mind if I try getting to the bottom of this, after that... I'll show you more in the morning."

Xion gave a wide, charming smile, like a little sister. "I would love to." The boy let go and watched her go back to the demon. "We are going to see what all this is about. Thank you for talking with me Bubon." The horned demon nodded back, looked like he was warmed in his rotten heart and watched a horned Sorcerer approach the room in horror. "If you feel alone again, I'll be here."

The demon and his smaller kin disappeared without a trace as the Replica turned to find Ahriman looking upon Xion. "Azhek, did you have something to do with this?" The Sorcerer looked around and ordered. "Not out here." He lead the children towards the warded room. With in, Xion was looking at all the books with glee as Ahriman answered. "Yes, I found information of another like you and sought to repeat the ritual with a... assistant of mine that was counting on that happening."

The Replica asked back. "But, you had you own plans for this since you were pretty jolly about owning this real estate yesterday." Ahriman chuckled and looked upon the jolly, if slightly foul smelling girl. "You could say... I'm the reason you were able to see and touch her. Xion." The girl turned around and looked at the otherworldly attire. "Hmm?" Ahriman lowered himself to explain. "Because of some instances in your past life, that I never delved in, you're memory has been reset. My... assistant, who you probably saw, considered to make your current condition much worse. But as the Replica said, I had my own plans. You are to not speak one word of this out of this room and should you go out on your own, you are to pretend that the world isn't aware of you... unless you find more anomalies like you and I." The Replica smiled to the rest of the plan. "Once that happens, we can mark it off as a glitch and deem it too late to do something about it."

Xion sighed. "But this does mean most of the people here wouldn't know about me or see me... if they do, they are going to pretend not to." Ahriman nodded and instructed the Replica. "In your closet is a spare mattress that was intended for something else. Repurpose it!" The boy did as instructed and realized what the something else was, tensing into a frown and taking it out, he laid it next to the window and put a pillow on top. "There, it's a bed, like its suppose to be, not a place for hostages."

Ahriman raised himself and gave no comment. "For now, you two share this room until further notice. Replica, what happens with her is on you, do you understand?" The boy nodded. "Clearly, I know what to do tomorrow."

Ahriman hoped he does and left for the door. "The Tzaangor may have found a pathway somewhere, so that should be your only task. Good night." He opened the door and walked past it, the Replica sighed. "Good night."

The door closed as Xion asked wide eyed. "What are we going to do?" The Replica answered and laid down on his bed. "Town, you need that thing washed and you need something more fitting for when we go out to the outer worlds. What Azhek didn't count on... or he might have, was we can go out at any time I want." Xion laid on something semi comfortable and looked forward to that. "You don't trust Ahriman?"

The Replica shook his head. "He was one of the people who brought you back and messed around with your head and he is keeping me around for what ever... puzzle box plan he is up to. But..." His eyelids half closed. "But it was nice of him to pull some strings under the other guys nose. If... some one asks about me, I'm Dupmic." He cringed as Xion thought nothing better. "It's better than being called a Replica. You thought of that name by yourself?" The Replica laid down exhausted. "Yes, now gets some sleep." Xion closed her eyes and felt her mind sailing. "Good night."

During a bright morning at Radiant Garden.

Sora, Donald and Goofy gave their goodbyes to Kairi, Aqua and Mickey at the exit of the town, the spikey haired boy noticed Riku, Ana and Moonfang coming. "So we need to find Herc and tell him about Garland." He smiled to Kairi and brightened her day. "I hope the next world is as fun as the last one." The warm smile radiated as Riku was talking something to Ana. "It could work for Moonfang to be with us even in places where she can't come... but what Merlin was suggesting sounds... extreme."

The Stormcast agreed and petted her willing Dracoth. "She connects with my heart and becomes a personal summon." She asked Aqua. "Lady Aqua, permission to see that summon stone?"

The keyblade master nodded and gave it to her. "What are going to do with it?" Ana held it close and placed it around Moonfang's neck, she aimed her hammer like keyblade at the pendent, it glowed with the stone and the Dracoth's heart. "Something unheard of until now, Lady Aqua." The Dracoth roared in valor as she and the pendent faded in star like light, the light connected with a storm like glow with in Ana's heart. The Stormcast's eyes gave off a glow mixing the two together and felt like two feelings became one. "Ha!" She smiled under her helmet and towards Riku. "Me and Moonfang will lend you our strength as we travel to Olympus."

The boy was near envious and decided against a desire. "I want to know more about those Dracoths." He turned to Mickey and wished him luck. "I hope you, Aqua and Yen Sid catch up." Donald smiled to that as Goofy wished the two being left behind luck. "Take care." The group gave a parting and split, leaving Mickey and Aqua behind, the mouse asked her. "Are you sure you want to take a gummi ship?"

Aqua nodded eagerly. "This how we travel between worlds these days and Bryn interests me. You can go take the train while I wait for my other student to wake up, he is normally early." Mickey understood and readied to leave. "I'm sure he is awake, I'll see you soon."

With him leaving, Aqua went to the main district to wait, feeling an odd presence watching her, she drew her keyblade out as she felt the eyes coming from the shadows. WOOSH! Aqua felt purple chains coming at her from the left and right, she rolled to her front and dodged two that crawled from the ground. She landed and was snared by four more, two tying her feet down and two tying her arms down, she pulled and thrashed as she noticed a figure silently walking from an ally, a certain red figure that had a keyblade ready. Aqua glared and pulled. "What is a freak like you doing here?!"

Vanitas asked back. "What are you doing here? Isn't there something you were suppose to do? Or did you put you precious friends to the sideline like I thought you would?" Aqua gritted her teeth and tried once more to pull, the chains were not letting her, she sensed the sadism that spoke. "It took you so long to get here and that's what you were doing." Vanitas raised his blade in the air for a strike. "I have message to deliver, the Darkness is coming whether you like it or not. Say hi to it fo-" PEW!

Aqua noticed a snipe shot from the south west corner, puncturing Vanitas in the chest and pushing him back, she and the fiend turned to find a sight that was less than comforting. A blonde boy in a brown jacket, purple shirt and black pants, Vanitas saw a cybernetic arm that held onto a gun like keyblade that aimed at him and was giving off smoke, on the boys other arm was a burning keyblade. Aqua wanted to yell at her student to run, Ken yelled out to Vanitas. "Get out of my town! Didn't you see all the wreckage? It doesn't need anymore havoc."

Vanitas turned towards the boy as Aqua helplessly tried to break free, he asked in an extremely disrespectful tone. "Who are you?" Ken spun his burning blade to flicker out an ember as he refused to answer. "Get out of my town or I'm aiming for your head." Vanitas looked at the keyblades, the awkward pose of a melee and ranged keyblade and laughed at Aqua. "HA! Is this what you were wasting your time on?!"

Ken had something to verbally shoot at. "I'm the reason she didn't leave yet and that's my teacher you're disrespecting." Vanitas found it more hilarious as Ken felt the gaze was upon his burning blade, the boy hissed to him as Aqua's mouth stiffened, she shook her head to warn him not to talk about the keyblade. The boy didn't get the warning and barked. "Yeah, yeah, where did I get a cursed keyblade like that? I shouldn't be running along with it. Tell me something I haven't already been told and get lost before I pull the trigger."

The laughter stopped as Vanitas realized the boy wasn't running and was in over his head. "Okay, how about this." PEW!

Vanitas vanished, Ken yelped and shot himself to the otherside of the district, dodging a swing and landing with his keyblades ready. He fired as his feet touched the ground, Vanitas's image stilled as the beam made contact, Ken jumped to his right and parried with his burning blade, parried the reappearing foe and was being pushed back as Vanitas coldly announced. "You're not coming out of this one alive."

Wack! He upper cutted and sent the boy flying, Vanitas went in for the kill as Aqua noticed a faint wind pushing her student back. Ken dodged with a flow of wind aimed his burning blade downwards and looked to be in pain, Vanitas aimed to shoot out a black orb with a fire in the center.

STAB!

BURST!

The fire close in to a figure that burst into flames, Vanitas looked astonished. "Wha-" Woosh! He turned to a corner he been, finding a flame expanding to as if it let something through and finding the boy rushing to another corner of the town, firing a charged shot at his foes stomach, causing a rather stinging feeling of pain. Ken placed his two blades together and yelled. "Eat this, you psycho!" Vanitas disappeared and appeared to the left of the boy, looking done with his tricks and readying a stab. Ken jumped back as both Cadia's Light and Firekeeper's Wish gave off a glow, one in light and the other in ashes, he stabbed the ground and gave off a flash of light. Vanitas felt blinded for a moment and found himself in a fog of ashes and cinders. "*PFF! You call that a finishe-" He realized what the boy did and heard the sound of chains being broken. WOOSH!

He turned, saw Aqua flying after him him with just fury, jumped out of the way and out of the fog cloud. PEW! He parried against a laser beam and realized he was cornered, he jumped back and caused a corridor to open, giving both a chill in their spines as he left in silence. Ken flashed back to a few silent gestures Aqua tried to give him and was given a sharp. "Kendry!"

The boy frowned and cringed. "Yes Miss?" He was met with a scolding gaze, Aqua asked. "What did you think you were doing?!" Kendry answered with his nerves functioning. "I was shooting first and thinking later about, how was I going to get to those chains with him after me. Then how I was going to shake him off, knowing he isn't dumb to let me." The scolding look didn't lessen. "So you used something like a smoke bomb to do it, using a flash of light so he won't see you in the ashes as you made a run to free me." Ken nodded. "I don't think that's going to work again." He looked across the town. "Daemons, looneys ready for war, monoliths... I don't like seeing this town get wrecked. Where else can we go?"

Aqua snapped her fingers to demand focus. "Kendry, pay attention." The student stood firm, the teacher had another on the list. "And he wasn't helping this place recover. If you didn't come and done that... it might have gone worse. Thank you."

Kendry guess that wasn't why he was being lectured. "But he knows me and things are reversed now?" Aqua nodded. "And if he is showing up...this means those other two I spoke of are somewhere among the worlds. You're good at escaping, think about that idea before you go out on your own and get yourself in a mess like that." She exhaled and smiled. "Are you ready to get going?"

The boy smiled back. "Yeah, there is a small detour on the way, maybe I will keep him from coming back if this thing we need... hadn't been blown up. Ha." He took out his gummi phone and texted. "The others need to know, both of the guys you talk about are pretty bad news." Aqua appreciated it and followed. "That would help them out. We will talk about this more when we get to the town, okay?"

Ken nodded and texted. "Town got hit by V. A and X might be around." He showed the text to his teacher, who approved. "They'll figure that out." Kendry sent it and lead the way out. "I hope they do."

With in the lane between.

Sora, Donald and Goofy noticed their gummi ship sailing more adventurous than they expected, heading towards the world they sought. Bleep! Sora picked up the phone and asked. "V, A...X?! What does tha-" He stopped thought about and nodded. "Oh. Those three we were told about. Vanitas...Archaon...Xehanort?!"

Donald and Goofy worried, the shield bearer asked. "Did something happened?" Sora nodded. "More trouble besides Garland." He felt himself close to the world and readied. "Let's hurry and find Herc." PEW!

In a flash of light, the trio found themselves under a mountain ledge, much to their surprise, the trio looked around and Sora asked. "No fanfare?" The boy poorly mimicked a trumpet and Donald tried to listen for it, he didn't hear it. "Uh-uh." Sora felt like he was losing it as Goofy looked around. "Nope, looks like we missed the Colosseum."

Donald had his hands at his hips. "Sora, you were the one driving." Sora laughed nervously and had his right hand behind his head. "I was a little off again. Sorry!" He gave a small flex in a gesture. "We'll find him, but we need to go!" He lead the way to the mountain, Donald asked. "Up the mountain?" Sora turned around and agreed. "Yeah, "Up" is the usual direction." The duck realized it was going to be a long trip as Goofy looked on the bright side. "Well, never hurts to have your head in the clouds."

Sora agreed back. "Exactly!" He walked off ahead, Goofy chuckled as Donald pouted, Sora let him know. "Hey. We're leaving!" The duck yelped, realized he was falling behind and followed, towards the sound of brief fighting, finding at the end of the tunnel, a structure with a couple columns and a blue marked floor, a heartless swarm of three knights, four shadows, a fat soldier and winged armored fiends were being quickly over run by Riku and Ana, the silver haired boy focused, hovered and fired a barrage of dim fire balls against the vast swarm as Ana crushed the fat soldier with a quick combo, bull rushed the shadows and caused her keyblade to change shape into a metallic axe. SWOOSH!

A cleave of lightning wiped most of the horde away, leaving the ones Riku was clearing out as the left overs. The trio let the arrivals know they were around. "Riku, Ana." The two noticed them, Ana looked high up the mountain as Riku had a rivals like smile to Sora. "Beat you to this batch, you think we got sent to this part of the world for a reason?"

Ana nodded and found no set of stairs. "It's that text Riku, you were quick to know what the letters mean." Riku agreed with that and was tempted to try something difficult to believe. "Vanitas was trying to attack Aqua and we know Ken wouldn't be able to handle him alone. Xehanort is lurking in the shadows plotting something again, but it is Archaon that kept you anxious. You... think he would come here?"

Ana felt it in her bones. "When ever civilization, order and... gods are in one place, him and his minions are not far behind. Beware the Varanguard, they are beyond any heartless or nobody you battled before."

Sora looked up the wall and knew what Riku was thinking. "But what are they?" Ana looked at Donald and Goofy with an idea. "I only battled them once, they are Archaon's personal elite. Hand picked as the best of the best, a Chaos Lord... even a Daemon Prince... the things most who follow chaos seek to become, are nothing before the Varanguard. We should hurry and travel, find some civilization and warn them." She asked the four in an attempt to change the mood. "Ya need a lift?"

Sora and Riku refused, the spiky haired teenager asked his friend. "Race you to the top?" Riku took the challenge. "Ha! You're on!" The teenagers went to a wall and ran up, Ana questioned the physics, dismissed her keyblade and let Donald and Goofy hold onto her. "This is going to get bumpy."

She flew high and followed the boys racing up the mountain, Goofy and Donald held tightly as the boys dashed to their right and kept racing, neck and neck as the Stormcast followed in flight, up to where they reached a ledge over a circled marking of dead trees. Ana placed the two down and let them follow as she turned around to find more marvelous structure, walking backwards and feeling someone watching beside her. "Such a place that reaches the heavens." She turned to follow the rest of the group, Sora and his friends looked upon the world bellow, a distant city and a lush field.

The group felt at a loss from the climbing as Goofy voiced something. "I think we might be goin' in circles." Riku doubted that. "We climbed all the way up so-" He turned to find a cave, then to a passage bellow, he felt lost thinking about it. "We are going into a maze." Sora felt it was mutual and asked. "Did I make a turn at the wrong rock?" The boy shouted to the vast unknown. "Hey, Hercules! Where are youuu?"

Riku and Ana noticed with in the vast sky, a bolt of smoke descended down, right in front of the cave. Sora, Donald and Goofy turned to see what appeared, with in the smoke, a familiar fast talker spoke. "All right. I know I doted my I's, crossed my T's and zeroed the hero." The smoke cleared, revealing an old foe Sora had dealt with, a blue humanoid with his head a light in a blue flame, wearing a black toga. Hades asked without a care and looking incredibly bored, even with Riku and a figure that resembled a demigod. "So what gives? Who could possibly be trying to give me a migraine by yodeling that yutz's name?"

He looked more at the trio first, Sora asked just as bored. "Really? Hades?" Hades sighed. "Oh' it's just you. Oh vey." He gave attention to Riku foremost, then to Ana. "And ya friends. Nice to meet ya, Odin rang?" Sora and the group were not amused, the boy had his hands at his hips. "It's just us? Even for you that's cold."

Hades wasn't having it, approached and pointed down at him. "Don't forget-" His fire and skin became red. "I can always turn up the heat!" Goofy asked as he was looking around. "Wait. If Hades is here, then where is Herc?" Hades asked and was roaring to Goofy in the red glow. "What is everyone's infatuation with that dolt?!"

He cooled back to blue and turned around to ignore them. "You know what? Never mind. Never mind. I'm cool. I'm good. Because..." His voice darkened. "Wonderboy'll be outta my hair soon enough." The five drew their weapons out, Sora accused. "So you're up to no good again!" Goofy agreed with that. "Of course he is." Donald agreed as well. "You bet." Riku readied his blade with a simple thought. "How can anyone scheme in times like these?" Ana held onto her hammer firmly. "Because he is another petty one, that's how."

Hades turned back to them to deal with the hostility. "Whoa, easy- what is this Sparta? Kind of on a schedule. Don't have time to deal with the old fire and brimstone." He shoo'd them away and left Anatesis annoyed as he turned back in waiting for something. "The whole cosmos is basically waiting for me to, you know, conquer it!"

Sora, Donald, Goofy and Riku with drew their weapons, the spiky haired boy mocked. "Poor Hades. He thinks he can actually pull it off this time." Riku raised two fingers and showed a third, Anatesis puffed her cheeks and dismissed her weapon, seeing the three fingers telling her enough. "It's like dealing with a grot boss. No matter what ya do, they never learn."

Hades yelled out to the sky. "Where are my Titans? Show me your power!" The sky rippled, the ground rumbled. Sora, Goofy and Riku readied to confront what was approaching as Donald hid behind, Anatesis braced herself, finding a skinny giant of ice, a round giant of lava, a round two headed rock giant and a massive twister with red eyes. The giant of ice and wind blew against the five upon seeing them. Pushing four of them back and causing Ana to try and push against the force. The mountain bled lava and added a mixture of heat that Hades reveled in. "Ahh! Love the breeze!" The wind became stronger than the four could endure and they were blown away screaming. Ana gasped, took flight and went after them.

Hades felt the storm ended, turned around and scratched his chin. "Ahh. That sent 'em sailing." He realized the direction the group were flying towards might be a complication. "Sailing right to where I left..." He chose to stop caring and went towards the Titans. "Eh, no biggie." He instructed. "Nice work, boys! So, back to the whole cosmic coup thing?" Rumble! The four went to climbing the mountain, Hades waved them off as a corridor opened.

He heard the ripple and stopped, feeling he was annoyed enough. "Ugh. Really? Are you kidding? Geez Louise. Seriously, when it rains, it pours." He turned to find two figures coming out. "Okay, who's the new pest?"

Maleficent and Pete stepped out, the fat cat greeted him smugly. "Hey, now, that ain't no way to say hello, especially to you're old friends." Hades was even less impressed. "Oh, perfect. Now I gotta put up with you two. Funny, I don't remember you doing me any memorable favors. So, you can keep your Heartless this time. I'm going back to my original plan. All right?" He tried to convince them to leave. "So...toddle-oo! Exit's thataway," He became more sarcastic. "Hey, it was great seeing ya!" He nearly burst into a tune. "Happy traaaails!"

Maleficent wasn't amused. "I have my own business to attend to, but we are here to ask regarding a Horned King you have heard of." Hades rubbed his forehead and asked. "Let me guess, red robe? Horns? Working for some bone head that wants to steal my turf? A turn coat just dropped by a while ago singing about that Nagash." Maleficent answered calmly. "Then you know the threat he is to you. All I ask is for a means to undo his bindings to this Nagash and rid us of a complication."

Hades tapped and thought. "Hmm... a god of death, a god of death. Ah, I left some doodad at home that could throw him off, a skull tied to some thread for what I get to a chat with Thanatos. You're looking for that?" Maleficent squinted her eyes. "Possibly. If I were, that would be where in the Underworld?"

In Twilight Town.

Xion watched the Replica adjust his blue hoodie and cursed something he did. "I spent most the munny I scavenged right before you showed up. Just... explore, get a good sight, because the next time we come here, it's going to be for a mission... that's hopefully important."

Xion looked around and was enthralled by the flashing lights. "We are going to go shopping together?" The Replica nodded. "And I know a store where the shop owner doesn't care what you look like or would care what the clothes are for as long as he gets his munny. I'll be out getting posters set up in the mean time, if anyone... asks, I'm you're brother." Xion smiled widely like a little sister. "Okay big bro."

She took off towards a variety of sights and left the Replica feeling warm. Xion waved at the many towns people and saw that they were unaware, feeling alone once more and noticing white wiggly creatures flying away from the top of a bell tower. She looked more curious and sneaked across, at the base of the tower, she found a blonde boy in a brown jacket and a pair of black pants, taking a lecture from a brown haired girl in a black shirt and red pants. "It been days since you made that slip up Ken, but... good work stopping that Warmaster."

Ken blushed and spun a cybernetic finger. "I shouldn't have gave Wanda my phone, sorry about blowing you off Olette." The girl felt it was water under the bridge. "But you showed me that video Kairi made about that fight between you two. Wow." Her emerald eyes shined. "Wow. Now she has a teacher and everything, bet that hooked Sora in." Ken snickered. "Totally! They are dorks together and someone is so going to catch them in that act." Olette felt the mischief and giggled. "You're going to get beaten up again if they catch you treating this like a show. I just hope that moment happens here."

The two high five each other in understanding what was promised. "I'll be sure to not leave my phone behind and get the camera ready just in case it happens away from here." Olette whistled to ask. "Me and the guys are going to the bistro later for a bite to eat, do you think you're teacher will let you goof off?"

Ken shook his head. "Taking all the studies too seriously is what nearly got me into trouble and due to some scary things happening again-" His eye lids dropped in annoyance. "this time is something that will make sure I'm dead, I ought to lighten up and keep an open ear anyways."

Olette agreed with him on that. "It stinks that the sword used to keep the other town safe is gone, but there isn't a point to mope now." She winked to him. "We might share some mysteries we found across the town." Ken looked forward to that. "I'll see you in an hour."

Olette walked past Xion without concern for who was there, being among the many who were unaware of her existence. The boy noticed something, wanted to say something and was more confused. "Did... she knew you were there?" Xion gasped and asked astonished. "You can actually see me?!" The boy gasped back and asked. "She isn't the only one that couldn't?" He looked more confused, shrugged it off and look a look at her. "What's your name?"

Xion gasped, smiled and let her eyes shine. "Xion, you're name is Ken?" The boy nodded. "Kendry, but I like the short name. Do... you need help with that... problem? Because Olette wouldn't have done that if she knew you were there."

Xion doubted he could help her with that. "I might... but I don't know where to start. Could... you help me with something else?" Ken guessed by the black coat. "Clothes shopping? Are you saying that coat is the only thing you have?" Xion blushed, looked like she wanted to cover herself and yelled at him embarrassed. "Don't ask that." Ken cringed ashamed of himself. "It.. wow, I'm sorry for asking." He took out his munny pouch and lead the way. "You pick and I'll pay, deal?" Xion blinked and nodded. "Deal!"

At the Mysterious Tower.

Aqua finished her story to Yen Sid and apologized for being late. "And I had to get comfortable from going from Azyr, to that... Planet Killer and to the town. That's why I waited a couple days before coming here." She smiled to the wizard. "It's been a long time since I been here in person. It's good to be back." Yen Sid smiled proudly to a fellow teacher. "You have taken a major step that comes with being a Keyblade Master, there is nothing to be ashamed about having students of your own." His smile lessened to a fact. "But with the catastrophe Abaddon has wrought, the hearts scarred because of him, Ahriman's attempts to uncover things best left with in the unknown and Xehanort's return upon the worlds being a certainty with his minion let loose, any further delay would have been unacceptable in these tiring times. With the path to that world closed, that could be the Pandemonium we seek."

Mickey agreed with that. "And if Xehanort and Archaon are hiding there, they will know if we try coming for them. We don't know where to start with that, but with you here... we can at least try." Aqua understood. "We need to figure how to wake Ventus up, his body is safe from even time, but his heart... I can't go back to him without his heart. Otherwise, what would have been the point. You're majesty, please tell me there you found a clue?"

Mickey had one to speak of. "There might be one I been trying to figure out. When me and the others went to battle Zagor... someone came out of Sora to fight with us... he calls himself Roxas. Sora's Nobody. While a nobody is split from their other half, it normally looks like their whole before they turned to a heartless... with some differences." Aqua and Yen Sid listened to that, the woman asked. "And how does Roxas have anything to do with Ventus?" Mickey was more confused about that. "Roxas... looks more like Ventus than he does Sora. You wouldn't be able to see any differences. But why?!"

Aqua tried to think about it and felt the imaginary wires in her brain shorting out, her brain ached from various questions trying to speak out, a mellow voice answered through her mouth. "That's a mystery I need to see for myself, I knew Sora stopped the destruction Xehanort wrought... but for him to help with this?" She giggled and felt her mood lessening for the other issue. "We owe him much more than he is given already. But...it would be impossible for him to be a help with the other issue. Terra. Mickey, Yen Sid... do you know what became of him?"

The wizard shook his head. "I have not, although Mickey has suspicions, moments before the Heartless disaster came." Mickey nodded. "A young man was taken in by Ansem the Wise as an apprentice... that man... kind of looked like Terra and had the name...Xehanort." Yen Sid agreed with how that was confusing. "He claimed to have no memories and coincidentally, the other with that very name... disappeared. You know the full extent to this mystery?"

Aqua nodded and her lips curled. "Those two Xehanorts are the same person. Xehanort took Terra's body and heart, he only lost his memories because I was trying to stop him and save Terra... I...fell into the darkness because of that." Her mood lessened. "If I tell the others about him now, Sora and the others would put themselves into danger to try to save Terra. I don't know how to get Xehanort out of Terra, do any of us?"

The two shook their heads as Mickey realized. "Stopping Xehanort and saving Terra sounds like it is going to be the toughest part." Aqua felt the most agonizing part of the ordeal. "And despite what his body and heart endured, despite how it was blasted by Chaos. Terra is still in there trying to fight it." She tried to keep herself strong, Mickey promised her. "We are here for you and we are going to save Terra... we just need to figure it out."

Aqua felt the vow comforting. "We will tell them about this after we save Ventus. I'll go find Sora when he is done dealing with... Garland and... see if they all got the message about who V, X and A meant. Kairi and Ken got much to learn." Yen Sid agreed with that. "Commendable as they are, they are not ready to confront something as foul as Vanitas. If one of your students had to resort to trickery to free you, then how will the other fare?"

Aqua imagined Kairi's issues. "Her attacks are that of light, but Vanitas would have his own tricks to overwhelm her. I shouldn't have let her go off by herself." She tried to contain an over protective urge as Mickey advised to her. "But it sounds like Vanitas only came after she left and didn't know where she is, it also sounded like Ken did hurt him."

Aqua kept the urge contained. "It's just one trip and Kendry knows enough about Vanitas." She felt content to the plan. "I'm sure he knows to let Kairi know." She smiled to the mouse. "Once I talk with Sora about this, we will be a step closer to stopping this madness. I'll go see what Kendry's doing and wait out the day."

Mickey and the wizard wished her a good day, the mouse asked his mentor. "Seems like for every piece we put together, we find more we didn't see before." Yen Sid agreed and placed his hands together. "Patience is the solution towards obtaining the knowledge." Mickey noticed there was a thought in mind. "You are thinking about the Slann again? This would have never happened if that one didn't give Aqua a hand." Yen Sid pondered. "A Keyblade is not needed to activate the Heartstones vast power, but would the Forces of Order allow such a limit?" Mickey shook his head. "Ha, no... but that might be part of their own plan."

At a clothes shop in Twilight Town.

Ken looked upon the Moogle awkwardly and watched a series of texts he typed. Kairi's message shown at the top. "Vanitas tried to attack our teacher?" Bellow answered. "Yes, yes he did. If you see a psycho in black and red, that's him and you should run. You're a bigger target compared to me." The text bellow showed the heart of a rival with a common interest. "No, you should run if you were the one to peeved him off." "Lol" Bellow the text was a face that looked like an emoji with rolling eyes. "Thanks for the warning, I'll think of something to get away if I see him. A flash bomb sounds like something I can do with the right adjustments." Ken smiled to his finishing text. "You're welcome."

He heard a cover being undone and was given a whisper. "Ken, do you mind if you have a look at this?" The boy answered and went in. "Sure thing, Xion." Entering a small room with a mirror, seeing Xion in an attire that look charming to him. A grey shirt that was under a black vest, complimented by a pair of blue jeans with black belt straps around the legs and side pockets. To finish the attire off were a pair of black boots, Kendry whistled and gave his approval. "You look tough."

Xion blushed as Kendry walked out the door. "That Moogle can see you fine. Have a good look at yourself before I make the purchase." He readied a sum of munny and stood before the Moogle. "Give her a minute." The merchant gave off a kupo and watched Xion walk out with her attire. "Did you make your purchase? Kupo?" Ken looked to Xion smiling to him in approval, the boy gave the Moogle his munny and felt warmed by the sound of a girl spinning and hopping. The two left the store and felt introductions were finished.

Xion giggled and followed Ken to a restaurant. "Thank you for the help, this means a lot." Ken turned around and walked backwards to have another look at her. "I just paid for it, the rest you did by yourself. So... what else are you doing here?" Xion sighed. "I came here with my brother, Dupmic, he'll be very happy that he doesn't have to work so hard for me." She saw movie posters and felt it was a trail as she asked. "What brought you here?"

Ken answered with a mutual smile. "Because, my teacher had something important to do and I thought I come along to at least not stay in the same town for so many days in a row." Xion blinked and asked. "Teacher... for what?" Ken raised his cybernetic arm and shined a gun like keyblade, it looked wider at the blade and had a wider nozzle, with sharp looking blades for teeth. "Wow. Cadia's Light have... evolved again. Ha...it's a keyblade that use to be an ordinary weapon called a lasgun, me and two others had two days of learning before Miss had to go do something pretty important and she let me do what I want while I wait. We learned a lot from her in those couple days than we did while on our own during a week." Xion's eyes sparkled, she closed them and smiled. "You're teacher sounds amazing." Ken appreciated the compliment. "Miss really is."

Xion opened her eyes and knew she had to leave the boy be. "I think I can find my brother from here. I'll try to talk him into letting me stay around a little longer." Ken went to blushing and turned to leave. "Either way, see you later. We might do something fun sooner rather than later." Xion blushed back. "I won't mind what ever you want to do." Ken had one idea and held to it. "It's something anyone would do when they get something new. I wonder if there is a firing ring in this town." The two split apart, Ken felt he had an hour remaining until the lunch meeting and drooled to the thought, noticing by an alley way a group of people he hanged out with, talking about their own affairs.

Lauriam finished a conversation with Medy and Dorlu as Elrena wiped tears from her face. "And that's how that war ended. The heroes from a galaxy beyond ours, gave everything so ours wouldn't have to bare anymore of their scars." Dorlu sighed and asked him. "Yet you fear another war is on the horizon?" Lauriam looked up to the sky. "The town was attacked by another from the same galaxy as the Black Legion, with a simulacrum of a force... alien. Aeleus, Dilan, Even, Elrena and I combined were unable to scratch them. We need a plan if something like this is coming again."

Elrena wiped her face. "Ienzo got the idea and a way to take care of the Orruks... while keeping them happy. Lea and Isa need to know and we can't have them goofing off in times like this." Medy noticed a kid with the rather wide, gun like keyblade and a cybernetic arm. "Sheesh, what else has this war cost? A leg?"

Ken felt the stranger cringing and approached. "That's not funny. A lot of good friends and people that made a difference. You're not wrong to think another is coming."

Elrena turned to the boy and warned him. "Stop talking about it! We get it, there is another bunch of Chaos wackos from another world that is going to be just as bad as what we say." Ken tried to and asked. "So you all are... getting something together for that? Do you-" Elrena stopped him. "No, you already got enough on your hands and it looks like the others are having the same idea we are."

Lauriam smiled sweetly to the boy. "You don't need to be involved with... dubious affairs like this. Ienzo is the one holding our reins for the moment. Is... this the third time that weapon evolved into something grander?"

Ken relized the man counted when the lasgun became a keyblade and nodded. "It... is... ha..after I outsmarted a psycho that was threatening my teacher. All this war stuff is starting to get to us." The four agreed to that as Elrena growled. "Fine, we'll keep an eye out for anything fishy going on in this town and pass it around."

Dorlu suspected and felt enough time was spent. "Providing it hasn't already. Which was why we seek as much of our old... companions as possible?" Lauriam had ill news for three. "One is our enemy, Braig has... disappeared and the other is acting on his terms. That is providing if any of us have the power to do something anymore."

Elrena sighed and asked Ken. "Some of us have the weapons we were using during that... gap, while others don't. Don't you have something you need to do?"

Ken nodded and wished her luck. "I do, I'll let you guys know if there is something confirmed. See ya later." Elrena gave a mutual parting and let the kid go. "That can help if you or the others go out exploring. Thanks kid."

Ken left the adults be and went to the train station to find Aqua reinvigorated, he reported to his teacher with a respectful bow. "Miss, Kairi got the news and she knows what to do if... he goes after her. There isn't a whole lot to do, but it sure is pretty." Aqua noticed the form the keyblade took and felt something radiating. "You and that keyblade have such a close bond, that this was inevitable."

Ken figured. "It happened when I stood up to people that were trying to kill me and sent them home...rather than go the eye for an eye route, it happened again after I used my brain to win a fight I wasn't ready for. Miss, there has to be a place I can test this out and see what is new." Aqua agreed with a smug tone. "There is, but don't think of this as a lesson." She drew her keyblade out and dashed towards the boy, Ken yelped and parried back, feeling more weight in comparison, yet he was being pushed back. He shoved back, shook Aqua from him and shot himself back, he aimed with one hand and felt a clear aim. PEW!

He pulled the trigger and watched a beam fire out, not in a spurt but like it was an automatic. Firing a steady beam that Aqua dodged with a graceful flip. Both watched it make contact with a wall and burned through it, Kendry let go of the trigger and saw how it would help as a gaping hole remained. "That can go through more than one layer in a heart beat." He smiled like there was no hard feelings. "Thanks for helping me test it out Miss. How was your meeting?"

Aqua tensed and wished her student didn't ask. "I found a clue to help one of my friends, but that shouldn't involve you. What have you done?" Ken had three on his list. "I caught up with one of Kairi's friends, agreed to some lunch at that Bistro I hear so much about and I helped a girl get some new clothes. Looks like we are done otherwise?"

Aqua agreed with that and relaxed her mind. "For now since Sora has the clue I'm looking for. Anything specific Kairi said about what she would do?" Kendry found a bench and answered. "She took something that worked and she is going to make it into something she can use." He imagined it and felt intimidated as Aqua envisioned a flash of light that is complimented by something much more aggressive. "She would sucker punch...wow." He mentally counted down something. "Won't be long till she surprises us again. Miss is... there anything about the worlds you visited a long time ago?" Aqua had a few in memories. "Goodness that's a long time ago and seeing those worlds in the realm of darkness didn't help." She tried to pick which one to make a tale of, if to kill an hour.

Near the Mansion of Twilight Town.

Xion adjusted her vest and spun as a familiar voice caught her by surprise. "Wow. You didn't steal that, did you?" Xion turned to the disguised replica, folded her arms an answered. "I didn't steal it, a boy bought it for me."

The Replica was surprised back. "A random dude saw you and helped you like that?" He had a brotherly suspicion. "He didn't try peeping at you when you were changing... did he?" Xion had no idea why someone would do that and cringed. "Ew! He didn't go into the changing room with me until I asked him to." She felt angry from the thought and something formed in her hands, a key like sword, she and the Replica were surprised, the girl had a smirk. "But he was way too nice to do that. Did you get the munny anyways?"

The Replica jingled his pouch. "Yep and just enough so we won't have to have the stuff the Tzaangor have. They are... creative at least." He felt a corridor open up and heard a questioning. "Hmmmm?"

The Replica turned to find Ztardon looking inquisitive and noticing Xion. "Hmm, nothing personal little one." He asked the Replica. "Seems the...anomaly isn't as dire as we expected. Can she be trusted to wander the town?" The Replica didn't see why not. "If that guy can be trusted to not take advantage of her, she's free to find out more in my book. Do... you want something?" Ztardon nodded. "We found something and require you. Come, prove yourself more than just an errand boy."

The Replica took the chance and put on his black coat as he gave Xion instructions. "Don't be near the creeps and tell me everything this guy does when I get back." Xion would double her task. "He has a keyblade that shoots! I'll fight him instead and learn more from that."

The adopted brother gasped and approved. "We could use that information." He went with Ztardon. "She's good. Let's go." The two went into the corridor and disappeared, leaving Xion to turn back to the town and realized nervously. "How am I going to explain this to him?!"

In a smoking city next to Olympus.

Hercules was on a ledge and dusted his hands from a task he was doing. "Phew!" He heard the sound of four screaming and turned to find Sora, Donald, Goofy and Riku falling his way. Hercules jumped towards the closest two, Sora and Goofy, as a winged figure in silver armor caught Riku, both missed Donald. Hercules landed on lower ground as the angelic figure watched Donald have his shirt caught by the teeth of a golden lion statue. Sora dangled from Herc's right and told Goofy so. "See? Found him."

Herc watched Riku jump off the angel as Goofy agreed. "I guess this counts!" The group of four listened to Donald demanding. "Get me down!" Hercules and the angel looked up to find Donald struggling and throwing a temper, the angel let the demi god know with a feminine and Norse sounding voice. "I got 'im." S

he fluttered to pick the duck up as Hercules realized she was something he wouldn't see everyday. "So this is a valkyrie?" The angel landed to drop the duck and shook her head. "Nah, just a Stormcast Eternal." Riku introduced. "Hercules, this is Anatesis... or Ana. She was helping us try find you."

Hercules didn't mind that. "You, Sora, Donald and Goofy literally dropped in. Gotta say, I'm impressed." Donald took the compliment. "Thanks!" Goofy had his own to give. "Liked the catch." Sora appreciated the save. "Yeah, thanks Herc."

He looked around to find a city on fire. "But's what's going on, how did this happen?" Hercules sighed annoyed. "Take a guess. Starts with an H." Ana growled and drew out her hammer like keyblade. "Hades is nothing but a trouble here. We met that hot headed slouch on the way and that's how we got blown ere," Riku felt a foe that was over exerting himself and closed his eyes annoyed. "Something about... conquering the whole cosmos."

Herc was even less amused. "All of it, huh? Nice of him to show a little self restraint." Ana chuckled to that. "At least he didn't get the idea of conquering two." She imagined something with odd amusement as Herc vowed. "Well, what ever he's planning. I'll send him running back across the Styx." He had his fists at his hips like a hero and Sora mimicked. "Ha! That's our Herc."

The party of six traveled as one and the demi god asked. "So Sora, is there a reason you guys are visiting? I'm guessing it's not just for the cheese and olives." The peril of a long fall nearly clouded a memory as the spiky haired boy gasped. "Oh yeah, Garland." Riku chuckled to that. "Glad you didn't get that distracted."

Donald agreed with that. "That would be our Sora." The spiky haired boy folded his arms and thought of an excuse. "Hey, we knows what's important." He asked Hercules. "Have you seen Garland around lately? We found out he escaped the Realm of Darkness and has been trying to cause trouble across the worlds... or getting something that would help him do that. We think he was coming here next." Hercules looked disappointed. "So the guy wasn't what he was making himself out to be-" He was in thought about that. "I haven't seen him at the Colosseum, nor here. I'm sorry for not being a help."

The group felt the disappointment, Donald noticed something dancing out of the flames, mixing distorted fire with darkness as a two faced mirror emerged to fire destructive bolts around. "H..Heartless!" One of the bolts hit a statue of Herc that was in the central district and caused it to fall in a thud as the fire took a dark body, long and with may maws spewing fire across their limbs, a total of eighteen, the group barring Herc sensed a familiar presence mixed in with the heartless, if the two faced mirror wasn't enough, Riku was the first to draw his weapon and call them out. "Mixed in with Chaos Daemons!" Ana shook her head and felt the others readied themselves. "So we still have them around?" Herc advised against asking. "Let's talk later." Sora agreed as his two disk keyblade took form. "Right... once we've dealt with those guys."

Sora and Riku knocked four of the flaming heartless each near a column and flowed around to snare them into a twister as Goofy bashed into two and Donald conjured an ice storm. Hercules and Ana rushed into the eight together, the Olympian pushed through the eight combined breath of fire and disrupted the formation with a charge, giving Ana the chance to cleave through the eight with her keyblade. The ice pelted against the flamers and brought a chill to the eighteen, the mirror like heartless shined over four of the dissolving flamers and spun to project an image of four that looked good as new. Sora flew to the left as Riku flew to the right. The spiky haired boy caused his keyblade to split into two disks as the silver haired boy floated and flew into the cloud of ice. Sora flung his disks at the mirror like heartless to quickly dispatch it as the cloud of ice gave off a dark glow and bombarded the swarm with more accurate hail stones. Goofy knocked as many of the dwindling into the pile with Hercules as Ana back flipped and swiped a wave of star light, it took the form of a Dracoth that pounced upon the swarm with a breath of lightning and used her claws and teeth to carve into four. Reducing the eighteen to a meager five that were quickly dispatched by fast, high tech disks that boomeranged back. Sora caught the disks with style as Riku fell on top of the dracoth, Moonfang sniffed the air as the five weapon wielders withdrew their weapons.

A woman's voice yelled from above. "Hercules!" Swoop! The group turned around and found a white winged horse carrying a woman with a purple dress and long brown hair that was tied to a pony tail, along with a certain chubby satyr. The horse landed and let the two off, the woman went to Herc with relief. "You're okay!" Herc went to the woman with his own relief. "Meg!" The woman looked to where the battle was and cringed. "Boy, that didn't look so fun." Hercules agreed with that. "No, not with the heartless. Were just lucky our friends showed up." Meg noticed a familiar trio along with three new arrivals. "Well whaddaya know. Guess I owe you all a big one for coming."

Sora, Goofy and Donald felt charmed as Riku got off of Moonfang and Anatesis kept watch of something, feeling as if the strange heartless were just the beginning. Hercules advised to his girlfriend. "Meg, you need to stay someplace safe. We'll search the city and make sure everyone manages to get clear of the fire." Phil cringed and pointed to him. "That's the problem Herc, this fire didn't just burst from Hades, three dudes on crazy horses came charging the walls from the north and knock the whole thing down with some weird red monster." Meg agreed with that and looked scared for Herc. "And they didn't suffer a scratch. That's when the heartless showed up acting... weird. I think they are looking for you. Be careful, Wonderboy."

Anatesis caught the words and asked. "These three and their horses... are they black in armor and have markings that look like an eight pointed star?" Meg nodded. "They certainly aren't from Troy." Phil agreed with that. "Those guys at least know how to prep up."

Riku closed his eyes and wanted to curse. "Please don't be the Varanguard, not here." Anatesis hated to worsen the mood and advised to Herc. "No regular chaos knight would do something that reckless. The fire isn't the only thing we need to fear for."

The demi god agreed with that. "I know." He asked the six fighters. "So, you guys in?" Sora took the answer without hesitation. "Of course were in!" Donald answered boldly. "We're heroes!" Goofy nodded to that. "Mhmm!" Riku answered boldly. "There is no way we are going to let those things have their way." Ana approved of that. "They are going to get worse than a boot up the rear." Meg wished the five luck. "Break a leg then heroes." She went to the winged horse as Herc asked the satyr. "Phil, you should go with Meg." The satyr agreed to that and followed on the horse with the woman. "Sheesh this is going to get ugly fast." Herc petted the horses neck as he made sure the riders were secure. "You gotta keep them safe!" The horse neighed and took flight away from the burning city, the group heard a little girl scream. "Help! Ss..someone!" Goofy raised his ear towards the groups right. "Hey, I hear a voice."

Herc looked to the direction and asked. "From which way?" Goofy pointed to a tall building. "Over that way!"

The demi god squinted his eyes and found a small blonde girl in pink wears clinging onto a pillar of rocks that teetered over the edge of an inferno, yelling. "HEEEEELP!" The group watched the girl try to move and nearly slipped, Sora tried to rush to the rescue as Ana disapproved. "We aren't going to get there in time." She ordered her Dracoth. "Moonfang, see that no one jumps Herc or Riku and help them rescue the towns people." She grabbed onto Goofy and Donald and lowered herself with an order. "Sora, get on my back, you'll know what to do." The spiky haired teenager did as ordered, like a loyal soldier.

The wings glowed of holy light as Herc found a path to their left to travel, rushing into the conflict with Riku and the Dracoth. Ana flew fast as Donald and Goofy yelped against the speed, Sora hanged on and focused, the girl was slipping and fell. The boy vanished and leaped to catch the girl with his left hand and using his other hand to form his keyblade and shoot out a torrent of water, dosing the fire out and landing safely. The little blushed sweetly, looked up to the teenage gratefully and giggled. "Thank you for saving me."

Smooch!

He was given a kiss on the cheek and let the girl down, stuttered like a charmed hero. "Y..eah, no prob." The girl giggled and walked away to safety as Ana landed to drop Goofy and Donald off. The Stormcast sighed and was smiling to the boy. "Being a hero is busy work, but it's nice when the people are grateful like that."

Sora agreed and felt warm in the heart as Goofy and Donald stood stable. "We better check and see if anyone else needs us." Donald and Goofy agreed with a combined "Yep!" as they heard a familiar foe from across a way. "Well, if it isn't Sora and pawns of order." The four looked to find two enemies approaching, Sora called them out. "Maleficent! Pete!"

The other three drew out their weapons as the boy asked. "Are you the reason the Heartless are here?!" Ana had another question and was ready to deliver judgement. "Are you the reason the Varanguard are in the city?" Pete nearly flinched as Maleficent answered stoically. "Certainly not."

Pete noticed something odd about Sora, looking shaken from hearing the name Varanguard, he asked his superior. "Say, Maleficent, I dunno about his sidekicks," he pointed to Sora. "But kid keyblader here looks like he's way scared of fighting the darkness, than last time we saw him." The boy felt bothered as Pete suggested. "I say we rough him up while we still can."

Sora gritted his teeth as Ana glowed like the storm, Maleficent refused the suggestion as she sensed the greater threat. "Waste no time with the boy. He's in consequential to us. We have a far more pressing matter to attend to." Pete folded his arms and looked like he forgotten something, he remembered. "Oh! We gots to find the door to the underworld and get that-" Maleficent ordered him. "Be silent, you fool!" Pete cringed as Maleficent felt enough time was wasted and went to a reformed corridor. "As for you four... we will meet again... when I have time for such trifles." The goon agreed with that and taunted. "Yeah, and youse better get your act together before them." He followed his superior into the corridor. "Later twerps!"

Ana boomed like the storm. "HALT!"

She took flight and flew to the closing corridor, missing and crashing to a wall like a bolt of lightning. She turned to find Sora looking hurt by what was said as Donald asked, wanting to bring some comfort. "Sora?"

The boy took a deep breath and looked back. "It's fine... I can take it." None of the group were buying it and Goofy asked. "Gwarsh, it sure don't sound like it. Did Pete saying mean things bother ya?" Ana shook her head and listened to Sora answering again, folding his arms. "It's fine! I can take it." The Stormcast exhaled and asked. "Sora... lad, I know you and your friends seen things that would keep you awake at night and I seen the memorials. You are never meant to fight the Forces of Chaos, that would take its toll on anyone," She took off her helmet and caused it to vanish, revealing a very human face that was worried for him. "It's alright to admit that it is. Ya nearly lost a friend yesterday and you're scared for Herc and the people in the city."

Sora felt the stormy light and nodded. "I... knew the peace wasn't going to last. It...never does." The defeated tone chilled Goofy and Donald, Sora looked on over to a stairway leading from an overlook to deeper in the city. "Come on, we got to catch up to Herc and Riku before... they do."

He lead the way down the stairs to a district in the town, they felt a rumble, fiery heartless crashed through, resembling black orbs with a tiny head separated from the body. A total of nine burned as their tiny heads reunited with the body. Sora surrounded himself in water and flew after the fiery heartless as Ana charged against four, with Goofy and Donald keeping some of the heartless distracted, the four dispatched the swarm and saw a road engulfed in fire. Ana adjusted her wings and readied to fly the group across, Donald advised against. "Don't do that again."

The Stormcast asked the three with a raised eyebrow. "I'm waiting for a better idea." Goofy tried one and approached the fire with his shield, he pushed it against the fire and felt it bounce away, he announced. "Fellas! I just got a crazy idea!" Ana conceded respectfully as Sora spoke of it. "The shield!" Goofy placed the shield down for him and his friends to use as a sliding platform as Ana took flight. "I'll make sure you don't slide off to bigger danger." Swoop! Goofy kicked across the ground and slid across the flame, deeper into a town under attack.


	32. The Hex of Heroism

At a bayou near a city, Kairi felt the atmosphere to be buzzing and damp as she asked. "Where... are we?" She looked around to find Namine listening to the croaks and chirps of the swamp. "Hmm... this is where we were suppose to go." The blonde girl turned to her and asked. "Where should we look, the city... or the swamp?"

Kairi sighed and didn't pay heed to the city. "It would be too easy to look in the city, but... where in the swamp is a princess suppose to-" Namine heard something odd in the bayou, the sound of a banjo like instrument. "Shh... this might be our clue." Kairi listened and felt the sound was ahead toward her right. "Or... directions." BZZT! Poke! SLAP!

Kairi swatted a mosquito and jumped across many logs, landing on a patch of land and was given a territorial hiss to her left, she and Namine noticed a black scaled, grey bellied alligator, hissing once more and wanting her to leave. She and Namine heard a faint sound of arguing closer to the right, the blonde girl vanished and advised. "It's more scared of us than we are of it. Just be careful of those that aren't." Kairi agreed and jumped to another patch of land, finding eight green alligators swimming in the dark water, towards her, having dead yellow eyes, green scales and jagged teeth, the girl felt something wasn't right and jumped to a tree to dodge a unified sprint and cling to a branch, the alligators pounced upon each other, fought and rolled against one another, revealing heartless emblems.

Kairi swung near the bestial darkness and unleashed several swings, dispatching two of the gators and enveloping herself with water to quickly wash the gator like heartless away. The banjo music became louder, Kairi followed the sound and found a raft little bigger than her head, two frogs sailed across it, one was doing all the rowing and looked annoyed, the other was playing a makeshift banjo that was made from a twig and spider webs. The rowing frog, looking feminine, turned to the more masculine frog and asked. "How about a little less picking and-" She gasped as she noticed something swimming to the raft, a tiny head with brown scales, showing beady eyes, an alligator that opened its maw and gave off a hiss.

Kairi was ready to fight as the lazier frog noticed the predator coming for them, the two frogs screamed as the hissing became a voice of joy. "I know that tune," He took out a trumpet and looked much more friendly even compared to the wild gator Kairi saw before. "Dippermouth blues!"

The alligator blew his trumpet, Kairi dismissed her keyblade and had her left wrist at her hip, in complete disbelief, the gator played jazz music and she nodded. The male frog was in the beat and approved as he took his banjo. "Play it brother!" The two played together as the feminine frog looked to Kairi enjoying the beat, was half astonished and half annoyed, the girl silently agreed that it was silly to watch and listened to the gator asking the masculine frog as both spun around together to dry land. "Where have you been all my life?"

The masculine frog asked back. "Where did you learn to play like that?" The gator put the frog down to answer. "Well the bayou is the best jazz school in the world." The two females waited and listened as the gator continued. "All the greats play the river boats." The gator dreamed. "Oh Louis give anything to be up there jamming with the big boys."

The masculine frog asked. "Why don't you?" Louis answered with memories of failure. "Oh I tried once." Kairi had the mental image of a big alligator climbing up a large boat and horrifying a crowd of people that didn't want to get eaten and reacting appropriately, Louis finished his memory. "It didn't end well."

Kairi laughed nervously. "I... can see why." The two males were astonished by the human talking to them and not being scared of the fact she could hear them, the feminine frog wanted to pull her partner out of the madness. "Uh huh. It's has been a real pleasure meeting you...uh."

Kairi introduced herself. "Kairi." The feminine frog continued. "Louis and Kairi." She pulled the male frog to the boat in thanks. "And thank you for not trying to kill us, but we best be on our way."

The gator wanted to know as Kairi asked for him. "Where are you going?" The femine frog rowed and answered. "To find somebody to break this spell." The girl quickly realized. "You were... turned into frogs?" She had her right hand under her chin. "That explains why you two talk." She questioned how she was able to hear Louis as the feminine frog gave a half caring glance to the male. "He was the one hexed and I got myself dragged into this when he thought that I would magically solve his problems by kissing him, cause I was dressed up as a princess."

The male frog didn't want to be reminded as Louis realized the frogs were serious. "Say what?!" The male frog answered that gracefully. "I am Naveen, Prince of Maldonia." Naveen introduced the female in a less than flattering tone. "And this is Tiana, the waitress." He whispered to a close Louis. "Do not kiss her." Tiana wasn't taking that, stopped rowing and protested. "Now just a second. This goon got himself turned into a frog, by a voodoo man and now-" Louis dropped his trumpet in fear. "Voodoo?! Like the kind Mama Odie do?" Naveen asked. "Mama... whodie?"

Louis answered. "Mama Odie, she the voodoo queen of the bayou. She got magic and spells, all kind of whodoo." The frogs asked. "Could you take us to her?" Louis gasped to that question. "In the deepest, darkest depths of the bayou? Facing razor sharp bricker bushes and trappers and hunters? With guns?!" He answered with a blunt. "No."

The three were disappointed to that as Naveen asked the two smoothly. "Watch and learn." He went to the alligator playing his trumpet under a tree and disappointedly sighed. "Oh, it is too bad we cannot help you with your dream. If only you were more... smaller, less...toothy." He showed the teeth to prove a point as Kairi realized smooth talking was ensuing. "You could play jazz to adoring crowds, without scaring them." The gator stopped his trumpet play as Naveen pretended to part. "Anyway, enjoy your loneliness my friend. Abenaza!"

Tiana wasn't impressed. "Cute, but its not going to-" Naveen raised a webbed finger and pointed right as Louis had something to say, seemingly like he changed his mind. "Hey guys, I just have me the craziest idea!"

Kairi guessed what it was. "You're going to ask the Voodoo Queen if she can make you human so you can live that dream?" Louis nodded as Naveen had a compliment for both. "Louis, Kairi," He held Tiana's hand and the two hopped on top of the gators head. "You are geniuses."

The gator wrapped the top of his tail over a trumpet and yelled out. "Hallelujah!" He jumped into the water and Kairi had interest. "If a hunter comes along, I'll chase them off." Louis found that even better, took his trumpet and started some jazz as a thank you for the feeling of safety.

By a mansion in the city.

The Replica and Ztardon stepped out of the corridor and hid behind a tree, the Tzaangor shaman had a lesson to give. "We have a... minor inconvenience for us if it is allowed to take power, can you find it?"

The Replica looked upon a gazebo, finding a blonde, energetic city girl in a red dress and red sun hat, having lunch with and flirting with a dark skin, black skin nobleman. He wanted to answer and stopped, realizing this was part of a test, he closed his eyes and sensed a dark aura in the form of the man and more towards a pendent, he opened and saw the man with an enlarged ear not like his other. "...This is an illusion. We need to stop-" Ztardon stopped him. "Yes, it is... but what will happen if we dispel it now?"

The Replica answered that. "We will mess everything up and that's... not our plan." The Tzaangor nodded as the Replica watched the man's illusion slowly wear off, the man tried to hide his true form, looking like a fat and middle aged man, the Replica watched an obvious swindling as the man tried to rush a proposal. "She can't be this-" The woman yelled out in excitement, unaware of the man's attempts to hide his true self. "YEEEEES! Of course I'll marry you, oh there is so much to plan and the guest list, the dress, the music, the flowers, the shoes." She turned to shriek at the hiding man and went to skip back to the manor. "We are going to have ourselves a mauti grand wedding!" The Replica placed the palm of his hand over his face. "She is... so now what are we going to do?"

Ztardon hummed as the Replica watched the cowering man be sneaked upon by a tall, skinny, dark skin man in a purple suit and a black top hat that had a skull and cross bones. Holding upon a talisman the smaller man was wearing, the Replica felt a fading power from the trinket. "That witch doctor is behind it all." He felt like he was listening to whispers more clearly, the cowering man asked. "What do we do now?"

The witch doctor answered and dropped the talisman back on the man. "Because somebody let our froggy prince go Larry, I'm reduced to asking for help from my friends on the Other Side."

The Replica felt a vision coming and closed his eyes, seeing an event that took place in the past, that voodoo man revealing to a charming nobleman and the puny valet the name, Dr Faclier. That voodoo man coning the two into a deal and masks chanting, a menacing mask that resembles a demon with horns opening its maw to reveal the talisman and the voodoo man having the talisman bite into the noble mans finger. Giving off a red glow and causing the man to turn into a frog.

The Replica opened his eyes and felt a faint scent, looking upon the bayou. "The actual prince needs to stay hidden." Ztardon pointed the way in an order, the teenager questioned if the role of who goes and who stays near the city should have been reversed, he shrugged and went to the bayou with a decision. "Should I leave that job to him?" He shook his head ran off, leaving Ztardon to spy upon Facilier. The Tzaangor gave an evil smile and took the form of a raven, it's shadow showing a formless horror.

At a Greek city.

On top of a column, a brown haired woman in a blue toga was forced to climb up by a swarm of six round fiery heartless. "Someone help!" She asked to herself. "Where did all these monsters come from?" She yelled desperately. "Hercules, where are you?"

Sora, Donald, Goofy and Ana entered a garden right at the woman's call, the duck pointed out. "Look!" Sora agreed and yelled out. "Oh no!" The trio charged as Goofy yelled. "Help is on the way!" Ana felt if she attacked the heartless that close, she might cause the column to collapse, she followed in flight as the trio drew out their weapons. Sora let the woman know. "We'll put these hot heads out."

The Stormcast promised the woman as she landed next to her. "Just keep still while they take care of it." She looked to the sky and down to the heartless as the woman asked confused. "Huh? Who are you four? Where is Hercules?"

Donald answered. "Hey, we're heroes too!" Sora rushed to a column and snared three of them in a spin as Goofy bashed the other three into a pile, Sora jumped in between and used water magic to quell the fire and more importantly, get the six heartless wet. "Let them have it!" Donald nodded and raised his staff as Ana raised her keyblade, both to the sky and caused bolts of lightning to strike down upon the heartless, annihilating them in one fell swoop, Ana felt the woman holding onto her and jumped down to let her off, the woman let go and looked rather thankful. "Thank you. You're so brave." She turned to ask Anatesis. "What are you? A...hero sent from the gods?"

The Stormcast nodded. "Aye, but not from Olympus, go find somewhere safe to hide until we quell the danger." The woman's eyes glittered in admiration as Donald felt that was stretching something thin. "I will, what's your names?" The four gave her that name, she felt a ring in all four. "Sora, Donald, Goofy, Ana." She ran towards safety as Donald asked. "Ana, we are not suppose to talk about that."

The Stormcast blinked and asked. "The World Order? If there is another pantheon they know of, it isn't something they won't believe, I just won't talk about the god that sent me." Sora had a text from someone and checked his phone, it was one from Riku. "The towns people are blabbering from close encounters but they seem fine, we're running into hell hounds and heading towards a part of town looking pretty bad, where are you?"

Sora kept a steady pace as Donald and Goofy felt the Stormcast had a point, going further into the garden and watching a fire ball from the sky collapse a building, something leaped on top of another roof, a red, four armed, ape like beast that looked annoyed by something and was on a hunt, it had three tongues and blades wedged onto its back. It gave a yell much like a humans and impatiently leaped to another. Ana gave off a duty bound frown and answered. "That's a slaughterbrute...bound to one of the Varanguard on the loose."

Donald asked. "Bound?" Ana nodded and lead the way towards a downward slope. "It's something a Chaos Champion in power does, it is a ritual that connects the beast to the champion. In the end, the beast fighting like a warrior instead of a monster. Killing the champion doesn't make it much better, freed, it won't tell friend from foe and it will go bonkers. Many good soldiers learn that the hard way." Sora looked ready to take on the nightmares. "Then that means the Varanguard are close by, maybe we can put an end to that and then focus on Hades and Garland."

The group agreed and slide down to a ruined road that had a pit of fire. Goofy and Donald knew they had to get across and let Ana carry them, the Stormcast took flight and let Sora lead the way. "Once we catch up with Riku and Herc, we will be ready." Sora looked upon the walls and ran up with a protective mindset, in preparation for another encounter with the forces of chaos.

At Twilight Town's Bistro.

Ken was astonished and asked Aqua. "A furry blue alien that was a...I think I heard some of the people back home talk about him a couple weeks ago." The woman gasped. "626 is out there?!" Ken nodded and noticed Olette with two boys that seem to be close friends with her. "I think he disappeared after that big heartless attack, since no one seen him at all since."

Olette waved hello and let the two boys now. "And this is the guy I was talking about." A blonde boy in a vest saw one thing catching interested. "Nice arm, you're Ken?" Kendry waved with the cybernetic. "Olette told me about you and Pence. Hayner?" Hayner gave a wide, cocky smile. "The one and only." Pence pretended he didn't over hear the conversation and asked as he notice the striking blue haired woman. "And you're Kairi and Ken's teacher?"

Aqua nodded, smiled and greeted herself. "You three are well informed." She wondered about what the bistro had to offer and nearly drooled. "This is the place I heard about." Olette winked and pointed the way. "The best restaurant in the whole town," Pence realized a small detail. "Hey Aqua, we heard you traveled across strange places before, do you want to share some of the info with us?"

The teacher realized what her instincts were doing and snapped out of it. "Ha! There were two times I had an experience with something culinary. One was an Inn in the Realm of Azyr that friends of mine covered when I was able to... the other-" she didn't looked proud of. "Was when I was in the Realm of Ghur... or beasts. Squigs are incredibly violent, dangerous creatures that won't hesitate to bite you face off, they are also something the moonclan grots raise for food, steeds... or war beasts." Ken cringed and warned the three. "Their cousins, the spider fangs, ride on big spiders... but I heard the moonclan are crazier. Miss, did a squig tried to attack you and you had nothing else to eat?"

The teacher nodded. "I had to improvise with a camp fire of... mushrooms and it might have affected the flavor. But if we ever find a squig, they are a sign to much more trouble because of the grots and because those realms are outside of the world, there is much greater dangers compared to them lurking with in." The teenagers took her word for it, Ken noticed someone sneaking around and excused himself. "I seen one of those dangers, but I heard of another that's pretty awful. Miss, guys, do you mind if I go searching? I'll be back." He drew out his burning keyblade and flicked a burning flame, Aqua approved. "If it is danger, use that trick immediately." Hayner promised the boy. "We know what to order for you, you'll like it."

Ken and Aqua were unaware of what, the boy with the keyblade walked off and followed to an open road and found Xion cheerfully greeting him. "Hello, my brother wanted to know where I got this." She spun to show off her attire, Ken gushed and felt the danger lessening. "It's sudden, but it's like you are a new person. What's up?" Xion nervously asked, her hands behind her hips and her right shoe skid in place. "I... found something you may want to see." She looked upon the burning keyblade, wondering where that came from as she took a deep breath and drew out a keyblade. Ken looked astonished. "No way. Awesome."

He placed his burning keyblade on his main hand and asked. "You wanted to fight to see what you can do?" Xion's nervousness became confidence, she nodded. "Please. I...won't ask again, I know this might look awkward to someone else." Ken didn't mind that. "I talk to mine sometimes." Xion exhaled and looked around to find no one looking. "Alright, here I come."

She rushed after the boy and swung, Ken side stepped and swung back, Xion parried and pushed back with unexpected strength. Push! Ken backed away and Xion closed in with a hyper aggressive manner. Parry! Ken parried and pushed back, he watched Xion back flip and complimented. "Are you sure this isn't your first time?" Xion felt a complete blank and answered. "I... thought it was. Is this all you can do with that?"

Ken didn't wish to go full out in fear of drawing attention, raised his keyblade into the air and felt its flame brighter, he closed in to the girl and readied a jab. Xion readied to parry, the burning blade collided with hers, burst and knocked her off her feet, she was dazed and saw Ken dismiss his keyblade, he lowered himself to help her up. "I don't use that as my main keyblade, its an off hand and I thought to use it because I think my other one might have ended that fight sooner. You're a lot stronger than I thought you were."

Xion blushed and took the cybernetic hand, feeling a firm grip and was helped up. "T...thank you." She cringed at an awkward moment. "But what are you going to tell them?" Ken didn't hesitated. "I met someone that wanted to know how to fight."

He felt rude excluding an invitation as Xion felt it would work. "That's the truest thing I heard." She looked at a bench and asked. "If you are finished, would you... would you." Ken agreed with a blush back. "I like to hang out with you more. Give me half an hour, I got an idea so you won't miss out." Xion looked confused about the suggestion. "Huh?" Ken promised her. "I been hearing a lot of good things with the restaurant. That's the big huh and you want to taste that. After that... there might be someone I can show you to and we can get to talking."

That idea lit the girls day brighter, she felt a rumble and trusted him. "Alright, thank you." The boy nodded and left back to the bistro, finding Aqua curious about a particular mystery. "The... Little Chef keeps himself a mystery?" Hayner nodded and warned her. "If you want to find out, there is a catch." Ken blinked as Pence noticed him and wave. "Hey we ordered something the both of you might like." The boy squinted his eyes to the restaurant. "You guys really are about mysteries."

He whistled and waltz in. "I'm going to check it out while we wait." Aqua cringed and tried to hold herself against warning him, Ken walked into the bistro and found a door to the kitchen closing shut, an ominous warning the boy felt. He looked around and found the people too busy to notice, he sneaked in and found many, many orders and a list of ingredients being prepared, yet no sign of the chef. He entered fully and asked to himself. "What kind of mystery is this?"

Scurry!

Ken quickly felt something crawling on his back, tried to react and felt the presence on his head. Tug! Something tugged on his hair and he felt himself tumbling out of control, he reached to a frying pan and spatula, he looked up to find the puppet master. A grey rodent, Ken felt his brain explode. "That chef is you?! Wait... that's the catch?" The rodent nodded and guided the boy to a variety of seafood and vegetables, Ken felt enough of his mind was blown. "Alright, alright, I get it. This is how you would do your thing." He wanted to laugh as the insanity took hold.

At the burning city near Olympus.

Sora, Donald, Goofy and Ana charged into a crumbling building to find Riku and Moonfang fighting back against a horde of eight viking like heartless with twin axes and eight black, reptilian hounds, protecting a family of three that were cornered, holding a support piece to the building was Hercules, who noticed the arrivals. "Sora!"

The four drew their weapons as Riku appreciated the company, if with some sarcasm. "Finally, hey heroes, help us out." The four approached and felt a rumble in the building, Donald turning around to find debris falling the way they came as Herc voiced the plan. "You guys take those heartless. We need to save these people!" Sora asked the Olympian. "Herc, can you hold the building?" Herc smiled to that and kept holding on. "No problem." Sora yelled out to the group. "Come on, we got to do this quick!"

Sora, Goofy and Ana dived into the viking like heartless as Donald shot icy orbs upon the more aggressive swarm, catching the attention of the hounds and giving Moonfang time to pounce upon them from behind. Riku leaped against the hounds and hacked away as Ana bashed three vikings clean and caused her keyblade to shift into an axe. Cleaving the hounds and giving the group some breathing room to swiftly dispatched the heartless.

The crumbling of the building worsened and the group knew they need to find a route out, Riku saw a crumbling wall to the left and asked Ana. "Could you make a hole out of that?" The Stormcast gasped, saw it and flew to it with her shoulder. CRACK! She forced a wall open, Herc saw the light and silently let the group know he has the building managed, Sora understood and asked the family as Goofy, Donald and Riku were pointing the way. "Are you guys alright? You need to get to safety. Go! Quickly!"

The dracoth made sure the shaking child was up on her feet and had her gaze upon the make shift door, the family took the chance and run to it, the rest of the party escorted around as Sora realized Hercules was still trapped himself, he hesitated, realized there wasn't much he could do and followed out. Toward a grassy road where they felt the rumbling worsen.

CRUMBLE!

The guard blocked the blunt of an impact of dust from the family, they looked on to find the building collapsed with Herc in it. Sora felt his heart racing as he and the group of visitors yelled out "Hercules" baring Moonfang who roared and Anatesis who felt something she shouldn't have, rumble. Rumble!

Sora was the first to notice someone coming out of the ruins; Hercules, who looked to have not even a scratch as he dusted the pebbles off. Sora felt his heart beats slowing down and yelled. "You scared us!" Hercules sighed to that. "It's nothing. That's what these are for." He flexed his muscles as Ana admired the courage. "Even I would think twice before trying to carry all that. Now let's ge-"

She, Sora and Riku sensed something coming from the shadows, something heavy and snarling. Two horsemen riding out of the mist, on what looked to be heavily mutated steeds, to the right was a horsemen in black armor and a helmet that gave Sora, Donald and Goofy a flash back of Kharn. Wielding a rune axe and a mighty shield, the horsemen looked upon the cowering family with contempt as the horsemen to the right; one with a horned head, a similar shield and a small axe with an eye looking upon Hercules and Ana, balked. "Kheroch, is this why the cattle had been avoiding us? These pitiful, meager imbeciles wasting their time?" Kheroch didn't care for that. "Does it matter Istur? Our quarry marched straight to where Srosgros said they would, inspite of what that building should have done."

Sora gritted his teeth at the insignias as Donald and Goofy flexed foolishly, the duck yelled. "Go away!" The shield bearer yelled. "No Varanguard!" The spiky haired boy drew out his keyblade without hesitation. "So it was true, what do you wackos want?"

Istur cruelly laughed at him and had his glare upon Hercules as Kheroch silently watched Anatesis. "Is it not obvious you dip wit? We came to topple this world and all who stand with it." Riku drew his blade in his friends defense. "By trying to kill Herc while he is busy saving peoples lives from this fire and from those like you." Kheroch shrugged. "It is his fault for guarding these weaklings. Would they be able to do the same for him?"

Hercules felt he heard enough. "Is that all that matters to you? Thinking only of yourself?"

Kheroch answered as he had his target in sight. "Is that weakness the only thing that matters to you? Putting others before you?" Istur had his own target in sight and answered. "He has the divine of this world taking patron, nothing more. Our master will see the end to that farce." Herc felt a delicate spot has Sora had enough of the Varanguard. "What do you know? You weren't even there to see the things Herc has done, if you were, you would know he deserved to be called a hero." Istur burst laughing as Kheroch answered. "You wouldn't be saying that when we are finished with him and this..." He snarled to the Stormcast. "Boisterous insect! Would you be able to save them from this!"

The horses charged without warning, Istur jabbed his weapon at Herc as Kheroch swung to Ana's neck. Herc dodged, grabbed the horse by its rear and hurled it to a rocky wall as the family bolted out of danger. Ana flew above and swung at Kheroch's chest with her keyblade, the Varanguard were knocked off their steeds. Donald and Goofy focused on them as Sora and Riku went after the chaos warriors that were getting up. The shields blocked the damage, Istur kicked Sora back and stabbed the ground as Kheroch pushed back against Riku with his shield and tried to rush him into the building. The silver haired teenager flowed to a wall and ran behind Kheroch to do melee as a darkness pool under Istur, letting loose malformed shadow like heartless that had sickle like claws that pounced after Sora on instinct. Sora yelped and hacked after the heartless as Herc tackled Istur and his weapon off the ground. The Varanguard with the demonic weapon caught his footing and pushed back as Sora split his keyblade into two glowing disks, threw them at the shadows to put them out of their misery and flung them after Istur, the Varanguard was struck in the face and waddled back as his partner was bull rushed by Ana. Moonfang blasted the horses with her lightning break and clawed into their throats for a killing blow as Goofy and Donald did what they can to keep them distracted. Kheroch tried to fight back against Ana, cleaved into her armor with his ensorcelled weapon and felt a hammer wedged into his stomach.

He howled and clawed after her desperately as he watched Istur try to parry Herc's punches with his deamon bound weapon, the disks coming back distracted Istur and gave Herc the chance needed to shatter the weapon. Istur felt a dark shroud engulfing him as Kheroch was shot deeper into the blade by dim fire balls, Riku growled to him. "Go back to hell where you belong." Ana felt like her mind was read, flew high into the air and crashed down like a thunderbolt with Kheroch attached to the weapon. BOOM! Istur watched an unsightly mess that was his comrade and the horses falling down in blood, he looked like he snapped into a rage and charged after Herc, the dark shroud became a pool that reached out the warrior of chaos in dark claws. Istur yelled wildly, bit into one of the claws and tore at them, leaving a frightened group to watch as Istur barked to them. "THIS ISN'T OVER! EVEN NOW THE EVERCHOSEN MARCHES UPON-"

A claw wrapped around his mouth as the tendrils dragged him down into the pool bellow, Ana and Riku cringed together as Sora, Donald and Goofy realized what happened. The teenagers looked to each other disturbingly as Ana sighed. "The Varanguard are not like most forces of Chaos, they have done so much evil that they earned the title Slaves to Darkness."

Moonfang nodded as Donald and Goofy snapped the boys out of their dosage of nightmares, Herc knew what Istur was trying to threaten. "This means there is one more that we can't ignore. Sora, Riku, don't let these guys bother you." Sora was looking down at where the Varanguard was as the Olympian continued. "They are trying to get under our skin because they think they can. But well prove them wrong." Ana got on Moonfang and yelled out. "We will show them what we can do as one! Those self serving barbarians won't know what hit them now that there is just two in the city and seven of us."

Sora perked up and agreed. "You're right." Riku smiled with him and followed the dracoth leading the way. "Let's give Srosgros and his pet monster a ticket out of here, then we will check back on Olympus, Hades isn't the only danger here." Goofy hummed. "We are already proof enough that we can do it." Donald agreed and followed the Stormcast through the fog. "We're a team! When we're together, we can do anything." Sora agreed with that. "Yeah."

The unified group made a travel through an alley way that lead to a water way. Moonfang smelled from the right and rushed to a door, Ana readied her hammer and together they bashed a way to the city square, where a gargantuan juggernaut of a heartless with a mighty axe was doing battle against a slaughter brute and a Varanguard with a blind fold and a top knot revealing black hair. In the knights hands was a shield and a wicked spear, the three quickly overwhelmed the heartless and left the knight yelling out. "I DARE YOU TO TAKE ME, FOR I AM YOUR MASTER!"

The horse noticed something and turned, with the rider realizing something was amiss. The rider sensed it and tensed. "How did those two fail?!" He regretted as the slaughter beast laughed at the coming group, leaped above Ana and tried to pounce upon the lesser group, Hercules jumped from beneath the monsters belly and sent it flying with him as the Varanguard charged after Ana. "Die!"

Moonfang blew a mighty breath of lightning as Ana had her hammer ready to duel against, Srosgros, Sora and Riku jumped to the knights left and right, charged after the rider as one and thrust, Srogros dodged Sora and was knocked off his horse by Riku. He landed on his back, grabbed the ground and performed a back flip as his horse was completely annihilated, the slaughterbrute nearly landed on his back and Srogros felt his heart skip a beat. He thought of a plan and beckoned the beast to his side. "Don't think you won by numbers alone." He jumped on the slaughterbrutes head and rode on top of it like it was a steed, the slaugherbrute gave an evil smile and clawed Goofy and Donald away.

Ana jumped onto the brutes back to do battle as Moonfang tackled the brutes belly. The brute tried to pluck the two off as Srogros dodged the swings of the keyblade. Sora thought of a reckless idea and yelled out. "Herc, do you see the swords on its back?" The Olympian landed and saw them. "Yeah? Why is tha-" Ana gasped, turned her head and yelled. "Break it."

Srogros gasped back, the slaughter brute ignored the dracoth on its chest, jumped to a building and hurled a column at the larger group. Moonfang held with her claws as Ana grabbed onto the horns. SWOOSH! CRUMBLE!

The column was sliced in two and Sora landed on the roof as Herc made a mighty leap. Srogros gritted his teeth and felt something appeared behind him, Riku struck him in the back and kept him distracted as the spiky haired boy and the Olympian jumped onto the slaughterbrutes back and pulled the sword. Srogros barked. "You idiots, do you know what you just-"

"HWEEEEEE!" The slaughterbrute yelled like a maniac and flailed its claws all around, knocking Sora and Herc off the building as Ana, Riku and Moonfang jumped off. Scrogros tried to fight back, was grabbed in a claw and flung his spear at the beasts head, sinking it deep as he watched razor sharp teeth chomp down upon his body. Sora caught himself with a flow to a column as Herc landed in a thud, Donald and Goofy came through to watch a knight fighting his way out of the monsters jaws. Srogros looked bloodied and pulled his spear out of the beasts forehead, he stabbed into the beasts throat and hurled it's bleeding carcass to Sora. The boy jumped out of the way and looked at the knight trying to jump to the ground.

KICK!

Srogros was kicked upside the back by white hooves, the Varanguard lost his balance and screamed as he fell from the tall building.

Thud!

The Varanguard landed upon the ground in a mighty thump, tried to get up and was hacking blood from his mouth, left at the mercy of the Stormcast that raised her hammer high and slammed it down upon his skull. Sora and Riku looked away from the brutal finisher as a spark of lightning told the rest. Ana pulled away as Herc looked up to find a Pegasus flying down with Megara and Phil, the woman cringed at the execution as the satyr felt mutual. "She's definitely Norse." The horse landed as Ana looked upon Moonfang and nodded to her, causing the dracoth to disappear in a glow that flowed to her heart, Megara focused on the battered group, primarily to Herc. "Nice job, Wonderboy. We checked the whole area from above, it looks like everyones safe."

Herc appreciated that and more. "That's great. We did what we could. But we got another problem, these guys yelled about an Everchosen that could be going for Olympus." Meg felt like it was another dark lord and sighed. "He's been keeping you heroes busier than bees." Phil agreed and asked. "You think he and Hades are working with each other?"

Anatesis shook her head and let her keyblade fade. "Archaon would snuff that old flame in a heart beat, so no." The Pegasus noticed something odd at a tall mountain in the distance, the woman saw and sighed. "Oh...look. More trouble." The group looked to find the mountain shrouded in a stormy cloud, Herc felt like it was a pile upon pile of ordeals. The party members felt it was mutual as Sora asked. "Herc! Let's go!" The Olympian agreed with that. "Right." The Pegasus took flight to escort Meg and Phil away and left the vast party to travel back to Olympus. They left the city as one and dashed across a road way to the mountain of legends, into the storm of chaos.

At Twilight Town.

Xion looked bored and hungry as she noticed Kendry with a cup bin, the boy smiled smugly and approached, giving it to her and giggled. "That was a mystery I'm glad I solved. Miss is going to have to figure this out by herself. This came free after I... had to pay the toll for the knowledge. Sorry for taking so long."

Xion took the bin and was given a spoon, she opened it to find a bisque with a whole crab claw in the shell, she gasped, took a spoon full and sipped. Hearts fluttered in her eyes as she asked. "What did you have to do?"

Ken swallowed nervously. "Help the Little Chef out, it's how he normally cooks and let's just say he does most of the work anyways. Cooking for a lot of people in a business is a whole level compared to cooking for a few people." The boy took out his burning keyblade and placed it on the ground, causing it to resemble a cozy bonfire. "I had to try what the guys ordered for me and that bisque... well... you know now."

Xion's gaze was upon the fire as she savored the soup. "MMM! Tell him he has another fan." Ken gave Xion an okay sign, she swallowed and asked as she felt something was looking back. "How did you and this keyblade meet?"

The boy gave her a brief summary. "When it's world died. This keyblade holds the heart of that world and a certain someone that is pretty cool. Benedict would have liked to see it now."

Xion felt pity as she scarfed more of the soup. "That's kind of sad." She looked at the boy to ask and found a strange woman forming from blowing ashes, sitting on the ground and tilting her head back and forth in a playful manner, she smiled to Xion and asked. "Odd one, this was not the kind of day thou expected?" Xion shook her head as the bisque was reduced to a few drizzles. "No, it was much more wonderful than I thought it would be." She crack opened the claw and saw white meat to bite off. Gulp. "The sun feels brighter, the fire is warm and the stranger I met has been very nice to me."

Ken smiled to the woman and introduced. "Xion, this is the Firekeeper and she is the heart I talked about that is in the keyblade. She comes when I need guidance." Xion noticed the woman having a blind fold and introduced herself. "I'm Xion, I... need to find out what I'm doing with myself." The Firekeeper asked. "A purpose for thee, most unexpected." She looked at Kendry and asked. "Wielder of the Flame, providing thine Master allows it, is there any place you wish to explore?"

Ken had one in mind. "That world past where the Eldar's ship was. There is a secret there and I want to find it." Xion asked as she wanted to make sure the cup was cleaned. "You're an explorer?" The boy nodded and looked up to the sky. "That's what I want to be, free to see whats out there. Everything that looked new to me is... kind of fun to witness... with some exceptions." Xion looked at the arm and worried. "Wouldn't your teacher get worried if you get lost?" Ken didn't hesitate. "Totally, but I get why." Xion looked upon the clock tower with some ideas and asked Ken. "I think you're teacher might be upset if you are out of sight for this long. Thank you for the food and company." Ken appreciated and as the Firekeeper gave a farewell nod to the girl. "We will meet again."

She disappeared into ashes and the boy pulled out the keyblade. "I heard the town has an ice cream stand as well, I'll see ya later in the afternoon." Xion felt that would be a sweet time and promised him. "I'll be here like before." She giggled as the boy took his leave, she watched the sun and took in a lazy afternoon.

At the base of Mount Olympus.

The six man band of heroes fought through water heartless, flying heartless, sandy heartless and for anyone not Hercules, had to travel through a familiar path they took. Leading to the same part of the mountain where they met Hades and leading more towards a path to a mountain side. Rumble! Rumble! "Rrawr!" "Caw!" "Whurrrr!"

The unusual roars and a rumble was heard above the mountain, Goofy and Donald looked around, the shield bearer had a gut feeling. "Those don't sound like they mix." Sora agreed with that. "That's not a good sign."

Hercules agreed with that and looked up the mountain. "Guys, this is getting worse by the minute." He looked down to his right fist. "I hope I'm wrong, but my family needs me." He turned and gave a sharp whistle, calling the Pegasus from the town, the horse landed and let Herc get on his back. Ana warned him. "Hercules, those Varanguard were pretty tough and if Archaon is up there-" Herc agreed to that. "I know, I'm going to fly ahead. You can catch up, but leave those two to me." Riku asked. "You... said about having a family up there."

Herc was firm on the horses back and answered. "Yeah. Dad's king of the gods." He gave a hiyah and the horse took flight with him, Ana whistled. "I knew there was something big about him. It's no wonder Archaon wants to see this mountain turn to rubble." Sora agreed with that. "But how did Archaon find out Herc is a god?" Riku approached the mountain side and guessed. "Since I doubt Hades would go near someone with that kind of blood lust out of fear for his own hide, Archaon must have found out through another way."

He felt dry in the mouth and remembered the previous encounter with a powerful figure of Chaos. "Herc needs our help, he won't last against Archaon alone." Goofy agreed with that. "Good point. We gotta go!" Donald agreed with that as he and Goofy faced the mountain. "Cause heroes never quit." Sora took a deep breath and felt like there was something he was understand. "We'll fight with all our heart." Those words resonated more true. "C'mon!"

The five journeyed toward the mountain side and felt a mighty rumble, they looked above to find a rock giant near the summit, holding a massive boulder, they shouted loudly. "Titan!" The Rock Titan threw the boulder down, the group barely dodged it and watched parts of it block the way they came, Ana grabbed onto Donald and Goofy as Sora and Riku saw a flat surface of wall to run up to. The Stormcast flew as the boys ran up from ledge to ledge. Dodging the falling rocks as they squinted their eyes to find a hint of something clashing right behind the Titan. The boys were the first to see who was clashing against who, a winged horse and an Olympian with a blade was going up against a massive, flying, three headed, demonic creature and its own rider. A glimmer of light going against an inferno. The Rock Titan's right head looked down at something as the other head was focused on the intruders, the giants feet stomped and caused more boulders to fall upon the group. Sora and Riku jumped on each of the falling boulders and made it to a solid mountain ledge that lead to a passage to their left. The boys ran there as rain poured and thunder boomed, Ana caught up with them with Donald and Goofy in hand.

Riku asked with adrenaline rushing through his veins. "That thing is the one carrying Archaon?" Sora rushed to the mountain path as his answer, they found a small pocket with in the mountain trail. Pew! A swarm of seven armored, flying heartless and five shadows appeared to get in their way. Ana dropped Donald and Goofy, ready to dive into the battle, Sora and Riku looked at each other and spun into the swarm like a yin, yang missile. Letting loose slashes of light and twilight to destroy five of the flying heartless and three of the shadows, leaving two each for Donald, Goofy and Ana to clean out. The boys felt they were in sync and continued their chase, hearing the sound of men charging something and the sound of an annoyed Rock Titan being herded their way. The five caught up together and noticed the clashing in the sky continuing. The winged demon swiped the winged horse back with its two tails and under command, flew behind the Rock Titan, Ana couldn't believe it as the four realized what the demon was trying to do, the Rock Titan tumbled their way and was given a shove. The Stormcast flashed in lightning and rushed to the four, carrying them out of the way as the Titan was thrown upon where they were, his two heads crashed downward and his body flipped, the five felt enough was enough and Ana flew up the wall with all her might.

They reached to the summit and found twelve Varanguard routing for the rider on top of the three headed, winged demon that gave all kinds of freight. On the back of the demon and fighting against an angry Hercules was an menacing, horned man in black armor, that had a shield on his left hand and a glowing red sword in another. The man taunted Hercules out of spite. "And their demise brings about your folly, god." He readied his blade that glowed with a demonic aura. "See how little you and this world mean in the gra-" Sora locked onto the demon and without much thought, shot himself to the torso, shoving it away from Hercules and causing the armored Chaos Lord to miss.

Herc turned around and noticed Ana with Donald, Goofy and Riku, he swiped a sweat and watched Sora back flip away from the demon that tried to swipe at him with its talons. Herc had his horse dive down for a landing as the Varanguard closed in. Anatesis landed fast and dropped off Riku, Donald and Goofy. The party of seven readied against the twelve Varanguard as the demon howled, the man on top ordered them. "Don't waist your breath! I will put an end to these fools myself."

Thud!

The demon landed on its feet as Sora and the group looked up to a helmet that was crowned and adorned with a central gem on its forehead, looking like a third eye. With in the sockets most black was orange glowing eyes, Sora tensed with that feeling of fear. "So you're the one... doing all this, you're Archaon?" The Chaos Lord readied his blade and kept a glare at both Hercules and the Stormcast. "I thought those three would have been capable of slaying you. I have misplaced my judgement. But what does that matter to corpses." He ordered his steed and raised a caged barrier. "Dorghar, devour them!"

The demon let loose three unified roars and charged after the seven, Hercules charged against the demon, Dorghar rolled out of the way and looked at the Stormcast that shot herself against its master. Archaon raised his shield and blocked the bolt of thunder, Ana swung against him and growled like she a personal grudge. Sora, Riku, Donald and Goofy charged after the demon that swung its tail and knocked them all to their backs, Archaon boasted to Ana. "The Knight Hammer Blade of Sigmar, what a ridiculous title."

SWIPE!

Ana felt the burning blade sink into her flesh and flew back to taunt back. "Like I give a Grots fart what you think." She locked onto the Everchosen, spun with her hammer and flung it at him, a key of storm flew against the Everchosen that took the hit, laughed and through a force of dark will, shot the blade back to Ana. Knocking her to the ground, she focused to retrieve the hammer as Dorghar turned to a persistent Hercules and tried to claw after him. Donald tried to shoot a spell at Archaon and yelled. "Thunderaga!"

Puff!

Archaon looked down upon the duck who's spell was unbinded with indifference and ordered the bird like head. "Eat that one!" Dorghar's three heads smiled in sadistic pleasure and the body pounced after him, Goofy shield bashed the three heads and caused it to become distracted, Archaon looked upon the two boys dashing and aimed his hand at them and let loose an arcane bolt to injure the two and repel them away. One of the Varanguard was distracted from cheering for his master and looked up to the sky to find a sight not expected, a four armed demon that looked down upon the forces of chaos with indifference, his four arms glowed black like the void and the demon shouted. "Enough!"

Archaon looked up to the demon and gasped. "You...you're not of-" Woosh! Archaon and Dorghar looked down to find a black rift opening underneath, sucking in the barrier and causing the Varanguard to feel themselves be sucked in. The group of six and the winged horse tried to see what caused that and felt themselves still in time, unaware of what was occurring at that moment as the army was sucked into the void and the Everchosen seeing more of the demon, snarling at him. "Don't think you won, the dark realm will not hold me for long."

The demon didn't care for that and shoo'd him away. "and yet you have more productive things to do." Archaon and his steed felt themselves pulled in from the gravity, falling into the dark rift and vanishing with a combined howl. With them gone, the demon snapped his fingers, disappeared and caused the group to break out of the temporal hold. Wondering what happened and battered, they tried to put it all together, Sora asked. "What... happened? One moment we were fighting Archaon and the next... they are... gone?"

"Ha, ha, ha, ha! They were a hindrance, wasn't there something you came for?" They turned to the left and found a horned knight standing with in the air, holding in his hand a crystal that gleamed with the power of lightning, Hercules felt he had it figured out and asked. "You were working for Hades from the start until you had a change of plans and found someone with a bigger deal? Right Garland?"

The knight gave praise to the insight. "Until a divine force rescued me from the maw of Hell. With the power of the crystals, I will complete the cycle and escape that horrid fate. Ha! Ha! Ha!" They heard a tired laughter, like the knight was nearing a completing task, Riku asked as he sensed an odd resolve. "Were... you the one who saved us right-" Garland tilted his head as a corridor opened. "Of course not, it was by the will of the divine that the madman was delayed from his grander goal. You are best to hurry along and stop Hades from overthrowing Olympus." The knight jumped back, Sora yelled out as he felt confused. "Wait st-" Woosh!

The corridor closed, Ana felt something was off herself. "We will deal with him later, this whole thing is giving all of us a head ache thinking about." Hercules agreed and had Pegasus fly him to the path. "There is something he isn't telling us, come on, we're not that far."

That was assuring, the group felt a heal and marched on forward across the stormy mountain. They reached to a caved in wall that had a spec of golden light on the other side, Sora focused and switched his disk like keyblade back to its regular form as Riku smiled to him. "That was pretty scary, but we managed to protect everyone from that." Sora went for the crack and beat on it, feeling oddly relaxed. "Yeah, we... need to get stronger if we are to beat that guy." Riku joined in on the digging as Anatesis readied her hammer and sighed. "We need a lot more than that if we are to stand a chance." SLAM!

The hammer caused a larger crack that the boys tore through, Goofy and Donald thought about it as Riku thought of an idea. "Once we take care of Hades, we need to let the King and the others know what we are going up against. It took six of us just to beat three of them."

That was the more disturbing thought as Sora readied for a firm strike, crack! Crumble! A cave way opened, the party of five saw a passage of clouds leading to a stairway into a divine golden realm, Ana didn't feel that impressed and kept marching, the four followed up the stairway to a golden gate that opened to a realm of marbled columns and pristine structure much like from the town bellow. Sora was gazing upon the realm in disbelief. "Is this Olympus?" Goofy had his own marvel at a place few mortels ever trended. "Gawrsh, it's amazing." Ana closed her eyes to envisioned the place under a blanket of stars and agreed. "It's not Azyr, but its a a sight to behold."

Stomp! Rumble! Stomp! Riku sensed a dark presence coming as Donald asked. "Is this the fanfare?" The silver haired teenager shook his head and saw a creature of darkness forming, a blue brachiosaurus with a glistening green underbelly that had a heartless emblem, it emitted lightning as Sora guessed. "Nope. This looks like something Garland cooked up." The silver haired teenager agreed to that. "It is, they are always... strange, compared to the others. But I think we can take this thing out easily."

Goofy agreed with that as the heartless roared and shot lightning against the five, Goofy lifted his shield to take the blunt as the four felt themselves shocked silly, Donald used a healing spell as the key bearers charged after the heartless that swung its tail after them.

Leap!

The three jumped across and struck at the heartless, causing it to waddle back and ready one of its claws. SWAT!

Sora was struck and was in a daze as the heartless inhaled and breathed a massive giga volt upon the boy that was goofily swinging in the direction. BZZT! Boom!

He was sent flying as Riku was swatted by a mighty claw and was left just as confused. Donald tapped his foot in annoyance and healed as Goofy understood and went to Sora to give him a light knock from the shield, undoing the daze and leaving the boy to realize the heartless was using the same pattern on Riku. Who was yelling in frustration at how he wasn't attacking anything, Sora rushed to get Riku out of the way and shook him, snapping him out of the haze as Anatesis was taking most of bites and stomps. The silver haired teenager felt his patience at an end, gave a red glow and punched the ground, causing a symbol of an arrow to shine in his vision and for a damp smell to fill the air.

Stomp! Blue spider legs that had green stripes pulled from a twilight glow, pulling up the rest of the body to reveal an Arachnarok that gave a savage shriek and pounced on the heartless, Ana heard and flew out of the way.

CHOMP!

The spider bit into the heartless and caused it to ooze venom from its maw, Donald gasped and thought of something. "Electricity." He focused deep as the boys realized something, Riku asked. "Sora, you think this thing has that electricity in its body?" The spiky haired boy watched the spider claw at the heartless and disappear into twilight, leaving a foe nearing deaths door. "It... might, you're saying we should get him wet?"

Tap!

Sora felt a tap on his shoulder and heard his friend answer. "Exactly, but..." Sora understood, jumped to Donald's side and raised his keyblade, he spun in the air as Donald twisted and turned the water from the fountains, the water flowed to the sky as the heartless inhaled once more. BASH! CLAW!

It felt a hammer smashing its chin and mighty claws sinking into its skin. Ana and Moonfang jumped out of its way and looked to be readying something of their own, the Stormcast spun with her hammer, yelled out and stopped, giving a fierce, fang showing smile and flying back, the Dracoth slapped it in the face with her tail and rushed out. Leaving the heartless to see a massive whirlpool with Sora underneath it. The boy aimed his keyblade at the heartless and caused the twister to disperse into multiple streams of water. Pummeling the heartless and causing it to spark out of control, like its own electrical power was electrocuting it, as the final stream of water knocked the heartless off its feet and caused it to spasm out. Releasing a captive heart and causing the heartless to break apart in darkness.

The group of four smiled upon Donald for the quick thinking, Ana's smile calmed down. "Keep that up and I might think about giving Arreia a list of spells to pass along." Donald was flattered and noticed a small stairway across a hallway, leading up to a corridor. "Hercules must be at the top of this place." Ana felt it made sense. "The highest point in the heavens, where the gods will have an eye on the mortals." Sora and Riku agreed with that thought, the five begun their travel and their ascent into the realm of the gods.

At the bayou during a sunset.

Kairi was nearly drooling and asked Tiana. "You were working towards owning a restaurant and making, what?" The frog knew Kairi was a traveler. "Just some cajun. Jambalaya, gumbo, it's gonna have it all." Louis agreed with that. "Mmm! I always wanted to try red beans and rice, moofa lettuce, poi boys." Kairi noticed a heron like heartless trying to spear at her, took it out with ease and asked. "Poi boys?" Tiana was glad Kairi asked. "Just some fried seafood in between a sandwich, sugar."

Naveen politely insisted as his stomach rumbled. "Oh stop, you three are making me so very hungry." Bzzt! A swarm of mosquitoes fluttered to Kairi once more, the girl swung at them with her keyblade and Naveen was distracted by the insects, flick. He noticed his frog tongue sticking out towards the insects. "Interesting." Kairi misinterpret that and was annoyed by the mosquitoes. "I'm the one one this things can bite, are you going to help?" Naveen nodded and whispered. "Just hold still my dear."

Jump!

Splash!

Tiana wasn't impressed and asked. "What... are you doing?" Naveen signaled that she keeps quiet. "Shh, you are frightening the food." Flick! He shot his tongue out, Kairi watched the tongue miss entirely, Kairi felt more bites and swatted the mosquitoes away, Naveen chuckled to himself. "Ha, ha. This is harder than it looks." He flicked his tongue to a mosquito on a tiny twig missed the mosquito and pulled back a tiny twig by accident, getting a mouth full of wood and causing Tiana to giggle, she noticed a fire fly fluttering to a dandelion. Flick. Tiana felt her tongue flicking, Kairi realized this was a frogs instincts, the polymorphed waitress tried to fight it. "Oh no! No, no, no, no. There is no way, I am kissing a frog and eating a bug on the same day."

Flick!

Her tongue shot out and pushed her towards the fire fly as Naveen got the wet, tasteless wood out of his mouth, noticed the fire fly and quickly adapted to be in better control. He and Tiana shot their tongues at the fire fly, hit the dandelion and caused it to scatter its seeds. The fire fly buzzed away. The tongues were literally tied and pulled the frogs together, Kairi tried not to laugh as Naveen casually with his mouth accidentally contacting Tiana's, muffled. "Hello."

Tiana tried to pull away and argue with Naveen, the words came off impossible to pronounce, Kairi tried to focus away from that as Louis caught up and asked the frogs. "Y'all find anything to eat yet I-" Louis thought exactly what his other companion was thinking. "Oh my." He tried to help undo the tongue tie. "Hang on, ol Louis got ya covered." He only made the tongue tie worse and wrapped the two frogs into a ball, unaware that he was making it worse. "How's that?"

Tiana muffled. "This could be a little better." Louis tried to think of how to undo it and thought. "You know what this needs? A sharp stick! Be right back." He crawled away to look, the frogs bickered and argued as a loud voice yelled out. "Hooo, well look at here."

Kairi noticed a firefly with a hill billies smile flying to the two frogs. "Ho, girl, I guess you and your boyfriend got a little carried away." He flew around and asked. "Am I right? Am I right?" The frogs tried to be vocal about how they were not a couple, the firefly didn't believe that. "Mmmhmm." He fluttered away and offered to assist. "Let me shine a little light on your situation."

He grunted to make his abdomen shine, struggling and with some adjusting, made it shine. He flew past the frogs limbs and landed in between to look for the knot, causing a burst of light in between. Kairi felt an odd chill, looked around and found nothing, she listened to the fire flies singing and looked back to find a tip of a tongue undone and the fire fly singing away as he gave a tug and cause the knotted duo to spin free. They screamed at the unraveled bindings as the fire fly dusted his hands. "It's about time I introduce myself." He did so and drew his name with the light. "My name is Raymond, but-" he flew past the mond part to clear them out. "everybody call me Ray."

Naveen wasn't use to this kind of person and tried to be polite about it. "Pardon me, but your accent... it's funny no?" Ray answered proudly. "Oh, I a cajun bro. Born and bred in the bayou. Ho, you all must be new around here huh?" Tiana's tongue retreated into her mouth as Naveen stood up to agree. "Actually, we are from a place far, far away from this world." Ray didn't buy that. "Go to bed, you all from the stream boy?"

Naveen felt Ray wasn't getting it as Kairi answered. "I'm from an island far away from here." That was one answer given and the prince answered Ray. "I.. huh...no, no, no. Uh, we are people." Tiana explained to Ray what happened. "Prince Charming here, got himself turned into a frog by a voodoo witch doctor."

Naveen shrugged and smiled slyly as Ray asked. "Well, there you go." Tiana pointed to the yonder. "We are on our way to Mama Odie's, we think she maybe-" Ray stopped her. "Woo, woo? Mama Odie?" Tiana hummed yes, the fire fly had bad to give. "Y'all heading the wrong direction. Now kind of jugger head thought ya go this away?"

Rustle!

Louis returned with a stick and yelled. "I found a stick." Kairi and the frogs were not amused, Tiana asked. "Louis, Ray's been saying you been taking us in the wrong direction." Louis dropped the stick nervously and was trying to explain as Ray whispered to the three. "First rule of the bayou, never take directions from a gator." He whistled sharply and caused a swarm of flickering lights to appear, fire flies lighting up the swamp like stars to a sky and make Kairi almost forget about the polymorphed, Ray let the group know he had them covered in directions. "Well me and my relations can show the way." He fluttered to his relatives to lend a hand and the girl was hearing harmonicas and banjos from the insects.

In another part of the swamp.

The Replica took out four sprinting, gator like heartless and noticed a bundled mess of popped balloons, he felt like this was how the prince escaped. "And they popped... so this was the direction he."

Hiss!

He noticed a large alligator hissing at him, he jumped deeper into the swamp to avoid the gator, feeling like there was a trail of times passage to follow. "Yes... he did... and he wasn't alone." He felt weirded out and tried to shake it off. "What ever scam is being pulled... needs to be stopped."

He looked around in the swamp and saw various life forms, crawling near the river, feeding on pieces of dead plant, crayfish. He mentally had the creature listed and tried to continue down the path. "WAAAAAHOOOO!"

He heard a chilling howl not of this world and drew out his weapon, he saw a shadow slip past him and nothing more, followed by shadows of unsightly creatures, some of them accidentally kicked across the Replica's shadow and knocked him over. He knew well that he didn't trip on anything and listened to the yells, an unnatural evil was let loose in the bayou. The Replica got himself up and felt the stink of darkness connecting. "These came from that guys... friends?" He got up and followed, hoping he would discover more about the shadow demons and stop the voodoo from doing the swamp in.

Near a piece of land with in the swamp.

Kairi, the frogs and Louis were guided to what they hoped was the right direction by the swarm of fire flies, giving their goodbyes with Ray. The single fire fly asked his kin an flied with the group. "And don't forget to tell Angella Ray had said bonjours."

Tiana hopped and asked Ray. "That's your girl?" The fire fly buzzed and answered. "Oh, no, no. My girl, oh ho, that's Evangeline." Kairi asked without thinking much in it. "Evangeline? Who is she?" Ray flustered as the group traveled. "She the most prettiest firefly, ever did glow." He squeaked thinking about her. "You know I talk to Evangeline almost every night. She shy, don't say much." He fluttered behind a leaf and gave it a glow like a heart. "And I know in my heart, someday, we going to be together again."

Tiana was charmed by that. "Aw, that's so sweet." Kairi giggled in agreement as Naveen repeated that. "Yes, so sweet. Just... do not settle down so quickly, my friend, there are plenty of fireflies in the swamp." Tiana and Kairi groaned, the feminine frog took out a sharpish rock and hacked at a prickly bush, Kairi joined in the hacking as Naveen watched lazily. Tiana panted as Naveen spoke. "You know waitress, I had finally figured out, what is wrong with you."

Tiana wasn't amused and hacked away. "Have you now?" Naveen answered that. "You, do not know, how to have fun. There, somebody had to say it." Tiana sarcastically thanked him. "Thank you, cause I figured out what you're problem is to." She pushed a twig as Naveen guessed. "I'm too wonderful?"

Fling! Twack!

Naveen was knocked down by the twig as Kairi cringed, awaiting Tiana to deliver what the prince needs to hear. "No; you're a no count, blandering, lazy bum on a log." Naveen stood up, laughed it off and coughed. "H-killjoy." Tiana passive aggressively asked. "What you say?" Naveen denied it as Kairi rolled her eyes, the prince pretended to sneeze. "Ac-stick in the mud."

Tiana went to stand up to him again, poking him in the chest. "Listen here mister. This stick in the mud has had to work two jobs her whole life," She tossed the rock away and continued as she and the prince positioned like frogs. "While you been sucking on a silver spoon, chasing chamber maids around your, ivory tower." Naveen corrected her on one detail. "Actually it's polished marble." Kairi spoke in Tiana's defense. "It doesn't really matter even if the tower was made from sea shells. You're not making it a secret that you never worked a day in your life, sleeping around lazily all day while others do your work." Naveen accepted that without a care. "Mmm, not all day but-" Kairi continued. "Mhm. That doesn't work in the real world." She looked to Tiana and felt there was a point to be made as the chill returned. "Brr. But.. Tiana, if you were able to do this by yourself, you would have and if I'm correct, you have been working hard to own that restauraunt." She confessed. "I might have a friend that has a problem like that."

Tiana hummed. "That friend is slacking somewhere?" Kairi shook her head. "He would sooner go sailing into the unknown than have to worry about his problems, but when it's important... he pushes himself, a lot. That almost got him into trouble with our teacher when he nearly went into the wrong direction of his studies." She recalled more. "And there was another that... was trying to help us and kept staying away from us to do it. Another friend very close to me might need to have some time to himself if work is getting... extreme." Her eyes widened as Naveen asked. "Sounds like they need to have some fun and lighten thei-" Kairi couldn't believe that she was going to agree with the slacking prince, she tensed and felt the chill become worse, something crawled out of the shadows, a gryphon like creature made of shadows and glowing red eyes.

Cawing after the frogs and clenching onto them with its talons, Tiana in its left talon and Naveen in its right. Kairi jumped from tree to tree and nearly took flight after the gryphon, landing on top of the bird that barrel rolled to shake her off. Ray gasped and took flight after the bird. "Oh no you don't!"

He raised his fist and charged to the bird that turned swiftly and caused Kairi to lessen her grip, the fire fly yelled. "A bug got to do what a bug got to doooo!"

The gryphon noticed a flicker of light that flew into its nostrils, causing it to give a radiance of light that caused it to lessen its grip on Naveen, freeing the frog and shaking the girl off in its throes of pain.

SPLASH!

The two landed in the swamp and watched the gryphon become unstable in its feathers, resembling black tendrils, the bird like face twisted and turned to an elephants. It blew its nose and shot Ray out to a stone, Louis worried and swam after the bug as Naveen was unaware and relished his freedom. "Free ha, ha."

He spun his finger to a make shift tune and realized something as he looked up, Tiana was struggling to break free and wasn't able to fight back against the strange monster, Kairi plopped out of the water and watched the frog stick his tongue out at the tip of the nose and was sent flying towards the creature, he landed underneath the trunk and swung to land on the face of the creature.

It's talons shifted onto the claws of a tiger, releasing Tiana from its grip as it tried to swat Naveen off. The waitress climbed from the paw up to the creatures snout as Naveen jumped to avoid, with her reaching the snout, she and Naveen shot a tongue at the creatures red eyes, causing to fly out of control and sent the two falling back into the swamp. Kairi swam to where they were landing and caught them, all be with both landing on her head. The creature lost control of its flight and crash landed into the water. Kairi kicked to dry land, where Louis was performing cpr on Ray, using a hollow twig. The princess readied her weapon, watched the water bubble in darkness and the bubbling ceasing, the shadow disappearing. Tiana yelled out and shook her fist. "Go wiggle somewhere else darling." Naveen gave a faint chuckle as she and Tiana jumped off. "Somewhere else da...I like it, you are secretly funny." Tiana looked like she was having a bit of respect and asked. "Not a stick in the mud?" Naveen tried to get away from saying it. "Well I was going to-" Tiana asked. "Say it." Naveen gave in. "Alright, you're not exactly-" Tiana wanted him to say it louder. "I can't hear you, what?" Naveen went a bit louder and more clear. "A complete stick, deep in mud."

Grumble!

The group were realizing a detail they never got to resolve on their journey and how it was spreading. Kairi asked. "I know we got to get to Odie's as soon as possible, but is there anything we can eat out here?" Louis imagined a few cajun dishes. "Mmm. Crawfish; smothered in remoulade sauce. Bananas foster with just a-" Tiana found a swamp pumpkin, pulling a leaf away and knocking to see how firm it is. "How about some swamp gumbo?" Louis settled for that. "That'll do."

Naveen rested by a tree and had his feet above a wild mushroom. "Sounds delicious." He placed a leaf on his lap. "I'll start with a pre dinner cocktail and something to nibble on while I wait. Thanks." Tiana placed a leaf around her waist like an apron and was going to put him to work. "No, no, no." She approached, gave him a sharp rock and checked the underside of the mushroom to find dark gills and clear stems. "You're royal highness, you're going to mince these mushrooms."

Naveen wasn't comprehending that he was going to work for the food. "Do what?" Tiana ordered clearly and went to a plant filled with green peppers. "Mince, the mushrooms." Rustle, she jumped on. "Hop to it." Naveen pouted like a spoiled prince. "Ridiculous." Tiana asked. "Are you mincing?"

He gave in and obeyed. "Alright... relax." Kairi watched the prince slowly chop and noticed something nibbling on plant matter, it looks like small crustaceans, a crayfish. It noticed her and scurried into the water, Kairi wasn't letting food escape and dived in.

Naveen slowly cut the mushroom and asked like it was the hardest job in his life, Tiana had a ripe pumpkin cut open and cooking over a campfire, she dusted her hands. "Step aside mister." She approached, took the mushroom and asked. "Watch," She took the sharp rock. "And learn." She effortlessly chopped the mushrooms into a powder like state, gave Naveen the make shift knife back and gave him another mushroom identical to what was minced. Guiding him to doing a proper slice as Kairi splashed out with two squirming, snipping crawfish, Tiana was ready to guide Kairi to a work station under a tree as Naveen was making progress. "There ya go."

The prince confessed. "You know, I never done this before." Tiana took the minced mushrooms for the make shift pot and listened. "Really?" The prince low key admitted it was kind of embarrassing. "Oh alight, but when you live in a castle, everything is done for you. All the time; they dress you, they feed, drive you, brush your teeth." Kairi was adjusting her keyblade right above a crawfish's head as Tiana placed the mushrooms and stirred, mockingly saying. "Ah, you poor, poor baby." Naveen sighed. "I admit that it was a charmed life, until the day my parents cut me off and suddenly I realized; I don't know how to do anything."

Kairi and Tiana listened, the girl pressed her blade slightly down and punctured the crawfish's head for a quick kill as the cooking frog went to get the sliced mushroom. "Well hay, you got the makings of a decent mushroom mincer." She playfully flicked a piece of mushroom at him, the prince asked. "Oh, you think so?"

Tiana placed the mushroom slices in. "Keep practicing and I just might hire you." She mixed the ingredients in as Kairi made a quick one on the second crawfish. Naveen asked. "Really?"

Tiana answered. "No." Naveen felt it was bellow the belt as Tiana giggled and instructed Kairi. "Twist the middle tail fin and you're good for a pull." The girl did so and knew what was coming, bracing herself to the world of cooking.

At Mount Olympus.

Sora, Donald, Goofy, Riku and Ana reached a circular structure with a four flock of winged heartless holding archers by their hats and five purple, minotaur like heartless. Goofy, Ana and Sora went for the five minotaurs as Riku jumped at the winged foes, Donald pelted the archers down when he can. Sora caused his blade to glow, he let loose a quick combo on the annoying minotaurs as Ana struck two into oblivion, the boy pulsed with wind and rushed against the three with a sonic blade, quickly taking them down as Riku had three of the winged heartless destroyed and went for the fourth, the archers were quickly taken out as Riku sliced the two heartless away and landed. He noticed a tower with a tornado, a glow of ice and a glow of magma, doing something. "That's it."

The group saw the tower mostly covered in cloud and saw no traditional stairway. Save for rubble that floated in mid air and a ledge to jump on. The boys saw a flash of light and knew it was going to need some air stepping, Ana picked up Donald and Goofy for her flight. "You two can jump, I'll wait on the cloud above." She flew to a cloud high above and left the boys to focus on the pattern of floating rubble that lead to a golden light. WOOSH!

They jumped across a pattern and landed on a ledge far above the ground, they turned around and stood on a platform that gave off the light, watching for a passage towards another, with Ana landing and watching something. The two dashed across the make shift trial to another and felt light headed, the group went to and upper ledge and found at the apex of Olympus was another beacon.

The three rushed the trial together and landed on the apex of the whole mountain, the highest point of the world. They watched a white haired deity with a full beard, trapped in a pillar of rock that was formed by the magma titan shooting lava on the right end and the ice titan shooting ice on the left end. The deity yelled out. "I swear to you, Hades. When I get out of thi-" Hades looked on smugly as Zeus was completely imprisoned. He caused a black throne to form out of smoke and conjured up cocktail. "No, ha! I'm the one giving orders now, bolt boy."

He tried to sip like he won as a masculine voice yelled. "Don't get too comfortable, Hades!" The god of the underworld turned to find Hercules on Pegasus, flying to the apex with a goal to stop him. Hades heard another voice, that of a familiar boy, yelling out. "Were going to stop you!" Hades turned to find the party of five he remember seeing be blown off. The five watched Hercules dive down to a group of chained deities and cut them free, angering Hades even more to where he burst in red. "YAAAARG!" He ordered the titans of ice, magma and air. "Get them!"

The five band realized they were fighting three elemental giants as Hercules yelled out. "Sora, Donald, Goofy, Riku, Ana." Hercules jumped off the Pegasus and landed next to them, making it a band of six. "It's on." The five agreed with a combined yeah as the trio of giants looked down upon them. The wind titan blew upon them and pushed them back to where even Ana had to stay on the ground, they dodged beams of magma and ice, the wind elemental vanished into the background and became a storm that surrounded the area. Giving the three keyblade bearers the time they need to attack the elementals of fire and ice. Ana grabbed Hercules and threw him at the lava titan for an intense beat down to its face, the Stormcast crackled in lightning and shot herself to the lava elemental as Sora and Riku rushed up the pillar and attacked the ice elemental. Both groups let loose a combination of attacks as Donald focused magical energy on Goofy's shield and had his partner direct the forming power to the lava titan. PEW! A beam of ice shot and caused the lava titan to howl in pain, the ice titan noticed, placed his long, gangly right claw on the ground and disrupted the beam with a pillar of ice and used his maw to blow Sora and Riku back to the pillar. The duo bashed their heads on the pillar and knocked the group off entirely, back to the ground. The lava titan flung a barrage of lava balls upon them as Sora focused on it and Riku focused on the ice titan. The spiky haired boy aimed his keyblade and fired a barrage of energy orbs at his target as Riku flipped upside down and fired dim energy orbs on his, the titan duo looked took it to their faces.

The ice titan readied to fire a beam of ice from his maw as Ana and Herc repeated their advance on the same target, the Stormcast formed her keyblade into a glaive and carved a massive chunk on the ice titans face as Sora and Riku rushed up the pillar again and let loose a combination, Sora burst in power. Riku felt a little jealous, focused his own blade and caused it to burst into two smaller blades, one resembling a demonic wing, the other resembling an angel wing. He let loose slices of light and darkness upon the lava titan in a berzerkers frenzy as Sora let loose his own, giving a unified yell and causing the lava titan to tumble backwards. The wind titan returned and formed two windy limbs as Donald and Goofy let loose a fiery shield beam to knock the ice titan down.

The four in battle back flipped to solid ground, Sora, Riku and Ana felt their keyblades reformed, the group of six looked up upon the wind titan stopping his attack and flying higher in the sky. Sora yelled. "Just one titan left."

Donald and Ana let loose a burst of wind and shot the group to the wind titans level, seeing a cloud form underneath them to serve as a platform. The wind titan flipped upside down and shot a barrage of debris, the many dodged out of the way, Hercules grabbed a debris resembling a column and tossed it back at the titan as Sora, Riku, Donald and Ana focused on firing projectiles. Bringing the titan back into the fray and to be exposed to a series of swings from blades, fists and shield, it lowered its wind like body and pushed the many back, enlarged itself and sucked the party in. It shot them high into the sky and split its tail into two, one at the lava titans maw, the other at the ice titans. Donald, Goofy and Hercules focused on free falling to the ground as soon as possible as Sora, Riku and Ana dodged the barrage of ice, lava and ruined buildings that came from the titans windy limbs, deep with in the eye of the storm. The key bearers dived towards the wind titan in a formation of two boys spinning together and a Stormcast becoming like a lightning bolt. They combined a slam at the wind titan and caused it to convulse into a mighty wind and merge its tail into one.

Ana flew freely as Sora and Riku flew at the various debris for a glide towards the wind titans face, hacking away as Ana shot into its forehead. The titan disappeared and reappeared above the lava titan, firing lava balls at the three in an attempt to incinerate them. They felt a sweat and tried to get close, Sora firing an ice ball and Riku disappearing and getting a couple slashes as Ana spun focused a shot lock, spun and hurled her hammer blade at the titans face. The titan sparkled and dissipated, reappearing to the ice titan and making a repeat if with ice. Sora and Riku had better luck flowing from debris to debris to get into the wind titans personal and beat him down, forcing it to retreat to the middle and force the wind to die down, Ana growled and rammed her hammer into the titans face, causing the clouds bellow to fade and for the background to lighten up. The party of six landed, finding the ice and lava titan getting back up and finding their kin just as beaten up, they readied for a second round as rumbling was heard, the rock titan climbed and roared. Surrounding the group of six in a four way. Goofy was worried from the intense brawl. "Uh-oh! Now there's four of them."

Riku chuckled. "So? There is six of us." Hercules had an idea to speak of. "Actually, I think I can make it seven." He jumped to the top of the stone pillar and cracked it open, Hades yelled out against a plan blowing up in his face. The pillar split open to free Zeus, who thanked Hercules and placed his hands on his shoulders like a father would when proud of his son. "Thank you my boy."

Sora, Donald, Goofy and Riku cheered in triumph as Anatesis kept her distance and was trying not to be amused by the antics. Zeus readied two fists worth of lightning bolts and was ready to take on the four titans. "Hah! Now, watch your old man work!" The four titans knew they were done for and tried to make a run for it, the rock titan had his two heads blown off by two thunder bolts, it waddled behind with the ice and magma titan as the wind titan tailed behind. Hades ordered then with his patience thin. "Get your titanic butts in gear a-" Hercules grabbed the wind titan by its tail and swung it towards the fleeing giants, sucking them into the vortex and swinging away. He flung the twisted into the sky and with in the void of space, the five looked on and watched a mighty explosion of a cosmic scale.

Hercules and Zeus high fived each other as Goofy cheered and tried to celebrate with the four. "We did it!" Hades wasn't amused as his blue flame barely kept cool. "I can't believe it! I spent eighteen years into that plan and you blippin' ruined it!" He pointed to the five and confessed his hatred. "I really don't like you."

Sora sighed and taunted. "Just give it up already! You'll never beat Herc, no matter how many times you try." Ana smiled out of spite for her own taunt. "Just go back to the realm of the dead before you make yourself into a laughing stock like a certain bag of bones I know." Goofy had his. "Yeah, stay in underworld where ya belong." Hades was shaking as Donald had his taunt. "Go have the time of your afterlife."

Riku simply made a rude gesture placing his left hand on his right arm and flexing it right in front of him, the god of the underworld yelled. "Enough already! I did not come this far to be ridiculed by Zeusy high and mighty, his little sunspot," he glowed red and burst into flames. "A quartet of clowns and some Norse hammer nut!" He was done with it as the five readied for battle. "You know what? I'll just go ahead and destroy you!" Hercules called out to Hades. "Hades." The underworld deity slowly turned to see Hercules and Zeus gesturing to the gate out, the demi god pointed out. "The exit is that way."

Hades knew he was out numbered and out matched, he cooled down, slouched and tried to walk out, cursing under his breath, Hercules had one more thing to give him. "Hold on, I almost forgot." Hades turned and was punched in the face, falling on the ground as Herc had some payback. "That one was for trying to wreck Thebes."

Hades disappeared in smoke and vowed. "You'll pay for this! I have a very, very long memory." Zeus had a thunder bolt in hand and readied as Hades knew where to taunt Herc. "I can still dunk your little Nut-Meg in a river of de-" Zeus threw the thunder bolt at the smoke, cutting the curse short and kicking him out, the king of the Olympic gods looked upon the trio of Sora, Donald and Goofy, then at Riku and then at Ana. "Now then, what's this I hear about Odin sending a-"

At a pit in the Underworld.

Maleficent cruelly looked upon the Knight of Shrouds burning in green fire as he was ripped from the skull necklace tied in string. Causing it to force itself away and be dragged into a well of souls, Pete nervously looked upon the scene. "Sheesh, he just up and tried to turn coat on Ol Nagash just like that." Maleficent cared not and held onto pendent. "He most certainly is not an adored god." Pete agreed with that. "I thought that dingbat in black was pulling your leg, it almost feels like we're doing a good thing, kicking Nagash out of all this." Maleficent barked to him as she saw smoke and lightning puff. "Be quiet, you imbecile."

PEW! THUD!

Hades crashed to the ground, covered in lightning, laying humiliated and wanting to just give up, he forced himself to get up, his eyes half dropped and he realized his guests actually went to look. "Oh, great. Least you got him to shut up." He went to a secondary plan of his and looked to be aching. "So, here's the deal, I can't have Nagash or his boys coming down here and rob me blind of every soul in the Underworld. This Horned doofus is the only mook of his that is on the loose and this would break this chain I keep hearing about... make him free as a bird and no more Nagash."

Pete laughed to the plan. "With it we can knock out two birds with one skull, which is fine by us." That Maleficent was looking forward to. "Nagash would threaten us all and the Horned King has defied nature itself to muster death itself."

She opened a corridor of darkness for her leave as Hades wanted the two gone. "Ha, least an olive branch dropped somewhere. Just get ol bone bag out of my hair and you can do what you want with his toady." He walked away to a private quarter of his domain, letting Maleficent and Pete go with the key to their prize.

At the gates of Olympus.

The group of Sora, Donald, Goofy, Riku, Ana and Herc left the divine realm, the hero of Olympus looked back as Sora asked. "Are you sure you want to leave all this behind?" Goofy asked. "Isn't Olympus you're home?" Donald added in. "And your family." Hercules felt decided. "I can see my family anytime I want. If I stayed, I'd have to be apart from the person I love most... and that life would have been empty." He looked down the stairs to find Meg with her hand on her hips, looking flustered in the heart, the man finished his answer. "I finally know, where I belong." He rushed to Meg, who was welcoming him with open arms. "Hercules."

The group watched on as Ana looked the most warm, she noticed Sora having his hands in the back of his head, folding his arms like he was coming to terms with something. Herc remembered something and asked. "Sora, I think I know what was bothering you a lot, do you want to talk about?" The boy shook his head. "Mhmm. Not really, I think I figured it out by myself. Why we find the strength to keep going, no matter what. Something to hold onto and fight for... with all our heart." He felt a pain leaving. "I guess... we found the answer for that here."

Riku, Donald and Goofy felt a calm with in their hearts as Ana felt the sparkle from the stars. "It's going to take much, but those like Archaon can be beaten without having to tear the whole realm apart to do it." Sora and Riku gave a fierce smile to the Stormcast as Hercules agreed with her. "You all got the heart to fight back. Just keep at it and you'll be stronger than ever."

Sora flexed jokingly. "Yeah, we might end up stronger than you are one day." Donald and Riku squinted their eyes, the duck sighed. "There he goes again."


	33. What you need?

In the Bayou, Kairi and the group of animals listened and were entertained by a story Ray had to say as they enjoyed some bowels of fine gumbo. Tiana asked the group. "Anyone up for seconds?" Naveen got up to take the offer and was enjoying the time. "That was magnificent." The waitress had a bowels worth ready, Naveen seemed more comfortable and confessed to Tiana. "You truly have a gift."

The waitress was charmed by that. "Why-" Pour. "Thank you." Ray looked up and gasped in infatuated aw. "There she is. The sweetest fire fly in all of creation." The group looked around the swamp to find no sign of any fire flies, Tiana asked. "Evangeline?" Louis was licking his bowel clean as he asked. "I want to meet this girl." Slurp! "Where she at?" Ray turned and answered. "Ah you can't miss her." He turned and kept fluttering to the sky. "She glowing right up there in front of y'all." The group looked up to find the bright north star, the frogs looked to each other confused as Kairi's mouth dropped, the fire fly was in love with a star.

She felt oddly charmed by Ray's odd love song and felt something was resting right next to her, Finding Namine looked up with disbelief over something she thought was ridiculous, the blonde girl looked to Kairi and tried to silently remind her that there was a reason they came to this world. Kairi nodded, they needed to find the princess of heart and try to resolve the conflict occurring. The frogs realized Ray really was addressing a star, Louis laughed to that. "That ain't no fire-" Bop!

A tiny bowel bopped him in the head, Naveen wanted Louis to keep quiet as Ray continued his little song, it reached to a couple words she had no idea of and the prince translated them to Tiana. Awkwardly making it look like he was flirting with her as he explained what he was really doing. Kairi felt a small shine of light in her pocket and guessed that someone had news for her as the she watched Naveen try and invite Tiana to a dance, the waitress refused. "Oh no, I...I don't dance." Naveen tried anyways and Tiana jumped to a lily pad to confirm her answer, waiting for a moment and explaining why she said no. "I never danced." Naveen understood why that was, someone who never really had time for herself never got to indulge.

The prince insisted teaching her and pulled the lily pad over, inviting her for a small lesson. "If I can mince, you can dance." Tiana was slowly getting it as Louise blew his trumpet to bring some jazz music. Giving Kairi the chance needed to check on her phone, finding a text message from Sora and one from Riku. From Sora, the message asked. "We finished at Olympus and found out about both Garland and A. Are you still busy?" Kairi texted. "Archaon? I am still busy right now, but if you need to talk about him, do it with the others." She texted a heart emoji and checked Riku's text. "Garland got a crystal of lightning and needs one more source of magic to finish what ever his plan is. But where would he find reflection magic?"

Namine watched the dance become more romantic and thought about what Garland said, like it was at the tip of her tongue. "Something... that reflects your heart. Could he be talking about." Kairi typed in. "Namine knows, we should ask her when we can." She saw an exclamation mark and Riku asked. "That wouldn't make a whole lot of sense by ourselves, but I know what you are talking about. We do need to get together and sort this out."

Kairi texted. "I'm right in the middle of something, should we meet in Twilight Town?" She was given a text of a thumbs up and hid her phone away, looking at the frogs, dancing more in sync and looking like they were going to kiss under the starry sky. Tiana realized what she was doing, politely declined. "Ah... got yourself one heck of a dancing partner." The frogs still held hands, the two slowly let go and Tiana chuckled. "Well... we best be pushing on."

Naveen looked like he wanted to say something, Kairi knew what he wanted to say and saw Tiana diving into the water. The girl sensed something odd and noticed a clawed hand in the shadows reaching for the princes legs, Naveen noticed and the claw grabbed and pulled him by the leg, sending the prince screaming as Tiana jumped out of the water and noticed the prince being dragged away by an unseen force. Kairi readied her keyblade and chased after what was seen, a horde of shadow demons. The rest of the group followed to try and keep up with the fast shadows, Naveen tried to hold onto a log and gave Kairi time to glow in a holy light and strike into the shadow, causing to vaporize and irritate the rest, they gave off eerie shrieks, one of them flew after her. Kairi jumped out of the way and readied a swing, quickly realizing that her shadow wasn't really getting out of the way.

POW!

The shadow demon tackled her shadow and caused it to go flying towards a tree, Kairi felt the force yanking her towards that tree and felt the full slam. The swarm went after a recovering Naveen and tried to drag him away. PEW! POW! A bolt of golden light shot to the shadow demon and obliterated it, Naveen fell into the water as two other shadow demons tried to find where that shot come from. Another fired to end another and the other tried to flee into the darkness. PEW!

The following trio caught up to Naveen as Kairi shook off the disorienting discovery. They saw a large, round figure in the shadowy mist, holding a kind of club. With in was a small golden wisp on a fat wand, being held by a dark skin, elderly, blind woman in a white dress that had a small highlight of gold around her neck. The woman chuckled and spun her wand in style. "Hee, hee! Not bad for a hundred and ninety seven year old blind lady. Hee, hee," She blew away a fire on the wand and asked the group. "Now which one of you naughty churen been messing with the shadow man?" Louis pointed to Naveen as Tiana, Kairi and Ray looked at the prince smiling nervously. There was a lot of explaining to do.

At the bench by the grand clock in Twilight Town.

Xion felt annoyed that a certain someone hasn't came back yet and saw it was nearing sunset. "What's taking him so long," She noticed Kendry coming with two light blue ice cream pops and was quick to give it to her. "Sorry about that, I was watching a film," Xion turned with her eyes squinted. "Without me?" She smiled slyly. "I forgive you, since it would be pretty awkward to be sitting by someone who isn't there."

Ken gave her an ice cream pop and asked. "You're brother still isn't back yet? What kind of job is he doing?" Xion answered and put together most of what she heard. "Fishing." Ken cringed. "From noon all the way to dusk? Sheesh, someone needs to talk to the management." He relaxed and looked to the sun with excitement. "I sent the word to Miss about something big and a meeting is going to happen when some guys show up," Xion took a lick of the ice cream and found it salty, yet sweet. "Really?"

Ken tasted the ice cream and realized why the flavor was popular. "Huh. Yeah, some pretty cool people had a big adventure. I can't say it right now because who knows who is listening to this." Xion felt the chill just thinking about it. "That would be creepy. Are they friends of yours?" Ken thought so. "I look up to them a lot. There is a girl who is constantly going ahead of me and shining. She is a rival and a fellow student, you're going to like her." Xion asked bluntly. "Another girl? What are you hiding?"

Ken snickered with great mischief. "Besides the names and the details, one other. One of the guys I mentioned and that girl have a biiiig crush on each other, they show it when ever they can and they are just short of kissing each other. It isn't my place to be involved in any of that, but they are swell together." Xion imagined someone wanting to play cupid and laughed with him. "Ha, ha, ha. That makes the romance better."

The boy burst laughing. "Ha. Is there any place you want to go to tomorrow in case this takes longer than I thought? There is a train ways away to other places," Xion puffed her cheeks and took a small bite out of her ice cream. "If it does, I'm coming with you to anything." Ken answered. "The kings town it is then."

Bleep!

He checked his gummi phone and saw a chibi avatar of a certain silver haired teenager texting something to a public page. "Ana gave out an idea for training, spread the word." He vocally answered. "When the ice cream is done." The duo licked away and enjoyed the sun set.

In the Bayou.

Kairi and the group were lead to a boat hanging in a tree with in the swamp, the home of the voodoo queen they were searching for. Odie was using a pink eyed snake as a walking cane and asked Ray. "Good to see you again Ray, how ya grand ma?"

The firefly answered as the group were weirded out by the colorful candles, odd jars and oddities. "Oh, she fine. Ha. Got in a little trouble for flashing the neighbors again." Odie found her way to a grand chair, her snake slithered and pushed a foot rest for his master that responded. "Oh, I like that girls spunk. Ha, ha, ha."

Tiana asked as she and Naveen jumped on the foot rest. "Mama Odie, I don't want to take up too much of your time." The elderly woman offered an assortment of old candy. "You want some candy?" The two had no interest and declined. The elder plucked a round, pink hard piece. "Well, that too bad. This a special candy, woulda turned you all human." Flick, gulp, she ate the piece and caused the two frogs to plead to her, the elder laughed it off. "Ha, ha. I'm just messing with y'all."

Tiana asked. "How on earth did you know that we wanted to turn back-" S

nore!

Odie fell asleep right before them, Naveen crawled closer and poked. "Uh...Mama Odie?" The elder jolted awake and saw a bath tub of strange liquid bubbling out of control. "Juju!" She rushed to the tub as the snake was awake. "Why didn't you tell me my gumbo was burning." Louis asked Ray. "You sure this is the right blind voodoo lady, who lives in a boat in a tree in the bayou?" The fire fly answered certain, yet shrugging. "Pretty sure."

Kairi wasn't going to question her only answer for resolving the conflict of the world, she and the frogs approached, seeing the elder stirring the pot of odd gumbo, Tiana asked once more as the elder asked her with a finger's worth of the stew. "Taste it." Plop, the finger went into the frogs mouth, Tiana licked with an idea of constructive criticism, Odie asked. "Well?" The waitress with an experience cooking suggested. "Hit it hard with a couple shots of tabasco and it's the bees knees. Now, can we-" Odie called to her snake. "Juju!"

The snake risen up with a bottle of tabasco sauce and gave it two strong pours, the elder took a lick of the stirring gumbo, tasted it and hollered. "Yee hee hee, that's got some zing to it. That's just what it needed." She chuckled as Tiana and Kairi were feeling annoyed, Odie asked. "Now, you all figured out what you need?" Tiana answered. "It's just like you said Mama Odie, we need to be human."

Odie laughed to that and knocked the frogs off. "Y'all ain't got the senses wrong with it. You all want to be human, but you're blind to what you need." Naveen asked in an attempt to make sense of the elder. "What we want and what we need is.. all the same thing yes?" Twack. The prince was given a wack from the wand. "Is the same thing? No!" Kairi felt a rhythm and closed her eyes to what was coming, Odie had something to tell the frogs. "Y'all listen to ya mama now."

Outside of the tree.

The Replica felt he was at the strongest scent of the prince's trail and jumped from branch to branch, reaching to the boat. He hid under his hoodie and looked with in to find a flock of pink birds singing, an elderly woman in white singing and lecturing a masculine looking frog. He noticed an odd sight of a gator and firefly being caught in the rhythm along with a feminine frog, a lot of things that was baffling to him, one particular caused his vision to become blurry, a red haired girl in a pink attire and purple boots. The vision shifted to a blonde girl in a white dress, setting the Replica into a flash back of twisting illusions, he hid out of sight and wanted to scream, he found himself alone in his thoughts. "What is Namine doing here?!" He clenched his fists and held his head, trying to force the memories out. "They were fake, you know this. You don't know her, you never knew her." He saw something shift with in his shadow and drew his blade, in the middle between two poor situations, he whispered arrogantly. "Come out so I can send you back to the other side, punk."

The shadow spiraled into many tendrils that rushed to a hollow branch, causing a pillar of darkness to twist and turn, a humanoid with talons for hands, blood red eyes and a structure looking like a teenage boy formed. The replica saw boy with spiky hair, resembling one from a memory. "S...Sora?! Wha-" The creature crawled to him on all fours, the Replica swallowed and sensed a bestial, instinctual drive. "No...no... you're not him. You-" He closed his eyes and had a vision of a boy he remembered having something torn of him. "You...came from him?!"

The creature peeked into the window to find a feminine frog be brought to a gumbo pot, the elder had her judgement to give to her "You a hard one, that's what I heard," She tapped to the pot and broke in tune. "You're daddy was a loving man, family through and through." She put a finger on the frogs chest as the gumbo shined a golden light. "You're your daddy's daughter. What he had in him you got in you." The creature noticed Kairi gasping and turning to the window, it slithered out of sight and looked uncertain, the Replica asked it. "What ever is going on, she isn't doing much here. We need a way to fight those things... but, how can we do it without her seeing me?" The creature looked upon him, it raised to an upward position, its structure became a fog of shadows, the Replica tried to attack and was quickly engulfed by the shadows, he felt a slight push and felt nothing different happening, save for one detail, he was with in a wall.

He found the creature next to him, also merged with in the wall. Kairi popped her head out of the window to look, it looked like the suspicion was close to her. BZZT! Kairi gave a mosquito a glare and scared it off, she went back in at the eve of a tune, the Replica looked upon himself more and found he was literally with in the shadows. A shadow of a hooded boy, next to the shadow of a spiky haired creature that took the form of a type of long skinny dog. The Replica whispered. "Now we can sneak to that witch doctor, put an end to his scam and... stop Ztardon from burning an entire city to do it." He deepened his throat and had the creature follow, towards a plan that could be beneficial. "She won't thank us, but through this, we can talk." The shadows crawled into the darkness, escaping the rays of sun shine.

On top of the tree.

Kairi, Louis, Ray and Naveen watched the conclusion to a song and were in a place with many hanging, colored bottles. Tiana was riding on top of Odie's hat proudly, the elder asked the frog. "Well miss froggy? Do you under stand what you need now, child?" Tiana answered proudly. "Yeah, I do Mama Odie. I need to dig a little deeper and work even harder to get my restaurant."

Odie and the birds placed a hand over their face, Kairi snapped to a connection and chose not to say it. The elder let the frog off her hat and decided. "Well, if y'all set on being human, there is only one way," She lead the group back bellow and to the vision gumbo, she stirred in the steamy stew and chanted, bringing a golden light into vision. "What's ya got?"

The vision showed a blonde woman in a pink sleep mask, snoring loudly. Tiana questioned the image. "Lottie? But she isn't a princess," Odie asked quickly. "Hush up and look in the gumbo." The group saw Lottie in a mansion, with a door opening to show a large man with a red mustache, dressed up as a king and presenting a princess's tiara. "Tada!"

The woman woke up, pulled her mask up and was hyper excited about the crown, Tiana realized. "That's right, Big Daddy is king of of the Mardi Gras parade." They watched the man put the tiara on the woman's head as Tiana continued. "So that makes Lottie... a Princess." Naveen asked. "Does that count?" Odie answered. "Yes it does. But only till midnight, when Mardi Gras is over."

Naveen knew that wasn't a whole lot of time as Odie told them and stirred the image to a crowned princess kissing one of two frogs. "Hop along now, you got until the end to get that Princess to kiss ya. When she does," The image shined, showing two humans before her. "Ha, ha. You both, turn human."

She placed the frogs down, Kairi cringed. "That really isn't a whole lot of time at all if it is the morning now," The three went to the door as Louis asked Odie. "What about me Mama, I want to be human too, so I play jazz with the big boys. I want fingers and toes and a belly button, not the kind that sticks out but kinda goes in." Odie closed the snout shut and advised. "Snap jaw, you dig a little deeper, ya find everything ya need." She tried to push him and Ray out with the group. "Come on, come on, come on, he ha, got a river here darling. Y'all best get to swimming."

Shove! The gator was in between the door and announced. "Wait, I got a better idea."

In a few moments; Kairi, Tiana, Naveen and Ray were out of the boat to listen. The Prince politely laughed about it. "We are to sneak aboard a ferry cruise to sail back to New Orleans? Ha, ha, that could work my scaly friend." Tiana folded her arms and watched Louis clap in excitement, the key bearer sighed. "That... could work for a couple frogs, a firefly and maybe you if you're fast."

Tiana agreed with that. "But would that work for you? I don't think they take it too kindly to a human stowaway either," Ray chuckled to Tiana. "Girl, you seen her go do what she gotta do," Kairi agreed with that and smiled to Ray. "I know, it's an easier way back to the city... but I think I can find a way back, boat or no boat. You all get on that boat and I'll catch up."

The group felt that was a plan as Naveen smiled to her. "Well, if you insist, you are full of surprises," Tiana sighed. "She isn't no slacker, that's for sure." She gave her parting to Kairi. "We'll see each other soon." The girl hoped so and took off into the swamp, retracing her steps and finding the buzzing to be annoying her.

With in a spot of land surrounded by a few trees, mossy logs and mushrooms, she felt something watching her from the shadows. She drew out her keyblade and found something emerging from the shadows, a black dog with red eyes, it looked like it was the same creature from the previous night. She tensed and felt something odd. "What... are you?" The dog broke apart and rearranged itself into a form slightly resembling someone she knew, like a feral boy with spiky hair, the talon hands, pure black body and red eyes didn't hide it. "You...you're that thing that was torn out of Sora?"

The creature stilled as Kairi felt a slight pull, dragging her into the shadows and causing a chain reaction, she rushed from the darkness and stood ready to fight, feeling lighter than air and looking upon herself. Her body was reduced to what looked like pure light, if mixed in with gas's to be a wisp. The creature returned to the form of a dog and returned to the shadows, a figure lurking with in spoke in a deep voice, sounding impressed. "I didn't think you would turn into this?"

Kairi faced the shadow and raised what looked like a blade of light. "What are you? Show yourself!" She saw a figure looking like a hooded figure with baggy pants, pleading. "Woah, woah. Calm down miss. If it wasn't needed, I wouldn't have made Shadey over there be the bait," He looked upon Kairi's form to find no shadow, in fact she was deflecting the darkness. "There is definitely something special about you to turn you into that instead of what Shadey did to me. This means if you fight those... thing, you will be able to kick their butts much easier."

Kairi asked confused. "So... he turned you into something like those shadow things?" The boy nodded. "Or as the witch doctor called them, his... Friends From the Other Side." Kairi still wasn't amused. "Is there a way to turn us back?" The dog whined and Kairi felt she had an answer, focusing her will against the light, she shot herself out of the form and back to a human. "...Hmm." She looked at her shadow and felt there was a point to the plan, she wasn't trusting the shadowy figure and asked. "I know how those things can attack you, they are not like the heartless I been fighting when they show up."

The shadow felt there was a reason behind it. "The Heartless are a weak presence in this world... maybe because those guys from the Other Side make this world their turf and those things are darkness. You found out that they only need to touch your shadow to hurt you and without that." Kairi agreed with that as the dog like creature emerged from the shadows "I can fight them. Who are you?" The shadow answered. "Dupmic."

He had his hands in his pocket and watched Kairi willingly go with the hound, going to the shadows, her form reacting against it and became a will-o-wisp like creature. "So, now that we introduced ourselves, lets see what we know. The Shadow Man's scam involves the prince and you might not have figured it out, but he needs his blood to disguise a mook of his into putting up a show for a rich girl... for something."

Kairi felt she seen that cliché to death. "That's why you wanted to stop this? I met the actual prince, a waitress that got dragged into this whole mess, two others that are helping them out and I just left Mama Odie. Is there someone else apart of this? There could be someone right now, trying to make this worse."

Dupmic knew of one. "You can leave him to me, he is a friend and he can be... overzealous. He would bring more harm than good right now and I just... need to just convince him that I have it under control." Shadey approached him and nudged, Dupmic agreed with him and asked Kairi. "We will handle him, do you know what to do?"

The girl in light does. "Now I can sneak into the boat and watch for those shadow demons. I'll catch up in case your friend is more than you can handle." She flew away and giggled in joy, Dupmic smiled with in the shadow and made sure she was far away. "She really is smart, come on Shadey, we need to stop Ztardon from causing chaos." He and the creature flew as shadows towards the way they came, without anything hindering them, they would be able to manage.

At Twilight Town.

Xion was more outraged as she watched the sun set. "What, what is going on with him?" She and Ken tossed away the ice cream sticks, the boy vowed to her. "I have no idea, but you can't be left out here alone. I got a plan so this doesn't make me look like a freak. Could you wait here one more time?"

Xion nodded. "Please hurry, I don't feel comfortable being out here at sunset." Ken pointed up to the tower with flying nobodies. "What's up there could be the reason. Be back in jiffy."

He went to check around town and reached the tram way to find Aqua and Mickey talking with a full five person group of Sora, Donald, Goofy, Riku and Ana. Mickey wasn't to happy of the news. "Garland got away and we know Archaon is out there." Sora felt ashamed that he couldn't beat the mentioned foe as Ana nodded. "We need much more than what we have if we are to face that monster." She noticed Ken and firmly asked. "If you see an armored knight on a three headed, winged demon, don't confront him yet. None of us are ready."

The boy didn't mind as Aqua turned around without much astonishment. "It's a reason why Kairi is starting to worry us," Mickey agreed with that as Riku asked. "But the world she is in sounds like someone has to really go out there to find it. If she isn't back by morning, we will go look for her."

Ken noticed Sora looking depressed and asked. "What else happened? You can tell us." Sora had his hands behind his head and tried to let it go. "It's just that, it was yesterday that a friend of ours gotten hurt and today that nearly happened again," He looked content to something. "That's why we need to stop those Chaos guys for good. So our friends don't get hurt by them again." Ken gasped as Mickey looked crestfallen in an understanding of what happened. "And hope it stops."

The boy with the cybernetic arm agreed with him and went to Sora. "That's why they gave everything for us, it... always hurts thinking about it." The spiky haired boy agreed with that. "That's why we need to see it wasn't fo-" He was interrupted by an embrace from the fanboy, the cybernetic gave a firm pressure, the spiky haired hero was unsure of what to say, Ken let go and exhaled. "That it wasn't for nothing. I miss them too." Sora wiped tears from his eyes and appreciated it. "Thank you."

Riku smiled to the blonde boy as Mickey asked. "Aqua, should we wait for Kairi to come before you tell them our discovery." Aqua looked impatient and asked the spiky haired boy. "Sora, I need a word with you, it's about a friend of mine. Ventus." Sora remembered something. "Oh yeah!" He went for his pocket as Riku guessed. "That was something we were thinking about since we... saw a picture of your friend."

Sora gasped and took out a picture of four. "This is a something we found a while back. You met Hayner, Olette and Pence, right?"

Aqua nodded, Sora took a deep breath and showed her the photo, revealing the trio making a group photo as Riku explained. "There was a virtual Twilight Town where our... mysterious fourth spent time in. Making friends with the digital copies." The fourth person next to the three was an image Aqua mistook. "Ven?!" She shook her head. "No...Roxas. So it's true. Sora, why does your nobody look like Ven?"

Sora had no idea and felt just as confused as Goofy answered. "It sure is no coincidence." The group more in the know felt there was a small piece of the puzzle to unravel before any of it can come together, even the bystander with little knowledge felt like his head was aching. "So what can we do besides wait for Kairi?"

Mickey answered that. "If she is in a world with a Princess of Heart, then it could take time before any of the bad guys will figure it out. We should trust her to take care of it." He asked. "So fellas, what do we know about where Garland is going to next?"

Riku sighed. "That's why I need to talk to Kairi... or more specifically... Namine. There is one place that could hold the power of reflection magic... but that was something me and you never stayed around to figure out."

Aqua felt like the description was familiar, yet Sora, Donald and Goofy felt a complete blank, they keyblade master asked. "Should we talk about it out here?" Mickey shook his head. "No, who knows what the place could be used for." Aqua felt a bit annoyed and instructed her male student. "Tomorrow sounds like it is going to be busy, you don't have to stay in this town forever, but this isn't helping any of your training."

The Stormcast agreed with that. "But I got an idea of how you can let loose, but it needs time to set up. It's like how Ol' Sigmar has us trained before being sent out and we could make it happen ere." The teacher approved of it. "Making illusionary foes that fight like the real things?" Ana nodded. "You got that right, any kind of enemy we might fight out there or those that can help us get use to the idea that those like Archaon and the Varanguard are much, much, much more lethal than any of the Heartless can do."

Ken didn't wish to be reminded. "It takes one bullet, but this sounds kind of fun. Miss, you don't want me to wander off and look for an unknown world?" Aqua nodded to him. "Exactly, it could take a while before lessons begin again." The student understood and gave a respectful bow to her. "I don't mind Miss." He smiled and looked forward to something as he readied to take off, leaving the main group to talk about some progression they made in the skill department. The boy went to the hotel for a questionable rent for the night.

At a boat in the Bayou.

Kairi jumped aboard hiding in plain sight of the light as she heard a Namine being suspicious. "Are you sure you should trust Dupmic?"

Kairi sighed and watched an alligator play jazz with a trio of musicians that were dressed as a toucan, puma and armadillo. "He was hiding something from me and got me into this crazy idea. But he has a point, can we really guard our shadows as we were?" Namine answered firmly. "No and it isn't like you are stuck like this either. Although going back right now isn't a smart idea."

Kairi agreed and used her form to fly around the corners of the ship in search for the smaller group. "I'm not complaining, this is pretty cool. Louis is playing with the big boys so that means-" She flew to the top of the boat, finding Naveen finishing, the construction of a wedding ring and placing it with in a walnut shell. The prince contemplated something that was pretty obvious and spoke to the star in the sky. "Oh Evangeline, why can't I just look Tiana in the eye and say: I will do what ever it takes," He readied the walnut shell as Kairi noticed Ray listening in. "to make all your dreams come true." The frog went on one knee and popped the ring open. "Because I love you."

Kairi kept quiet as Ray misunderstood and became defensive of his star. "Woah, woah, woah cap." His yellow glow turned red as he flew after Naveen. "You making goo, goo eyes of my gal?" The frog blocked and tried to explain as Ray punched and bite to, comedically, no avail. "No, no, Ray, I'm not in love with Evangeline, I am in love with Tiana." Ray listened to that, seemed to forgotten he was mad and yelled out as his red glow became yellow. "Woot! I knew it, I knew it. Come here you."

The fire fly kissed Naveen on the cheek in good will as the prince decided firmly. "I can no longer marry Ms. Charlotte LaBouff, I will find another way to get Tiana her restaurants." He realized. "I could get a job, maybe two, maybe three." Ray was fully supporting the idea, flew around to leave a trial of light and formed an arrow, giggling all the way. "I can't wait to tell Tian."

Naveen grabbed him by the wings and stopped him. "No, I must tell her, alone." Ray kept being a wing man. "Right, heh, you rascal."

With in New Orlens.

The Replica and the creature of shadows made quick work of solider like heartless, lantern like heartless and an odd mage like heartless resembling a blue sorcerer with well timed strikes from the shadows. They both saw it was becoming night once more, the Replica realized. "Xion will kick my butt for this." Shadey looked back to the Replica like it was questioning, the Replica answered and had a faint scent. "She is kind of my sister. Maybe she won't be too angry over this, when I introduce you to her."

The creature stabilized its dog like form, caught a stronger scent and made a dash through the street, the Replica followed like a phantom towards a well built house, feeling a faint sound of buzzing and looking with in to find a pitiful, middle age man cowering about something. "Oh, why did I get myself into this madness."

The man's shadow shifted to that of a bird like creature the Replica was familiar with, he heard a whisper that the Replica listened closely to hear a familiar tone. "For something much grander than what the Shadow Man promised you. The only price is that you allow me to carry out my masters will under his nose." A vision of grandeur filled the man's mind, the Replica felt it was suspicious and watched the shadow of Ztardon shift into a large mosquito. "A larger plan than a simple fortune." The man looked behind and asked. "But... what makes the city so important to you?"

The shadow shifted to a symbol of a burning eye the Replica was familiar with as a whisper reached deep with in. "The city is insignificant save for a few stray hearts and the power the Shadow Man's friends wield." The shadow shifted into a formless horror and tried to say something, it sensed something and returned to the mans shadow. The witch doctor appeared from the shadows and asked. "Talking to yourself again Larry?"

The man yelped, turned around and answered. "Oh..j...just a little nervous th...that's all." Facilier wasn't buying it as his shadow looked around the mans shadow with curiosity. "Hmmhmm and who's fault was that? If my friends don't make it back with the Froggy Prince, that's all going up in smoke. The thing about making deals to get out of deals, you have no idea if the other guy is any better." The doctors shadow slithered to the window the Replica and dog were at, the duo sneaked away and heard more. "Then you got to pay back a debt to two of your buddies. Ha, ha, that won't go well for anyone."

The two shadows got as far away from the house as they can, being left alone to contemplate. The Replica felt a chilling sweat and realized. "That was never Ztardon... I was lead here by something else. What... did I allow to happen?" He shook his head and knew deeper. "Azhek is going to kill me for this... unless." He hoped. "We are on our own Shadey, but we can still turn this around, Kairi is here for a bigger purpose than just traveling and we could bring back information about what she is seeking. In return, she could help us clean up this mess." He gestured that the hound followed him, towards a shining light beyond the river.

On the boat during the night.

Kairi waited with in the aura of the light bulbs and watched Naveen escort Tiana towards a pleasant surprise, hiding closely to listen to Tiana asking the prince. "Where are you taking me?" Naveen answered as Kairi watched. "Oh, I just... wanted to show you something to celebrate our last night together as frogs." Tiana looked at him charmed and looked at what was set up on the roof, a well set, romantic table of cups, complete with a rose and a shot of champagne. Tiana gasped. "In all my years. No one's ever done anything like this with me."

She looked back at Naveen and giggled at a goofy scene she and the hidden princess found amusing. Naveen in an overly long bow tie. The prince realized. "Ha, it's a little too much isn't it?" He coughed to clear his throat. "Thank you bow."

The bow tie fluttered, revealing a tiny bitter moth that thought it was a nice detail, the prince escorted the lady to the table, like a gentlemen. He picked up a tray of something, sparking Tiana's interest. "What's this?"

Naveen pulled up the lid. "Tada." He showed several chopped up fruits and vegetables, Tiana was impressed. "You minced." Naveen smiled in pride. "I did." He sat on the other end of the table with a flirt in mind. "You've had quite and influence on me. Which is amazing, because I have dated thousands of women and.." Taina squinted her eyes in as scolding, Naveen stopped and tried to save himself, acting tongue tied and reaching for the walnut.

Kairi looked away, nearly failing to keep herself in cover and realizing something that would be awkward to go back to her friends for. Slip! Tip!

She floated up and saw the disaster of a date, Naveen fell off the table and flipped the chopped plants by accident, trying to save his dignity and sitting up. "That was a disaster." Tiana disagreed and playfully plucked the leaf from Naveen. "No, it's cute."

The prince laughed with her and tried to propose, the waitress saw something and went to get a closer view. "There it is." She looked on to a port with four buildings, the right most building in particular, Naveen sat next to her and asked. "Your restaurant?" Tiana had it envisioned. "Oh can you just picture it? All lit up like the fourth of July." Naveen envisioned it herself. "Yes, jazz, pouring out of every window." Tiana agreed with that. "It should be elegant." Naveen advised with that. "But you better keep it loose, kind of let it swing." Tiana asked. "You know a good ukulele player?"

Naveen asked. "Really? You would let me perform?" Tiana teased him. "I'll talk to the owner," She looked around and whispered. "Owner said yes." That caused the two to laugh with each other, Tiana kept her day dream alive and gave off a shine that Kairi noticed. "Folks are going to be coming over from all walks of life. Just to get a taste of our food." Naveen asked and looked upon his walnut with the ring. "Our food?"

Tiana asked confused. "Huh?" She realized what she said and explained. "Oh no, no. My, my dad." She looked upon the building with a simple, pure wish that shined. "My dad always wanted to open his own restaurant." She felt mournful of a memory. "He died before he could see it happen." She held Naveen's hand and vowed. "Tomorrow, with your help, our dreams are finally coming true." Naveen's smile lessened as he asked. "Tomorrow?" Tiana answered. "If I don't deliver the money first thing tomorrow, I lose this place forever." The glow kept strong as Kairi sensed a well meaning, but soul crushing feeling from the prince. "Tiana, I love.." Tap. "the... way you light up when you talk about your dream." He kept trying to hide his change of plans. "A dream, is so beautiful that I..Huff I promise, I'll do what I can to make your dream come true." TOOOT!

Kairi went into hiding and heard a depressed Namine realize. "He is going to do something desperate for her." The Princess nodded, heard footsteps leaving and listened to Tiana wishing upon a star. "Evangeline, I always been so sure about what I wanted... but now I...what do I do? Please tell me." The will-o-wisp listened and wanted to say something, she heard a muffle and went to the sound. Finding something disappear into the darkness, towards the city, she drew out her blade and pursued, finding half a dozen shadow demons circling around two familiar shadows that fought back against the darkness.

She dived down after them and quickly took them out, for those that rely on attacking through a shadow, they only require one strike to vanquish. She confronted the duo and asked. "What did you see?" Dupmic cringed and was embarrassed. "The prince being taken away and those things were on to us. I found out about Ztardon, who lead me to this world." The dog like shadow mimicked a formless horror and Kairi guessed. "Either he was using you... or that was never him. Either way, you were tricked."

Fizzle!

The three saw reality giving a slight distortion, eighteen pink horrors crawled out of the distortion as a burning chariot emerged. Riding upon that was an exalted flamer that gave off a glow of his own, causing Kairi, Dupmic and Shadey to take on a more corporial form, yet still shrouded in light and shadow. The demon hissed upon Dupmic. "So treachery begets treachery." The screamers pulling the chariot flew to the sky and circled around the three as the demon spewed flames and asked the boy. "Do you believe that you would change the wrongs you sowed by sowing more? Even now you, from the reality of what you are-"

Dupmic glared and had his weapon ready, it gave off a blue and pink glow, slowly resembling a birds like wing with blue and pink feathers. "Do you always keep talking?" The dog like shadow shifted to its vaguely human form and pounced upon the pink horrors readying a spell, it let loose many sharp clawed tendrils and attacked them in rapid speed, leaving Kairi and the boy who isn't what he was claiming to be, to confront the demon that focused on her. "You're actions changed nothing, everything you succeeded in has been in according to the Great Game of my master. Let me educate you."

The screamers dived down and charged at her as the flamers maws glowed pink. Kairi flew into the air with angelic wings as Dupmic back flipped and jumped onto the chariot and struck against the flamer. Kairi pounced on the disk and joined in the assault. The flamer lashed against the two with tongues of flame, knocking them off the platform and firing blue flames upon them, with scorch marks all around. Dupmic growled in a blue glow, rolled to dodge with Kairi and aimed his free hand at the chariot, firing a barrage of blue bolts upon the chariot and causing it to shake and slow in an attempt to regain balance. Kairi questioned what was done and enveloped herself in water, she shot high in the air like a fountain and shot to the flamer like a missile, striking the demon with slashes of water and knocking the demon off. She jumped above the demon that let loose a breath of pink flames and with a mighty swing, sent it crashing to the ground like a rain drop. The demon fizzled out in the water and splashed with the drop, the duo listened and watched the shadowy beast decimate the pink horrors, leaving behind a pilotless chariot that turned to face the three. The beasts were unaware of a massive claw reaching for its shadow, struggled from a kind of pressure and realized another claw coming from the other side.

The trio watched it mercilessly crushed in mid air and saw an eerie glow of purple eyes down an alley, giving off visions of angry masks looking down upon them. Dupmic and Shadey returned to the shadows as Kairi turned into a will-o-wisp. The princess advised. "We should run."

The duo agreed and rushed to a particular direction, Kairi flew after them and heard a collection of eerie howls after them. She turned mid air and found numerous shadow demons in pursuit. She swung her blade in radiant light and wiped them out, more took their place. They found a well kept house with a particular car driving off. Dupmic growled and yelled. "Come on we found the hide out where are they-" Kairi looked at a party in the distance and answered. "To the Mardi Gras, I'll go stop that while you rescue Naveen, watch out for the shadows." Dupmic and Shadey listened, going towards one path as Kairi went to another.

At a hotel room in Twilight Town.

Xion watched a particular scifi film and saw a scene of a bar filled with aliens, complete with something resembling jazz, she crouched on a bed uncertain as Ken sighed at the marvel. "The film that started it all." He admitted it as there was a small moment. "A friend of mine is pretty late, me and the others are getting worried about her and I'm worried why your brother is gone for this long."

Xion appreciated the concern and watched a bartender point out to two droids. "We don't serve their kind here." Xion pitied the golden, humanoid robot and a smaller, blue, non humanoid robot that had bits of blue. "It's fine, work had to have been that important." She gasped and asked. "What if my brother and your friend got into the same trouble together? We should do something about that."

Ken agreed and cringed. "I want to, but Miss will flip if I go disobeying her." Xion kept watching the film to where a human farm boy was tugged hard and was forced to confront a strange spider insect like alien with a strange pink mouth, Ken whistled with a good guess. "Besides, with how strong my friend has gotten, anyone who tries to go after her is going to end up like Ponda and Evazan over here."

Xion watched the farm boy get confronted by an actor looking like a deformed human, who told the farm boy. "He doesn't like ya," The farm boy apologized and tried to get back to his drink, the deformed human let him know. "I don't like you either. You just watch yourself, we're wanted men. I have the death sentence on twelve systems." The farm boy tried to lay low. "I'll be careful." Pull. The deformed human threaten him. "You'll be dead." Xion watched an elderly man stand up for the boy. "This little one's not worth the effort, now let me get you something."

The deformed human tossed the farm boy to a table and his alien friend drew out a gun. The elder drew out a laser like sword and slashed back at them, the deformed human and alien wailed, Xion gasped at the severed arm and asked the boy. "You're making a joke like that after what happened to yours?"

Ken corrected her with a wag of a finger. "I was stopping a megalomaniac, you saw how Ponda was threatening Luke. He deserved it." Xion watched the elder draw back his light sabre and the people of the bar going back to their business, a cold move, yet the girl agreed with the boy. "I think my brother can handle himself fine, just... when he comes, let me do the talking."

Ken cringed and tighten his grip. "This is awkward but it is the only way you can get a room. I would in so much trouble if he has a light saber... or the force." Xion yelped and kept watching. "You would be in trouble, for someone to just... choke you, without being near you." Ken had another. "Ha, ha, ha, ha. Vader just needs to know where you are, he gets worse in next film." Xion reached for her throat in discomfort and listened to the casual music, getting drawn into the movie.

In New Orleans.

Kairi accounted for a few things in the Mardi Grace wedding, parade floats, one that had Louis playing jazz with other musicians, many locals and a particular float that had a large king overlooking a wedding between Charlotte and a dark skin prince, she found something definitely wasn't right, squinted her eyes and found a medallion that had a blood red glow, wrapped around the mans neck. A minister speaking the vows of a bond asked. "If anyone objects to this wedding, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Kairi saw a small chest next to the prince, shaking and having a tongue sticking out, the prince stomped on the tongue and the girl figured out what happened. She flew to the chest as a radiant glow of light and readied herself, she noticed a familiar fire fly buzzing near the box and looking into the peep hole. "Is that you cap?" The frog in the box asked. "Ray? Get me out of this box." Ray answered innocently. "I can't hear you. I'm going to get you out of this box."

He adjusted his antenna and flew upside down to look like a keyhole, he flew with in and caused a glow of light with in, Kairi heard the knocking and of locks being undone, opening the box to reveal Naveen. The girl watched Charlotte being too excited to notice anything. The minister nearly finished. "By the power invested in me, by the state Louisiana I hereby pro-" Naveen jump on to the back of his imposter and pulled against the necklace, causing the imposter to fall off the cake with him. The imposter grabbed onto the frog as Charlotte was concerned. "Oh gracious, are you alright?"

The imposter answered with an excuse. "Just need a moment to compose myself." Charlotte was reaching a limit in her patience. "Cheese n crackers."

With in a grand building.

The Replica and Shadey readied their ambush, seeing the imposter prince go past the door and listen to the real prince asking. "Lawrence, why you do this?" The imposter answered with a scorn and walked deeper. "It's payback, for all those years, the humiliation." The shadow man emerged and ordered with his purple orb cane aimed. "Get your royal rump back on that wedding cake and finish this deal." Woosh. The Replica and Shadey emerged to confront the witch doctor, distracting him as Naveen croaked his chest and broke from the imposters grip, he took the pendent and revealed a small middle aged man. Facilier glared and the whole situation as his shadow kicked Lawrence's and sent out a formless horror that giggled maniacally, the witch doctor looked done with complications. "I knew there was competition trying to ruin this," He snapped his fingers and caused many shadows to surround the fighting duo. "Get rid of them or the deals going to be doomed."

Shadow demons pounced after the duo, the Replica looked upon his shadow, glowed with his bird like sword and spun around, actually sending the shadows back as Shadey focused on the formless horror, sinking into the ground and pouncing on it. The formless horror took the form of a spiky haired teenager with a keyblade and dueled against the creature as the Replica found his shadow being encircled by a serpent with a top hat.

The Replica back flipped and focused upon the serpent, his shadow lit something in its hand with him, the boy smiled and aimed, firing a barrage of dark bolts that pelted the snake back and sent Facilier into a wall. Distracting him long enough for a fire fly to squeeze from underneath the door way and seeing the frog prince fling the blood pendent loose. The fire fly grabbed it and yelled. "I got it!" The pendent was much heavier than expected and was falling with it. "It got me too." Thud!

The pendent falling caused Facilier to convulse in fear and try to go after it, Lawrence pleaded to the fire fly. "Let go of that yo-" Facilier had it with Lawrence, grabbed him by the back of the collar and ordered. "Stay out of sight and deal with them."

The fire fly went under the door and squeezed himself through with the pendent, slipping through as the witch doctor opened the door to find the fire fly escaping with a will-o-wisp. He gave a sharper whistle and went after them. The Replica sighed, knocked the prince out of the imposters hand and asked Shadey. "Can you stop this demon?" Shadey circled around the shape shifting horror and turned itself into a lion, assuring a yes and giving the Replica a chance to run for it.

Outside.

Kairi saw Ray with the pendent and followed him, she swiped a wave of light after the chasing shadows to dispatch them and found more coming, Louis noticed them as the will-o-wisp followed the fire fly to a graveyard. "Ray, where is Tiana?" The fire fly kept flying and asked. "Kairi?! Girl, what happened?"

The will-o-wisp sighed. "It's a long story, but I think I'm done hiding from these shadows. You... knew that what you did is something only a keyblade wielder normally does?" Ray blinked to that and found Tiana heart broken, Kairi called out. "Tiana, Tiana!"

The frog turned and saw a will-o-wisp with Ray. "Kairi, Ray?" Flicker! Jump! Kairi's true form jumped out of the wisp like body and landed gracefully as Ray fluttered to her and gave her the pendent. "This proves what we say ain't what we saw."

Tiana looked down upon the pendent and asked. "What is it?" Ray answered fast. "It's a voodoo hi echo. The shadow man been using it for-" "Howwwwl!"

Kairi and the fire fly turned to find shadow demons in hot pursuit, Ray gasped and begged Tiana. "You can't let the Shadow Man get this no matter what. Now run girl, run!" Tiana ran away as Kairi readied to fight the shadow demons, Ray fluttered next to her with his abdomen glowing as the shadow demons encroached. "Don't make me light my butt!"

The demons giggled and went for the shadows, Kairi glowed in bright light and struck them away as Ray rammed his rear at a few, causing the shadows to burn and dissipate away along with the ones Kairi was fighting against. Impressing the princess to where she asked. "Did you learn this from Odie?" Swat!

Ray laughed loud at took out another. "Eh, he. Don't you know it, you isn't no island girl I heard of. You making that up?" Kairi shook her head, back flipped to dodge the swipes from the shadows and answered. "I'm an island girl, but..." she smiled nervously as Ray was getting it. "Oh, I see." Bump! SHRIEK! "It like why I don't see that there key thing before. Heh."

Kairi raised her keyblade to the sky and caused a star to form, she shot it in the air and caused it to spring like a flower, it rain down a meteor shower of light as Ray kept doing what he was doing, he laughed. "Ha, ha! Who's next?"

Swat.

Ray was swatted by a dark hand from behind a grave yard, the fire fly landed on the ground and was surrounded by a dark aura that was let loose. Kairi saw the shadow man and charged after him, the shadow demons kept getting in her way as the witch doctor focused a hand over Ray and took out a bright glowing heart, causing a darken presence to fill it and for it to twist into something. The girl muttered. "No, you wouldn't-" The witch doctor didn't care, had his foot over the body for good measure and stepped on it, he saw the heart turning into something, fluffed his jacket and looked away from Kairi like she wasn't a problem anymore.

The shadow demons realized what was happening and saw more dark shadows emerging from the graves, yellow eyes and blackened claws, oddly infuriated them. The witch doctor walked away and snapped his fingers to the shadow demons, like they had something else to do, they followed begrudgingly and left Kairi to confront a forming heartless. The shadows like heartless crawled after Kairi to attack and were caught of guard by a figure jumping from the shadows, a boy in a blue hoodie, purple shirt and orange pants, he wielded a bird like sword and incinerated them in blue fire. Apologizing to the Princess. "Sorry I was late, did that Shadow Man do what I think he did?"

Kairi nodded and noticed an alligator coming to the scene, the gator noticed a crushed body fading into darkness and asked. "Ray?" The girl closed her eyes and looked upon the darkness forming into a small straw like effigy with a bright glow with in. The effigy resembled a human with a straw hat and red overalls, the effigy swelled in darkness and took out a club. "We can still free him and set things right, Louis... are you ready?" The gator timidly looked upon the remains of his friend and felt a spark of righteous anger, giving a hiss fitting for a gator.

More shadows crawled to attack, Kairi flung flowers of light at them and swung to attack as Dupmic rushed to the Effigy and struck it from afar quick slashes. The effigy shot twenty pins from the ground and caused the boy and girl to feel a black mark upon them. The pins, oddly enough, aimed at the effigy, Louis's cheeks puffed in horror. "Oof, don't let them pins touch em!"

He charged against five of them, Dupmic and Kairi struck seven each away, the remaining two flung at the effigy in record time and caused a sharp painful prick in the duo. Leaving both to be smacked upside the head with the club and felt dazed, the effigy summoned another twenty pins, Kairi glowed in water and let loose a combo to wipe much more out with Louis as Dupmic focused with his shadow and caused it to ready an orb of energy, he fired it upon the shadows of the pins and the effigy, knocking it asunder and giving Kairi the chance needed to leap to it with angelic wings, upper cutting it and diving down with a burst of light. Burning away the voodoo bindings and taking the small heart out of the body, she held onto it and felt it glow with her.

Feeling a strong resolve as the battle concluded, Louis asked. "Shadow man done laid poor Ray low?" Kairi took a deep breath and felt the gators pain. "He isn't going to get away with this. You get somewhere safe while me and Dupmic handle this." The boy agreed with a burning vengeance under his hood. "Thanks for the help, but this has gone too far." He lead the way. "Come on."

Kairi felt the heart floating into her chest and followed, towards a passage that was masked by an illusionary light. The humans didn't care and jumped in, finding themselves as figments of light and darkness. With in the vision was of a grand restaurant. They found a dark skin woman with black hair and a grand white dress. Kairi recognized Tiana, the woman held in her hand the voodoo talisman as she heard a voice speak, finding Facilier by a table. Having his feet up and enjoying some champagne, asking. "Now isn't this a whole lot better than hopping around the Bayou for the rest of your life?"

Tiana recognized the witch doctor for what he is. "Shadow man." Facilier, laughed, stood up and shuffled a deck of cards side ways as he approached. "Got to hand it to you Tiana, when you dream, you dream big," He split the deck into a fan like hand, causing a small card with a radiant restaurant. "Just look at this place." He stepped away with more temptation. "Going to be the crown jewel of the crescent city." He asked charismatically. "And all you got to do, to make this dream a reality," he extended his hand. "is to hand over that little ol talisman of mine." Tiana looked at the amulet and shook her head. "No, this, this is not right."

She kept the charm close to her as Facilier had pink mist ready. "Come on darling, think about everything you sacrificed." A swirl was let loose, giving Tiana visions of the time and life choices she sacrificed for her goals. "Girl, all you ever do is work." "I told you she wouldn't come." He formed another swirl of memories. "Think of all the nay sayers who doubted you." Puff. "You ain't never going to get the dang thing." "A woman of your... background, your better off where you at." The last one hit a special nerve with in the waitress and the bystanders trapped in limbo cringed. Facilier went to a window with curtains and pulled a string. "And don't forget your poor daddy."

Tiana looked out the window to find her father going home from an exhausting day at work as the witch doctor continued. "Now that was one hard working man. Double, sometimes triple shifts. Never letting on about how bone tired and beat down he really was."

The vision shifted to Tiana's father on a chair tired, the witch doctors point was made further from a faint memory of a girl saying. "Daddy."

Yet the man in the vision kept going with a strong facade. Facilier sighed as the vision shifted to a family of three with a boiling pot. "Shame all that hard work didn't amount to much more than a busted up old gumbo pot." The vision shifted to a neighborhood eating the gumbo. "And a dream that never got off the front porch." The tempter directed to her. "But you, you could give your poor daddy, everything he ever wanted." He whispered to her ear like a snake would. "Come on Tiana, you're almost there."

Her hand holding the talisman lowered, conflicted about what she was seeing, near the witch doctors. "My daddy never did get what he wanted," Her face tensed, she clenched to the talisman and gave off a bright glow. "But he had what he needed," She placed the talisman firmly to her chest, refusing the temptation. "He had love." She looked ready to smash the talisman and caused the tempter to nearly panic. "He never lost sight of what was really important." The witch doctor was asking. "Easy with that, careful with," Tiana readied to throw the thing to the ground. "And neither will I!"

She hurled it and Facilier's shadow caught the thing. The demon rushed to his masters side to drop it in his hand, Facilier laughed sinisterly as the illusion faded. Kairi and Dubmic felt themselves held firm in place by shadows as the witch doctor turned Tiana back into a frog. Faciliar pinned her to the ground with his cane. "Y'all should have taken my deal." He gloated. "Now you're going to spend the rest of your life being a slimy little frog." Tiana tensed and had a taunt back as lightning boomed. "I got news for you shadow man, it's not slime, it's mucus." She shot her tongue at the talisman, taking it from the witch doctors hands, Facilier gasped in horror and watched Tiana take the talisman and slammed it to the ground.

Shattering it and causing it to burst in various symbols, the calm witch doctor broke down into a panic. "No, no!" He picked the fragments up as the shadow demons let the teenagers go, like they were no longer in contract, they and Tiana hid behind a tomb stone and heard the sound of drums.

"Bumb, bumb, bumb, bumb, bumb, bumb."

Facilier asked to himself. "How am I ever going to pay back my debt?" He turned to three tomb stones with face and felt something coming, bursting through the faces were a trio of chanting voodoo masks animating and with glowing purple eyes. Facilier greeted them with a sweat. "Friends." The super natural masks floated close together with a sadistic smile, asking in a cheerful tone. "Are you ready?"

Facilier answered and backed away in his plea. "No. I'm not ready at all. In fact, I got's more plans." Shrunken heads dropped down with the tune. "Are you ready?"

Facilier tried to make excuses. "This is just a minor set back in the major operation." He stepped back and heard something rising, turning around to find voodoo dolls digging out of the grave and towards drums in the shadows. "Soon as I whip up another spell, we be back in business." He was surrounded by his shadow demons, that looked upon him like prey. "I still got that froggy prince locked away," He backed into a tomb stone with only his shadow hiding behind his back. "I just need a little more time."

Lightning boomed and the three were in shock to find a massive mask with glowing green eyes, downward horns and sinister teeth glaring down upon him. The eyes let loose a green aura as Facilier begged. "No, no, please no." Backing away with his shadow still in terror, the shadow looked towards his host uncertain of what to do and away from a massive claw that grabbed him and dragged. The witch doctor fell on his back and flipped to try and hold to the ground, giving a scream of peril as the masks lined up and chanted, the voodoo dolls beating the drums and the mask open his maw into a vortex of green and darkness. The hand shifted into a demonic shadow, dragging Facilier in as he begged. "Just a little more time." Facilier begged once more as he was dragged into the maw. "I promise I'll pay you all back, I promise."

He was dragged in and the voodoo sucked in with him, giving off a scream, the drums continued and the duo realized the Friends From the Other Side, were angry at them. Dupmic and Kairi stood in front of the mask to confront what was coming, Kairi asked Tiana. "Run."

The clock was dinging towards midnight, the frog had to get going and hope for the best. The mask glared at the two and caused another flash of light. Before them was a terrified, human like, yellow eyed voodoo mask, with green glowing, skeletal like body, wearing a coat made of darkness, showed sharp talons and formed a heartless emblem on its forehead. Dupmic guessed as shifting, ghastly shadows surrounded them. "They think we were responsible for that... thing, throwing their plan out of order?" Kairi nodded and deducted. "And they didn't like how he brought the heartless here so they made him into one."

The shadows closed in after the two, Kairi shined like the light and grabbed Dupmic, dispelling the shadows and jumping high to toss him to the mask. Dupmic landed and attacked as much as possible as the Shadow Baron danced and flung a barrage of symbols at Kairi, the girl was knocked back, landed and healed herself. She focused on the baron, aimed her keyblade and caused a flower of light to form, it five blue beams at the heartless, doing rather significant damage and causing it to grab Dupmic with its left hand and flipped him upside down, rendering him like a puppet. The boy was forced to draw his blade and was trying to fight it in a panic, Kairi focused on the tomb stones and jumped through each one to the left. She slid to the hand and hacked at it, finding nothing being done and looking to the shadows, seeing strings across the hand. She glowed and swiped at it, causing Dupmic to fall on his knees for a moment and seeing another shadow coming, towards it. Leap! A red eyed lion jumped from the shadows and pounced upon the heartless's chest, tearing and biting like a mighty beast, the boy laughed with some relief. "Shadey, oh thank you." He raised both hands in the air and saw in the shadows, that familiar energy. He fired at the heartless's shadow and caused it to back away. Kairi jumped to the right tomb stones and leaped at the mask for her turn.

The right hand tried to reach for her for a similar, if identical trick it did to Dupmic. Shadey burst into darkness and pounced at the hand, resembling Sora once more and rapidly attacking like an animal. Kairi back flipped and landed behind Dupmic, they felt the grave giving off odd, hallucinating colors. The baron danced towards them and readied a mighty slam with both fists, the teenagers jumped back and Dupmic jumped to the mask to carve with a hint of feathers scattering. Kairi dashed and shot herself upward to the masks forehead like a spear of light.

PEW!

The mask shattered and left behind a green skeleton that lost its glow, being reduced to black bones that dissolved into darkness and releasing a blackened heart.

The group felt a vision clearing and heard giggling, Dupmic turned around to find an image of a spiky haired teenager in the shadows, putting a hood across his head and becoming a formless horror. Emerging from the darkness was a blue robbed creature with blue skin, three arms on its right side and a simple arm on its left, it held a staff that had a tip of a serpent. The creature laughed. "So the Princess beckoned the last and the Replica has embraced his new path."

He snickered as Dupmic took offense and wanted to battle, nearly breaking his fake voice. "This wouldn't have happened if you didn't con me like you did." Kairi sensed a chaos daemon and wanted to banish the evil from the world. "I know the color... you're another daemon of Tzeentch?"

The daemon took the form of Riku from over a year ago and smiled sinisterly, using his voice perfectly. "I am of many things. on the whim." It changed its appearance to that of a younger Kairi, with shorter hair, a white tank top, purple skirt and a black collar. It putting its hands at its hips and yelled to her. "All for the machinations of my master." It changed once again to a tan, black vested man with an exposed shirt that had a heartless emblem, having long white hair and a using a voice Kairi remembered. "I could be anywhere in the dark corners of the world." The demon changed to the appearance of Aqua. "Or I could be in the grace of the light." It changed once more to the image of a Tzaangor Dupmic was familiar with. "You are all a joy to mess with."

Swipe!

A claw from Shadey flung to it, the demon back flipped and changed to its hooded form as Kairi barked. "Cut out the games and show us what you are already. Then get lost." The demon gasped at such a bold attempt and adjusted his hood. "For someone as brave as you, to venture so far, I'll gladly obliged." The form adjusted into a black robed figure with a single arm on each side and a set of legs, looking humanoid, Kairi realized the demon wasn't going to go away and asked Dupmic. "Get out of here, I got this." The boy stiffened his lips and asked Shadey. "She does, come on, let's get of here."

The shadowy creature looked upon the confident girl as the staff of the demon was shifting into a metal tube, it obeyed the boy and followed him out of the grave as Kairi was expecting something dreadful. The fiend revealed a sinister, red face with black stripes, yellow and red eyes and hints of horns. It certainly looked demonic, yet Kairi knew the daemon was playing a trick on her. The daemon pulled the hood down to reveal a crown of horns, held the metal tube with its left hand and raised it in front of it, causing one end to erupt a red, sword length beam and another to do the same. The demon spun the strange sword and flipped towards her, Kairi jumped back and countered. The demon took the hit and parried with one end of the sword, causing sparks to fly as it tried to slash at her with the other end. The girl flew high to the air and landed behind it, getting another swing in and having to defend herself, the demon smiled to reveal yellow, menacing teeth and rolled back, it focused its free hand at a couple of large rocks and with a telekinetic force, flung them at her.

Kairi was pelted was exposed to a frontal attack, she felt a slight glow and watched her keyblade split into two. On one hand was a fruit star hilt laser sword with a golden glow, on another was a blue laser sword with a hilt having a white flower at the end. She parried both ends and spun to the demon, sending it waddling back and angering it to where it made a reckless charge. Kairi jumped over the demon and sliced its abdomen, causing it to rupture in chaotic energy and collapse into the shifting blue form it was. Disappearing back into the warp, Kairi spun her light swords and felt the beams receding into the hilt, it returned back to the keyblade it was, she felt a pained feeling in her heart and went to where the Mardi Grac took place. She caught up with Tiana and watched a group of police tossing a small middle aged man into a police car as he pleaded. "I'm completely innocent, the shadow man bambozled me."

Slam.

The car took off, the two on lookers watched Naveen finish explaining something to Charlotte, who recited. "This is so much to absorb so let me get this right. If I kiss you before midnight, you and Tiana will turn human again and then we are to get ourselves married and live happily ever after. The end." Naveen answered. "More or less. But remember, you must give Tiana all the money she requires for her restaurant. Because Tiana," he looked up to the sky. "She is my Evangelina." Charlotte was perfectly okay with this and put on lip stick. "Anything you want sugar." Her lips smacked and she let him know. "Pucker up."

Naveen readied for his sacrifice in happiness as Tiana couldn't stand it no more. "Wait." Both recognized the voice, the feminine frog hopped along. "Don't do this."

Naveen told her. "I have to do this and we are running out of time." Tiana held his arm back. "I won't let you." Naveen argued back. "It's the only way to get you your dream."

Tiana asked. "My dream? My dream wouldn't be complete without you in it."

Naveen turned around even more hesitate as Tiana confessed. "I love you Naveen." The prince approached and the two held their hands together. "Warts and all?" Tiana answered lovingly. "Warts and all."

That caused Charlotte to become teary eyed. "Sniffle. All my life, I read about true love and fairy tails and-" She decided on something. "Tia, you found it." Kairi listened and sensed a generally good heart, Charlotte picked Naveen up. "I'll kiss him, for you honey. No marriage required."

The woman and the male frog were quick to get to the kiss. Ding. Kairi closed her eyes and cringed, it seemed to be midnight, Charlotte realized it herself. "Oh my lord. M..maybe that ol clock is a little fast."

Smooch.

She kissed him and saw nothing was happening, much to Naveen's disappointment. She kissed him multiple times in desperation and Kairi felt hurt looking at it. Charlotte knew she let her best friend down. "I'm...I'm so sorry."

She placed Naveen down and tried to hid her shame by slumping away into the building, Kairi and the frogs heard a shout. "Tiana. Naveen, Kairi." The frogs saw Louis down at the streets, the gator was frantic, they approached and saw Kairi catching up, she felt a heart fluttering out of her chest and landing between her hands. The girl felt more depressed as the gator looked at the sparkle. "You...you can fix that, right gal?"

She shook her head and lowered herself to show it. Tiana asked in feeling a familiar friend. "What happened?"

Kairi took a deep breath and answered. "It's the Shadow Man's doing, he turned Ray into a heartless, a monster that is made when a heart becomes consumed by darkness. I had to get his heart out of that thing."

The frogs gasped, Naveen asked. "But what else could you do? He is-" Kairi didn't want to answer that. "The shadow man crushed his body, there... isn't a way to get him back."

That caused the frogs to feel the sting in their hearts, Louis was teary eyed as Kairi felt a recurring pain, she knelt on her knees and looked to her side to find Namine looking just as crestfallen. The tiny heart shined brightly, with a star from above, the group looked above to find Evangeline shining above the heart. Like something or someone, beckoning something home. The heart gave a slowly float and ascended, Kairi wiped a tear from her eyes as she and the group looked on, finding the heart going higher and higher, until the flicker caused a shine in their eyes. The four's vision cleared and they saw the north star with another shining just as bright, that caused a choke among the group, Tiana broke down in tears.

Namine sniffled and was given a back rub from Kairi. The girl wanted to tell Naveen what she discovered, yet there was something keeping her from interfering. She stood up and asked. "So.. now what? The kiss didn't work."

Tiana guessed so. "We're still frogs." She and Naveen held each others hands in mourning. "But we're staying together."

Kairi felt there wasn't much she could do and felt herself in a familiar zone, she looked above to find the two stars shining a beam only she could see and forming a keyhole. She formed her blade, raised it into the air and fired, causing the keyhole to open up a pathway. She felt her task of locating the new batch of princesses were done and sighed, thinking to play along. "At least you are, but... don't give up just yet."

Naveen found that encouraging. "We will still try... something for the morning." Tiana knew what he meant and sighed, looking to Kairi with some gratitude. "Thanks for the help, is there... something you need to do?"

Kairi nodded and looked to the girl only she could see. "There is, I need to get back to my friends. I wish you luck together." She and Namine were given a parting and Louis thought in good will to play smooth jazz. The girls turned around to a corner, hand in hand. Namine giggled. "It took a while for Tiana's heart to awaken. But she and Naveen are going to be in for a surprise come morning."

Kairi agreed to that and felt it bittersweet. "I hope they kiss in the morning. After everything they been through, it would stink for it to be for nothing." She smelled herself and had the aroma of a swamp. "Phew. Master is going to have a lecture with me."

Namine didn't worry. "We found the last of the seven princess's of heart and found a new pathway. Let's get back to Twilight Town."


	34. Powered Into Oblivion

During a morning in a hotel room. Ken was up, making maintenance on his prosthetic among other mundane tasks. He put the arm back onto its socket, felt a jolt of nerves connecting and looked at an early sun rise, on the bed closest to the window was Xion snoring loudly. He whistled to her. "Rise and shine," Xion stirred and woke up peacefully, she yawned and dragged herself up. "Yawn. M...morning." She got up and looked grateful. "Thank you for what you did, those movies became fun to watch," She shivered. "I'm never going to hear deep breathing the same way again."

Ken agreed with that. "You do not want to cross in the path of Vader, even if you knew what you were doing." He whistled and guided her out to an early sunrise, Xion stretched and asked. "I hope my brother finally gets here, it's been long enough." Tap! Tap! "H...Hey."

Ken heard the nearly burst out tone and turned around, finding a teenager in a hoodie, keeping his face hidden, Xion puffed her cheeks and scolded. "Dupmic, what took you so long?" Ken agreed with that. "Seriously, who ever you were working for really needs some priorities in ethics," He nervously laughed as Xion felt her adopted brother looking at the boy suspiciously. "We only watched movies together last night and that was all. A whole trilogy of a fun science fiction film."

Ken recited them all. "A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. All of them Star Wars films if you didn't hear of it."

The brother's mouth nearly dropped, he approached and give him a firm handshake to the warmer hand. "Thank you for watching my sister for me and you are right. I was being tricked into doing something I wouldn't have done if I knew and it took me most of the night to fix it. It won't happen again."

Ken shook back and asked Xion. "I guess our trip to that other town is cancelled for now?" The girl guessed so and smiled with him. "It looks like it." She winked to him. "Have a good day Ken."

Ken blushed and folded his hands behind his back, looking on in respect. "You too. It's been fun getting to know you." Dupmic felt he could trust the guy and guided Xion. "You got a good heart. Come on Xion, before Dad gets mad at us more than he already has."

The two walked off to the road and left Ken to enjoy the sun rise alone. He noticed more people arriving from the inn, finding Sora and Riku looking upon a phone and expecting something. The spiky haired teenager was in a different attire from before, looking mostly black with red and white highlights. Ken relaxed his arms and guessed. "Kairi is finally done?"

The boys heard the voice and nodded, they noticed a familiar girl walking to them with near exhaustion. Sora and Riku looked astonished by the many swellings on Kairi's body and Ken turned shocked. Sora asked her. "What happened to you?" Kairi growled and answered. "I was in a Bayou and there was nothing but mosquitoes. Flying insects that bite."

Riku smelled a stench and chose not to say anything against that. "That explains everything. Congratulations on finding the last Princess," Sora nodded and approached with a wide smile. "It sounds like you had a big adventure, good work." He felt the energy. "You're looking stronger than ever, what else happened?"

Kairi smiled back to him, it looked like she wanted to flirt. "I tried some cajun and I might have found a form change. A chaos daemon was causing trouble and was taking so many forms to mess with me, one of them was something he used to attack me, some... demon man with a two sided, laser like sword." Ken gasped. "No way, that was what you fought?!"

Riku felt like the youngest of the group knew something. "She formed light sabers? You know who or what she fought?" Ken nodded and found it amusing. "There are two sides to the force and those that use it. On the Light Side, we have the Jedi... on the Dark Side... we have the Sith. Kairi, was the guy red and black."

Kairi took a deep breath and asked. "Yes, what character was it?" Ken answered with envy. "Darth Maul. You... fought Darth Maul... and survived. That daemon knows dangerous people to mimic."

Sora gasped and went to hug Kairi. "I can't believe it, awesome." Hug. Kairi was caught of guard by the hug and hugged back, realizing the spiky haired boy wasn't just seeing looks. The two blushed, slowly let go and wanted to start the day, the girl asked. "I might show you the form change today when I can. What Ken said was nothing but truth about what they might resemble."

That sent Sora in awe. "Wow." Kairi giggled despite itching like crazy, she nervously asked. "Could you tell Master I'm back before she gets more upset." The boys vowed they would, Ken and Riku looked a bit disappointed as they watched Kairi leave for the inn to wash up. Sora noticed the other two looking at him weird, he looked confused as if he did something offensive. "What...what did I say?"

Riku shook his head and smiled to him. "Nothing wrong, nothing wrong at all," Ken gritted his teeth and pretended to smile. "I'm not saying, Riku said better than I can, but there is more I would say that would just get me beaten up," He mimicked pulling a boat horn and closed his right eye, Sora didn't get it, yet Riku did. The silver haired teenager warned the young one. "You made your point, knock it off."

Ken placed his hands in his pocket and took the warning. "Fine. I'm waiting until Miss wakes up before I take off. The business going on doesn't involve me, so I'll go prepare." He wished the two a good morning. "I'll see you before it happens, good morning."

He walked off and left the two boys behind, Riku shook his head and realized Sora still had no idea what the young one was talking about. "It's only something that important to him, it isn't to say I can't blame him. You need to know certain terms soon." Sora blinked and asked. "He was... talking about me, Kairi and a boat, what does that have to do with anything?"

That caused Riku to laugh loudly. "HA! Sora, you are so close yet still so far." Sora felt more confused and asked, a little closer to the truth. "He was wishing me and Kairi good luck, right?"

Riku nodded and saw Goofy, Donald and Mickey up and ready. "That wasn't the problem, but yeah," He gave the trio a chipper. "Good morning guys, Kairi's back. Now we can talk to Namine and get to the bottom of this."

In the Castle that Never was.

The Replica finished a long story to Xion as he stepped out of the corridor. "That's why it took me so long. That was never Ztardon, it was daemon sending me on a wild goose chase and trying make everything go out of control. Now I got to explain ho-" Xion noticed something odd and gasped, the Replica sensed it and parried a dark, red gear looking keyblade, wielded by a red dressed figure in a black mask. The girl looked at the lobby and found a Tzaangor shaman laying by a wall beaten with an inch of his life, she yelled out. "Ztardon?!"

The Tzaangor's usable eye looked up to her, his fist clenched to his staff like he wanted to try and do something, the Replica glared at the helmet stranger as his wing like blade glowed in blue fire. Shove, he swiped and caused a blue inferno to engulf, the helmeted assailant disappeared, the Replica sensed something coming from above and jumped through the fire to avoid. The helmet figure jumped to a table and charged after the Replica that kept a calm, confident smile. WOOSH!

A figure of unstable shadows pounced the assailant, growing gryphon like talons and clawing at him, the assailant shot out a dark orb with a reddish orange glow, knocking the figure off and causing it to stand before the Replica that barked and was ready to attack again. "You're one of the punks that moved in?"

The figure sighed and answered nearly mocking. "You're the stupid Replica that wandered off because Azhek wouldn't put you on a leash. How's it like out there?" The Replica knew venom was coming and raised his free hand high. "I got more freedom going out there and came back with much more for him to look at than I would have just being his doll." He fired something the assailant had no knowledge off until he noticed something coming for his shadow, the assailant felt like he was shot by a cannon as he was sent flying to a window, causing a crack. "Like learning Shadow Bolt."

He turned around to Xion and Ztardon, wanting to check on the Tzaangor's wounds as the creature of shadows kept a glare at the masked figure that realized he was being ignored. The masked figure disappeared and appeared in the Replica's way with his blade ready. "Hold it doll, who said I was done."

"I do."

WOOSH!

The Replica saw a blue bolt of unstable energy rush at the masked figure, exploding and sending the assailant flying. He turned to the door to find Ahriman giving off a crackle of lightning, the Sorcerer pointed to Ztardon and caused his wounds to rapidly regenerate, Ahriman aimed his staff at the foe in black and red and ordered. "Vanitas, you are forbidden from enforcing discipline upon those under my care. This is your one and only warning, leave...NOW."

Vanitas placed his free hand upon his face and caused a corridor to open. "Fine, my Master said I needed to check this fun little guy and try him out anyways." He turned and threatened the Replica. "You're lucky you got someone taking value in you, doll."

The word stung and the figure disappeared, Ztardon quickly recuperate and was noticing Xion oddly, asking curiously to Ahriman. "Master, is this what you meant by the oddity?"

Ahriman nodded and held his staff firm. "I told you that she might be the reason the Replica would be acting strangely around the Castle and the town, but you seeing her nullifies the excuse." He looked upon the Replica with a stare of disapproval, the boy cringed and guessed. "You were not just having my back when you ordered that psycho to leave us alone?"

The Sorcerer appreciated an observant mind. "I'm allowing you to explain yourself before I go look. When you and Xion disappear, we would expect jeopardy, give me an excuse to turn the other cheek."

The Replica took a deep breath and looked upon Ztardon. "I was given a job from what I thought was the usual giving me orders, looking upon another world for any resources that would stop the usual job of fetching food. There was much more going on in the world and I thought I was being given a task of resolving the issue, when really... the Ztardon that lead me to that world was a chaos daemon that wanted to make things much worse by ticking off the villain that had ties to his... Friends from the Other Side."

Ahriman sighed. "You were lead astray by a daemon I am aware of and had no knowledge that he was with in the worlds. The Changeling, a copycat that mimics others to near perfection and quite often, manipulates others through that deception," Xion gasped. "So that was why bro didn't get much besides Shadey."

Ahriman nodded to the girl. "Those that fall for his deception are often left in a much worse state then they were, that daemon enjoys playing with your mind in some of the most childish ways. But-" The Sorcerer's gaze upon the Replica lessened. "The Changeling would be able to fool even the most clever," He lowered his head and had an example to use. "You could be having a conversation with him right now and would be unaware of what I was really going to do with you."

Xion and the Replica felt the paranoia, the boy cringed. "Not cool!"

Ztardon didn't believe it. "But Master, you and the daemon have different-" The Sorcerer turned to his minion and agreed. "I know, he wouldn't have speed up your natural ability to recover like I did. But the point still stands."

The Replica felt it did and looked to Shadey to call him. "If the Changeling gets involved, we wouldn't know how bad he screwed us over until it is too late. But the trip wasn't a complete waist of time, I found this thing and I know where it came from."

The creature kept close to the Replica and it wasn't trusting Ahriman, who was amazed and horrified. "This is the creature that was born when Kharn tore into Sora's heart?! Such... instincts," He asked the two children. "You are to keep this thing close to you, less it slaughters us all."

The two agreed with that as the Replica had more to note. "I think one of the fragments of light found a new Princess to make home as well, me and a girl that only knows the minimum, witnessed her revealing herself. The force of darkness that had a hold on the world, those things from the Other Side, can't do much anymore and are now stuck in their world." He snapped his finger and let Ztardon know. "I found something you and the Tzaangor could be interested in, that world is a hot spot for cooking ingredients as well. Crayfish, fish, natural spices, the works, if you all search, you could have a source of food and it is all in Bayou, far away from civilization."

The shaman perked as Xion felt hungry. "Nice, does that mean-" The Tzaangor went to the hall and gave out an echoing caw, a presence was coming as the shaman answered. "It is most suitable." He nodded to the Replica. "You done well, in spite of the folly."

Ahriman felt he heard enough. "Which is a convenience," he looked upon the Replica with a lightening mood. "Despite how this all started, you salvaged enough for not only yourself, but for us to gain. Anything else?"

The Replica looked upon his shadow and gave a pose like he was readying something, Ahriman saw the shadow readying an orb of energy and warped out of the way, towards an upper left corner of the room, the Replica aimed at him and launched several bolts with in the shadows. The Sorcerer felt what the bolts would do and moved fast out of there, to a position where his shadow wouldn't be hit, the Replica smiled to him. "I learned that from watching how those... things can hurt you and from watching you use that spell."

Ahriman knew which one the Replica was talking about. "Doombolt. You learned how to use it but found it not to your taste?" The boy nodded. "I used it once against daemons of Tzeentch, but something about it feels... wrong, so I made some adjustments. I call this, Shadow bolt." The boy's glowing bird like sword was more proof of small details, the Sorcerer felt little needs to be done. "You learned well and I presume, because of Xion's mood and her change of clothes, you didn't just abandon her in the town while you were figuring out you were being played?"

Xion nodded and looked a little annoyed. "That was never his intention Ahriman, but I found ways to get around. We're not suppose to talk about it out here," The Sorcerer agreed with that. "You can spare me the details, for what is important is that you're not nearly as isolated as you thought whether it is from the outside world or in here, isn't that right Ztardon."

The Tzaangor wasn't exactly happy about it, yet at the same time was curious. "But would be foolish to assume you would be given the same prestige from me as the as I do the other. Yet... there are more secrets to uncover."

Xion sighed and accepted that. "I haven't done anything besides figuring this out." She caused a keyblade to form, catching Ztardon's attention much more. "Mmmm." Ahriman agreed with him. "That will fall into place in due time," He readied to leave with his minion ready for his task. "Ztardon, go make a foraging party at some point after todays morning meal. Then meet me at the library for our studies."

The Tzaangor obeyed and readied to leave as Ahriman had one more thing to say to the Replica. "Stay around this area until I decide otherwise, this is not a request. You're disappearance caused that demons master to suspect out right treachery and try to send him to deal with the matter."

The Replica cringed and saw a rubric marine enter the room. "I wasn't going to get off scott free for that. He is here to make sure I do just that?" The Sorcerer answered him affirmatively. "Precisely. Amun is just a reminder that you are under watch for now and that some of us would be quick to know if you gone off for much longer than planned."

The Replica sighed. "Oh no, it's not like we don't have a way to keep ourselves busy," He and Xion sensed the Sorcerer's message that they were only being mildly punished, the Replica wanted to guide Xion and Shadey with in the closest thing to sanctuary in the castle. "Don't worry, we don't have a reason right now to go back out there. I think we had enough for the day."

Ahriman sensed an honest truth and warned him. "You're the one who has control over that warding spell, talk with each other in there first before I come back. That will be all for now." The two left the rubric to keep watch, Amun's stoic pose gave Xion unease as her brother guided her and the creature to the room, finding it exactly as they left it. The creature shifted into a dog and curled up to rest as Xion watched her brother fall on the bed exhausted.

The girl sighed. "It's no wonder they had you be that paranoid. What are we going to do?"

The Replica listened and answered. "Play along for now, Ahzek has a point and I was lucky that I gotten a slap on the wrist. I'm sorry that you might not be able to get back to that town today."

Xion didn't mind and noticed a book about a world famous detective. "Ken had something to do and was trying to help me wait a little longer. At least you don't have to go fetch food for the Tzaangor anymore."

The Replica appreciated that. "That's one of the reasons this morning didn't blow up in my face. Now, do you want to talk about that trilogy you two watch." Xion pitied her brother and answered. "A movie and a book are pretty different things, but it's like he said. It suppose to have taken place in a galaxy far far away."

At the Bistro in Twilight Town.

Ken had a couple glowing jars, cloth wraps and other essentials firmly in his bag as Aqua asked Kairi. "You learned a form change like that?" The girl nodded and felt full if itchy. "It might have been because, who ever that demon was copying really was tough to beat. At least we don't have to deal with it for a while."

Anatesis agreed with that. "You only sent the Changeling back to its realm, but it won't cause anymore problems now we know it has an interest in this."

Sora looked to be blushing even more and asked the girl. "But now that you found the Princesses, what now?" Kairi answered without hesitation. "I need to get stronger for when someone like Archaon comes back or when we deal with another person trying to hurt others. Master, you're saying that Ventus and Roxas looking alike isn't a coincidence and we need to figure out how to put that mystery together."

Aqua nodded and looked to be completely blank in what do to. "It isn't, but until then-" She looked at Sora with questions and chose against asking. "We'll... figure it out later today." Riku promised that and asked Kairi. "We need to talk to someone you might know of to figure out another puzzle. Garland is looking for reflection magic as the last crystal and there might be one place he would look. We need to talk about it somewhere privately."

Kairi felt a presence with in feeling rather guilty and volunteered. "We know where to go before we keep talking." Mickey nodded to that. "It could be hard talking about that, but we need to figure it out moreif we want to stop Garland." Riku agreed with that and looked at both Sora and Kairi. "We need to borrow you two before we talk about the pathway Kairi opened."

Ken wiped his mouth and asked. "Sounds like a big mystery on the horizon." He adjusted his bag and let his teacher know. "Good luck figuring this out, I'll be really close."

Aqua allowed it and felt guilty as a teacher as Kairi promised the boy. "We'll let you know if we need your help. Sorry for keeping you all worried for this long." Ken didn't mind it and left for his next adventure, Riku felt a bit of relief as he felt it was safe to talk. "It's complicated, but we should talk about it at the tower." Sora, Donald and Goofy especially wanted to know, why the information needed to be so seclusive.

In the Lane Between.

Ken whistled and cheered in his gummy ship. "Woot! Finally, Bryn, you remember where we fought the Eldar?"

A screen flashed to show a questioning face that knew what was being talked about. "That world on the horizon with all the grass. What do you think is there?" The screen became a willing smile, the ship set sail towards Destiny Island, then towards a forming sight of the grassy like world. Ken felt a shine and stepped into it, finding himself with in a grassy field with a few trees and a long stretch of road that could be seen for miles. The boy squinted his eyes to the distance to see something and began his journey. "Pretty, but is there something here?"

He heard a giggle from with in. "Wielder of the Flame, does thou think the tale would just tell itself?" Ken looked around to find the Firekeeper enjoying the gentle breeze of wind and agreed with her. "If there are no people on this world, why?"

He didn't feel any presence with in the world. "Normally there is someone doing something or some heartless, daemons... or something causing trouble. Is my instinct a little off?" The Firekeeper shook her head. "There is no civilization, no people, nothing for the darkness to feed upon besides us, yet... there is still life. But why would such a world be like this?"

Ken clapped and answered. "That's the mystery that could make this world a cool find." He marched forward. "It's across the way. That's the story we need to find, maybe... maybe," He gasped. "Maybe this can be a project to share with Wanda. She been completely depressed after Traverse Town and maybe she can start fresh here. Yeah... let's see if it is a good idea to build anything here first." The Firekeeper vanished in ashes in approval to the idea. "It would be wise to not rush such grandeur."

At the Mysterious Tower.

Sora and Kairi were astonished by the faded image of Roxas and Namine sitting on chairs in contemplation. Aqua felt more confused just by looking at one of the two nobodies, one that looks and sounds exactly like Ventus. Riku took a deep breath and advised to Sora, Kairi, Donald and Goofy. "You can go out of the tower now, we just need a word with Namine and you don't need to hear it." The four became more curious as Jiminy jumped off of Sora to ask. "What happened to make this a big bother in the first place?"

Aqua ordered the five. "That's what we need to figure out. This shouldn't be long." The firm tone whipped them into leaving without much of an argument, Anatesis sighed and asked. "I'll make sure they don't get bored Lady Aqua." She followed out and left the nobodies, Yen Sid, Riku, Mickey and Aqua be. The Keyblade Master asked Roxas. "So you two are able to do this when Sora and Kairi are together? That's the reason you had to be drawn out."

The nobody nodded and smiled nervously. "Even when this is more about Namine, besides... this feels like it is going to be hard to talk about."

Riku agreed and started for them. "Aqua, over a year ago; Sora, Donald and Goofy wandered into a place called Castle Oblivion," the name caused Aqua's eyes to light up, the silver haired teenager guessed. "It's a place you knew, but that's not the important part. Two members from Organization XIII tried to use Namine's... special ability to alter memories to try and turn Sora into their puppet. That was why she had to set things right and fix what she broke. It took a year to do it and people suffered." He didn't wish to look at Roxas out of guilt. "No apologies would undo that, with in Castle Oblivion... the floors alter themselves based on a persons memories."

Namine took a deep breath and confessed. "Some of those I altered and the people that held me their prisoner told Sora that the higher he went, the more of his memories are lost. That's because of me," Aqua nodded and felt horrified. "Those people were trespassing, I know of the Castle. I created it from the world me, Ven and Terra use to live in before Xehanort destroyed it," Riku and Mickey gasped as Yen Sid placed his hands together. "I see and it's machinations?"

Aqua went to that. "The Castle is a labyrinth, I made it so it will alter itself based on the memories of who entered there, if to keep them lost." Yen Sid answered why. "For that is where the Castle's true treasure lies, deep with in the heart. Ventus." Aqua nodded. "In a place that not even time will enter."

She clenched her fists as Mickey separated the two incidents. "This all explains how Riku wasn't losing any of his memories when he was in the castles basement. So the memories being lost were because of Namine, while the illusions were because of you. This castle is where Garland went to," Aqua nodded as Roxas tensed to the thought. "And it's about time someone goes to kick him out?"

The keyblade master nodded. "It is. He isn't welcome." She exhaled and smiled to him and the blonde girl. "Thank you for telling us, Namine. Roxas, I agree, he is only there to steal the power of reflection magic and we can't allow him to succeed."

Namine swallowed and felt something occurring outside. "But what are we going to do with Sora? He is the key to saving Ven, but it's all a big mystery." Roxas placed his hands behind his head and had an arrogant smile. "Until we solve the mystery, Castle Oblivion is kept behind a locked door and someone needs to make sure people don't go nosing in there again. Who's going to be the guard?"

Aqua scoffed to that, a confirmation that the boy before him was definitely a different person. "You're bound to Sora, so that can't be you. But... you are right, there needs to be someone... anyone, who can help." Mickey sighed to that. "The world is nothing but a grass land, so maybe there is someone we know that can settle there, even if it is for a while."

Riku knew one person who might be up for the job. "Wanda? She and her men would be a lot to bring over, but this would be good for her. Losing Traverse Town wasn't just a blow for those who counted on that world, she worked hard to restore it," He wanted to leave and ask. "We need to keep Sora and the others away from Castle Oblivion for a while and the pathway Kairi found could do the trick, its lame having to do it. But we can handle searching the place if it isn't going to be that long. Think we should try encouraging them to stay out of this for a little longer?"

It wasn't a decision to take likely, Namine gave a small smile and promised. "Any world that isn't explored could end up being in trouble from the people we are fighting. So it won't be pointless if they do that." Roxas agreed with her. "It wouldn't hurt." He looked just as confused as the others about something and heard something outside.

Simultaneously out in the base of the tower.

Sora pouted about being excluded from important affairs as Donald voiced a reason. "It had to do with why we were asleep for a whole year, we know that." Kairi agreed and decided to resist the temptation. "They think I would be mad at Namine for having something to do with that."

She shook her head and glared to the distance as Goofy scratched his right ear. "What makes ya say that?" Kairi answered firmly. "While I was out in the worlds, I sometimes had those whispers we were warned about and one of the four Chaos was messing with my head to the point Namine tried to deal with it, Things went horrible when one of them kept abusing her, I think I know what the words were about." She turned to the tower. "It's about what she had to help Master figure out." She turned back to find Anatesis keeping watch. "I still don't want to know every detail, but this has to be hard for her to have to talk about."

Anatesis agreed with that. "But it has to be done, as long as there isn't any screaming up there, we shouldn't have to worry about a ruckus." Sora, Donald, Goofy and Kairi hoped nothing comes to that, the boy asked. "So what were you talking about yesterday? With training?"

The Stormcast coughed and went to more details. "It was an idea I got since the training every recently forged Stormcast has to go through was a gift to Sigmar from Malerion... why though, I wouldn't ask. It's illusions that fight like the real things me and the Stormcast will go through. While nothing beats learning out in the world, you're attacks are getting more wild and eventually, you have no choice but to use them on the enemy because that will do more than take an eye out."

Donald and Goofy imagined most of the moves Sora has done as the boy felt overwhelmed to ask. "Was I really over doing it?" Ana shrugged. "Not the way I see it, but if you practice those on a random shadow, that would be pushing the boundary." Kairi felt that was the point. "But if we don't practice when we fight someone like Ahriman, Xehanort, Archaon and the move leaves a lot to be desired, that would be dangerous."

Ana nodded. "Exactly lass, this is just an idea right now that could be a thing in the near future," She asked with with her left hand at her hip. "With what I heard about you beating the Changeling while it was in the form of a formidable sounding warrior and seeing some of your training, it looks more and more like you been wanting to do something."

Kairi nodded and agreement, had her hands behind her back and observed the edge, finding it ill suited for what she wanted. "Mmm. A better time probably won't come." She turned to Sora with a mischievous smirk, the boy realized what ever she wanted to do involved him, Kairi quickly drew out her keyblade and asked. "Do you mind if we have a quick battle?"

Sora blushed and drew out his own, Donald and Goofy laughed to each other and stood out of the way as Ana waited and promised. "I'll catch ya if you fall off." That gave the teenagers more reasons to not want to hold back, both looked at each other determined as Jiminy closed a book. The noise was enough for the teenagers to charge after each other, Kairi rolled like a missile of shining light after Sora, the boy rolled out of the way and swung. Kairi parried and countered in fast speeds, Sora countered hers and was even faster, knocking her back and forcing her to jump high with a glow of angelic wings, she dived down after the boy that leaped high in the air and glided to a wall, he jumped back towards her. PARRY!

A shine of light glistened as Sora switched his keyblade to one with colored column at the hilt and for blades, were thunder bolts with a the center of the blade looking like a black cloud shaped like a deity holding a thunderbolt. He rushed to Kairi and kept the pressure as Kairi rolled to his side and enveloped in water, she let loose a quick combo that were like waves crashing on a beach. Sora rolled to the left to dodge the waves, clashed blades once more and was pushed back, he focused something and caused a ball of lighting to fall from the sky, he raised his blade and watched it form into a shield. He rammed it up and caused the ball of lightning to let loose sparks all around, causing Kairi's hair to stand up as she felt the electricity. "Ow!" She focused back and aimed her blade at him, causing a blue flower with five petals to appear.

PEW!

Five beams fired and forced Sora to dodge, Kairi caused her blade to flicker in light and split into two, resembling the light sabers she mentioned. Sora focused on his own blade and watched it expand, its bolt edges broke off and surrounded the black tip as it gave an electrical spark, it and the blade condensed into the hilt and caused it to spin into a grey shield with a golden image of a lightning bolt. Sora's clothes gave off a yellow appearance. Kairi flipped towards the boy that blocked with the shield and caused it to charge yellow. Swoosh!

Kairi felt the blow coming and flipped around to see a yellow fist punch out, Kairi quickly swiped with the light sabers as Sora blocked and effortlessly knocked her back. Kairi back flipped, panted and saw the door opening, she and Sora let their weapons revert back to normal. She felt invigorated. ""Phew, I still got a long way to go."

The boy broke a sweat, watched his clothes return to black and was nearly captivated. "Wow," He tried to say something and was tongue tied as the door opened to let out Mickey, Riku, Aqua, Roxas and Namine. The nobodies sensed the emotions of battle and let the three know they will meet again, going to their other halves and disappearing in light, Riku felt like he missed out on seeing a battle as Mickey realized his guard were not going to say anything. Aqua assumed the best outcome. "That was something we saw coming?"

Riku bluntly answered. "Yes." He told his friends the disappointing news. "We found out where Garland is at and due to complications, you can't come yet." Sora and Kairi pouted with a unified. "Aw."

The spiky haired boy dismissed his blade and folded his arms. "Well, there is another pathway we should check out." Kairi agreed with that and asked. "Better safe than sorry, may I come with you guys?"

Donald and Goofy were not surprised as Sora stood firm like a knight giving respect to another. "Of course."

Anatesis sighed to the teenagers and asked Aqua, Mickey and Riku. "Since it sounds like we are going to a big ol objective, I'll come along. We need answers." Aqua nodded to that. "We do, but the place is more important than that." She smiled to the other quartet in good will. "Good luck you four, I hope the world you find is fun."

In the grass lands.

Kendry was taken aback as he left the grasslands and found himself in front of a castle hanging over a cloudy abyss. The structure made little sense and the boy concluded. "This is the mystery of this world, across the dream comes the end." He snickered and went to the castles front gate, opening the door and going across to find a white castle, feeling like he stepped from one world and into a whole realm. "Wow." He yelled out. "Hello! Anyone here?"

He drew out his two keyblades and kept on guard, something has to be in the castle. Ashes formed from the burning keyblade into the form of the Firekeeper, even she felt the place to be near alien. "Bearer of the Flame, what is a castle so pristine without a lord?"

Ken agreed with that and walked down the hall way, towards a grand white door. "This world has to have a reason to be here, for you to think this is odd." The Firekeeper approached the door and pressed her hand against it. "Not even the dead lurk here. Should we venture further?" Ken dismissed his gun like keyblade and placed his hand on the door feeling something calling to him. "We should, think about what might be behind this."

He dismissed his other blade and used both hands to open the door, finding a shining light radiating, he walked past the door and found himself walking down the street of a town most familiar. A wave of nostalgia and sorrow filled him, a town in perpetual night under the blanket of stars, the distant bell tower and nylon lights caused Ken to sniffle and wipe his eyes, the sorrow made way to anger. "Out of all the places, why did this town had to die?"

He turned back to find the Firekeeper following him, she tilted her head and felt the buzzing familiar. "Despite that, it is here."

Kendry approached a door and went across, finding the structure to be disjointed than he thought it would be, the boy closed his eyes and shook his head. "I don't know what this place is, but the real town is gone, I hope Abaddon and his Black Legion never come back, they... are the reason my friends are hurting."

He noticed a couple shadow like heartless crawling and drew out his gun like keyblade, he fired upon them and watched the automatic fire blast them into oblivion. He felt a fire burst and drew out his burning keyblade once more, finding a two each of red mage like heartless and blue mage like heartless. The boy jumped with a gust of air and rushed to the blue mages with a slash of fire, releasing their hearts, he let himself drop to dodge the fire and shot the red mages down. He found a doorway not attached to anything and walked through to find himself in a road connecting to three, one to his left, one ahead and another to the right. He asked the Firekeeper. "Is it wrong to be this mad? I thought seeing this town again was going to bring smiles and be back to... being there for the lost. Like those from the realms and the galaxy." He took a deep breath. "I'm glad those who were in this town managed to escape... but... before I found that out, I thought they were murdered as well."

The Firekeeper shook her head. "It is not a sin to mourn, for that makes thou whole. Thou loved this world." The boy looked to the doorway to his left and followed. "To make matters worse, this was after Magi and most of those space marines gave everything to stop Zagor. Then I heard Tahm and those guardsmen went above for the other town." He found a simple room with a doorway to his right. "I wished those guys are still here, so we could share some more fun memories. I wish this town was still around... could something have been done to have stopped it?"

The two went to a room with two soldiers like heartless, a shadow and a red mage like heartless. Kendry calmly fired his hotshot volley gun upon them for a quick clearing, he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. "None of us, could have foreseen the devastation, thou know that the souls from the Imperium chose their sacrifice." The boy did and understood, he saw a door ahead shining brighter compared to the others and felt calm, he entered the room to find a simple park and saw a young blonde boy being chased by a soldier like heartless. A brown haired woman in a pink dress hit it back with a stick and caused it to disappear.

Kendry blushed embarrassed and recognized the boy with hair covering his eyes, a black t-shirt with the image of an elderly, green, pointy eared alien and a brown pair of pants, cowering under the woman's leg. Like looking into a past memory from a different angle. "I always liked exploring when I shouldn't have and I always keep getting into trouble." His young self was kept in watch from the woman, the boy sighed. "A lot of brave people were around during those times, why is it... when I get into the worst of it, someone like Aerith comes around to save me?" Aerith guided the boy's young self to a bench by a building, Kendry went to have a closer look and found no doorway. "Now...I got to be the brave one too."

He looked back to find the Firekeeper fondling her fingers. "Thou has been one." The boy gave a smile and noticed something in the distant, smoke. He tensed and watched the Firekeeper disappear into ashes. "Now I to be that again, I couldn't save the real one, but I can save this one." He felt confident in himself and went back the way he came, finding Traverse being consumed by a strange fire, he went the other way, finding two heartless knights pitifully overwhelming two shambling bodies that looked like they lost hope. The boy charged after the four and best them with one swipe, the heartless were one memory, yet the other. "I don't remember these guys."

He noticed another door ahead and found more bodies like before, some laying still face first, three others banging their head against a doorway marked with a flicker of light. Kendry frowned to the zombies. "This is getting more sad." He stabbed the three in the back with his gun like keyblade, seeing each one lay limp wasn't a pleasant experience, he opened the town to find a limping knight in shining metal armor that had blue highlights and a crest shield on his back, taking a body with a set of keys and tossing it down into a hole, the knight looked down with some hope and tried to walk away, falling to his knees. Ken approached, with drew his keyblades and helped the knight up, finding a wall to help him lay against. "Come on, what are you doing?"

The knight sighed and placed his hand on his stomach, feeling something didn't feel right, he answered. "Trying to stop the fire, you are a god send, to come at this moment." Ken placed the knight by the wall and lowered himself. "By... tossing a body down?" He snapped his fingers. "No, helping someone trapped down there."

He pressed his hands together and focused, giving off a green glow that reinvigorated the knight, the knight laughed jolly. "Ha, that won't work I'm afraid, my insides are way too damaged from the... thing responsible for the fire."

Ken pouted. "Really? You want me to meet up with your friend and stop the monster burning the town." The knight relaxed and looked upon the burning keyblade. "Thank you for hearing me out." He cringed and tried to hold on, Kendry gave the knight a potion with swirls of stars and a crescent moon. "Just drink this slowly, if me and your friend can get this fire gone, will you be happy with that?"

The knight held the flask tight and looked like he was smiling. "Ah... it's no estus, but it will do. Th...thank you, go now." Ken smiled to him and left the knight be, going back the way he came and went to the right doorway. Finding a horde of zombies flaying around with torches or rushing to buildings on fire, the boy dispatched them with ease and felt he was missing a particular adversary, he found a door to his right and opened it, leading him to a room with a single, armored, black knight with a mighty sword and shield, wearing a helm of horns. It looked upon the boy and approached rather fast, Kendry fired Cadia's Light and punctured the armor, yet the knight kept going towards him.

It tried to bash him and stab him, the boy jumped away, dashed to the back and thrust into him with his burning keyblade, watching the body light up, go limp and fade in light. "In a place this narrow, I should watch out for those."

He went to the next room and found himself at the base of the bell tower, lit up into an inferno, he heard stomping to his right and approached, finding a sight that made him ready for battle. A massive, fat, demonic creature with leathery wings, a two handed club, green skin, red eyes and fanged maw. Ken noticed a glow on top of the bell tower, causing the sky to become cloudy, the boy knew what was coming and looked upon the demon bravely. The demon used his club to hit a wall and burst in chaotic fire, knocking Ken back, the boy felt the burn and quickly got up. He fired upon the demons head and caused it to flap its wings and fly above. Ken backed away and watched it slam down in an attempt to crush him. Ken charged the demon, watched it swipe its club to its left and shot to the right, he sparked himself in fire and yelled. "Get out of my town." He gave three mighty slashes as the demon slammed his club down, Kendry jumped back a distance and watched the demon pulse in fire, causing the bell tower to rumble as the clouds darkened. The boy noticed something glittering in light falling from the tower, nay, more stumble, a knight falling down yelling like he was about to die. The knight took a broad sword and let himself fall on top of the demons head, stabbing it in its scull and caused it to reach for the knight in its pained reflex. The knight jumped off and looked at his shield, whining loudly. "How they expect me to wit stand a club from something that massive?"

Kendry sighed and gave one more slash, backing away and letting himself envelope in wind. He flew to the demon's stomach, stabbed it with both his keyblades, pulled out and flung around to strike when he can with Cadia's Light, he jumped on top of the demons back, aimed his gun like blade at a wound and pulled the trigger. The demon tried to swing its club at the tower and felt a sharp shot into its skull, causing it to fall limp and gurgle. It fell on its knees and gave a spit as it tried to fall on its face. The boy jumped off to meet the knight that backed from it. "What were you doing up there?"

The knight stiffen and answered. "This horrible demon and its undead minions tried to attack this peaceful town when we arrived. I was trapped in the water way when a knight of Astoria tossed me the keys one of them stole," He shook it off. "Along with the whole body. The wizard up above should have our solution right around."

Drizzle!

Rain poured, drenching the wild fire and extinguishing it. Kendry smiled to him, despite feeling the rain. "You and you're friend sure did a lot to save this town, thank you. What's your name?" The bumbling knight put his weapons away and answered as he watched the dying flame. "I am Knight Jambert, that... is what I remembered. Oscar... is he well?" Kendry shook his head and frowned. "No, he got hurt by this thing so badly that healing didn't do anything. I left him a good potion behind so he can at least know he helped saved the town."

Jambert gasped, clenched his right fists and cursed. "That...brave fool." He looked to a doorway that Ken traveled and thanked him. "I... know what to do, thank you Sir...uh," Ken gave his name. "Kendry. Come on, you're friend needs you."

Jambert agreed with that. "I'll speak of why we were here soon. Thank-"

SWOOP!

A massive raven swiped Jambert away from the Clock Tower, the knight screamed for his life and swung aimlessly. Kendry wanted to chase after the bird and heard a familiar, elderly voice ask astonished. "I... I say, you look like one of the refugees."

Ken looked to the stairway of the clock tower and found Merlin, looking rather impressed, he smiled to a familiar face and greeted him proudly. "Thank you for getting the fire out, but a friend of that knight is hurting really badly near the town and he doesn't have long. Some one needs to tell him we did it," Merlin agreed with that and gasped. "You... are one of the refugees, Kendry do you know the sorcery you dabbled in."

The boy gasped back and shook his head. "No, I walked into a castle and found myself here." He cringed and felt the bright town darkening. "...Right..." Merlin took off his glasses and wiped them with his robe. "Then the truth is as I feared, come, we shouldn't delay." He and the boy went down the path back, the wizard asked. "The order of this town, isn't as it is suppose to be, do you know why?"

Kendry nodded and felt his efforts hollow. "Because... this town was made from a memory I had. You're... not real, but... I don't remember Oscar or Jambert. Why?"

Merlin found it a concept he didn't wish to think about. "Perhaps they are an anomaly in the cognition of the town, much like that Stray Demon. Where could it be from?"

Kendry wondered, realized where and looked upon his burning keyblade. "Those guys were not my memories. It's... memories from this. Merlin, I don't care if this town isn't real or not. I don't want to see it get destroyed again... should... I follow Jambert and learn more?"

The wizard guided to a door leading to a white light, finding it a way into reality. "That decision is not mine to take, that lies with you and what your heart speaks."

Kendry looked at the doorway and called back Cadia's Light, placing his hand on his chest and closing his eyes. "...I should, it's what told me to help save this town even if it isn't real. I need to help this guy back, thank you," he turned and found Merlin gone, Ken felt a pause, laughed it off and told himself. "It's okay, the real one Merlin is just fine."

He walked past the door and found himself in an odd place that the burning keyblade lit up to. A camp site near some ruins, many pathways lead out of the camp site, one lead to ruined town hanging from the mountain and another towards a grave. Kendry heard a yell of peril very familiar. "Help! Helllllllp!"

The boy looked above to the sound of the voice, finding the same knight from Traverse, hanging loosely from a tree branch high above a building of stone, ravens pecking at his fingers to make him fall to his death. The boy burst in wind and flew to the tree, a raven pecked a painful stab in Jamberts fingers and caused him to yelp, lessen his grip and fall, screaming with tears in his eyes.

SWOOP!

Kendry plucked Jambert from the force of gravity, landed on a rock and turned, he flew back to the campfire and placed the knight on his feet. Jambert was completely embarrassed, ashamed to call himself a knight. "Wha...Sir Kendry, how did you follow me all the way... here." He looked around and was confused as the boy answered. "I... did. Merlin should be telling Oscar what we did by now, so what are we to do?"

Jambert answered with some confidence as he looked to the ruins. "We are in pilgrimage in the land of ancient lords, Lordran. When thou ringth the Bell of Awakening, the fate of the undead though shall know."

A bitter laugh came, the two looked to find a brooding knight in chain mail. "Well, what do we have here? You must be new arrivals," The two looked upon the crestfallen knight, Jambert nodded to him. "Oh most certainly, despite... where we traveled to from the Asylum."

The crestfallen knight rolled his eyes. "Well, you're not the first. You had done better to rot there," He shrugged. "But, too late now." Jambert's confidence became as down as the knight as Ken pushed him along. "Thanks for the help. Come on, let's see if we can't find that Bell of Awakening."

The crestfallen knight sighed. "There are... actually, two Bells of Awakening," The knight pointed to the church above. "One's up above in the undead church." and pointed down the mountain. "The other, is far...far bellow, in the ruins of the base of Blighttown. Ring them both and something happens. Brilliant, right?"

Jambert blinked to that. "Well that sounds easy enough. Someone has to prove themselves the Chosen Undead after all." Kendry gasped. "You guys are undead?"

The crestfallen knight cringed. "Oh dear, why did you come to this... accursed land? Hmm?" Kendry answered that. "To save Jambert from those birds. Now I want to know more about this place," The crestfallen knight looked upon boy, like he was a moron. "Hmm, you seem to have better luck than the most of us, after all... you only live once," He put his thumb to the ruins behind him. "The lift up to the church is broken, you'll have to climb the stairs up the ruins and access the undead burg through the other side."

Kendry looked at the passage ahead and thanked him. "Like Jambert said, it that sounds easy, are you going to help us if we ring the first bell?" The knight shook his head. "I'd sooner die again than set foot in that cess pool." Jambert didn't like the sound of that. "Y..Yeah, let's get to the church above first. T...thank you." He gave a respectful nod and walked to a pathway leading to the town, Kendry closed his eyes and opened to find himself in a pristine white hall.

The boy felt like he was on a weird trip and saw the Firekeeper by his side. "I know the things with Jambert and all that had nothing to do with me. Was that... a memory from the keyblade?"

He looked at his burning blade as the Firekeeper looked to the heat and answered. "It is," She took a deep breath. "Memories of a dreary world and thou seek to uncover the mystery of that world?"

Kendry nodded and asked her. "It's why every story you told me seems to be incomplete. That sappy knight is a sign of why. I wasn't in the mood or strength of heart to deal with that since I was being hunted down, but now..." The Firekeeper respected the wish, she and the boy went down the hallway and up the stairs to a door much like before, the maiden smiled to him. "Thou and Jambert tempt fate itself by thinking the task is simple. Remember, he is an illusion of ages past, but they are real enough to harm you."

Kendry understood. "And everything from here is probably going to be from the memories of that world. I want to know what else is going on in this crazy castle." The Firekeeper vanished once more. "Very well, I shall not interfere, but know thou are not like Jambert." Kendry remembered the strength of the large demon and put together the reference to frequent death. "I know, Jambert can die a lot, I can only die once."

He opened the door and found himself by a town in ruins, finding a knight regretting his unlife and running away from a black horned knight. Kendry formed his gun like blade and shot the knight in the head for a quick kill, Jambert noticed the boy and saw something aiming at him from a roof above. "Watch out." Ken turned around, found a zombie with a cross bow and side stepped to the left, finding the bolt making a thud on wood, the boy fired at the zombie and watched it fall. The boy turned to find Jambert with a new axe and asked. "So how are things so far?"

Jambert didn't want to talk about it. "That crossbow men has been my death three times already, the merchant sells goods stolen from a corpse and we are heading towards a nightmare. A bull demon and drake is in the walls above," He looked to a castle overlooking the town. "And I don't want to know about the horrible goat demon below." He looked upon the boy and despaired. "One miss step and this place will be our early grave."

Kendry found it insane and found a door way attached to nothing. "Just let me know if I'm heading towards danger, I got this." He went through it and found himself in a passage of a left and right door, finding five undead crossbow men firing immediately, the boy yelped and rushed out of the way, feeling one of them strike him in the left shoulder and hurt like mad. "YOOW!"

He pulled and was bleeding, tossing the arrow aside as the zombies readied again, Jambert yelled and charged in, hacking at the zombies and giving the boy time to rush at the zombies with his gun like keyblade and join in the skewering. The boy felt the five death rattles and used a healing spell on himself. "This has been what you were going through?! Jeeze."

Jambert went to the door looking like it would lead to the castle. "We just need to get past the tower and we would be going to the church." The boy had his gun like keyblade ready and asked the knight. "You go in first," Jambert obliged. "Gladly, a youth like you have no position to be in the front lines. Leave it to a knight." He rushed in and Ken followed, reaching a set of stairs that had three zombies pushing a flaming barrel of oil. Tip, Kendry and Jambert watched it roll to them, the boy grabbed the knight and pulled him to a ledge. Watching an explosion and one of the zombies trip down to the fire, burning alive. The fire died and the zombies readied cross bows, Jambert rushed after them as Kendry snipped the furthest one.

Both made a rush to the door way above and found themselves in a tower that had a chest with a curved chain. Jambert exhaled and went to check, finding golden powder. "Oh, golden pine resin, what a rare treat." He took it and smiled to an annoyed Ken. "Anything that isn't bolted down can be useful in survival you know." Ken asked. "What does it do?" Jambert was glad the boy asked. "It will imbue your weapon with the power of lightning, the power of the gods." Kendry showed off his keyblade. "I imbued this with fire or wind. Come on, let's get going."

In a world with in a city.

Sora, Donald and Goofy found themselves in a night filled parking lot in front of a massive, industrial building. The boy nodded to his friends and signaled that they follow, finding in place of his friends, rather bizarre sights, in place of Goofy was a green, lizard like creature with a horn for a nose, wearing a black vest and an yellow hat resembling Goofy's. He had small eye stalks that connected to two large orbs of eyes, the right had a large blue iris, the left had a small red iris. In place of Donald was a blue monster with a bill, he had tiny bat like wings on his back, clawed feet for webbed, golden braces a single cyclops like eye. To the duo, their friend was little better, a pantless, grey furred, cat like monster with a small reptilian like tail, red fins on his head, resembling spiky hair and a row of sharp teeth. They drew their weapons against each other, Sora yelled out. "Wha...? D-Donald... Goofy... Why do you guys look like monsters?"

Donald answered back with his single eye squinting. "You do too!" Goofy wasn't going to argue. "Well ya both scared me."

Donald flinched as he and the others with drew their weapons. Sora looked at his gloved hands. "Seriously, is this how we blend in here?" Tink! They heard the sound of a trash can and a bush rustling, seeing the faint trace of a pink vest, knowing Kairi was hiding.

Goofy called out. "Come on Kairi, you know why this happens." The girl in the bush was embarrassed. "I looked really weird." Donald tried to not to laugh. "So do the rest of us."

Sora cheered and encourage. "We're all weird together, so you'll won't really look weird. You're still the Kairi we know."

That caused Kairi to laugh and give off the sound of something tapping together, weirding her out more, she hesitated and stepped out, Sora had a childish wonder of what his friend looks like. Being taken a back, similarly to his own, the form was humanoid to a degree, most of her body looked purple and there was some fur complimenting it her face, yet her arms looked chitinous all the way to her hands, her hair looked dark brown and tendril like, complimented by a mixture of antenna and small curved horns, her lower half was more striking, with two sets of human sized chitinous legs, and to her rear was a yellow abdomen that had a sharp black stinger and partially covered from the top by chitin and transparent wings. Kairi saw the astonished look on Sora and smiled wide to show razor sharp teeth, the boy smiled back, showing his. "Cool."

Kairi hid a blush to the compliment, winked her right eye and stuck out her tongue in a tease, Sora gasped to another detail, a lapsing tongue that had a set of mandibles that together, were shaped like a heart. He stuck his ordinary in comparison looking tongue out and was a tad jealous.

They giggled and put their tongues back where they belonged as Donald wanted them to get back to the mission. "Knock it off." Goofy agreed and cheered. "Come on, I think our new look could turn out to be lots of fun!"

The teenagers agreed and approached the building side by side, looking a large building with a logo that had a blue M with a singular eye. They heard their friends talking about how they were the most creep out and looked upon a catch phrase above the front door, Sora said it out loud. "We scare because we care?" Kairi noticed construction under the words we and scare as Donald admitted. "That's odd."

Goofy felt the quote to be counter productive. "Doesn't sound very caring." Sora agreed to that. "If they are like us, then they could be trouble." He turned to the duo. "I think we better investigate." They agreed as Kairi lead the way in, getting herself use to the second set of legs, they opened and found a lobby with a desk, having the logo and the words.

Monster. Inc.

By the desk where three people goofing off, one was a short, round, green monster with limbs, two horns, a single large eye and a mouth of teeth. The other was a large, blue fur beast with purple spots in his fur, spikes down his spine and two sets of horns. The monster was playing with the odd one of the three, a black haired human toddler with two pig tails and a pink dress, laughing and giggling. The trio yelled oh no as a response as Kairi let them know. "This isn't what it looks like." The trio listened to both her and the playful behavior from the monster, the girl noticed, crawled to the monsters shoulder and pointed to the four. "Boo!"

The monster turned around and held onto her, showing a neutral, yet friendly enough expression, a beast of blue eyes and wearing a tie. He was interested of the four. "Hmm? I wonder who those guys are." The green monster considered the four arriving an emergency. "What?! Careful Sulley. If they see the K-I-D..."

Sulley didn't mind. "It's fine. We got nothing to hide," The smaller monster argued. "But you're the CEO! You set the example."

Sulley shrugged like it wasn't that serious and placed the child down as the smaller monster approached to explain. "Guys! Guys, it's not what it looks like." The four were willing to listen as the monster explained. "That kid over there just popped out of nowhere. We got to call the CDA. Uh... it's uh-" He tried to think about it. "Oh yeah, a code 8 3 5!"

Sora, Donald and Goofy had the chance to calm down, the boy asked, dumbfounded at the least terrifying attempt to terrify a child he has seen. "Are... you trying to scare that little girl?"

Mike answered like it was a habit of his. "Ye..." Realized what he nearly said and pleaded. "I mean, no no no! We're done with scare power. Nobody's getting scared." Sulley asked his partner. "Mike, take it easy."

Sora calmed down himself and looked to his friends, who found no evil intentions in the monsters. They watched Sully petting the willing girl and thought to introduce themselves to the child. Sora and Kairi knelt to the child and invited her, the boy introduced himself. "Hello, my name is Sora."

The girl spoke and rushed to the teenage duo. "Boo!" Kairi felt the name cute. "That's your name? Nice to meet you Boo. I'm Kairi." She gave a wide smile that showed teeth, causing Boo to laugh in joy. Mike asked confused. "Hold on! You guys really aren't afraid of humans?"

Boo pointed to Donald and called him. "Mike Wazowski."

The duck like monster pointed to himself in confusion as Mike corrected her. "Come on Boo! I'm Mike Wazowski."

Boo called Donald once more. "Mike Wazowski." Sully was amused by the cute behavior. "Well, you can see the resemblance. That googly bear eye."

Donald lost his temper and shouted. "What's going on? I'm Donald Duck!"

Boo said the name "Mike Wazowski." once more and chased the duck around as Goofy introduced himself to Mike and Sully. "A-hyuck! I'm Goofy." Sully introduced himself. "Well, I'm Sully-" he looked over to Mike. "and this is-" Sora let him know he understood. "Oh, we know. Mike Wazowski."

Boo made a cute dash and the startled Sora, causing a group laughter that was interrupted by the child noticing something and cowering.

Sulley asked in an unaware, yet gentle tone. "What's the matter Boo?" The child let loose a noise of terror as Donald scratched himself. The party of four turned around and found over a dozen, slick blue shadows with red eyes and a large, blue, toad like monster with a shell on its back and strange whiskers. Sora, Donald and Goofy yelled out. "Heartless!"

Sora had a closer look at the toads emblem, seeing what looks like two scythes with the tip of their blades together, Kairi gasped and remembered. "No, they are not." Donald asked. "Then what are they?" Goofy had a case of deja vu. "And how come I feel like I mighta seen 'em before?"

Sora and Kairi's eyes widen to a rumor they heard, the boy answered as he drew out a honey like keyblade. "What ever the reason, these Unversed are not friendly." Kairi agreed with that. "But why are they here?"

Sulley picked Boo up, he and Mike went to the desk and hid the child on a chair, the CEO instructed. "Stay here. Kitty will be back." Boo nodded and crouched to keep in hiding as Sulley smiled for her safety as Mike. "Those guys are right Sulley. This has gotten "bad news" written all over it." Sulley agreed with that. "Yeah, we got to keep Boo safe." Mike was ready. "I'm on it." The two monsters joined the party.

Donald let loose a thunder bolt barrage as Goofy spun to the unversed flood with his shield, Mike yelled to Sulley. "Come on big guy, you can do it."

The larger monster charged at the swarm as Sora and Kairi charged after the toad like unversed. Doing some damage to its face, the toad inflated and jumped at Sora to do a flying press, the boy rolled out of the way as Kairi was being ganged up by the smaller foes. She let loose and aura of water and swiped a wave upon them, Sora followed with a barrage of ice spells, making sure the foes stayed down, the toad flailed its whiskers and rushed to the fighting group. Causing significant disruption as Sora and Kairi finished off the lesser foes with the others, Sora caused his keyblade to take the form of blasters as Kairi felt the sync and split her blade into light sabers. The boy dashed to one end of the toads face and fired as the girl rushed to another end of the face and let loose a quick combo of slashes. The toad was covered in burn marks and honey, backed up, opened its mouth and inhaled, Sora flew to dodge, fired more shots and formed his hunny blasters into a launcher. Kairi jumped in between the unversed eye stacks and formed her sabers together for her own finisher, turning into a purple light saber with two laser blades exhausting from the side of the hit. She stabbed the beast in between and caused it to spasm as Sora fired globs of hunny into its maw, finishing it off with a fluttering bee of hunny as Kairi let loose a purple burst and back flipped, watching the unversed disappear in dark flames as she landed with style.

The boy and girl dismissed their weapons and high fived each other as Sulley and Mike done the same. The green monster complimented his buddy. "Nice Sulley, even with those extra pounds you put on."

Sulley spoke in his defense. "Heh, still running circles around you, butterball." The monsters laughed as Boo went out of hiding and called. "Kitty!"

Sulley turned to the child and went to get her as Mickey asked. "So any idea what those Unversed guys were?"

Goofy tried to answer. "Hmm... it's on the tip of my tongue. I remembered the King told us somethin' about... nega-tive emotions," Donald sighed. "It's worse than that Goofy."

Kairi nodded. "Tell me about it, if Master Aqua was correct, if they are around... he is near," She explained to Mike and Sulley. "My Master and a fellow student who studied under her said they met a pretty nasty person yesterday. My rival had to think quick to rescue Aqua and in turn, she made sure that person was driven off."

The two looked to each other confused as Sora asked. "If he is around, then this could mean trouble if we don't do something." Donald agreed with that. "Uh-huh. He sounds pretty ruthless and we need more help than the two of you." Sora and Kairi were not pleased by the negative criticism as Goofy asked. "Still, what could the Unversed want ere?" Donald had his hands at his hips and accused the monsters. "Is it because they use scream power?"

Mike answered back. "Hey, I told you we were done using that!"

Sulley nodded to that as Mike continued. "Besides, we have no idea what are talking about besides someone being behind this."

Kairi sighed and apologized. "We'll tell you if we see him, but we need to look out for guy in black and red armor. Vanitas," Sora had an idea to keep the details low. "Think of him like... the guy who brings roaches on purpose. We came from far away to deal with something like that if we see it. We're like... exterminators?"

Donald and Goofy nodded as Mike asked. "Just how far away?"

Goofy answered. "As far as you can imagine."

Mike was willing to believe it and scratched his head. "Hmm...Okay, okay, let's just say we buy all that. Are those creeps dangerous?" Donald answered loudly. "Extremely!" Sulley looked at the concerned child. "They sure gave Boo a scare," Mike agreed with that and advised him. "Sulley, I know you've missed her, but it's time to postpone our play date." Sulley sighed to that. "You're right, Mikey. Let's get our girl home."

Mikey nod to that and Sora asked. "What are you planning to do?" Mike turned to the group and answered. "It's kind of a long story... but Boo's from another world..." He promised the little girl and faced her. "And we got to send her back there... to keep her safe." Kairi decided. "Alright, we're going to help you." Mike asked. "What?!" The insect like warrior explained. "The Unversed are going to cause more trouble."

Sora agreed with that and extended his hand. "So we want to come along." Mike shook on that. "Great!" Shake. He flexed. "We could use some exterminators around here." Sulley thanked the group and saw Boo escaped him and run to the hallway playfully, the monsters followed playfully as Donald asked. "You've always gotta help."

Sora reacted proudly. "Hey, they need it." He looked to the hallway concerned. "Besides, we need to figure out what Vanitas's deal is coming here." That was a danger the other three were aware of, the group of four followed the natives for an investigation.

In a tower with in a castle.

Kendry and Jambert finished off a small horde of undead and found themselves at the top of the tower, the exit was marked with a fogged gate. The boy gasped. "I know what these are, they don't stop us from going over, but this means-" Jambert agreed with him. "It means something big is behind this." He swallowed and went to the gate, pushing through as Ken followed, together they were on a walk way leading from one tower to another. PEW!

Arrows flung and pierced Jambert in the back, Kendry jumped high with his air magic, saw two archers and rushed them through with his burning keyblade, Jambert took a glowing orange flask and drank from it for a revitalization, he turned around and waved to the boy, finding a set of rusted ladders leading up the tower. "My thanks, young knight." He walked backwards and avoiding the scattered bricks. "Be on your guard for any more that would get the jump on us."

Kendry gave a small salute and nearly jumped down, he noticed something on top of the other tower, leaping down towards the other side that was marked with a fogged door. A large, brown furred, bull like demon with a great axe.

Stomp! "ROAR!"

Jambert felt the roar and made a run for the ladder, yelling. "Why did I tempt that?" Ken yelled back. "I don't know." He aimed his volley gun at the charging demon, piercing its hide with the automatic, the Taurus Demon pushed through a Jambert grabbed the ladder and climbed like his life depended on it.

The Taurus Demon reached the ladder and smashed it with his stone like head, it looked up and watched the two on top of the tower, Jambert took the golden resin, applied it to his axe and felt it crackle in electricity as the Taurus Demon readied its knees for a jump. Jambert jumped down and sank his axe into the demons skull, he twitched it and jumped off, Ken jumped off the tower and sank the burning keyblade in as well, the demon looked annoyed as he noticed the other knight swinging at his knees. He grabbed Kendry and tossed him over the ledge, the boy used his air magic to glide over from certain death and watched the demon thrust his axe downward, Jambert rolled out of the way and ran. The Taurus demon took chase with his guard up, Ken landed and saw the ladder up was busted. "I... could, but would Jambert be able to get away again?"

He shook his head and ran in with both keyblades ready, Jambert felt he was in a better position and turned to face the demon. "Have at thee!"

The demon roared and swung, Jambert rolled to the demons right and hacked at him as Ken pounced at the demons back for his own, sinking both blades into the demons back as Jambert notice the ledge to his right and slashed across the demon's abdomen, pushing it towards the ledge, Ken hurled to his left and shook the demon loose, watching it give a death haze and stumbled, falling off the ledge and to its demise. Both looked down and focused on the door ahead, traveling with in through a small set of stairs. Ken admitted to Jambert. "You're right, this town has gone nuts."

The knight lead the boy to a two sided path, to the right was a long bridge leading to a castle, having scorch marks and burnt bodies littering it, he went to the left in an attempt to recuperate. "But... ha, we are only a few steps to the church. Let's... think about how we are going to survive for a moment, yeah?"

Ken remembered the mentioning of a drake and agreed. "Before we... go down the only path we have." Jambert smiled under his helm and noticed a figure standing over the ledge, overlooking a radiant land scape bathed in the light. A knight in a white tabard, a cowl of green cloth and a tin like helmet with a feather. Ken and Jambert looked to each other strange and approached to see the knights side, the tabard had the image of a sun with the face, the knight greeted them. "Ah, hello. You don't look Hollow, far from it!"

Jambert counted that blessing. "Not when we still have a hope of solving this pickle. I am knight Jambert." He gestured to Ken. "And this is Sir Kendry. We traveled from far away in pilgrimage, what are you?"

The knight answered proudly. "I am Solaire of Astora, an adherent of the Lord of Sunlight."

Ken felt a heart more pleasant than the one of the Crestfallen Knight from before. "Hey Solaire, pleased to meet you. What are you doing traveling in this mad house?"

Solaire sighed at the rude term. "I came to this great land, the birthplace of Lord Gwyn, to seek my very own sun," He asked the two. "Did you find that strange? Well, you should!"

Jambert felt it was as Ken looked to the sun and felt the wish innocent. "To become the light of the world? That's cool." Jambert tried to keep himself polite as Solaire insisted. "No need to hide your expression. I get that look all the time."

He chuckled as Jambert had to be honest with him. "It's an odd reason to travel, but if it means one less soul to give in to despair, we wish you luck." He looked upon the sun with Solaire, the knight of sunlight realized. "Oh, ha, ha. So I didn't scare you? I have a proposition, if you have a moment."

The two were willing to listen as Solaire asked. "The way I see it, our fates appear to be intertwined. In a land brimming with Hollows, could that really be mere chance? So what do you say? Why not help one another out on this lonely journey?"

Both answered without hesitation, Jambert answered in optimism. "Certainly Sir Solaire," Ken answered brightly. "Sure." Solaire smiled back. "This pleases me greatly! Well then, take this."

He gave Jambert a white soapstone and spoke more. "We are strange beings in a strange land, the flow of time is convoluted; with heroes centuries old phasing in and out. The very fabric wavers, and relations shift and obscure. There's no telling how much longer your world and mine will remain in contact." Ken cringed and remembered that the people he was speaking with are illusions. "So that stone will call help no matter how far we are?" Solaire nodded to him. "And engage in jolly co-operation! Of course, we are not the only ones engaged in this. But I am a warrior of the sun! Spot my summon signature easily by its brilliant aura."

Jambert sighed with relief. "We have to blind to miss yours so easily Sir Solaire." The knight of the sun agreed heartily as Ken asked his companion. "So if we meet him again, he might have gotten that far on his own and wants to help us out. Shall we go check out the... fiery death trap?"

Jambert nervously laughed. "There is no avoiding it, but perhaps there is a way." He gave a parting to Solaire. "We will meet again soon, I'm sure of it," The knight of sun light wished them luck. "I'll will stay behind, to gaze at the sun. The sun is a wondrous body. Like a magnificent father! If only I can be so grossly incandescent!"

The traveling duo sensed the odd obsession and parted ways with him, they crossed to the obviously dangerous path and picked up speed. Finding a vast sum of hollows shambling forward, Jambert saw a set of stairs near the corner and heard the sound of fire being blown. "Oh, no, no, no, no!"

He made a desperate slide as Ken rushed behind cringing in terror, he felt an inferno across his back and heard a dragons roar, he looked to find Jambert had slammed his head against a wall and tried not to laugh. "That's was the drake?"

Jambert laid still embarrassed, yet glad he wasn't scorched, he answered with a muffled voice. "We will never make it across with that thing hovering over us." Ken didn't wish to agree and saw two paths ahead, one in front of him, leading to a pathway under the bridge. "Or... there could be a way under. I'll go this way," He looked to his left. "You go that way and try not to get yourself killed."

Jambert hoped the boy finds the solution and got himself up. "Alright, jolly good." He held to the wall as his legs shook, Ken wandered to his chosen path and to his frustration, found nothing to get into the fort. He found a drake's tail dangling, knowing the beast above was perching. He placed Firekeepers Wish to the ground and held Cadia's Light like one with a sniper rifle. "Get out."

PEW!

The wyvern above felt a massive hole was burned, the tail wiggled and the boy felt intense stomping, the drake flew to a ledge of the castle. Ken fired again, causing another hole, bringing the tail dangling by the tethers. The boy felt something looking down from above and looked up to find the face of an angry wyvern looking down upon him. The boy jumped back in the nick of time and avoided a point blank breath of fire, he spun behind and found that tail dangling. "Eat this you overgrown-" PEW!

SPLAT! The tail fell off, Ken saw something of bone flung at him by the stump that was a tail, caught it and held onto a metallic sword with a scale like pattern. The boy's eyes lit up and he felt something roar in pain and fly away. He put the blade away and pulled out his burning keyblade, turning around to find Jambert with good news. "I found a ladder down, leading back the way we came from and I heard that dreadful beast's howls. You managed to hurt it?"

Ken had more than that as he gave Jambert the sword. "And got that gecko to fly off once I shot off his tail. Here, this might be something you would like."

The knight took it, marveled at the sight and appreciated it. "A drake sword... from the bone of a beast that mighty?" Ken nodded and watched the knight put his axe away for the blade. "Oh, thank you, it would normally be unwise to depart with such treasures you know."

Ken looked upon his keyblades and assured the knight. "It's fine, I don't need it. Now come on, before he comes back." The knight agreed and walked up the stairs to the scorched path, finding many bodies for him to loot, among them was another blade of consideration, a claymore. Ken felt uncomfortable being out in the danger and walked ahead to the keep, finding a bonfire to rest by as Jambert hurried to join and notice a lever. He pulled up and caused a gate by the left to pull up. Ken asked. "Is it normally a good idea to loot everything when you have something like that... mad?" Jambert sat by the cozy bonfire and answered brazenly. "You seen how puny my broadsword is and that axe, while helpful, is quite cumbersome. If I'm going to survive against the hollows and monsters, I need an ideal weapon. Like yours."

Ken shrugged arrogantly. "Well they are a part of me after all. Don't get any ideas." Jambert wouldn't dare think of it. "A knights weapon is bound to them until death and if a fellow knight has shown skill, then he... or she, are to be honored like a sibling." He pulled his helmet off and showed a lightly tanned face with a long set of black hair and a beard, complimented by grey eyes, he smiled wide to Ken. "Besides, an eye for an eye... and I want to keep my eyes."

The boy agreed with that. "What goes around comes around and you wouldn't want to get into fights that you would regret." Jambert remembered the black knight and raised his hands to his face. "I'm not making that mistake again. Ha, ha, ha." He felt calmed by the fire as Ken looked ready to travel. "We are close to the church and I think the worst is behind us until we run into a monster like that. I'll go on ahead while you rest up."

Jambert felt he rested enough and stood. "Ha, ha, ha. Now is not a time to rest, I just needed a moment." He offered to lead the way. "Regardless of your vigor, I am still your senior." He put his helmet back on. "We will chit chat when we make it to the church in one piece." Ken allowed him to do so. "And fix the elevator so we won't have to go back to hells bridge." Jambert laughed heartily. "Oh, ho, ho. Please be there."

In the grassy landscape outside of Castle Oblivion.

Riku and Mickey remembered the world as Anatesis surveyed. "Wanda might appreciate the scenery over Hollow Bastion, she and her men might have that light back in their lives yet."

Aqua listened and advised. "Not yet Ana, I appreciate the intention and I know they would mean well, but this world isn't meant even for settlers. At least... for now."

Riku agreed with that and saw the castle in viewing distance. "Nothing about this world is as it seems and Sora nearly lost everything." The group reached to the cragged road, Aqua drew her keyblade out and approached. "It isn't, it use to be more than this. Stay out here, I don't want more intruders coming by the front door and it is easy to get lost."

The three did as requested as Mickey wished her luck. "Be safe in there Master Aqua." The keyblade master chuckled as Riku and Ana kept a boring watch, she entered through the castles door, finding the white walls unsettling as she noticed a door wide open. She traveled through, ready to clean house.

The flash of light distorted to a neon lit town, looking like it suffered through a fire that was extinguished. She remembered a description of the town and asked herself. "Traverse Town?!" She rushed through room to room and felt oddities, including a three way path that seemed barren, Aqua sensed the passage to her right leading deeper into the castle, yet something beckoned her to take the middle path, finding a somber sight, a still knight, holding onto what use to be a potion. The knight was without his helmet and his dull, lifeless eyes shown a passing, light blonde hair and a smile towards the stars. "Who else... came here?"

She closed her eyes and opened them, finding the town translucent, including the knight. The illusion stabilized and the keyblade master went to follow the trial back, taking to her left and finding nothing else. "...There is one person who would have known about this town... but why would he come...here?"

She felt depressed and spoke to herself. "This isn't a game, you foolish boy," She kept her travel and reached a pristine door leading out of the town and into familiar halls. She noticed another illusion sitting by a chair, confused and crestfallen, a black haired man in chain mail, he looked to Aqua and the place around him, asking. "Don't tell me, the world isn't what it seems to be?"

Aqua was annoyed and answered coldly. "Everything that is in this castle is an illusion. A figment of a memory, save for the wayward soul that wanders with in," The crestfallen man land his right hand under his chin and smiled like he no longer cared. "Hah, hah, hah, hah. It's no wonder that child seemed off, has he lost his way?"

Aqua shook her head. "No, but he shouldn't be here. You... shouldn't be here." The man sighed in peace. "Mmmh. If I'm just an illusion, I'll simple just-" he snapped his fingers. "from this existence without anyone batting an eye. It's certainly solved my... other problem... that never existed. Hah, hah, hah."

The sarcastic laughter was too much for Aqua to deal with, she turned to walk down the hall way. "But where did those memory's come from?" She looked back to the crestfallen man and found both him and the chair gone, feeling like she been more harsh than she should have and reaching down to another opened door. She found herself in a ruined town and of a world she never recognized. "I'm getting you out of here."

In a world full of monsters.

Mike and Sulley lead the group of four across a hall way of work stations. Mike sang and kept Boo following him. "Gotta send her home right now, or so help me... So help me! So help me!"

Sulley explained to Sora, Donald, Goofy and Kairi what was going on in the past. "So, Monsters, Incorporated used to rely on scream power from human kids for energy, but now we collect their laughter instead. It turns out, laughter is ten times more powerful."

The five were stopped by Boo doing typical toddler things. "Kitty!" Sulley knew where credit was due. "And we'd never have figured it out without Boo."

Sora admitted. "Cool."

Goofy passed a secret to the boy and girl as Sulley was out of hearing. "Our ships powered by laughter, too! Guess we've got that in common." Donald sneaked in. "Sora's a laughter machine!" Sora scratched his head. "Come on, I'm not."

Swoosh!

Kairi noticed something as she, Mike and Boo reached a station with various doors to her right and many canisters with a red bar attached. Finding the blue, flooding unversed sneaking into the doors along with snake like creatures. The various screams, fueling the attached canisters with energy. She drew her blade for battle. "Guys, this is what the Unversed are here for. Screams."

Her wings gave a buzz, she rushed into battle as Sora, Donald and Goofy followed. Leaving Sulley, Mike and Boo at the entrance to the station, the CEO found the situation dire. "This is terrible!" Mike saw a white door with pink flowers riding under a rail. "Look, there's Boo's door." Sulley charged into the station and Mike noticed a girl wandering of. "Go get Boo!" Sulley looked behind and found Boo trying to find a place to hide, the monster tried to find one as Mike went to support the group, he found a suitable desk to put her under and crouched as she worried for him. "We'll have to play another time, Boo. You stay here."

Boo did as she was told as Sulley joined the fray, Sora asked. "Ready to clean house?" Sulley growled ready. The six together made quick work of the lesser unversed, barring the few snakes that leaped at Sora and Kairi, stunning them with a snap and exposing them to another snap.

Swipe!

The snakes were quickly destroyed and two red, toad like creatures with shells appeared from thin air, smaller than the blue, though almost identical if with a more fragile shell. The toads inflated and bounced around in a pathetic attempt to fight back and were quickly dispatched.

Mike went to the stations to find the doors missing while the fighting occurred. He swiped a card to three electronic slits and caused the rail above to bring three doors. The three stations risen clamps to hold the doors and position them for a purpose not intended. Mike announced. "Ride's here!" Sulley appreciated that and went to get Boo as Mike instructed. "Grab onto the door when you are ready."

Sora and Kairi looked to each other and climbed onto a yellow door, cheering together. "Ready." Mike pressed a button and caused the clamp to lift the door up to a rail. Donald and Goofy climbed to theirs as Sulley used his right hand to hold on to the ascending door, Mike rushed to hold onto his tail and try to climb onto Sulley's shoulder. The three doors with passengers were in station for their journey as Sulley asked the child. "Boo. Hold on. Don't want you to get hurt." The doors begun their journey into the next room, Mike cheered with the eager group. "Boo's door, here we come."

Watching the group depart, a sinister voice spoke to himself. "Oh, I just got a great idea." He went out of hiding and noticed appearing from the shadows, a large, round, white haired human with a black top had and red coat. "Those bloaks are going to be trouble for our... partners operations. I'll get the extractor ready for the girl, she looks a ripe one."

In the railway

The group rod the doors into a rather aw inspiring warehouse, a vault filled with doors to other worlds. PEW!

The group saw images of fire and of creatures appearing, red lantern like heartless with their dress having a pattern of pink flames. They formed a hallow of fire, the four from another world shouted. "Heartless!"

Mike wasn't thrilled by more intruders. "Not here too?!"

Sora was ready to do something risky if to clear the way. "Keep Boo out of harm's way. We'll handle the bad guys!"

He and Kairi flipped onto the rail, the boy in front and the girl in back. They aimed their keyblades and fired beams of light energy, shooting the two into oblivion and sliding down the rails, they shot a couple yellow lantern like heartless that had a golden hint and a hallow of lightning. They found two of those kinds work together to form a pillar of lightning, they fell down to the door and cling on to pass by. The danger of that passed and they jumped back on the rail to find lantern like heartless forming water balls, both cringed at what would happen if they got wet on electrical rails and shot them away, the group found a rail way leading to a station and guided themselves to the the station to land.

On the station, Mike looked around to find a door, he rushed to try and open a pathway and found nothing but wall. "It's offline!" Pew! Pew! Mike knew something appeared behind him. "We have to power it up!" Sora drew out his hunny keyblade and had an idea as he jokingly asked. "Oh bother, how are we going to make her laugh?" Mike turned to find the hunny blade and a swarm of heartless soldiers and mages. He felt there was an idea as he and Sora took the front. "We got to take these creeps out and try to make some of it funny."

Sulley let the charging group know as he stood in front of Boo to guard. "Don't worry, I'll watch Boo."

Donald, Goofy and Mike did what they can to round up some straggling heartless as Kairi rolled her eyes and aggressively attacked the heartless. Sora quickly built up a form change and caused his hunny spout to turn into blasters, firing wands of honey wands that blasted the heartless to kingdom come. The lessening danger and the goofy manner slowly entertained the child, Sora formed the blasters into a launcher and let loose upon the foes, the cycle repeated over and over, leading to Boo laughing at the ridiculousness. Donald, Goofy, Mike and Kairi corralled the heartless to the front of the door, they jumped to Sora and Sulley and worked together to give out a silly yell. Startling the heartless to where they lined up like pins, Sora grabbed Mike and readied to throw, it was something the monster didn't have planned. "Hey what are we doing?"

Sora rolled Mike like a bowling ball and watched the monster curl up, knocking the remaining heartless into oblivion and causing their hearts to become released.

Mike sat dazed as Boo burst into laughter, a red light shined above the door and Sulley opened it to find a pathway to the other side. "The doors open." He lead the way in, Boo followed, then Goofy, then Donald, then Kairi, then Sora. They went into an empty bed room and found a green door they could use, exiting back into the factory, Sulley notice a white door with pink flowers being carried by a rail going to his left. "Boo's door!"

Mike felt a mental pattern and asked Sora as Sulley picked Boo back up. "Ready? It's time to hitch another ride." Like before, the group jumped onto three doors and cling on, Sora and Kairi jumped on top of the rail and took care of any flying heartless, having the white door in sight. Sora jumped to the door recklessly. "Woo hoo!"

He reached for it, felt his hand slipped, landing on a rail bellow, Kairi jumped and followed, giving a faint glow and causing golden insect wings to sprout as a glide. Landing right next to him and wanting to lecture him. They shot their way across the door vault and found a rail leading to a central station. They jumped off in unison and Kairi had her hands at her hips. "Don't do something that reckless unless you know you can make that jump."

The pouty face caused Sora to scratch the back of his head and smile nervously, two fat heartless, three electrical mages and two aquatic mages appeared. The duo repeated what they did before, taking out the fat heartless and dodging the bolts of water and lightning, Sora formed his hunny blasters as Kairi drew out her light sabers, attacking almost in perfect sync, swirling together in a glow of light and sprout a wing on the right and left, they dived down against the heartless and vaporized them.

They landed with a good sweat and were left alone to guess by the yellow door with the red glow that it was a way forward. The duo withdrew their keyblades and Kairi gave a wide smile to give. "You have your phone?"

Sora nodded and took it out, realizing the idea, puffed up his cheeks and opened his mouth, hiding his teeth and trying to imitate a feline. He took the phone and readied to take a selfie with Kairi, the girl smiled wide to show her teeth.

Click!

Sora imitated a fierce monster and intentionally tried to make himself look the opposite, Kairi winked with her left eye and stuck her tongue out. Click!

Kairi took the phone and had Sora back away, getting a full picture of him, the boy pulled the sides of his lips and stuck his tongue out, showing his rows of teeth. He in turn took his phone back and watched Kairi doing the same, catching him off guard by her inner mouth having a second set of mandibles. "Wow."

Click!

Kairi wanted to know what that was for and checked, giggling and asking. "Do you think we can scare someone if we try?" Sora didn't doubt. "We could, we shouldn't, but we could." He made a more legitimate attempt to look fierce, giving Kairi an idea of a concept. "We should try that just in case Riku asks. Nice growl." Sora blushed. "He'll like it."

Donald, Goofy, Mike and Sulley landed, Sora asked the CEO. "Hey, Sulley, I know you don't scare anymore, but you wouldn't mind if me and the guys make some silly faces and keep a special photo for a scare? Just in case there is someone that wants that."

Boo felt hesitate to agree as Sulley didn't mind the concept and advised. "I wouldn't do it around a kid. I'm not making that mistake again. Hmm," Mike cringed to that. "You don't want to know, but Sulley kept one of the biggest records for top scarer before we switched to laughs." Sulley wasn't really proud of that. "We got to keep being an example Sora." He looked to Boo and promised. "No more scaring." The duo understood and showed Boo something much more appeasing, causing her to giggle.

Mike looked at them like a critic. "Hmm, cute... but you got to get the face just," he swiped his face around and changed it from serious to cheerful, then cheerful to an over the top serious scowl, then to an even more over the top cheerful expression with his tongue sticking out. That gave a small chuckle and the group went to the yellow door, opening it and traveling through into a basement serving as a storage room. They looked behind and found many doors, Mike recognized one to their left, a simple wooden one. "This door should take us right back to the upper level." The visitors thought it was helpful information and continued in the storage room, finding a white door with pink flowers. Sulley gasped. "There it is!"

Sulley opened the door and went in with the group following, they found themselves in a factory, Mike asked confused. "Wait! How we'd take the wrong turn?"

Click!

The group turned around and heard a sinister voice speak, with beady eyes and a fanged maw speaking. "Who cares? All that matters..." He changed his skin color to a purple to reveal a lizard like creature with four arms and constantly squinting eyes. "Is that it is the last turn that you losers are ever gonna take." Sulley asked astonished. "Randall?!"

Mike growled as Sora asked the CEO. "Who's he?"

Sulley answered. "A creep we banished for trying to collect screams by force and talked our old CEO into going along with it when we were having an energy problem." Boo showed no fear as Sulley continued. "He use to be Boo's scarer."

Boo growled as Mike asked the purple lizard. "How did you even get back here? The door we sent you through is sawdust!"

Randall remembered. "Yeah, and I almost got turned into somebody's wallet. Lucky for me, a real nice guy came along and fixed the door. So here I am." Mike growled as Randall gloated out of spite. "And starting today, I'm numbero uno! Top of the leader board, baby." Mike boasted back. "Ha! You, a top laugh collector?" He gave a small fist push to Randall in a tease and went back to the group. "In your dreams, Randall. My laugh totals are off the charts."

Randall asked annoyed. "Who said anything about laughs? I'm after negative emotions." Sulley and Mike looked at each other on listening as Randall continued. "And my new friends have kindly invaded this place to get 'em for me." Sora gasped. "Negative emotions?!"

Donald whispered to Goofy. "He's making a mistake." The shield bearer agreed. "Yeah, nothing good is goin' to come from this." Randall placed his hands together and didn't listen. "Laughter's just not sustainable." he slowly positioned himself towards a wall near the passage. "Once junior chorts his last chortle, you've gotta start over. But negative energy? Sadness? Terror? Give 'em something that really hits their little hearts, and they'll stay like that forever. We'll never have to worry about energy again."

Sora, Kairi, Donald and Goofy glared at Randall, the boy defiantly spoke. "We're got gonna let you hurt anyone like that!" Randall turned to find Sora giving a teeth gritting snarl, the boy drew out his blade as a warning. "Not you or your little Unversed helpers!"

Kairi drew hers in agreement as Randall challenged the group. "Just try and stop me. You'll see soon enough. I'm gonna be a top legend around this place. Now, consider your carriers officially over." Mike felt threatened. "What?!" Randall readied to turn to the wall. "And that goes for the rest of you, too." Kairi barked. "Hey don't-" Randall disappeared in a flash, the group looked around as Sora asked. "Where'd he go?"

They heard a voice from the surrounding speakers. "We're in control of this factory now. And I suggested a few improvements- some real doozies I just know you're gonna love. In fact, you're not getting out of here alive." Sora rolled his eyes. "What's his damage?"

Mike and Sulley had no idea, the green monster answered. "What ever it is, that weasel means business! He'll never just quit." Sulley agreed with the fact they were dealing with a particularly sociopathic foe. "We got to get Boo to safety first, then we can take care of Randall. It's time to find a way out!" That the group agreed with as they journeyed into the factory.

With in the illusion of a Parish.

Kendry watched Jambert pull a lever and drew a gate down, having memories of the hollows he and the knight faced as he asked. "So we killed that pig guarding the way, killed those big knights around the church... and now we are going to check that smaller church and rest up?"

Jambert nodded to him and had the boy follow him the way they came, turning to their right, going to their left in a walk way that lead to a road way to the church that had a road to a fortress. The duo entered and Jambert heard dinging from bellow, he tilted his head. "I check that out, be ready for the trials ahead, we are near the first Bell of Wakening."

Ken smiled in hope and looked to the exit leading to a closed fortress. "I'll go check out this way while you do that." Jambert nodded and went to explore as Ken explored on his own, walking down the long road to the ominous fortress and finding another knight, sitting by a small ledge near some stairs and looking down in thought. The knight was in grey, onion like armor.

Ken's mouth opened as his legs approached, he tried to ask and heard the knight hum. "Mmm...hrmmmm...mmm...mmm." The knight moved his head up and found a visitor. "Mm! Oh-hoh!" He scooted back embarrassed. "Forgive me. I was absorbed in thought." He greeted himself eagerly. "I am Siegmeyer of Catarina. Quite honestly, I have run flat against a wall. Or, a gate, I should say. The thing just won't budge. No matter how long I wait. And, oh, have I waited." Ken tried not to laugh at the knight. "So here you are sitting in quiet the puzzle." Siegmeyer agreed with that. "Weighing my options, so to speak."

The two laughed it off, the boy had a story for him. "Me and a friend would have avoided so much trouble getting here if the lift wasn't busted from the other side. If we find the lift, getting back here for later would be easier. Maybe that's... a similar deal." Siegmeyer agreed to that. "Mmm...perhaps, but is their another path into the fortress?"

Ken shrugged and imagined. "If there is, I'll be the first one to know. If you find it first, that could be amazing." He thought to make the knights mood more optimistic. "I heard a lot about you Sieg-" "ZZZZZZZ"

He heard loud snoring, the knight of Catarina fell asleep, the boy smiled and whispered to him. "Good luck oh Knight of Catarina." He went back to the church and found Jambert with a sharpened, sturdier claymore, he asked. "Was that the claymore you stole?" Jambert corrected him. "Not stolen, salvaged. A fine blacksmith offered to have it repaired and forged," He dramatically pointed his blade to the church. "Now we will have a better chance against those brutes."

Ken cheered. "Yeah, let's knocked them over and ring that bell." Jambert had the boy follow him, they fought their way through a horde of cross bowed undead and entered the parish. Finding a large knight with a massive shield and a mace, Ken rushed to the knights personal space and swung his keyblades at him, intentionally distracting him and giving Jambert the chance he needed to stab the knight in the back.

Ken jumped on top of the hollow knight and shot him in the back of the head for a quick kill. He noticed a wizard on floor above, aiming a spell at him, he jumped to the door to the stairs, Jambert scoffed. "What a cowardly," He ran to the stairs and climbed first, Ken aimed at the wizard that backed away and dodged, he followed the knight up the stairs and watched him take his shield out. Getting into a duel with another and parrying, he riposte his foe and waited for him to get up.

SLASH!

Another knight was slain, the two turned left to confront the wizard and its horde of the undead, the wizard performed an odd dance with his trident like staff and caused the undead to glow blue. Ken focused his two keyblades, caused them to merge and aimed the single blade like a flamethrower. WOOSH! The undead were roasted, leaving just the wizard that was quickly cut down by a nimble knight as Ken split his keyblade back into two. The two saw a door to a stairway ahead, to their left was a hallway leading somewhere, they followed their curiosity and searched, finding a lit doorway to break down and journeying into a stairway that lead to a prison cell.

With in, they found a knight in golden armor that looked to have a set of fake arms hugging its own body. The knight noticed and asked. "Oh? Still human are you? Then I am in luck. Could you help me? As you can see, I am stuck without recourse."

Jambert was willing to do it without hesitation as Ken asked. "Uh...why are you in a jail cell?" The imprisoned knight pleaded. "Please, I have duties to fulfill, and I will reward you handsomely," He spun his hand. "Well? I'm certain you stand to benefit." Ken was still suspicious as Jambert asked him. "We can't just leave a person out here to fend for himself. Surely our hearts haven't turned to stone?" The boy sighed. "Out here? No we shouldn't."

He took Cadia's Light and tapped it at the cells lock, undoing it and letting Jambert open it. The imprisoned knight had his hands together in gratitude. "Thank you, yes, sincerely. I am Knight Lautrec of Carim. I truly appreciate this, and I guarantee a reward, only... later." Jambert raised an eyebrow. "Later? You need to go get it?"

Lautrec nodded. "Yes, very sorry, your reward will have to wait. I've just been freed. Allow me some time," Ken felt it made sense and turned. "True... well, take care of yourself. None of us want to see you go crazy like the other guys here."

Lautrec agreed with that. "Yes, it is a maddening world out there. We shall meet again, I am certain of it." Jambert felt it encouraging and followed the boy out, he heard a whisper, Lautrec relishing his undone bindings. "I'm free, now I can get back to work." Ken heard a rather sinister laughter. "Keh heh heh heh heh..."

The odd chill that a questionable deed was committed haunted the boy. He kept his eyes behind as he and Jambert went back the way they came and went to the path with the upward stairs. Two signs shined on the way, Jambert saw the words Lautrec and used them to summon the knight. Lautrec felt Ken looking at him questionably and asked. "What is it child?"

The boy denied his thoughts. "Just... you get weirded out after seeing all these strange places and people. Thank you for the sign, there might be something big ahead." Lautrec agreed and readied two curved blades. "It could be, keh heh heh heh."

Jambert felt he might be helpful and climbed up a set of stairs, finding a golden sign with the word Solaire. The knight used his stone and summoned the warrior of sunlight, posing his hands like a v and greeting the three. "Oh my, what an eventful party. Shall we ring the bell?"

Jambert nodded and saw a fogged. He pushed ahead and the three followed, nothing seemed to be in the way. Ken heard something and yelled. "Jambert, stop... something is watching us." Crack, he looked up and felt something move, one of four gargoyles, with a long pole arm on its right hand, a thick shield, mighty wings and a long tail that had a double bladed axe, it moved.

"ERWAR!"

The Gargoyle roared and flew down to the roof, giving a mighty thud and letting the group of four know they shouldn't have climbed.

Lautrec slowly approached as Solaire recklessly charged, Jambert rushed to the gargoyles side for a quick swing. The Gargoyle flew, dodged and knocked both back with his tail, Lautrec closed in for his chance and carved as Ken shot it in the chest with his gun like keyblade and used his wind magic to fly to the statues left. He stabbed with his burning keyblade, as Jambert drank from his flask and approached from behind, attacking the beasts tail. Ken felt a rush and enveloped himself in wind, striking rapidly and giving the gargoyle more burn marks, he and Solaire noticed something coming from the tower as the Gargoyle readied a swing, another Gargoyle.

POW!

The Gargoyle knocked Ken and Lautrec far, the boy felt a throbbing pain and flew after the second Gargoyle as the untrustworthy knight sneaked a shank on the first one. Jambert slashed his claymore once more at the tailed gargoyle and caused the tail to fall off, the beast howled in pain as Ken's charge knocked the second Gargoyle back a foot. The beast ignited his maw into fire as Solaire charged a spear, Ken rolled to the Gargoyles side to dodge and watched the lightning bolt pierce a chunk of rock from the beasts chest, the boy spun like a small twister of fire to finish the gargoyle off as Jambert stabbed his foe in the chest, the gargoyle howled and fell on his back, falling over dead.

The four felt a victory was achieved, Solaire posed in victory as Lautrec chuckled, fading away as Jambert saw the gargoyles severed tail and picked it up, feeling it flexible. The knight thanked his fading comrades. "Thank you, that could have been brutal without you."

Flicker. The phantoms faded as Kendry felt his air magic fade, lead the way into a tower and eagerly climbed, reaching the top of the tower and finding a lever under a bell, he smiled in pride as Jambert followed and huffed. "I say, you're eager to ring this sacred bell."

Ken shook his head. "Nah, it's just that... it's been a while since I seen a bell at a church. You earned the right to ring this."

Jambert appreciated it. "Hmm, thank you. You're skills are quiet formidable," The knight went to the lever and pulled, causing the contraption to ring the bell and let loose a chime through out the land. Jambert sweated as he realized. "Now we must venture bellow and make our way to Blighttown... is it as dreadful as the knight said?"

Ken guessed so and activated his air magic for a jump. "It might, let's get to the lift and take a shortcut back."

Jambert agreed with that and twiddled his thumbs. "We would... after...I explore the stairway bellow the blacksmith. An unexplored adventure is an undeserved reward." Ken laughed to that. "Oh, so true. We will meet up at the path down town. See ya." Jambert nodded to that. "Indeed, farewell for now Sir Kendry."

Ken jumped off and landed gracefully, making his way down to the first floor and finding shining white door where a lift should be. He crossed over and found himself back in the white castle, he giggled in joy and noticed the Firekeeper appearing once more, smiling to him. "Sir Kendry, it is like living a dream, to meet the very people thou heard tales of."

The boy agreed to that and walked down the hall way. "I recognized the three from your stories. Jambert, Solaire, Siegmeyer, they are all funny people and pretty decent despite how nuts it is. It doesn't take much for me to look up to someone."

The Firekeeper agreed to that. "It doesn't, but thou have made quite a name for thyself. When one trends an ideal path, many follow."

Ken blushed and found himself to another door. "Sora, Miss Aqua, Kairi every time she gets one over me, the committee guys, Ana. They made a difference in the worlds. Think, that place came from the memories of," he looked at his burning keyblade. "This... that world. For someone to see the story and keep the memory alive. Oh-" He swooned. "Miss Aqua and Ana are going to love hearing this."

He opened the door way as the Firekeeper disappeared like she normally does. "Do be careful, for thou felt the dangers." The boy agreed and taunted. "I can beat what ever this castle has for me. Let's go."


	35. Horrible Monsters

In a factory; Sora, Donald, Goofy, Mike, Sulley, Boo and Kairi entered a particular hall with many crates and a conveyor belt, mechanical arms laying inert. One particular came to life and aimed a cutting beam at Sora. The boy dodged and Mike yelped at the close shot. "Hey, what's with the machines? They've gone totally bonkers!" He turned to an agreeing Sulley. "There's no way we can take Boo through here safely."

Boo agreed with that in her own way as Sulley put together how this came to be. "This must be what Randall meant by "Improvements"," Kairi agreed with that and looked at the various machines shooting cutting beams wildly. "Improvements on killing who ever comes here." Donald stomped his foot in frustration at the hall. "Those aren't improvements for us." Goofy nodded. "Nope, they sure aren't" Sora sighed and smiled in confidence at the death trap, pointing to himself. "Nothin' we can't handle!"

Goofy advised to the natives. "Sulley, maybe you and Mike should take Boo some place that is safe while we figure out how to shut all this down," Sulley nodded to that as he and Mike hid behind a crate, the green monster suggested back. "If you find the contraption controlling those things and smash it." Goofy observed the machine parts, looking like they were meant to cover for something, then to the lasers going out of control. "Hmmm. Maybe we can use the parts here to avoid the lasers."

Sora and Kairi thought it was a sound idea, the team of four slide under a shed and dashed through each one in a good timing, they found the conveyor belt making a curve to the right, they found a cat walk leading to a cage with a contraption keeping the death trap wild. They dashed to the cat walk and climbed, Goofy readying his shield like a one would hold a folding chair and smash at the contraption, Sora and Kairi followed with their keyblades for wrecking, they watched the device short circuit and fall apart, the the robotic arms shooting the laser beams powered down.

Mike and Sulley found the coast was clear and went to catch up with the four, with a clinging Boo in hand. A mechanical door opened up as the monsters arrived and placed the child down, knowing they were in relatively safe grounds. A voice from the speakers sound a bit embarrassed. "Yeah, well, that was just a warm-up. The real fun's just starting!"

Sora, Kairi, Mike and Sulley looked up with crossed expressions and traveled past the door, going down a hallway and finding a storage room full of scream canisters and a variety of unversed that were quickly dispersed. They exit the storage room and traveled down a hall that lead to an elevator room, the elevator looked dim and Sora voiced the annoyance. "Great, the power's out again," Mike understood that. "Okay! We know what to do." He remembered something about the room and looked around, finding a covered room labeled. Painting booth. "Bingo!"

The group were confused about that and Sulley asked. "Uh, Mike? How's that supposed to help?" Mike whispered something in Sulley's ear as the quartet realized what ever the plan was, it was going to be ridiculous, Mike finished and Sulley approved. "Heh, that's good!" The green monster tried to walk out of doing the deed himself. "Yep, take it away!" Sulley stopped him, grabbed him like one a ball and chuckled. "Nice try, Mikey. I'm not doin' this alone!" Mike pleaded. "Hey! You, not me. C'mon...Sulley!" The door slid open and let the two monsters in as Mike continued. "No. Stop! Sul-ley! Not what I had in miiind!"

Close! The five heard the wail of a plan gone wrong, they heard a beep, a shine of light behind and the odd melody of machines whirling.

RIIIIING!

The doors slid open, letting out Mike and Sulley, covered in pink and blue pant. Sulley nudged at the embarrassed Mike and laughed with him, Mike pouted as Boo laughed to that. The elevator lit up, the four visitors gave a praise to the quick thinking, they, the girl and the painted monsters went into the elevator as one. Donald pressed a button leading up, caused the door to close and for the elevator to ascend. The elevator stopped and Boo wandered off, Sulley called to her and followed. "Boo!" Mike pleaded and followed. "Come back! You can't run off kid!" The three ran off and the four followed in turn, into a room with many water pipes, Boo called to Sulley once more. "Kitty!" The monster sighed. "There you are!"

The two tried to approach and an upper pipe broke, spilling a rain of water on top of the two and washing the paint away, Sulley was slightly disappointed and gave a mellow whine. "Ah. That paint kinda growin' on me!" Mike was more thrilled by the lack of paint on himself. "Woot!" Sulley shook the wet off his body like any hairy beast would and annoyed Mike. "Agh! Hey, no. Would ya cut that out?"

PEW!

Five, flying dark orbs enveloped with water appeared, in repeat, Sulley and Mike got Boo to safety as Sora, Kairi, Donald and Goofy went into battle. Sora felt annoyed by the havoc. "Just how much of this place is infested by these guys?" Sulley and Mike joined into the battle and much like the swarms before, quickly took out the aquatic heartless. Sora and Donald used lightning magic and gave Kairi a jolt of an inspiration to shoot down the lightning. Clearing the way towards another place in the factory.

A cross section with two paths, further to the left was a hall short circuiting and full of danger to the right was a set of stairs leading into a hall way not to dangerous. It lead to a storage room surrounded by electrical fences that connected to the metal crates, five electrical mage like heartless, three soldier like heartless and two toad like unversed appeared. Kairi growled and jumped into battle first. "Electricity, after we all nearly got wet." Sora, Donald and Goofy jumped into battle as Mike and Sulley realized how much of a disadvantage they were in. Goofy had an idea and used his shield to bash the unversed foes into the electric fence, seeing that they took a nasty jolt as Donald shot fire balls at the soldiers to knock them into the electric fence and gave the teenagers time to take out the mages with quick combos. The teenagers shot fire balls to finish off the soldiers as the two unversed croaked and jumped off the fence, inflating and trying to attack. The teenagers dived after the two unversed and knocked into the fence again, the frogs burst into flames and faded away. The electric fences powered down, Mike jumped down as Sulley climbed down with Boo. A gate opened to lead them to the other direction, a conveyor belt with many out of control lasers. Mike sighed. "Not this again."

In the Castle that never was.

At the highest point of the tower, Ahriman, Maleficent and Xehanort focused a ritual of three to open a way from the Realm of Darkness. Causing something to fall out, twelve of the disoriented Varanguard, looking annoyed at a denied victory as Dorghar climbed out like a frenzied beast, Archaon followed behind, giving a silent vow of vengeance as he held in his left hand, a scurrying rodent with a glowing horned crown, he tossed the rodent near the ledge and asked. "Tell them, before I silence you and the Horned Rat forever."

The rodent looked around and was gasping in a frenzied snarl, Xehanort asked nonchalantly. "You're own personal venture didn't go according to plan and you salvaged something? We were readying your escape from the Realm of Darkness after Maleficent spoke of what she sensed." Archaon pretended to care about that. "I will focus on toppling Olympus later, when we are certain no more would defy us." He answered Ahriman's unspoken question. "It was not those weaklings that banished me, but a potential candidate. A demon that controls time and space was what ended my siege when I had the victory so close at."

The Sorcerer denied the question. "I doubted that Sora and the others would have bested you in their current power, if you were anything like... the other one, doing combat with you would have been suicidal for even the most veteran of warriors. What would have made youths not even at adulthood and strange animals that act like humans?"

Archaon answered the Sorcerer. "Dead." He asked Maleficent. "You completed your task yet, witch? We must gather our thirteen soon."

The Mistress of All Evil showed the pendent and promised him. "Pete is tracking the Horned King as we speak and I will be on my way as soon as your... guest, speaks." The rodent forced himself up and hissed. "I will witch thing! Yes, yes. I have not forgotten your assault with in my domain."

Xehanort backed away and felt he sensed enough as the rodent introduced himself. "I am Thanqoul. Great Grey Seer of the Horned Rat, you seek the dark dark?"

Ahriman sensed the rodents thoughts and called a time out as he and Xehanort closed the dark rift. "Hold it, you are from the same kind of realms Archaon is from?"

The skaven nodded and rubbed his hands together. "Is that a problem?" The Everchosen slowly nodded to the three, keeping the skaven unaware as Xehanort asked. "A creature as dark as you... survived in the Realm of Darkness without succumbing to its power?! How did you even fall into the realm in the first place?"

Thanqoul glared at Maleficent. "Witch thing ruined my Ritual of Thirteen tolls. But, I found a great power with in." He snapped his fingers and caused shadowy rats to scurry from the darkness. The Everchosen watched the numbers come by the hundreds. "He had his mind on the warp stone he horded above everything else, even when his own heartless turned on him. A heart like the skaven... that by some dark miracle was strong enough to endure the darkness and chaos, is of value among our Thirteen."

Thanqoul relished the name and snickered as Ahriman sarcastically approved. "An excellent idea to throw in a self serving, backstabbing rat among us, you have him under some form of control?" Archaon and Xehanort gave a sinister smile, the scientist answered to that. "This is one of the reasons Vanitas freed Slannesh in the other reality. With the four proper aligned, the Great Horned Rat... an upstart... is declining in power as one of the Four major gods of Chaos. If the Great Horned Rat is cast aside, so will the rest of the Skaven. Not that a Skaven would care for their own kind."

Archaon agreed with that. "And because of his... mastery over what was the vermin that followed him, that I decided to be generous," Thanquoul agreed with that and gracefully bowed. "Yes, yes. You have the aid of the Great Horned Rat, as with me," None of the four were believing the facade of obedience, the Everchosen ordered. "Thanqoul, you have dominion over the sewers of the dark city bellow. Come at my call and serve us faithfully and perhaps the Four Chaos Gods would allow the Horned Rat to have his position. Betray us and the two of you are forfeit."

The rodent cringed as Maleficent and Ahriman stood out of his way, a large plan he didn't spend much time thinking about was up in smoke. "Y...Yes yes. We will be ready," He scurried down the tower and out of hearing, Ahriman let the other three know. "My Rubrics will see he never sets one foot on this castle again. Archaon, about the demon that opposed you, it is clearly not something of the light?"

The Everchosen shook his head. "No... but unless we can learn more about that demon or where it lurks," Xehanort felt the plan coming into format. "There are ways to make a heart that black serve us, but it will take time. For now-" He gave a small look to Maleficent, the witch understood and took her leave. "Then this meeting is over, another will join soon." With her gone, Ahriman readied for his own. "I will organize my forces for our... hindrance momentarily. We will be ready once we track her down."

The other treacherous sorcerer left as Archaon asked Xehanort. "The Keyblade Master seeks to throw our plans in jeopardy and we are to crush her with a full army?"

The Seeker of Darkness nodded. "But not with you just yet." Archaon understood why. "If we slaughter them all now, we waist the value of those with in their ranks. That demon's little... excuse, is what you really sought?" Xehanort agreed with that. "Regardless of what Aqua's plans are, the fact she has students now, could be a problem. One is a Princess of Heart, another is beyond the reaches of darkness, but only one of them is susceptible." He felt bored thinking about it. "More will be discussed when Vanitas returns. By now, Aqua is prioritizing a friend of hers."

In an illusion of a long alley way.

Kendry was astonished by the amount of burning in the town, six dead dogs and the sound of someone screaming. "Oh, no! Not again," He rushed through the town and found a knight in elite armor, being surrounded by five hollow bandits, the knight killed two and was shanked by a third. Ken fired and quickly killed the fourth, he shot himself to the fifth for a quick kill and watched the knight riposte the last of the bandits. The knight turned to his savior and casually greeted him. "Oh, hello again, Sir Kendry. I... got a little in over my head after journeying into the Darkroot Garden for... better equipment. This might have been the tenth time I ventured down here if it wasn't for you're intervention."

Ken shook his head and checked the knight's armor. "I see, there was a lot of bodies back there. Do... you know what's been causing most of the problems here?"

Jambert nodded to that. "The undead hollowing, but there is a passage I am searching for that... seems to be locked away for the moment." Ken had his keyblades ready and went ahead. "You found who had the key yet?"

Jambert cringed and followed ahead fast. "Oh I have, one is right before me... but a knight should not have to rely on others. The other..." He looked ahead to a fogged gate and saw two dogs rushing after the boy, he rolled in the way and slew one as Ken fired his gun like keyblade, the dog jumped to the right and rushed after him with a diseased maw. Ken turned his blade and caught the dog in the shot, quickly slaying it. "Is behind this? You don't have to go in there when someone with a key that unlocks anything is here."

Jambert knew and he wished to allow the boy to aid him through that, he shivered in a trance. "Five times I crossed that fog, five times... I was sent back to the bonfire. I will slay the demon before I venture downward, less he haunts me in my dreams," Ken's eyes widened and slowed down, patting the knight on his shoulder. "I get it, how about instead, we deal with that demon together?"

Jambert didn't mind that compromise. "We shall, but we enter the gate at once and make it to the stairs. That demon is not alone." The duo approached the fogged gate, Jambert stuttered and counted down. "When I say one, we vanquish this demon or die trying. Th...three," Ken counted. "Two," Jambert counted. "O...One." The two entered through the gate and heard snarling, on entry to a narrow alley with stairs to the left, Jambert tried to bolt to the stairs and was pinned down by two dogs as Ken had a look at the demon Jambert was terrified of. A large humanoid with a boney tail, grey skin, brown ragged pants and a four purple eyed goats skull for a head, the Capra Demon held two hooked machetes as large as Jambert and readied to slash the two weapons at the knight, giving a dull hiss and ordering its dogs to jump back. Ken shot to the Capra Demon with his burning keyblade and knocked him back, towards a fence barely away.

The knight got up and slashed at the two dogs dancing around him as Ken looked around and found the arena to be no larger than a storage closet. The Capra Demon looked at the boy and ran to him, Ken dismissed Cadia's Light and held Firekeeper's Wish with both hands, positioning it to his left shoulder and facing it forward. He went to the stairway and was tripped by one of the two dogs, Ken fell on his rear and had his back against the wall, he struck the dog dead and watched the Capra Demon ready a swing at him with his right machete. Ken rolled on the stairway to dodge and tried to get himself up, crawling up and finding the demon following him. He screamed in mortal peril and sprinted up the stairs like a scared animal as Jambert killed the second dog, looked at the demon, took out a fire bomb, hurled it at the Capra Demon, causing it to casually turn to the knight.

Jambert readied his claymore and taunted. "Now the tables are turned demon. There is two of us and only-" The demon wasted no time running after him, pressed its machetes together and swiped from its right, Jambert rolled to the right and dodged the slash. Ken climbed up the wall for even footing, the Capra Demon saw it missed and rushed by the outer side of the stairs, like it wanted the two to jump off. Jambert rolled off the stairs as Ken used his air magic to somersault to the lower end of the stairs. The Capra Demon jumped off and met a few slashes from Jambert's blade. Ken shot to the demon and stabbed it across the shoulder, pouncing upon it, pulling the blade back and doing it again, the demon waddled back and was slashed in the stomach. Ken and Jambert jumped side by side, the knight readied another fire bomb as the boy's keyblade twist into an odd form, a fiery spear. He thrust as the knight threw, a combined fire ball struck the demon in the heart, pushing it against the fence and causing it to fall over dead.

The two felt weak on their knees at a feat, the demon was slain. Jambert searched the carcass as Ken looked upon his burnt spear and realized. "It... did an actual form change?"

Jambert took out a key and gave a praise to the sun in the sky. "I knew it! HA! Praise the Sun, we can journey into the Depths now." Ken kept staring at his burning spear and let it return to the burning keyblade, he looked up and asked. "That's the way to Blighttown?" Jambert nodded and turned around. "And to our second bell. Sir Kendry, you fight with a certain finesse, do you have a tutor of some kind?" Ken nodded. "I do, I was mostly self taught until Miss Aqua took me and two other students in. One is already a powerful warrior before she had a keyblade, the other is around or above my level. What about you?"

Jambert tried to remember the details. "I learned from an academy before I caught this dreadful curse. But that... I don't know how long it has been." The two went down a stairway to their left and journeyed to the lowest point in the town. They slew a few stray thieves and found a door to their right. Jambert used his key and unlocked it, he lead the way in and was greeted by zombies, he and Ken carved through and smelled the aroma of sewage.

In a floor bellow.

Aqua saw a burnt trial of bodies and the appearance of a wyvern without a tail, stomping in front of her, roaring and letting loose a fire breath. The Keyblade Master jumped high and behind the wyvern, striking at the stub of a tail that looked to have been hit with something cauterizing. She sensed the wyvern ready a spin and back flipped, the wyvern flew up and blew fire down to the ground. Aqua jumped onto the wyvern's back and enveloped herself in lightning, striking the foe and causing it to spasm, forcing it to land and exposing it to a swift beating, she felt regretful about something and burst into air magic, slashing the wyvern at the head and flying above it to fire down magic beams, the wyvern went limp and the woman felt an odd satisfaction, she went across the trail of burnt bodies into the keep and found a bonfire, reminiscent of what her wayward student does on a frequent basis. "These memories are not his. What had he let loose?"

She followed to the left and saw destruction, whether by the condition of the world or from bodies that seemed fresh, a gate way lead to a church and with in was a bright door. She walked across and found herself in familiar grounds. Something appeared in front of her and swiped two large machetes at her. She flipped to the right and saw a large, black skin humanoid with a set of black pants with a red skirt. It's chest had hints of grey, it had a bone white tail, its head was that of a four eyed goat skull. The eyes gave a golden glow and the machetes it wields were rusted with hint of red gears. The Goat Demon disappeared and Aqua flew as far to the other corner of the room as possible, finding the demon trying to land on top with her and slam with machetes and appearing from the wall, the Goat Demon slashed its right machete at her. She back flipped and watched it swing with its left, she flew in and relentlessly attacked. The Goat Demon took the slashes and stilled from the fourth slash, Aqua back flipped and watched the Goat Demon lunged towards her with the two machetes, she had the chance and attacked back, she aimed a fire ball at point blank range and caused the demon to stagger. She enveloped herself in fire and rushed the Goat Demon, bringing it into a stun lock. She jumped into the air and swiped a barrage of fire, causing the creature to shatter into an illusion. She panted and heard a deep laughter from behind. "Ha, ha, ha. An extraordinary battle, Lord of the Castle."

Aqua turned to find Garland with his blade to his side, she was ready to kick him from the castle. "You're not welcome here, leave and never return." Garland gave a polite gesture. "I shall once the crystal above has syphon enough of the Castle's infinite power. I never thought draining the power would cause a ripple of memories, colliding with one another and taking whole new shapes," Aqua growled and knew from the appearance. "Like the Goat Demon, I know who that thing was." Garland nodded to that. "A memory of a fiend you and your pupil know of and a memory of a fiend he and his keyblade know of." He and Aqua gave a challengers glare and charged after each other. SHATTER!

Garland faded into an illusion, Aqua heard the knights voice warn her. "The memories of whole world resigned with in the castle, one full of more dangers than you can possible imagine. You're pupils desire for knowledge will be his undoing, less you hurry." Aqua didn't want to agree with the intruder and looked ahead to the hall. "Of all the places-"

At a Factory

Sora, Donald, Goofy and Kairi followed Mike and Sully to a massive metal gate. The CEO ran ahead and let them know. "Once we get through here, we're clear." Mike went to a computer like device at the right. "Yep! This is the central control unit for the whole factory!" He asked. "Now whaddaya say say we get outta here?"

Sora and Donald rushed to the computer, the boy insisted and pressed buttons randomly. "Let me!"

Donald pressed buttons randomly. "I want to do it!"

Mike tried to stop them as Kairi looked to the two like they were being dim wits, she asked Goofy. "Didn't they get in a mess from doing something like this?" The shield bearer nodded as he watched Mike chase the two off. "That they did." Mike pressed a few buttons and and tapped a hand on the metal in frustration. "Rats! Randall must have messed this up. Nothing works!"

Donald asked disappointed. "We can't get out?" Goofy advised. "Maybe it would be faster to just break it." Kairi approved of that. "That worked for the others, it might work here." Sora agreed with that and drew out his keyblade. "Oh, that's brilliant."

Mike yelped as Sora readied to carelessly destroy potentially expensive equipment, Sulley put a stop to that. "Hang on!" Sora looked back as the monster advised. "Think I've got a better idea." He approached and spoke of the idea. "If we can just short it out, the lock will disengage and lucky for us," He looked towards Boo, who was eager to help. "Boo is a walking energy generator." Mike was agreeing to the plan. "Mmm. That might work," Sora agreed back and was having ideas of how to make Boo laugh. "You're our MVP, Boo."

The girl laughed eagerly as Sulley put her on the top of his head, the two wandered across the room playfully, Sora and Mike attempted to join in on the fun, the green monster tripped and caused Sora to trip. The boy lost grip of his keyblade and accidentally kicked Mike across, the monster landed on his knees and slide. On stopping, he posed and pretended it was intentional. The keyblade fell on the monster and wacked him on the head, it disappeared as Mike was stunned. The group, Sora included, laughed at the slapstick, causing the computer to overload and spark, Boo heard something, turned to find dark creatures emerging from the shadows and crouched, Sulley turned to find six floods, five snakes and a spiked toad appearing from thin air. Mike asked Sulley. "Hide her." The furry monster was on it and kept guard as Sora, Donald, Goofy and Kairi readied for battle.

Sora and Kairi focused on the floods as Goofy and Donald focused on the snakes, Mike annoyed the toad and caused it to focus on comitting a flying press to his direction. The floods were bested with ease as three of the snakes went for Mike. The green monster ran from them as the spiked toad licked its maw and inhaled, sucking the snakes in and leaving the other two to the keyblade wielders. The three snakes crawled out of holes on the toads back like parasites and spit at the group, causing purple puddles to splash and bubble like acid. Sora turned his hunny spout into hunny blasters as Kairi focused and caused her keyblade to take shape into a staff with a floral star at the top, spinning a magic girl and giving a wink to Boo as she raised it to the air and hovered, yelling loudly and blasting the toad as Sora fired a barrage of hunny wands. The goofy like behavior from the odd monsters caused Boo to laugh, Sora formed his blasters into a launcher as Kairi caused her staff to enlarge into a pillar resembling a sand castle tied to a tree, she jumped on top and yelled to the unversed. "Spawn of evil, here my words. In the name of the stars, I'll punish you."

Sora fired globs of hunny and watched Kairi give an elegant, for her form, spin that fed a strong light into the star, she floated behind the star and clapped it towards the unversed. BOOM! The foe was obliterated and the pillar faded, Kairi landed with grace, Boo looked like she didn't get it and thought Kairi was acting over the top. Laughing lightly and causing the machine to go haywire, it was still functional and Mike snapped his fingers. "Shoot, it's no use. We need a bigger burst of laughter."

The group saw the unversed stopped coming and Sulley escorted Boo to a less crowded spot. The CEO asked his friend. "Would you care to do the honors?"

Mike faced Boo and pointed his fingers in style. "I'd love to," He tabbed the upper left side of his head and caused his eye ball to rotate to the lower right, he tapped again and caused his eye to rotate back, he aimed lower for a different angle and slowly raised his left hand lower and his right hand lower. "Tada! 40 – 0. Game and set!" The visitors grouped up as Mike sighed. "I'm not cut out for this racket," Boo stopped laughing, she really didn't get the joke to the point Mike had to explain it. "Come on. It's a tennis joke. Should I've gone with ping-pong?"

Sora whispered to his friends. "Nothin' could have saved that one." They agreed and Mike went to another joke. "Wait! Nobody move! I dropped my contact!" Sulley scratched his chin on doubt. "I don't think Boo's going to get it, Mike." Sora approached Sulley and whispered as Boo folded her arms unamused. "Do you get it?" Sulley answered in a whisper in an attempt to stay respectful. "Yeah, it's 'cause his eye's so big. The joke is you can't lose a contact the size of a dinner plate."

Mike got it through his head that his joke was a complete failure. Donald approached Mike and asked in complaint. "Aren't you supposed to be good at this?" Mike answered his excuse. "I am once I'm warmed up."

Kairi snapped her fingers and approached Sora. "Hey, remember that... thing we practiced?" Sora hummed like he didn't remember, remembered and his eyes glistened. "That?" Goofy asked. "The funny face special?" Sora answered and scratched the back of his head. "Well, if you insist." He approached Boo and crouched to get started as Kairi played along with her cheeks puffed, joined the fun and crouched. Sora noticed and imitated an overly happy cat, Kairi pretended to pout and stuck her tongue out, Boo giggled at the silent argument. Sora pulled his side lips and stuck his tongue out as Sulley was finding it funny and asked. "Come on, everyone join in." Kairi acted jealous and mimicked Sora, Boo was entertained by the weird mouth with two sets of mandibles as Sulley, Mike, Goofy and Donald made funny faces to Boo. The girl laughed louder and caused the machine to beep out of control.

DING!

The group noticed the light on the side of the door turn green. Sulley laughed to that and teased Mike. "Sora and Kairi are aiming for your job." Mike folded his arms in a scoff as he and the group tried to get to door.

Hearing rapid foot steps and a familiar voice taunting. "You aren't going to leave without saying good-bye?"

The group turned around to find Randall squinting his eyes menacingly, Mike sighed. "Give it a rest, Randall. You're not going to get away with this," Sulley agreed with that. "We'll stop anything you throw at us." The group readied to fight as Sora agreed. "Yeah!"

Randell kept taunting. "Maybe you will. Or then again, maybe you won't. I've still got an ace up my sleeve." He pointed to a metallic device that looked like a robotic centipede, had a suction like tube and yellow canisters. Mike and Sulley recognized parts of the machine and expected a fight as Randall snapped his fingers. "Now, I command you to destroy them!" Nothing happened, Sora and Kairi readied to attack as Randall turned to the machine and snapped his fingers again. "Hey, come on!" He crawled to it, tapped and hissed. "Move... move, you stupid-"

Mike sighed. "Haaa! Looks like your ace is a joker." Randall weakly kicked the machine. "What a pile of junk." He crawled away as the teenagers readied a charge, Sulley stopped them and suggested with a desire to not cause traumatizing violence. "Just leave him. Don't think he can cause us any more trouble."

Boo looked up to Sora and Kairi calling them. "Kitty!" Sulley petted Boo with the primary objective in mind. "Besides, we gotta focus on getting Boo home." Sora let a grudge go and dismissed his keyblade. "You're right." Kairi agreed with that. "There isn't a point beating that lizard up."

They focused on the gate as Sulley lead. "Boo's door has to be somewhere in the vault. If we head outside and go through the power station, we can get to the door vault that way."

The gate rolled up and the group left, in a minute, the gate rolled back down, a Coachman appeared from a corridor along with a masked figure in black and red. "See, what did I say. You bluff enough and they will make a jackass of themselves once you show what you really got," He asked the masked boy. "They'll never see the real surprise coming. It's all yours."

Vanitas agreed with that and saw Randall making himself visible. "And lucky for us, I just gathered enough screams to invite some...ha, party their way." He aimed his hand towards the mix and matched machine, causing ooze to form out of it as an unversed symbol shined upon a bauble on the device. "If that doesn't take their breath away, this... wonderful machine will." The ooze slithered in front of the masked man that instructed Randall. "All you need to do is catch them by surprise and watch the show." A face formed with in the ooze, sploshing into a horrific mixture of darkness and machine, Randall gave an evil smile to a chaotic deal.

In the depths of a sewer.

Ken watched Jambert dive his claymore onto a giant mutated rat and jumped off as the rat finished its death throes. The boy jumped off into the stinky water and watched the knight search everything. "You think that blacksmith will like to see that ember you found?"

Jambert took a black shade from the rat and saw a path leading to a slide, he looked ahead and took the left corner. "I will see to it when we make a path to Blighttown," He slide down and Ken followed, the boy lit up his burning keyblade to use as a torch and saw a hole leading down somewhere, he and the knight made it to the other side and found moving slime waddling towards them, the boy walked to the right and found a stairway up, calling his friend. "We should make a way back down here in case we run into another mess. Those butchers wouldn't stop."

He lead up the stairway and Jambert followed, towards a cell block with a ladder up, leading to more stairs that lead to a room that had a locked door to the left. Kendry tapped the lock with his blade and opened the door, leading to a comforting hall way with a bonfire. Jambert gasped and thanked him. "Oh, thank you. Neither of us want to go back to that alley way above ever again," The knight left for the fire as Kendry felt a shiver of fear leave and an odd light with in his eyes, he looked ahead with his gun like keyblade and wondered. "Will I form change you soon?"

Tap! Tap!

Jambert returned and went back down the stairs. "I think I saw something when we slide down there. Shall we see?" Kendry nodded and followed him, curiosity got the best of the two as they found a door in the crated room and looked, finding a J shaped tunnel and a swarm of rats skittering to them. Kendry fired his gun and quickly dispatched them as Jambert followed and searched from behind wooden boxes, putting another large weapon in his bag as Ken went the other way, finding two wooden boxes and stepping close.

BURST!

A rat charged out with its diseased fangs, Kendry jumped back and stabbed it between the eyes, Jambert caught up and apologized. "It was a great axe, Sir Kendry, you addressed your teacher as Miss. Care to share more about her?" Ken nodded and found a ledge with a set of stairs. "She is wonderful person that saved my life. You might like her, but-" He raised a finger and looked down to more rats, gunning them down as he advised. "She isn't like anything you might have seen, all the gritty... smelly things that use to be people. It might be embarrassing if we meet her down here or in the town over."

Jambert agreed and shrugged as he walked down the stairs, found a bars keeping him away from the corpse of the giant rat. He looked back to find a hall way. "That isn't what a lady should see, a knight covered in filth. But it's too late now."

He and Kendry went down the hall that had a turn to the right, showing a fogged and dread of what was to come, the boy went in first and found a rodent keeping guard of something, he fired and heard the sound of someone channeling something. Two more rats, glowing blue, scurried to him, Jambert saw the gate passed and charged after the rats with his claymore.

SWIPE!

The rodents were slain, the duo saw stairs down a small ledge and saw a wizard channeling a spell. Shooting blue beams upon them, the duo rolled out of the way and quickly cut him down. They found themselves at a balcony and viewed the yonder, finding a wall of the sewer broken down, glittering sun light down the water way flowing to a chasm. Ken appreciated the small beauty as Jambert noticed a doorway to the right. "Hmm." Ken looked away and watched the knight walk ahead to the door, joining him to another damp hall, they took a turn to the right and found a path to the left, ignoring the rat ahead and finding themselves back in the room where the giant rat was.

Jambert noticed something odd climbing on top of the corpse, a red glowing knight with barbs. "Oh, hello, seeking the way to-" Roll!

The knight rolled towards Jambert and caught him in his barbs, puncturing his armor and knocking him down. Kendry was in a corner and confronted the glowing red foe that had gnarly spikes on his sword and shield. The boy jumped back and watched the knight roll to him, he dodged out of the way and went to the intruders personal space, the knight looked surprised, blocked with his shield and had it parried away by flames. Ken jabbed the bayonet into the knight as Jambert got up, he kicked him back to the water as Jambert followed with his claymore. The knight of thorns rolled after Jambert, the less sinister knight got out of the way and slashed at him. Ken position himself for a clear shot as Jambert readied his shield, the knight of thorns slashed at Jambert and was parried by the shield, Jambert riposte his foe and knocked him to a wall, Ken fired at the thorn knights chest, the knight went limp and faded away, leaving behind a black flicker. The boy raised his keyblade in the air and healed Jambert with a cure. Pulse! "That was weird." He went to the left to slide down as Jambert put away the black shade. "Quite."

He followed the boy down the sewer passage, finding a green door with wheel barrels and crates, it had a lock. Jambert snapped his fingers as Ken asked. "Now, may I please unlock the door? I have that feeling something will jump at us at any moment." Jambert shook his head and found a doorway to the right. "If I take short cuts like that... would I be worthy of knighthood?"

Ken shook his head and noticed an odd, crouched up statue near the door way, Jambert stepped across and was jumped by a frantically bouncing, lizard with bulging orange eyes. Ken felt unnerved, watched the lizard inhale and shot it dead. Jambert flung the lizard off and saw a crystalized statue eerily resembling a human, both kept quiet and walked through the door to another hall, leading to a balcony showing the room of sun light. The knight saw a golden sign and went to it. "Besides, who would be there to help the lost soul?"

He summoned a familiar golden knight that gave a praise to the sun, marveling the wonder ahead, Ken sighed and said hello. "No one. Hey Solaire, you're ready to see what awaits?" The warrior of sunlight looked to be smiling to him. "Even in the darkest depths, the sun finds its way. Lead the way."

The two did so and found a stairway down, they took a left and walked past a fogged gate. They took a deep breath in cleaner smelling air as Solaire followed them, Ken noticed something wiggling over an edge, a small lizards head with a rather thick neck. His eyes widened as he whispered. "Guys, there is something here."

Jambert noticed the small head and the neck, the head pulled to reveal an exposed rib cage, the knight wished to complain and saw the rib cage move like teeth. Massive clawed fore arms appeared to pull the body they were attached to, the lizard roared from its rib cage and revealed it to be a massive maw for a chest, it had two sets of wings on its back, black scales and second set of claws on its abdomen, a set of legs on the back and a mighty tail. The trio knew a dragon when they see one, one with a massive gaping maw of teeth that oddly wriggled. The dragon growled, flipped its upper half back and showed more of its maw as it shrieked, the Gaping Dragon swatted a broken pillar to bits with its left fore arm as Solaire charged ahead and Jambert rushed to the dragons side, Ken stayed by a wall and readied Cadia's Light, the dragon slammed its upper half to the ground in a crawl and howled as Solaire thrust his sword to its head, Ken fired the multi laser at it and Jambert sunk his claymore into the dragons side, his sword scratching the scales, the Gaping Dragon crawled, knocked Solaire aside and rushed to Kendry, the boy ran to the left and watched Jambert go for the dragons tail. The Gaping Dragon reached towards the wall and turned after its nimble prey, Kendry kept firing at the head as Solaire charged a lightning bolt and struck the dragon, causing it to howl in pain and flip its upper body up, it felt a sharp blade forcing its way through its tail, it swiped Jambert away with said tail and took flight. Ken used his air magic to take flight and jumped to Solaire's side.

THUD!

The dragon turned, landed and caused a rumble, positioning his tail against the wall and felt beams of power against its chest, it fell over and crawled after the two grouped together, Ken shot across the other end of the room, landed on a wall and flung to the dragons tail, cutting deep into it and back flipping as Solaire was knocked asunder and Jambert dashed for the tail once more. Solaire got up and tried to charge the front again, like one without much common sense, and was snatched by a talon. Ken watched in detail as the Knight of Sunlight was tossed into the gaping maw, the teeth clenched down and crushed prey, the boy aimed at the dragons head in anger and felt his keyblade shift around his arm to form a canon. Jambert slashed the deeply cut tail. SLASH! The tail was cut loose, the Gaping dragon roared in pain as his tail was severed, dropping Solaire and spinning after Jambert.

PEW!

Cadia's Light fired, the Gaping Dragon was shot in the head once more and fell forward, Jambert rolled out of the way and rushed to the dragons head, he took his claymore and chopped the dragons head off. The body went limp onto the watery ground, Jambert panted and looked upon the chewed up Solaire, punctured, yet living. The knight slowly faded, looking bright over victory. "That a mighty beast, yet... still no sun."

Ken agreed with that as his arm canon returned to a keyblade. "Maybe it will show after the second Bell gets rung. Thank you for the help Solaire," Jambert gave a respectful bow to the Warrior of Sunlight. "May we meet again soon," Solaire vanished and chuckled. "May we shall, good friends."

With the dragon slain, Jambert searched the tail and pulled out a massive great axe, the knight had much to search and asked. "Sir Kendry, I... might need to search this monsters guts. You shouldn't need to see this." Ken sighed and turned. "I'll be at the door to Blighttown, that was a pretty nasty thing for a nasty place."

He went back the way he came and reached the sewer, finding the green door to his right and turning, he found a crouching merchant with a horned, golden helmet with glasses. "Aye, Shwma and good day to you," Ken shook off the dread and asked. "How's it going and thank you. Who are you?"

The merchant answered. "I'm Domhnall of Zena. I'm just, well, a peddler of sort." Ken felt the honest tone and greeted him. "I'm Kendry of Radiant Garden, I traveled from far away and want to see what is out in the world. What do you sell?"

The merchant answered with a near childish joy. "Well, I adore trinkets and oddities. So I trade for them," Ken whistled. "Jambert is going to like this once we gets to it. We're heading to Blighttown." Domhnall gasped. "Blighttown, it's just past that door, you stocked up on blooming purple moss?" He closed his right eye under his helmet, his tone being sincerely worried. "I'd advised against going there unless you have a reason."

Ken closed his eyes in a cringe. "We heard a bit of how awful it might be over there, but he was a pretty grouchy guy. I guess he wasn't just trying to talk us down," Domhnall hummed to that. "Don't let the Crestfallen get to you, but he had some wisdom to share. I know it isn't my place to ask, but what are those?"

Kendry opened his eyes and showed keyblades. "They are special swords called keyblades. I'd offered Jambert to just let me open this, but he wanted to find the actual key. That's why you heard... that."

Domhnall shivered and cringed. "Many who go that way never returned and I saw a poor soul breath in a basilisks breath," He looked to the statue in pity and noticed someone sliding down. "I never knew him."

Ken wanted to forget about the orange eyed fiends. "This whole place is one wrong turn away to death. These keyblades are pretty special for me, so you know what my answer to your other question is going to be. They are one of a kind," Domhnall placed his hands together in respect. "I won't consider asking if they are."

He saw a blue haired woman in a black dress looking worried for someone and looking directly at the boy, he asked Ken. "Should a youth such as yourself be traveling these lands? It is awfully dangerous."

Ken was completely unaware. "I'm traveling with Jambert... but he can afford to get killed since he just reappears by a bonfire. I can't." Domhnall gasped and shook his head. "Then you shouldn't consider visiting that diseased town. Madam, were you looking for this child?"

Ken jumped and turned, finding a familiar woman feeling like she was being watched, the boy shook his head and heard foot steps and jingling. Jambert arrived with a set of filthy keys. "Ha! Sir Kendry, we can leave these bowels now once we prepare." The knight noticed the maiden with hint of blue and a blade similar to his companion. "I say," He stood boldly. "Lady Aqua, you're apprentice told me about you," The knight gave a respectful bow, unaware that he was making her feel depressed. "I am Knight Jambert, an undead that seeks to ring the second Bell of Awakening and do something about the Curse of Undeath."

Ken saw the look in Aqua's eyes and played along. "I came to this adventure after trying to save him from some birds. He's a pretty good person if you don't mind him looting everything that isn't bolted down. I been hearing that Blight Town really isn't the kind of place we should be going in unprepared, so we might need to do that."

Jambert agreed with him. "I learned that lesson after the undead burg. Any recommendations?" Ken had one. "Blooming Purple moss." Domhnall gave a tip to the knight. "The merchant that sells them is just a near the entrance to this sewer if you search the nearest building, buy bunches." Jambert took the tip and was interested in the merchants wares as Aqua sensed her student's intention. "But... are you going to open the door or should we?"

Jambert answered proudly. "I haven't carved into a dragons bowels, just to not use its contents." He went to the gate and opened them, bringing a shine of light as he and Domhall gave a glow. Stopping still. Ken knew what happened and exhaled. "As nice as these two are, they are just something this castle made. Miss, thank you for not telling them."

Aqua silently walked past the shining light, Ken sensed anger, yelped and followed, the two entered a white hall. The teacher tried to calm herself and asked. "Kendry, how did you find this world?"

The boy answered clearly. "When I was dealing with people that were trying to kill me. Me and a friend needed answers and this world was around the corner before we dived in," He put together the puzzle of odd reactions and realized a wrong. "And coming here was one of the worst mistakes of my life, was it?"

Aqua turned around sharply and was exhausted. "Castle Oblivion was made so intruders who wander deeply would be lost into oblivion, when the memories they brought to life become too much for them to bare. You brought a keyblade that is partially alive and remembers the places you saw. Places that were filled with death."

Ken swallowed and asked. "But that isn't even close to half of the places from that world or what ever was and the next floor is all about a place I heard, enough about. How... do you know of this place?"

Aqua answered. "I created this castle. Kendry, there is someone trespassing here and he is tampering with its power. We need to get to the top floor and because of that keyblade's memories, most of the castle is like the world that Keyblade came from." Ken's chest felt stone cold, his eyes nearly became glassy. "I...turned this place into a death trap in the worst possible time?"

Aqua nodded and cast a healing spell to wake him up. "And because Garland is in the castle, tampering with so much, I can't just shut it off." Ken felt awake as his teacher calmed down. "But, you battle through quite a number of foes. Did you learn anything new?"

The boy nodded. "I actually mixed aero with my attacks and both of my keyblades form changed. Miss, those are more than just memories of a world full of dangers." Aqua nodded back. "There are people that lived in that world. That's what it remembers. But-" Ken saw the hesitation and helped her continued. "That would have been how this castle did me in. The actual world is gone, those people the illusions were made after are gone. That's...probably why seeing Traverse again didn't make me feel any better."

The teacher approached him for a lecture. "You want to see it again, but in you're heart and mind, you know the truth that it isn't going to happen." Ken wiped tears from his eyes and felt a gentle embrace along feelings of guilt. He looked up to Aqua and let her know. "Miss, there wasn't anything any of us could have done. What... what are we going to do?"

The teacher felt a hug back and hesitated to let go. "It's too late to undo the mess, but we could learn of that world together, learn from it and see things go back to normal." Ken let go and felt it was a good compromise. "Then give Garland the boot. Miss, besides the memories, what else is there in the castle?"

Aqua looked around and asked. "Promise you won't tell any one?" Ken vowed he won't. "It's why Garland needs to go and when he does-" Aqua nodded and whispered to his ear. "If this clue me and the others found proves something, we can get started, do you remembered what I said about Ven?"

Outside of a Power Plant.

Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Mike, Sulley and Boo exit the building and found most of the factory to be engulfed in fire, they saw two spiked turtle toad tearing apart various contraptions and causing chaos. Mike voiced the collective thought. "Oh no..." Light shined above them, the sound of a helicopter passed by, they listen to someone speaking with in. "Disregard Code 835. 72-16 in progress. We have visual on unidentified life-forms. Suspected cause of the conflagration. Code 72-16, over."

Mike and Sulley made the front charge, the green monster spoke. "The whole factory- it's a total mess." Sulley agreed with that. "I know, Mikey. But right now, we just gotta keep moving." The others gave a combined. "Yeah." and went down across the roof, taking out four sudden yellow hard hat heartless that bounced on shovels. They entered an open area that was engulfed in flame, watched a helicopter return and ropes dropping down. "Ready to descend." Monsters in yellow hazmat suits fell down by the string, one particular, a stocky one with four arms, was confident that he and his group had it under control. "Stand aside. We'll get this fire put out, pronto."

BOOM! A spiked turtletoad crawled along as the fires danced, the hazmat monster took a walky talky and called base. "Code 72-16. Unidentified life-form sighted." Sora and Kairi approached the chaos for battle as the combatants followed, the boy let the agent know. "These guys are our specialty." The teenage girl promised the agents. "Get ready to help with the fire, we can't let this spread," She asked Donald. "Are you ready?"

The duck nodded and readied his staff as Sora saw flooding unversed appear and charged after them. Donald spun his wand to form an orb of water as Kairi dashed to the turtletoad and let loose quick slashes, she enveloped herself in water and spun to the lesser unversed, Sora spun himself and summoned bolts of water to pelt the large unversed as Goofy and Sulley attacked its face, the various splashing kept the fire under some control as Donald ruptured the water orb and brought rain upon the both foe and flame, Kairi rushed to the opponent like a spear of water for a finishing blow and saw six fire ball like heartless shoot out from the flames. Sora and Donald fired upon them with more water as Kairi looked upon two grouped up fire balls and swiped a tide of force upon them. Clearing the way as Boo came with a hose, the group took the hose and sprayed more consistent water as the agents took out hoses of their own and did the same. A part of the roof top was under control and Sulley looked up to an agent that was tall and had four arms. "Thank you, you did great!"

The agent saluted. "Yes, sir. We will be on our way," The agents climbed up the helicopter as the group found a door into a building and traveled through, fighting through any heartless they came across and reaching to the other end, with a path closed in by two fences and seeing the helicopter flying towards oddly dancing fire. "Requesting back up. We need help containing this chaos!"

Sora, Donald, Goofy and Kairi sweated at the word chaos and crossed over to a wider space with pipes, finding purple flames dancing around equipment and laughing merrily. Kairi squinted her eyes and gasped. "Not here." She shook her head, turned to Mike and Sulley as they caught up and found Boo seeing the flaming images for what they are. The toddler hid behind Sulley with a whimper and the teenager girl readied her keyblade. "Sulley, keep Boo safe. These things a greater danger."

Sulley position Boo somewhere that the strange creatures wouldn't charge as Mike felt his spine shivering. "These things give me the creeps, what's going on?" Sora didn't want to speak of it as a flame took into a more corporeal form. A pale purple hermaphrodite like demon, with upward curved horns, an elegant black dress a small staff with two masks and four sets of arms, two upper that looked normal and two that had claws, the demon noticed the four and giggled. "Oh me oh my," It placed its normal hand on its forehead and leaned back dramatically. "The heroes seek to despoil our waltz once more," It caught itself with its claws, pushed itself back to position and pointed to them in a dance. "Halt them forever more."

The surrounding flames distorted and took the form of two hordes of ten daemonettes, along with three mix and matched fiends that caused Kairi to shiver. Sora, Donald and Goofy looked upon the fiends features and stood in front of the Princess, Donald asked loudly. "This is what you fought a while ago?"

Kairi nodded as the daemonette horde sprinted. "When an egotistical man was causing problems. Do we need to talk about this now?"

Goofy shook his head and flung his shield at the left most horde of daemonettes like a boomerang, causing three to dispatch in mist as Donald summoned a twister, slowing the horde of razor sharp claws down as he and Kairi felt their bodies moving to a dance with the Masque leading the forces. Breaking them from their usual pose as the other horde closed in with the fiends. Mike yelled out to the demon. "Hey now's not the time to be da-" His single iris widened in realization. "Oh."

He sprinted and rolled after the demon, knocking the demon of it its dance and causing it to back flip. Kairi felt despite Mike's intention, he wasn't helping, Sora gasped to an idea and gave a spun as he slammed his keyblade and swatted four of the daemonette horde away, Kairi flipped forward and thrust forward, dispatching three. Mike realized he didn't have much of a plan thought out as the Masque stepped forward and sprinted after him with its claws. The monster rolled back to a guarding Sulley and stood up, the larger monster readied something fierce as the demon gave an elegant flip for an attack. He gave a fierce roar to the daemons face, caused it to gasp, step back and exposed it to a swipe of feral claws. Goofy caught his shield back and charged the remaining six, dispersing four as Sora and Kairi wiped out their own group. Donald quickly scorched the last two and saw the fiends sprinting next.

Sora and Kairi back flipped to the Masque, grabbed it by the horns and tossed it at the fiends readying their claws for a vicious attack on Goofy, they watched the fiends quickly tear into the demon without much of a care. Sora formed his hunny blasters as Kairi formed her staff, feeling like they were in control of their movement as Mike cheered. "Come on guys, send these bozos outta here!"

Kairi spun her staff and flung a stream of golden light, burning the fiends flesh as the hunny wands knocked the fiends back in goop. Donald and Goofy jumped back, the shield bearer aimed at the disoriented fiends as Donald enveloped the shield with water. They called out to the keybearers. "Watch out!"

The teenagers did so and watched Goofy spun his shield, shooting out a pump of high pressured water that caused the fiends to disintegrate. Bringing a small calm for travel as Sulley comforted a shaking Boo. "Those things won't be a bother anymore."

The four travelers hoped they won't as Kairi explained. "Those are Chaos Daemons, something we been dealing with recently. They're worse news than the unversed we been fighting." Mike and Sulley took the girls word for it, the blue fur monster lead the way as he made sure Boo was firmly on his back. "Come on, we got to get to the vault before this gets worse."

The others followed towards a narrow building of the access way, finding four pogo shovels bouncing more than expected and two flutterwing heartless that seemed drawn to something, obviously it was towards the scent of the daemons of Slaanesh. They were unceremoniously dispatched as they found a ledge high above, yet no stairs. Kairi snapped her fingers to an idea and asked. "Sora, could you run up there? I think we can make a set of stairs for everyone else."

Sora blinked like he was asking how and answered. "I... can." He rushed up as Sulley, Mike and Goofy were advised to stay to the side. Kairi cleared her mind of her troubles and envisioned waves at a beach, she swiped her keyblade and formed a massive tidal wave reaching to where Sora was standing. The boy gasped and pressed his keyblade down to help with his own water magic, causing the waves to ripple against one another. Donald smiled, aimed his staff and froze the waves, turning them into make shift stairs that looked uneven, but would work in a pinch. The duck froze up railways for good measure and the girl used that as a way to walk up.

Reaching the top of the ledge and watched the others make their way up, Kairi winked and answered. "Someone tried something like this and made a palace. I never got to see how it was done." Sora was impressed regardless. "It's still cool. I always get a little worried when I run up like that."

Donald heard that and caught up. "We need to talk about that," Sora turned to find the duck and the others catching up. "I know, I can run up here, the rest of you can't." Goofy agreed with that and added. "But we didn't slow much down."

The group climbed up boxes and bags to a no where nearly as tall ledge and turned to the right, finding a pipe to travel on top and reaching the other side, they turned right and found three golden mages and two vermillion, readying attacks of lightning and fire. They were quickly taken out, they traveled right again and across a cat walk that spiraled on top of a tower. A helicopter flew up to a drop way and shined the light to a ware house. "The door vault is this way," Sora understood and walked to the edge of a drop. "We can drop down from here." Kairi jumped and used her wings to glide herself to the storage far bellow, finding a shining box and using gravity and her keyblade to smash it open, finding a strange box and opening it. Revealing a treasure map of a door vault with a banana symbol. She felt it was suspicious, put it away and looked up to find Sora gliding down with air magic, pushing the air back up and using it to land as the rest of the party landed slower with similar air magic. Boo was firm in Sulley's arms and clapped all the way.

With a whole group ready, they left the ware house and saw another portion of the power plan on fire, finding four vermillion mages and two flaming cores burning things as four soldiers with crab like claws crawled on all fours like twisted serpents. Sora and Goofy went to deal with the strange acting versions of a normal foe as Sulley placed Boo to somewhere safe and joined in. Donald and Kairi let loose water magic on the fiery heartless and Mike cheered for both. The green monster noticed more of the hazmat wearing monsters trying to put out the fire and waved. "Great work guys, we just about-" Pew! With the fiery heartless quenched, two bloated large bodied heartless with puffed up cheeks appeared.

They waddled lazily and shot sharp blue tongues at Donald and Mike, knocking them away. Kairi changed her keyblade into light sabres and carved into the right most heartless, making quick work of it as the left most was sent flying from a hunny glob. Sora had it in the focus and quickly freed its heart as the snake like soldiers laid still battered and released their hearts. Donald raised his staff in the air and focused a rain spell, clouds formed and sprinkled water. Something flickered from the sky and bopped Sora on the head, the boy grabbed it and saw an odd silver charm with a red gem, having a lions paw mark. He had a memory of a particular king and let the charm fade into his heart. The fire was extinguished and the hazmat monsters readied to control the fire elsewhere. Mike lead to a door way leading into a ware house. "This way."

Sulley picked Boo up and followed like the rest, Mike noticed a generator overloading and signaled that they should run away. BOOM!

The generator exploded, pipes ignited and exploded, collapsing the path and causing a chain reaction that the group did run from, the group fell from the shock and flipped to their rears, watching a blue pipe fall. They got up and Mike was having a headache. "Oh, great. This time we're really stuck." The visitors felt their progress halted, Sora asked the CEO. "Sulley, have you got any ideas?"

Sulley placed Boo down and answered. "Just give me a second," He was having a head ache thinking about it as Boo wandered near the rubble and wandered back to Sulley. "Kitty!" Sulley listened and watched Boo point to a pipe that leaned upward and leading into a building, snickering like the others were a bit silly. Sulley felt he was over thinking something. "If I'm right about that pipe..." He remembered. "Hmm! Yep it's perfect."

He petted Boo in pride of her. "Boo, thank you." Boo giggled as Kairi and Sora looked at the pipe leading into the building, laughing with her at the spark of brilliance as Sulley lead the way. "We gotta follow that pipe." Mike asked. "What?! Wait a sec. I thought we were going straight to the door vault," He pointed to the path. "The only place that pipe leads is to the cooling tanks!" He argued. "You sure you don't have a better idea?"

Sulley gently put Mike to the side and advised. "Don't worry, Mike. Just trust me." He picked Boo up and lead up the pipe and down a long path, leading into the inner workings of a bust pipe, with in the insides of a cooling tank with a door. A parasite infested, blue spiked toad fell from the ceiling and deflated for battle as six daemonettes on strange beasts appeared. Kairi glowed and flung a lily of light and water at the demons, causing two of them to sizzle and fade away. Sora and Sulley jumped out of the way of the frog slapping its whiskers, the boy focused on the unversed, its parasites and the daemons that clawed at Goofy and Mike in sadistic vigor. His fur shifted to yellow and his keyblade turned into a hunny blasters, he jumped high above and directly from over head, fired down a tornado of honey wands upon the foes, two more of the daemons vanished and gave Donald the chance to freeze another back into the warp. The remaining daemon howled like it was being denied and vaporized in instability, the toad's parasites spit upon Goofy and Mike as the host inflated and tried to perform a flying press on Kairi. The girl back flipped, focused upon it and aimed her keyblade to form a five petal blue flower, shooting it in point black range and making it regret its existence. It inhaled at her in spite, the girl rushed out of the way with a trail of water as Donald cast a group heal. Sora and Sulley attacked the unversed by the sides of its cheeks and quickly dispatched it.

With danger averted, Sulley went to the door and Boo followed. The monster spoke as he tried to pull the sliding door to the side. "I'm sure Maintenance hasn't finished patching it up." He yanked the door loose and put it to the side, leading the group. "This way."

Boo giggled as she and the others followed, Mike realized he was about to be proven wrong for arguing. He found himself in a familiar place. "Wait a second." He looked around to find the outer building of a storage facility. "It's the door vault!" Sulley turned to him and calmly asked. "Yep. What'd I tell ya?"

Mike had his hands at his hips and pretended to be sarcastic. "Sure, nice job, Sull. Seriously, if I didn't know any better..." He approached and revealed his true meaning. "I'd say you actually ran the place."

Sulley appreciated the compliment. "Thanks Mikey. Alright, it's not much farther." He picked up Boo once more and jumped down a ledge with the group. A swarm of six flooding unversed, appeared in an alley way leading to the right, the group readied to keep fighting the forces of darkness.

In Castle Oblivion.

Aqua finished explaining and asked Ken. "Now do you see why I was livid earlier?" The boy nodded and went to the door. "Because in this castle, someone very important to you is suspended even from time. Sorry for making such a big mess while someone else is messing things up." He opened the door as his teacher was calm to him. "If I had a better time to tell you, Kairi and the others sooner, I would have and this might have never happened."

The two entered and found themselves on a wooden road built over an abyss, finding Jambert circling around a fat, infested barbarian, stabbing it in the back with a fortified claymore and kicking it into the abyss. He heard something, looked towards a path and backed away from a swarm of five zombies that barely looked human, rabid, infested, ghoulish beasts. He slashed them three at a time, hurled them off the bridge and avoided attempts at grappling from the other two. Aqua shot a fire ball at the left most ghoul as Ken shot a fire ball of his own at the right most, the ghouls snarled and flailed wildly as Jambert sliced the right most in two and stabbed the left in the back. The knight turned to the two eagerly. "I was never expecting roses, ready for a descent?"

Ken nodded, dismissed his burning keyblade and held his gun like blade with both hand. "We don't need more of these things seeing us," Jambert agreed with that and advised. "Perhaps we should reserve the light for... when we know a ghoul isn't going come and try to make jerky out of us?" he stepped forward and found not one, but two fat barbarians noticing him and readying massive clubs, it looked like a sharp prick hit him by the wrist. Aqua noticed another dart coming from the upper right, Jambert was pricked again as he tricked the barbarians into lining up side by side, he cringed in pain and was gasping. Ken noticed the direction and fired, a hot beam pressed against a wrecked wooden wall and shot through a darkly clad zombie with a blow dart, causing it to fall over dead as Jambert rolled back from the clubs, took a purple moss with flowers, pulled his helmet lid up and bit into it. The barbarians waddled to him for another attack, with their backs against a wall, Aqua wanted to curse and kept close, tricking them into attacking and back flipping, she and the knight rushed in to attack, slashed at both and backed away as the barbarians swung to them.

Ken gave a glow of fire and shot above the undead foes, causing a small sun of fire to shine and rain down four fire balls on them. The barbarians grunted pitifully as they smouldered and collapsed. Jambert smiled back to the boy as Aqua advised against his suggestion. "These things live in the darkness and while they would see light miles away, they would find us anyways. If another sniper is in this town," She cringed in imagining as Ken saluted to both. "I got them when I find them."

Jambert sighed and confessed. "So perhaps I am... over thinking this. We have still taken our first step into a dark domain, survival is important." The key bearers understood and let the knight travel towards a set of ladders, finding another ghoul rushing at him and another trying to hit him prone with a hunk of a dead human that was partially eaten. Jambert rolled back and focused on the one with a larger weapon, Aqua vomited as Ken shot the ghoul Jambert was focusing on, letting the knight deal with his gnarly foe in peace. He saw a small gate with a doorway that had a ladder as Ken summoned his burning blade once more. "Perhaps we can have a better view bellow. Don't doddle behind."

He went past the gate and climbed down as the key bearers followed and found themselves to a gate with a set of stairs leading up, they found Jambert attacking one of three ghouls on a bridge way to a left most door. The one furthest towards them noticed the boy and sprinted after him, Aqua flung a fire slash and sent it's scorching carcass to the cave bellow. Ken rushed after the other ghoul with both keyblades and stabbed it in the back, he flung it across to a ledge with two ghouls fighting over a dead corpse, knocking them off and sending them falling. Jambert finished his foe and found ladders past the door, he was taken aback and traveled down, giving Ken a moment to ask his teacher. "This is... how we are not really going down? Despite what we are seeing?"

Aqua nodded and went ahead to see the sight of a large stone bridge way, built from the swamp bellow, all the way to the top of the mountains, a bright light shining upon the darkened, blighted town. "This is a memory of the town and of that knights descent. There has to be a point for him coming here," Ken nodded back and looked at the scenery. "To figure out the fate of the undead and ring the Bells of Awakening. One was at the Parish, the other is all the way down here."

Student and teacher went past the door together and watched Jambert rushing a ghoul through, jumping over a ledge and landing to pick something up, the key bearers followed him as he felt relief to a sight. "It was a rude entry, but we are half way down by the looks of it," Ken looked across to find a wooden floor bellow, leading to a wooden gate with a stone bridge behind. "I... guess so."

Jambert coughed and made a leap of faith, the key bearers heard numerous growling down bellow and jumped after the knight, who was backing away, the student and teacher turned around and found half a dozen ghouls crawling after them and pouncing. The duo jumped back to the knight and heard growling from behind. Aqua heard clanking of armor and looked to her left to find two ghouls coming for her. Ken saw one coming for him and shot its head off. Jambert took out a fire bomb and hurled it at the five ghoul horde to get them to back away. Aqua attempted to swing and was grappled by one of the ghouls that tried to clamp its jaw on her shoulder. She glowed and pulsed light energy to knock the ghouls off. Jambert rushed at the five and swung, killing three and giving the key bearers time to shoot a fire ball together and finish the horde. With one danger averted, the group of three went past the gate and found a bonfire on a stone bridge. Jambert went to light it up and sit down for a moment. Ken sat down next to the knight and looked down to the swamp. "That wasn't too bad, but sheesh."

Aqua agreed and relaxed. "What has happened to this place to make it so... wretched?" Jambert didn't wish to know. "This goes beyond hollows, my dear, this must be the slum of the burg. Where the unwanted must have found squalor in between... a sewer and the swamp bellow."

Ken rolled his eyes. "And then all this undead stuff happened. It's why these guys are pretty savage and... gross," Aqua wondered. "This is one of the most miserable places I have been. Would we be leaving this behind if we make it to the swamp? Or are they hiding from something there?"

Jambert looked back and dreaded. "What could have forced them all to chose this life?" He felt rested enough and stood up. "*Huff* What has happened is far in the past, what matters is getting to the bell. If there is a survivor in all of this, then we should consider getting him... or her, to safety." Aqua cringed as she got up. "But we shouldn't count on that."

Ken got up and looked away from the height. "Those survivors could just be us." The group agreed to keep going and walked past a wooden gate, finding two fiery dogs and a ghoul sprinting to them. Jambert slashed the two dogs away as Ken flung to a ghoul for a quick kill, he felt a sharp prick on his shoulder, felt a burning pain and fell over in shock.

Aqua gasped and found a zombie with a blow dart as Jambert saw the boy and took out more moss. "I have the boy, slay this thing." The Keyblade Master jumped high and flung ice spells at the zombie as Jambert flipped the boy on his back and stuffed the moss in his mouth. Ken bit and swallowed, feeling his body working. "...Ow."

He stood up and healed himself as he and the knight watched Aqua being cornered by three ghouls and spun in an icy tornado, freezing them and shattering them. The males fought their way through the infested corner as the female above was carving destruction and let loose a power that sounded like a squawk, the two looked above and found the wood freezing. They found a ladder to climb up to and met up with Aqua at a gate leading to a stone pillar at the bridge. Jambert was the first to see the cold fury in Aqua's eyes and asked intimidated. "Do you think that is all of them up here?"

Aqua looked back and looked at her student. "I think so. Ken, are you still hurt?" The boy shook his head. "No, but I didn't even see him. That toxin acts pretty fast," Aqua lead the way and requested. "Focus on any ledges or corners they would hide in. Me and Jambert will deal with the rest." They reached a stone tunnel that had a grotesque barnacle parasite clinging with in, Jambert noticed something underneath and found a pathway. "There has to be another way."

At Monsteropolis.

Sora blasted a turtle toad into oblivion with a hunny launcher without breaking much of a sweat, the rest of the group looked around to make sure no enemies would get the jump on them. Sulley lead the way into the door vault, in a vast hall that had a trial of black goop. What ever made the trial certainly wasn't something belonging to the world, the trial lead them up the stairs and to the front of a familiar platform. The goop disappeared and the group kept guard as Sulley ordered. "Everyone look for Boo's door."

Sora and Kairi noticed a familiar lizard appearing out of nowhere in a sinister laugh. Sulley turned around with a tired tone and saw the stilled scream extractor. "Randall..." Mike smugly asked. "Didn't you learn your lesson with pile-of-junk fiasco?"

Randall scoffed and answered. "Oh, I learned a lo,." He stepped out of the way and disappeared, showing the inert machine, Mike dismissed any hint and approached, Boo noticed the blue bauble giving off a glow of an unversed symbol and hid behind Sulley. The blue fur monster warned his friend. "Wait, Mike. Something's different!"

Sora, Donald, Goofy and Kairi agreed as they approached and stopped Mike, Sulley moved Boo to an empty metal crate in suspecting danger. The green monster wasn't too concerned. "Oh, please. It's just more junk."

They heard cruel laughter and turned to the right, finding Randall standing on an edge near a pipe, laughing louder. "Ah, ha, ha, ha!"

Mike readied to call him out and sensed something wrong, he looked back to find the scream extractor gone and heard the sound of an oozing monster from behind, he turned and saw a black lump emerging from the darkness, animating, growing limbs and forming a face of red, sadden eyes and a maw. Mike backed away in horror as Sora, Donald, Goofy and Kairi readied for battle, Kairi said what the group were thinking. "Another Unversed!"

They saw parts sticking out of the Lump of Horror, parts of the Scream Extractor on its cranium and many scream canisters on its sides. Mike felt himself lifted up and found Sulley ready to give him a pep talk. "Mike, time to reach down and let the scary out," Mike quickly smiled and hummed in agreement, he smacked his face and readied to look fierce, he was dropped and joined the group for an intense battle. "Oh I'm ready Sulley, I'm ready!"

Randall rubbed his hands together. "Finally... this is exactly what I need to take over the company. But first, I am getting rid of you. Attack!" Barriers formed to block the groups exit, barring Donald, the group attacked as one.

The Lump of Horror let loose steam and bottled up screams, causing thunder clouds to form above the melee group and shoot down static electricity. It charged through the group and juggled both Sora and Kairi, the teenagers glided to separate paths and landed, Sora focused on the lump, split his keyblade into two hunny blasters and jumped high over it, firing a sticky barrage upon it as Kairi performed her own shot lock and fired the flower beam. The lump wit stood the damage as Mike cheered for Sulley to claw a chunk off its body. The lump slumped its limbs into the ground and caused six tendrils to wiggle from the shadows, hands emerged and tossed fire balls, Kairi spun and let loose a whip of water upon the hands, she crackled and let loose a spark of lightning to electrocute the hands and sent them reeling back to its host.

The group learned their lesson on stacking up in its face and split apart. The lump rushed after Sora, the boy jumped high and kept himself in the air as the lump tried again and again to rush him. The lump splattered against a wall and was pelted by fire balls from Kairi and Donald, Sora kept his hunny blasters in form and fired upon the monster. Donald noticed the monster inhaling and squawked. "Watch out."

WOOSH!

The monster shot a large fire ball upon him, sending him flying as it inhaled and shot fire at Kairi, the girl had a better time dodging and flinging projectile light at the monster and causing it to sizzle. Sora landed and dashed to the left to fire more, Kairi burst in light and flipped to the monster, slashing down at it and causing it to slither into the ground. Disappearing entirely, Sulley felt his hair standing. "I got a bad feeling about this."

The ooze bubbled in the center and erupted, the goop surrounded the fighters and the Lump of Horror took the form of a demonic winged orb with a face. It splattered projectile oozes with a similar face and black limbs grew from the splatter. Sulley felt the eldritch like environment was excessive, Boo crouched in her crate and tried to look away. The Lump of Horror flapped Sulley and Goofy towards a bundle of limbs, the two fought against the mass with little effort as Donald let loose thunder bolts to clear out three more. Sora kept firing on the lump as Kairi carved through the rest, the limbs fired upon the boy that kept dodging and the Lump curled its wings. Collapsing into the ground and causing the limbs on the walls to vanish, it reformed to what it was and rushed at Kairi, the girl flew high and the monster looked up to shoot fire balls, she dived down to dodge as Sora formed his blasters into a launcher and fired stronger shot upon the Unversed.

The rest of the group attacked when they can and repeated the cycle, the Lump of Horror sank into the ground and caused the environment to turn to an eldritch state. The winged monster inhaled and shot out a series of tube like suctions from its maw, the suctions aiming for the groups faces. Sora vanished in high speeds and sliced the tubes out of the way, they receded and risen up like cobras, Kairi cringed and realized what the scream extractor can do. She caused her keyblade to form into a staff and disintegrated the limbs. "We don't need those grabbing us and we don't want to find out what would happen if they do?" Mike over heard, rolled through a limb and answered to Donald and Goofy. "No you don't."

Kairi jumped across and caused three flowers of light to appear, forming light images of herself. She shot a barrage of stars at the monster as Goofy yelled to Sora and had his shield high up. "My shield's ready!" Sora knew what the idea was, jumped on the shield and felt his fried sky rocket into the air, they separated as a pillar and the boy grabbed his friends hand, tossing him at the winged horror and knocking it back into the ground with the force of a falling shield.

The tubes sank into the darkness along with the hands, the Lump reemerged, knocked Goofy back and stuck its machine like tongues out, coiling one around Goofy, then to Mike and Donald. It felt the burning light from Kairi and shot one of its tongues at her, Kairi caused a sand castle tower to appear, raise her high to the air and caused her duplicates to appear with her, they raised their weapons to the center as the tongue coiled after her and caused an orb of light to form, tearing into the Lump and causing to recoil as Sora and Sulley stood side by side. The two gave a roar together as the boy readied his keyblade for a downward slam, causing a horned head of light to emerge from the ground and readied rows of teeth, chomping at the lump and leaving its forehead exposed. Sora rushed to it and impaled the bauble, cracking it open and causing the lump to swell, it gurgled and collapsed, causing the parts of the scream extractor to fall with the boy and let the snared group go.

Sora felt something scurrying towards the wreckage and was shoved out of the way, finding Randall appearing before him and yelling to the machine. "WHY!?"

He kicked the machine as Mike noticed a wooden door with a purple glow and Kairi's eyes glowing pink. The green monster grunted to Sulley and tried to wordlessly explain what to do, Sulley didn't get it and Mike imitated a growl, something Sulley did understood, he noticed Kairi with her eyes glowing pink and skittering behind a distracted Randall. He signaled to Mike it might not be necessary and went to the crate to get Boo, Mike wondered why as Donald and Goofy noticed, the duck tried to say something and was silence by his partner. Sora noticed the tranquil fury, keep quiet and watched as Randall heard a faint click, the villain turned around and saw an insect like monster with an otherworldly glow, opening her maw of razor sharp teeth, revealing the mandibles with in her cheeks, extending far as her tongue stuck out to compliment the sudden shock, she gave off a shriek and readied to bash Randall with the hilt of her keyblade.

Causing the lizard's scales to turn bright blue with white stripes, Sulley picked up a shaking Boo and noticed violence about to happen, he stopped Kairi with a chuckle. "That won't be needed. Ha," Kairi stopped and saw Randall's fear to be enough as she calmed down, retracted her face to something nowhere near as frightening and turned to ask. "What do you had in mind?"

In a memory of a Blighted Town.

Jambert lead Aqua and Ken towards a route behind the parasitic barnacle, the teacher and student saw how they were going to get down and watched the knight toss fire bombs at the monster. Aqua asked. "So the upper path lead here and behind that... thing. If we take the other path, it should lead us deeper in?" Ken guessed so. "We can make the jump, but Jambert can't."

SLASH!

The two turned and watched Jambert sever the parasites left legs, the knight went for the right, saw the foe dangling and stabbed it through the center, tearing it from the wall and fling the hissing carcass to the earth bellow. Jambert jumped off and picked up a scroll most interesting. "Power within? It's a good thing I met Laurentius earlier."

Aqua blinked as Ken whispered. "He was some ordinary looking guy we rescued in the depths from a cannibal. He gave Jambert a few tips on pyromancy," Aqua nodded and joined with the knight. "You found that kind of magic helpful?"

Jambert turned and nodded. "I've relied on my sword and shield, but sooner or later, I will run out of fire bombs," Ken jumped to the wooden ground and asked. "You might want to find him again when you can. Fire is found just about everywhere."

Jambert agreed with that and took the bridge way down, finding a single barbarian waddling with his club, the knight tricked the foe into attacking, rolled to his side and back stabbed it. Ken aimed Cadia's Light and quickly shot the hulking zombie in the head for a kill. They went through the alternate path and found themselves in the stone pillar, finding a ladder down. The knight slid down first and saw a fogged gate. "It isn't too much of a hassle if something like this doesn't require me to change tactics."

Aqua jumped off, landed and found it understandable. "Something that compliments the old sword and shield, that won't force you to relearn everything you knew," Ken agreed with that and followed. "I had to do that when I picked up that burning keyblade, among other things. But sometimes you really don't have to change much to get good."

Jambert went across the fogged gate to find a set of stairs leading down to a wooden gate. "I haven't gone hollow yet and the company certainly helps ease the normal sounds of growls."

The keybearers climbed down and felt something suspicious, there isn't many enemies. The three traveled past the gate and found mosquitoes buzzing towards them, they ignored it and found two three legged insects crawling. The insects had odd humanoid arms and a maw glowing in flame. Ken noticed a blow dart sniper and quickly shot it dead as Jambert and Aqua focused on the insects sides and slew them. The three kept going and tried not to think about where the monsters came from, finding themselves moments from entering a swamp. Three of the chaotic insects crawled from bellow the wood and attempted to attack in large numbers, Ken let loose wind magic and yelled out. "Bringing the storm." Jambert and Aqua rolled left and right as the boy spun in high speeds and flung a tornado upon the insects, sending them flying deep into the marshes of the swamp, the bystanders watched and saw a stone tunnel with little water flowing out. The knight requested as he looked to the vast swamp and shook his head. "Oh no, not yet. May we consider looking at that tunnel before we consider traversing the damp marsh?"

Aqua didn't mind and flung magic darts at the mosquitoes swelling to spit something out. "It could have something we can use." She made the bold move to jump into the marsh, Jambert jumped down with her and both felt a burning feeling with in their feet. Moving towards the side of the tunnel was a struggle in itself, Ken jumped in and felt wheezy as he followed. In but a few moments, the three felt sick and made it to dry land as well as the tunnel. Where a bonfire awaited them by the left wall, Jambert lit it up and sat down to rest as the key bearers felt an urge to clap to him.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

The knight raised his hand. "Please, please, we were just traversing from that town and into another realm of dangers," Aqua and Ken agreed to that and rested up on a wall side by side, the blue haired woman closed her eyes in relief. "But getting here was tedious." Ken wanted to pass out. "Yeah, but it's safe here,"

He yawned and closed his eyes as Jambert fed black shades to the fire and looked invigorated, the knight agreed with that. "But we are not finished with this place until we find the Bell. I'll scout ahead after searching the tunnel and be back." He hummed and stood up with kleptomaniacal desires. "Unless you two wish to go treasure hunting yourselves?"

Aqua politely refused. "We're good, we don't need anything here," Jambert smiled to that and took off into the tunnel, the woman opened her eyes on listening to the foot steps and looked to her student as if he was asleep. "Ken, Ken!" The student gasped awake. "I...I was just resting up, Miss," He relaxed and agreed with what he heard. "He doesn't need most of things he picks up, but we can't really use it anyways."

Aqua crouched and looked to the tunnel like she felt a crucial flaw. "Even if it didn't matter, one day his greed will bring him towards certain death," Ken agreed with that. "Wandering around, hoping to find something interesting is what caused this whole mess in the first place."

Aqua smiled to him and asked. "But we figured out something that happened in this world. A long time ago, there was a world heavily tied to the flame, civilization was allowed to prosper," Ken listened. "But then the Curse of Undeath came and eventually, people became undead and became hollows. That's how society fell apart in ruins. But how does it involve the fire?"

He shined his burning keyblade. "How does it involve this?" Aqua wanted to ask something back and saw Jambert return with a whistle, the knight saw the confusion and answered. "There was chest with a dragon scale, those are invaluable," He stepped out and dreaded the swamp. "I have enough moss, I'll be back soon." He marched out and left the two alone, Ken closed his eyes and rested. "But more importantly, how does any of this involve him?"

Aqua shrugged. "He's just some guy.. but everything you saw in this castle involved him," Ken had one correction. "Traverse Town was mine, but even then he tried to save it from a demon." He rested still as Aqua arranged the puzzle and clapped. "He set in motion the worlds history. That's why he is so important to the worlds memory."

She watched her student drift away to a short nap, she allowed it and felt an odd fascination as she noticed a white haired woman in black against the other wall, though obviously looking blind, she fixated on the bonfire, she knew a truth that would be much to speak of. "Thou are correct, but it is far too late to turn back. We are in quite the pickle," Aqua asked the Firekeeper. "Jambert is one of the knights you told stories about? Do you know how long ago any of this is?"

The Firekeeper answered clear. "He is among the First of the Great Lords...this is from ages past. But...but..." Aqua vowed to keep quiet. "But... for reasons we will figure out soon, you had to stop." The Firekeeper wasn't apologizing. "I did not foresee this happening. Thou, who art Undead, art chosen... In thine exodus from the Undead Asylum, maketh pilgrimage to the land of Ancient Lords," Aqua finished the rest. "And by ringing the Bells of Awakening, the fate of the Undead will be known. This is why Jambert went on this journey, to learn what awaits him?"

The Firekeeper nodded. "Precisely, many like him came, many have failed. Many had gone hollow long before they came close to an answer." Aqua felt pity and looked out to the swamp. "Many of the Undead's hearts couldn't take it anymore. But someone eventually found that answer?"

The Firekeeper stilled and crouched, the keybearer felt that question's answer wasn't going to have an ideal one. "We will find out eventually."

She looked on and asked the Firekeeper to keep quiet, she sneaked a Gummiphone from Ken's pocket and saw no texts, she sighed and sneaked it back. "I hope Kairi and the others are kept in the dark of this long enough." She felt an inner balance that was tipped lopsided as the Firekeeper guessed with a smile. "Thine students have learned much on their own and with a little guidance, they exceeded. Could there be something thou would seeketh here?"

Aqua explained the awkwardness. "I think the magic of this world works a lot differently from how it would work for me." The Firekeeper raised three fingers. "There are three, the Soul Sorcery that comes from the soul along with Pyromancy that seems to draw from nature, then there are Miracles that derived from the power of faith." Aqua was drawn to the concept. "I'm not sure about how the Pyromancy or the Miracles would work as well now, but I think I might know a way of how Soul Sorcery could."

The Firekeeper shook her head and heard splashing. "A power from the will of the heart, but how would thee learn?"

Aqua scratched herself uncertain, unless she goes out of her way to explore, the secret could be forever lost, the Firekeeper disappeared in ashes and left the keyblade master with many questions, Jambert returned with a large bill hook sword and murky stains upon his armor. He placed down a wooden box and rested by the bonfire, he put the sword with in and had pleasant news. "There is a great hollow tree that leads... somewhere, to the left of here past the base of the town. To the right is a spider nest... hmm. I believe the nest is the path we should seek, for why would a spider make a nest far away from the tree?"

He closed the box as Aqua asked the illusion. "If not, we will know which path has the Bell. Jambert, do you... know about Soul Sorcerery?" The knight shook his head and blew under his helmet. "Not in the experience those wizards know, but I met a youth in the Burg that mentioned a teacher of his a...Big Hat Logan. He went to a city called Anor Londo through Sen's Fortress. I believe me and Kendry seen the Fortress... could Logan be there?"

It was the first time Aqua heard of Anor Londo or of the Fortress. "If he survived the dangers unscathed, he could be traveling there. Maybe I could learn something from Logan."

Jambert approved of that and laughed. "A maiden such as you, hasn't mastered Soul Sorcerery?! What would I call the magic you done?"

Aqua answered and nearly forgotten something important. "Magic and skills I learned from my own teacher. Something that while any one could learn, would require knowing about the Keyblade to use to in the ways you saw," Jambert snapped his fingers. "Shoot, then I'm afraid that is lost to me. A Keyblade is not like any weapon I have laid eyes upon and... pilfered."

Aqua agreed with that. "It is bound to the heart and unless yours is tied to it, it won't help you." Yawn!

Ken opened his eyes and felt rested enough, he greeted Jambert. "Hey, welcome back."

The knight greeted him back. "The swamp is rather treacherous, we will travel to the right when we are ready."

Ken felt energized and let him know. "I am. Miss, I was hearing you talking about some magic that might help, are you sure we should go finding out?"

Aqua remembered and pressed her fingers together. "We... will talk about that when we can. Lead the way Jambert." The knight nodded and warned them. "You won't miss it, but we have miles of swamp to traverse. Thankfully the caustic sludge is nothing like the toxins those blow hard used." Aqua took his word for it. "We can heal on the way."

At a Door Vault.

On a platform for door maintenance, Sora, Goofy, Donald and Kairi watched justice be dispense. Randall was forced before a cobbled together fragment of a door, with Sulley and Boo behind him to make sure he doesn't escape. Mike opened the door and was awfully friendly about exiling a person that wrought so much chaos upon the facility. "All right, and in you go." He directed towards the door as Randall growled and was given a cute roar from Boo. "Rwar!"

Sulley approved and gave Randall the verbal banishment. "There's no place for you anymore, Randall," He and Boo looked at each other like a parent to his child. "Now we're in the business of making children laugh." Boo giggled to that and irritated Randall to where he pointed to the child and threatened. "You this is funny?"

Mike placed his hand on Randall's shoulder as Kairi gave the lizard a glare of pink, the green monster mocked Randall with sarcasm. "Hilarious! The more you whine, the funnier it gets."

Randall nearly blew a mental fuse, gave up, pushed Mike out of the way and walked to the door. Sulley gave his goodbye regardless. "Enjoy your extended vacation."

Randall cursed as he went through the door. "You clowns are going to be sorry when I find my way back and I finally take over this place."

Mike readied to close the door and watched Randall with in what looked like a trailer, a teenager yelled out. "Mama, the gator's in the house again!" A rather obsess woman pulled herself from a couch and glared at Randall, the woman wielded a shovel. "Are you kidding?! Oh, this time, he's in for it!"

Mike laughed towards the group like it was kind of funny and listened to the sound of a monster getting beaten up by the shovel, he turned around to see violence and cringed. "A..heh, heh," He had his hand on the knob and closed it. "So long! Smell ya later."

Mike closed the door and Sulley approached the contraption, if to be certain Randall doesn't return. "And now we just need to do one last thing." Sulley readied his fist and Sora stopped him. "Hang on! I have a way to lock him out." He approached the door and drew out his keyblade, he aimed and caused a keyhole to form on the door, the blade glowed and shot a small beam into the keyhole, causing a radiant glow that caught Sulley's breath. The keyhole glowed and clicked like a lock. The door floated and cleared itself of the dark, it was consumed by the light and disintegrated. Donald sighed in relief. "And that takes care of that." Goofy agreed to that.

In a few moments, the group ventured into the storage facility for doors and found a white door with pink flowers. Sulley and Mike climbed to that door and were ready to say goodbye to the toddler as the visitors climbed on a rail. Sulley spoke to the toddler. "Okay Boo. Time to go home. You must be tuckered out, but we'll play together real soon."

Clink!

Something shook, Mike and Sulley realized the door was moving, along with a red door that Sora, Donald, Goofy and Kairi jumped on to. The doors moved across the rail to the laugh station, they wondered what was going on and saw a corridor close up. The doors were lowered and the group saw a black figure with hints of red and in a helmet. The visitors felt an aura of danger as the figure approached. Sora readied himself and asked. "Who are you?" The figured looked at Sora in a condescending and tried not to laugh at him. "Gotta say, that strange facade had me fooled at first, brother."

Sora was more confused and remembered. "Wait a second, you're..." Sora's sense of danger escalated as Goofy and Donald stood in front of him, remembering the warning they were given, the masked figure snickered and approached slowly. "Ha, ha! So you figured it out? Gotta say, it would just make it too easy if the Keyblade's so called Chosen One was a short watt."

Sora wasn't taking that disrespect. "Blah, blah. This is the part where you spout some dark mumbo jumbo and disappear, right?" The masked figure didn't care and went to a desk with a scream canister. "This whole world... was powered by scream. They convert the screams of human children into energy," He picked up the grim marvel. "And this very company was what made it all happen," He walked back to his position and looked upon it. "It's as rich of a source of negative emotion, of suffering as we'll ever find."

Mike felt a rather substantial amount of guilt and barked. "For the last time, we already stopped doing that!" The masked figure asked Mike back as he lifted the canister high. "Did you? Then how do you explain all these canisters of surplus scream? You forgot to throw it all out? Or you couldn't let go of this worlds foundation?"

Mike and Sulley growled to one of the answers being true, the masked figure had more. "This factory was every me and Slaanesh could hope for and I was lucky enough to find a pawn whose heart was darkened by thoughts of revenge."

Kairi cringed and readied her blade at a certified psychopath as Mike knew who the figure was talking about. "You mean Randall," Sulley sighed and guessed how it happened. "All Randall ever cared about was winning," He and Mike looked at each other with an understanding. "And this guy took advantage of that weakness."

The figure sighed in pride. "My heart was made of one thing that only a god could understand. And the Unversed collected enough screams, sadness and trauma to form a connection." Mike readied to fist fight against the psycho and was held back by Sulley. "Yeah, and the whole time they were trashing our company in the process!"

The psychopath was disappointed about one fact. "But with all this negative emotion given away, my heart is incomplete," Mike calmed down as the psychopath casually dropped the canister like it was garbage. "I need something else that is more," The canister busted a casket and shot in a collection of screams, Sulley jumped out of the way with Mike and Boo in hand, by a desk and out of sight. The visitors watched the canister fall and roll, landing by Sora's feet, facing behind the psycho that answered. "The half of me," Sora turned to find the psycho raising a gear like keyblade to him. "that sleeps...inside your heart."

Sora called the psycho by his name, giving the sound of another talking with him. "Vanitas!"

That caught the group by surprise and Sora wondered what was happening as he placed his free hand over his chest, Vanitas taunted. "Ventus... what a strange place to slither off to..." He raised his hand to Sora like a predator with a claw. "you insignificant speck."

Sora swatted the hand and stepped back. "What are you talking about?"

Vanitas sighed, unaware that Sulley, Mike and Boo crawled past some desks behind him. "Oh, you wouldn't remember. When you were little...you formed a special bond, with a boy named Ventus who joined with your heart." That knowledge crashed upon the four's minds, Donald squawked. "Ven was in Sora all along?!" Goofy was in disbelief. "Is that why Ven and Roxas looked so much alike?"

Sora kept his guard and felt a whole world he was better off not knowing was revealed. "How... is that possible?"

He noticed darkness closing to him and his friends as Vanitas readied to carve out someones heart. "Now, you will return Ventus to me."

He swiped a dark wind at Sora and caused his chest to hurt, much like what happened before, he gasped and clenched his fist, trying to fight through a flash back as Donald, Goofy and Kairi stood in front of him and confronted the darkness. His memory became more vivid, in a familiar cavern with a bold Space Marine confronting Kharn, a jolt of fear and desperation came, Kairi's voice struck out to clear the illusion. "Get away from him, you freak!" Donald agreed with her. "You're not going to do that to Sora, no way!"

PEW!

The dark wind was dispatched and Vanitas readied to swipe. "Stay out of this!"

Woosh!

Dark bolts knocked Donald and Goofy far back as Kairi gave off a radiant glow and charged after Vanitas, the masked figure simply swatted her to the side like she was an insect, sparking a burst of anger with in Sora. He gritted his teeth and struck against Vanitas, who parried back against him, light and darkness pulsed against one another. Sora saw a blue beast behind Vanitas, Sulley spoke behind the psycho. "Made ya look."

Vanitas turned around and met the roar of a beast and stepped back, causing him to drop his keyblade and to be grappled. Mike covered Boo's eyes during the scare as Sulley picked Vanitas up and saw doors arriving.

The masked demon ordered. "Urg. Let me go!"

Mike waved to the CEO towards the closest door. "Over here Sulley!"

The CEO ran to the door and found it leading to a stand up show that had an odd puppet like bear with a brown hat, before a clapping crowd as he held a rubber duck. "I'm going to need some assistance for my Bernie impression." FLING! Sulley hurled Vanitas into the door, Vanitas landed right before the bear that was more than pleased, the bear turned to face Sulley and cheerfully thank him. "Oh thank you. Wocka! Wocka!"

Sulley didn't mind it and ordered Mike. "Close it! Quick!"

Mike closed it and Sulley grabbed the door, Mike opened another, finding a frozen cave. Sulley tossed the door into that one. Mike slammed it and opened another door to find an odd tea party being hosted by a man in all mostly a red and black suit, complimented by a matching mask. The man gasped flamboyantly and stopped his conversation with a short, angry looking man in yellow that was strapped to a chair. "Oh my, is there really a monster in the closet?!"

Sulley hurled the previous door in, closed it with a feeling of awkwardness and took the door into the last one, a simple shack with a middle aged man in a white shirt and blue pair of under wear. The man was on a chair watching t.v, showing a large red fez with the image of a fish, he looked at Sulley in astonishment. "Woah, woah, a is that a monster in the closet... holding a closet?"

Sulley awkwardly tossed the door in and closed it. He put the closet in a wood chipper and watched the machine do its work. Guaranteeing that Vanitas won't be getting back easily. Mike and Sulley high fived each other, then high fived Boo. They heard two teenagers laughing in amusement and a boy saying. "That.. ha, was awesome!"

The three turned to find Sora with a concussed Kairi, Donald and Goofy. The mage sighed. "Thank you!" Goofy agreed to that. "We ow ya!" Kairi agreed with that. "Nice quick thinking."

Sulley disagreed. "No, we should be thanking you. We never woulda managed to get Boo this far if you hadn't come along to help," Mike pointed his thumb to the white door with flowers. "And finally, we found her door."

Boo laughed in joy as Sora approached her and crouched. "Boo, I know how excited you were to come play with Mike and Sulley. Sorry we dragged you into this." Donald warned the boy. "Watch it! You're going to scare her with that face!"

Sora wasn't amused and argued. "Hey, you were way scarier," Goofy didn't wish to ruin the scare contest. "Gwarsh, I think the three of us combined wouldn't be nearly as scary as Kairi," The princess had her hands at her hips in pride as Boo simply nodded, what ever she heard was enough to scare a monster that had been scaring her for a while, she imitated a roar in respect towards Kairi. Mike shivered in mutual thought. "That would have been one for the records."

Sulley agreed and asked the toddler. "Okay, Boo. Time to go." Boo puffed her cheeks and pressed her fingers together. "Kitty..." Mike promised the girl. "We'll catch up soon kid." Boo cheerfully said her goodbyes to the green monster. "Mike Wazowski!"

Mike and Donald yelped, Boo went to hug Mike goodbye. The green monster smiled and petted her head. "I'll see ya kid."

Boo let go and held onto Sulley by his finger, who guided her to the door and readied to open it. The visitors called for the girls attention. "Boo!" Boo turned around to find the monsters covering their faces, they revealed goofy expressions as they gave their goodbye. "So looong!"

Boo laughed to the good will of new friends.

In a fetid swamp.

Ken summoned a wall of fog to distract bolder rolling barbarians as Aqua and Jambert sprinted to the webbed land. The knight panicked. "Oh, no, no, no, no!"

The adults reached the land as Ken made his jump and saw three boulders flung his way, he and Aqua made a dash and left Jambert to run from the heavy bombardment. They reached a burrow and ran in, Aqua gave off a heal and spun her finger next to her head, Jambert agreed with that. "*Huff* Everything in this swamp seeks our death, especially cannibals. Now," He turned to find a group of humans with pulsing spider eggs on their back, giving praise to something, the knight kept caution and traveled to a fogged gate. The key bearers pushed through with in, finding the depths of a spiders lair. Ken squinted his eyes and saw the edge of the tower. "There it is, that's where the Bell is."

The trio noticed something was coming, an unsightly monster that caught Aqua off guard. A large, flaming, demonic spider with a hissing maw, on top of the spiders head looked to be something or someone merged. Long, talon like hands, the right hand held a flaming sword, the form looked like that of a woman. Jambert was staring at the odd form and was trying to stay a gentlemen as Ken saw more, a smooth looking stomach, long black hair and two strips of hair covering the woman's chest. The boy tried to look away as Aqua saw the feminine, elegant face looking upon Jambert and giving a sadistic smile, the key blade master called it out. "And she's making this her web."

The woman on top pressed her free hand on top of the spiders head and had it dash after them. Jambert charged directly after her as Ken dismissed his burning keyblade and kept a distant right to shoot. Aqua dashed to the monsters left and readied an ice spell, the spider jumped after Jambert and spewed lava from its maw, the knight rolled to the right as the woman turned to Aqua and raised her hand up, causing pillars of lava to erupt in front of the Keyblade Master, stopping what would have been an attack. The spider took the damage from Jambert's claymore and spit a glob of lava at Kendry, the boy growled and sprinted out of the way, the spider turned to the knight and the Chaos Witch glowed her blade bright, she swung after Jambert with clear intention to kill.

Jambert rolled out of the swing and run in between the lava puddles as Ken aimed and fired at the spiders abdomen. Aqua rushed to the spiders rear and slashed, causing the Chaos Witch to grit her teeth and slump to the spider, the spider glowed and burst into fire, scorching Aqua and sending her flying back, the keyblade master back flipped and felt the burn, having to heal herself as the Witch looked upon Kendry with frustration and readied a massive fire ball. The boy gasped and kept running towards his teacher, the Witch shook her head and saw Jambert try to charge her again, she tossed the fire ball at the knight that rolled out of the blast, the ball made impact to the ground and caused lava to heat. The knight sprinted past her and had his back towards stable ground, he gave slashes to the spiders face when he can as Aqua noticed something odd. "Why... is she so focused on him?"

Ken had no idea and aimed a clear shot at the woman. "What ever the reason, she is going to kill him if we don't do something," Jambert tried to let the boy know. "I have her under control, but please come up with a plan."

The witch looked at the other two intruders and saw the aimed keyblade let loose light, shooting her in the stomach and causing her to kneel over. Aqua jumped on the spiders head and readied a strike with an icy glow, hitting the Chaos Witch in the head and causing her to parry with her burning blade. The witch gritted her teeth and pressed her hand on the spiders head, Aqua back flipped as Jambert made a run for it.

BOOM!

The spider leaped after them and spewed lava at Ken, the boy jumped out of the way as the melee oriented fighters struck the spiders sides, Ken stood by the stairway and noticed the witch attacking back in a desperate frenzy. He aimed at the witch's stomach and fired, the witch let her spider roar and breathed lava all around.

STAB!

Jambert jabbed his sword into the spiders throat and caused the witch on top to look glassy eyed, she swung her blade pitifully as Aqua shot an ice spell, causing the witch to shiver as her spider bled. Both collapsed, the spider gave a death hiss as the witch fell limp. Victory was achieved, yet the key bearers didn't feel right.

Jambert exhaled and saw something flicker from the witch's bosom, a flickering soul. The knight took it for safe keeping and looked around. "C..Come, we need to ring the bell."

The key bearers dismissed their keyblades and followed the knight to the stair way into the tower. Finding a lever and a hole with still spider eggs, Jambert went to pull the lever as the teacher and student looked to each other, silently watching the knight listen to the bell ringing, Jambert exhaled in relief to a task finished and wondered more as he looked down the hole. "Hmm, what secret is something like her hiding?" He readied a jump and asked his companions. "Do you think it is strange how she is one of the few monsters that have enough intelligence to trap someone? Like those two demons up above."

Ken agreed to that and looked down. "That's not the odd part for us. She cared more about attacking you." Aqua agreed with that and watched the knight jump down, she and Ken jumped with him, finding a red cragged passage way one way, a stairway back to the floor above and nothing else.

The Keyblade Master asked. "Jambert, you rung your bell, there isn't much of a treasure down here." The knight knew that and tapped the door ways. "There isn't, but no one speaks of her. What could she be-"

Tap!

His fist went through a webbed cluster to the right, a tunnel appeared. "Ah, an illusion," He signaled his companions. "Come."

He found a man holding eggs on his back and approached, the man looked up meagerly and asked. "Oh dear... What have we here? Are you a new servant?" Jambert half answered as he saw pale spider legs in the room ahead. "Y...Yes." The man asked confused. "Hmph. But you have no eggs?" The man gave up. "Bah, no matter. Go and have an audience with Our Fair Lady. I pray that you will mind your manners."

He crawled out of the way, he and the key bearers entered a room full of spider eggs and to their right, a sickly pale spider with blood red tissue attacking its head to a pale blonde woman. Aqua felt a sickening pain as Ken saw the obvious resemblance and gasped. Jambert approached the Fair Lady and was spoken to in an odd tongue, the knight looked surprised and the Fair Lady blindly looked at him questionably. The keybearers felt the knight drop his jaw and watched him drop his sword, the knight pulled something out of his pocket, a collection of blacken shades, Jambert looked up to the woman and didn't wish to answer her. He, the Fair Lady and the egg carrier stilled in faded illusions.

A white door opened, the keybearers were silent in disbelief and walked past the door, into the still hall of Oblivion. Aqua voiced what she sensed and saw. "That... was that witches sister? She was why that witch attacked Jambert over us, he has those... things while we don't," Ken agreed and looked back. "And...we saw to her sisters death. Jambert... killed that thing thinking he was defending himself."

Aqua took a deep breath and felt awful about herself. "And Jambert had to make a choice of what to do for the Fair Lady." Ken shivered. "Since her sister... isn't around now."

He felt remorseful as his teacher reminded him. "These are all figments of memory, Jambert was the one who had to take responsibility for this... we just had to witness that," She turned back. "But... even if it was an illusion, it felt too real that we couldn't grow cold."

Ken agreed and asked her. "You made the Castle's big defense that good. Miss, are you sure you want to look around these memories for magic? What if they don't work?"

Aqua turned and answered. "Soul Sorcery, it sounds like a magic that comes from the heart. If I can know how that sorcery works, I could replicate it, if Sen's Fortress and Anor Londo are that important to the memories... I might meet the man who spent so much research into it," She admitted it. "It's pretty selfish to wander around these illusions for something like that."

Ken agreed with that. "It is, unless we can be quick about finding Logan. If you eventually get a reason to undo the castle and make the way to Ven," Aqua answered her student. "Then I won't get another chance. We need to find these memories in one trip or the magic of that world will be lost forever. But... for something more important, with both bells rung, Jambert would know what he is suppose to do and we can put together what happened to that world." She and her student felt the shivers leave and proceeded up the castle, ready to explore another memory of a dead world.


	36. Soulful Mysteries

At a lobby in Monsteropolis; Sora, Goofy, Donald and Kairi readied their goodbyes to Mike and Sulley, the boy apologized. "Sorry for all the headaches we caused."

Sulley didn't mind. "Don't mention it. And actually, it was kinda nice havin' a little adventure for old times sake," Mike agreed with that. "Yeah, the flying and the falling- and hey, let's not do that paint thing again- but nothing like running for our lives to get the heart pumping!"

Donald didn't mind that. "I had a great time," Sora disagreed with that. "Donald, all you did was complain," Donald stomped in denial. "I did not." Goofy asked Mike and Sulley. "Any chance that we can drop by again?"

Mike didn't mind and welcomed them. "The doors always open!" Sulley had wishful thinking and readied to shake on it. "And maybe Boo can join us!" Kairi giggled and did so first, with the others giving a hand shake goodbye, she and group left and Donald had his farewell. "So long." Sulley and Mike waved goodbye, the green monster let them know. "For the record, I still get the most laughs!"

Sulley wished them luck. "Happy exterminating." The four laughed together and shouted back as they went out the door. "Thank you!" On stepping outside, the four shined in strange light; Sora, Donald and Goofy were reverted back to their normal forms and were on a gummi ship.

The boy felt his skin crawling and had the small mental image of a small, purple, caterpillar like monster with eye stalks, wondering what that was about as his gummi phone rang, picking it up and finding Kairi back to normal and looking rather scared for him, he asked. "Did we just figured out where Ven's heart has been the whole time?"

Kairi nodded and asked a bit annoyed. "Master Aqua didn't tell us much of where she is. I hope where ever that freak was tossed, he stays there." She and Sora imagined a complete psycho that feeds off of negativity, being in his own equivalent to hell for a short while, being surrounded by comedy, things pure of heart and having to fight against two super heroes. Sora sighed and his eyes half dropped. "I'll give it half a day before he bothers us again," Goofy asked the boy. "That doesn't give us a whole lot, we got to find Aqua and get this sorted out before Vanitas comes after ya."

Donald folded his arms in agreement as Jiminy written down events, Kairi tapped her forehead and asked. "Let's go retrace what we know and try to catch up."

Ring!

The boy and girl pressed a button and had a video of Ienzo looking impatient at someone and being relieved of contact. "Hello everyone, am I calling at a bad time?" The group halted as Sora answered. "Maybe, is there something happening?"

Ienzo nodded. "Me and the committee finished making a program that would sedate the Orruks, but there is a complication to it all." Sora guessed. "They are not wanting to go quietly?"

Ienzo shook his head and looked worried. "No, despite how we were trying to bait them with the promise of a fight, they are... not coming. I heard that they suffered from heavy losses and it would be kind of depressing for them if they simply fade away."

Kairi agreed to that and frowned. "I know they are violent brutes, but they don't know anything else and the worlds are not wanting them to fight." She and Sora looked to each other on the screen as Donald asked Ienzo. "What are you doing?"

The scientist was glad the duck asked. "We developed a virtual land scape just for them, with civilizations for them to topple over and those to call kin, we just need to convince them to go in without them knowing. We need someone to coax them into coming and despite sending a few that could give them a fight."

Sora understood. "They are not taking the bait. We'll get them coming when we show up." Ienzo smiled apologetically. "Leon is down at the canyon, sorry for taking your time."

The group let him know he didn't and let him disconnect. Kairi counted one blessing of the sudden call. "This should give us time to think about how we are going to find the others." Goofy agreed with that. "Our friends could use the help and this can't wait any longer." Sora and Donald agreed as the ship readied its flight to Radiant Garden.

At the fifth floor of Castle Oblivion

Ken and Aqua stepped onto the floor and found themselves in an confusing situation, they found Jambert looking up in aw at a grotesque, green serpent with a scaly mustache, a human like nose and a large set of human like teeth. The serpent asked Jambert. "Ahh, hello. Was it you who rang the Bell of Awakening?" The knight nodded and the serpent introduced himself with respect. "I am the primordial serpent, Kingseeker Frampt, close friend of the Great Lord Gwyn. Chosen Undead, who has rung the Bell of Awakening. I wish to elucidate your fate, do you seek such enlightenment?"

Jambert asked desperately. "Please, I wish to know what I am suppose to do to free us all from the curse," Frampt nodded to him. "Very well. Then I am pleased to share. Chosen Undead. Your fate... is to succeed the Great Lord Gwyn. So you may link the Fire, cast away the Dark, and undo the curse of the Undead." Jambert gasped as Frampt continued. "To this end, you must visit Anor Londo, and acquire the Lordvessel."

Jambert asked the serpent. "Anor Londo, but how am I to get there? That Fortress?" The Serpent appreciated an observant mind. "Precisely, Chosen Undead. Those who seek the Realm of Lords must brave Sen's Fortress, a deadly house of traps. Many have gone before you, but none have returned. Fate has chosen you, but proceed with caution."

Jambert looked he was less enthusiastic to go to another unpleasant sounding place. "Then I suppose I might be the first. Thank you, oh great serpent. I will be on my way," Frampt wished him luck. "Farewell. Chosen Undead. I remain here, and await thee." The knight turned to another adventure and a white light shined.

Aqua and Ken found themselves back in the castle by another large door. The student had his right hand under his chin and asked. "So that was what Jambert's journey became? To...find the Fire tied to the world and save it, thus saving the world."

Aqua nodded and asked the boy. "But... did he?" Ken shook his head. "No, the world seemed to have gotten worse by the time I wandered there and Benedict helped the Firekeeper put out the fire." He frowned to the thought. "So what was the point?"

Aqua answered and went to the door. "Jambert was doing what his heart thought was right. But was he able to make it through to the end?" The student wanted to find out for himself and followed. "We got to figure it out anyways. Just following prophecies never ends well," Aqua asked, with a hint of interest. "What was that prophecy that Eldar tried to attack you over?"

Ken recited it. "A black heart wielding a false light and a key to ashes would lead the hearts of many into the abyss. Even after I proved her wrong, she concluded that my heart was going to darken and that I would do something that awful," Aqua cringed. "It takes someone strong willed to defy something like that. With the kind of people out there now, she isn't wrong to think that." She looked to her student and wished for him to open the door. "But what she was doing was and she doesn't sound the kind of person that would avert fate for our sake."

Ken agreed with that and opened the door. "And I kicked out the psychos that were going to bring the end of everything, that would have proved her wrong if she was still around. No matter what, I'm not going to let those kinds of people turn me into a puppet," He turned to Aqua pressed his hand on his chest. "I'm Kendry, a wannabe explorer and a keyblader wielder with nothing else to do besides enjoying life. Not some dark lord or anything someone else has to say. I made myself and what I am is because I chose it."

The teacher clapped to the speech. "Well said."

The two entered the door and found themselves before the open gates of a fortress, finding Jambert standing before it, intimidated by the imposing structure. They noticed the knight with a great billhook for a sword, Jambert turned around, smiled under his helmet and waved. "Oh, hello again, That was quite a discovery down there." He raised his sword with two hands and dryly laughed. "I wouldn't say we were proud of that." Aqua looked up and asked. "What have you done to... the Fair Lady and is this Sen's Fortress?"

Jambert answered like a knight with a heavy burden. "Since it was... my fault the Fair Lady is in the predicament, I taken an oath to tend to her aliment in Quelaag's stead until she is healthy enough that she doesn't need me." He turned and looked up. "And this is the infamous Fort, I have journeyed into this a few times and it is like I am against a wall."

Ken went to have a closer look and saw a humanoid looking like it was part snake, with in the entrance. "Because of these guys?" The snake man heard that, hissed and charged after him, avoiding the central front of the entrance for an odd reason, the boy formed burning keyblade and swung a twister of air as the serpent rushed from the entrance.

WOOSH!

The serpent was pushed back and landed on what looked to be a pressing tile. SKEWER!

A log sized spear pierced the snake in the heart, four more punctured its body and caused it to fall over dead. Aqua and Jambert followed the boy that realized the full story, the knight answered. "They are part of the reason, these traps will be the death of us all if we just venture in willy nilly," He warned Aqua. "If you are wishing to find Logan, proceed with caution, less the both of you disappear in this god forsaken place."

The Keyblade Master took the warning and went in first. "Let's make sure the traps are triggered without us getting caught in them," Jambert followed with fear for the woman's life as Ken brought out his gun like keyblade, going to the first room and past the door to the center of the Fortress, a long bridge with axe pendulums swinging back and forth, another bridge above, various metal cages to the side and a pit bellow with what looks like tar. Ken looked up on the bridge to find a snake with a staff, waiting for someone to get close, he aimed Cadia's Light and shot the snake off the bridge, sending it hissing to its death. The knight approved of that and approached with caution. "These horrid things want us to fall for the traps and laugh at us."

Swing!

The pendulum swung and Jambert made a dash past one set, finding another pendulum ahead. Aqua jumped on the support holding the dreadful blades and jumped from pole to pole, landing gracefully as Ken jumped mid swing and shot himself forward. Jambert sighed and kept going to the second set. "You make this look easy."

He sprinted past the pendulum and to something more safe as Aqua and Ken done the same, they were in a balcony with statues of horned knights, Ken asked. "Who ever this Sen guy is must have built this fort for those like that black knight."

Jambert went to the left and figured. "In honor to Lord Gwyn's knights perhaps. We have one more set of pendulums and a bridge before we can explore the fortress proper. I appreciate that you are not just doing this for me, for how am I suppose to better myself?" Aqua answered that. "You wouldn't have, let's keep going."

At a cavern near Radiant Garden's Town.

Leon, Cloud and Tifa looked at Dilian doubtfully as Aeleus was losing his patience with the occupants of Villains Vale. "We're here and we want to fight, why are you not coming out?" Leon sighed and guessed. "They can hear us and see us, but either something came for them again or-" He gasped as Dilian guessed. "We're not the ones he wants?!"

Foot steps were heard and the group looked toward the town to find Sora, Goofy, Donald and Kairi appearing, Cloud heard a slight bellow and readied his sword. "They want the Keyblade? Oh come on."

Dilian placed his right hand over his eyes for a better view and saw a large army of savage Orruks being lead by an eye patched brute and a shaman, rushing out of the vale, followed by slower moving, heavily armored Orruks and something flying out from the top of the castle. "That is precisely what they wanted," He took out a red, bauble like device and asked the keyblade wielders. "If this works, this should transport any Orruk caught in its beam towards... their containment. Sora, Kairi, are you up for this?"

Sora let go of a grudge against a similar voice and form as he asked. "You want us to just stand here?" Aeleus nodded and saw the remaining army of destruction coming close. "You will see the radius soon enough."

"Key... Bashin! Key...Bashin!"

A Warchanters song was heard and Tifa cracked her knuckles. "At least we'll finally get rid of these guys without anymore trouble."

Sora and Kairi agreed and approached the horde by themselves, the shaman noticed them first and took the form of a Manticore, flying towards them, landing in a battle ready stance and giving off a roar. "WAAAAAAAGH!"

Dilian aimed the device and fired a beam, making contact with the Manticore and causing it to disappear into pixels, the teenagers were a bit astonished as they watch the pixels go into the device and come out as a stream of electronic light, flying into the castle behind them. Kairi hummed as the Orruk horde gasped in shock at their figure head disappearing, the eye patched Big Boss glared at Dilian and yelled. "That ummie blipped Beast Chompah, get em!"

The horde of forty Bonesplittahs ignored the Keyblade bearers and charged to a rather calm man that let the device radiate over them all, causing them to endure the same fate. Leon whistled to a plan going smoothly. "Not bad, now we got to deal with the... smarter ones."

A five Orruk Brute squad hesitated and barked to fifteen ard boys to approach, the Warchanter followed and chanted, giving the Ard boyz a moral boost as they charged.

PEW!

The device took them as well and reduced the Army of Destruction to a meager amount of brutes, Dilian felt rather confident and thanked the Keybearers as he approached the rather frightened brutes and Warchanter. "All we needed was for these battle craving savages to come out."

The brute with a club and claw barked. "You'ze crazy, what the zog are you doing?" Dilian aimed the device without much worry. "Sending you to a place you would call home, just hold still and you're worries will end."

PEW!

The six Orruks were taken into the virtual plane and left only one Orruk remaining.

The group saw a Mawcrusha landing with an intimidating punch to the ground, Dragon Hackah stood on his beasts back and yelled. "You isn't going to let us fight?!" The guard felt the plan was near completion and answered the Orruk. "Not quite, but the... almost melancholic nature of your situation has gone on long enough."

The device shined, Dark Smasha jumped back and growled for battle as Dragon Hackah yelled like a child on a temper. "We ain't getting zogged for that! We luves the fighting and if we were able to get outta ere, we would have by now."

Sora and Kairi sighed in pity and dashed to the beast, Kairi jumped high and launched a barrage of light to shake the Mawcrusha off balance as Sora aimed his keyblade and shouted. "Stop!"

PEW!

Dark Smasha and Dragon Hackah froze in time, giving Dilian the opening he needs to transport the leader of a failing Waagh away. PEW!

Dark Smasha and Dragon Hackah broke from their hold and found themselves breaking apart in pixels, the Mawcrusha raised his fists up and flew to Sora, the boy dodged the smashing fists that pixilated in fast speeds. The Orruk raised his hand up and saw it coming undone, he looked upon the teenagers in confusion and faded away into the device, two strong beams shot back to the castle. Sora and Kairi sighed to a task finished as Aeleus suggested to Dilian. "That's finally done, should we show them and ease their minds?"

The black haired guard smiled proudly. "It's enough that the Orruks won't consider it any different until we can properly send them off, they only need to see it once and then they won't be troubled them any longer."

Leon hoped so. "With just a spider and two goblins left, we can finally take back this vale. What did you make?" The two guard offered to lead the way back to town, there wasn't much left to observe in the wilderness anyways.

At Sen's Fortress.

Jambert, Ken and Aqua stepped over a pressure plated trap and found themselves in a small room with a small chest. The key bearers spread out as the knight pressed the pressure plate and ran to the stair way, watching the arrows zip into the previous room. With the trap triggered, Jambert went to open the chest and found a large shard of stone, he put it in his bag and asked the key bearers. "It would be rude to ask madam, but where did you come from? Kendry said he was from a town called Radiant Garden after all." Ken smiled nervously. "I called myself Kendry of Radiant Garden because Solaire spoke of him being from Astoria. It's kind of odd how Jambert ended up in a town that looked... nothing like he was expecting."

Aqua did find it weird. "My homeland was destroyed by the darkness and I had to lock what remained away, I came here because I need to take care of something before I return."

Jambert blinked and lead the way to another room. "It was destroyed by the Dark I heard about?" He showed her a black shade. "I was told bits of it, the Dark is the source of the Undead Curse and someone has to put an end to it for the good of the world. We have to cling to our humanity or we will loose hope when our journey leads to more death."

Aqua looked at the black shade confused. "That's the essence of humanity? Why would something that makes you're being be something like this?" She and Ken felt a sweat thinking about it and the woman stopped. "On second thought, don't ask."

The three entered a small room with a cat walk bellow, finding a snake man leaning to a wall, looking up and hissing. Jambert put away the shade of humanity and went down the stairway to deal with the snake. The snake bit at Jambert, missed and was sliced into, the snake slashed back and the knight rolled back. The two watched the knight close in for a fatal blow and send the snake falling into the pit. Jambert returned up stairs and heard a hiss from behind, turning to face the a snake coming from a passage at the edge of the fortress. The trio heard a rolling of something heavy. WOOSH!

A boulder trampled over the snake in a brutal fashion and the knight shook his head. "We have to time this precisely or will end up like this fellow." He popped his head and looked upon the outer edge of the fortress, all of it a set of stairs, the way down lead to nowhere important, the way up had a snake like mage standing guard of a room. He saw another metal ball rolling fast and skid back to avoid it. "That isn't a lot of time."

He sprinted up the stairs and saw the other two followed him, they found a corridor as another ball came rolling, Aqua noticed the corridor having a fogged gate as Ken aimed his gun like blade at the snake. "Where do you think either way will get us?"

Jambert guessed. "Either that is the way higher into this fortress, another dead end or a trap. Where are these balls coming from?" Ken shot at the snake, knocked it back and waited as Aqua looked above. "Somewhere in this fortress there is a contraption they are using. We should find it and make sure this stops." The snake got itself up, hissed and walked towards the group, forgetting about the booby trap and was flatten by the rolling ball, Jambert counted a blessing and made a run for it. "These snake men are all brawn and no brains! I'll return." He rushed up to the room as Aqua stepped through the fogged gate and found another room filled with the knight like statues and a slit that obviously has arrows, she saw a snake man walk down a hall forward and approach, snickering malevolently and going to a pressure tile. Aqua gave a scowl as the snake man pressed his foot down on the tile, the Keyblade Master flipped to the left and watched arrows fire at the snake that raised its shield, pushed back into the hall as the woman aimed her keyblade and fired three fire balls, burning it down and taking a deep breath. She went back to find Ken noticing something. "Miss, I think there is something down there, do you mind if I have a look?"

Aqua squinted, watched a bolder roll, backed up with her student and felt foot steps returning. Jambert entered the corridor with a new ring on his finger. "No path there, but I think someone is here in the fort with us." Ken guessed. "He is down by the stairs?" The knight nodded as Aqua turned back. "Go look bellow and see who it is while I go see where the hall behind us will lead. Watch out for the boulders."

The two promised they would and let Aqua take off, they waited for another boulder to roll and Ken followed Jambert to the top of the stairs. The knight jumped down and found a corpse holding a shotel, he picked it up as Ken jumped down and found a familiar, onion like knight sitting on the edge. "Huh, Siegmeyer?" Jambert asked the boy. "He spoke about you, I guess he never knew he had to ring the bells. Let's see what he is looking at, shall we?"

The boy agreed and jumped down with the knight, they saw Siegmeyer looking over an abyss, thinking. "Mm!" He gasped shocked at the two sudden arrivals. "Oh-hoh!" Jambert nodded to him. "Greetings Sir Siegmeyer, I'm surprised you made it past those traps." Ken agreed with that. "They were pretty lethal and those snakes never helped, good work."

Siegmeyer didn't show a blush. "Thank you Sir Jambert, thank you Sir Kendry. Splendid news I tell you." He laughed as the elite knight heard the sound of a machination move, Jambert cringed and knew what happened. "You are trying to figure out how to deal with those balls?"

Siegmeyer gasped. "Ah, so you see my plight? Yes indeed, I have run up against a wall... Or a ball, to be precise. I'm afraid to say I'm a bit too plump to be outrunning those things. So, here I sit, in quite a pickle," He shrugged. "But who knows? Perhaps we'll have another development?"

He laughed to that as Ken gritted his teeth to the image of an enranged Aqua. "My teacher might be taking care of that for us and she isn't going to be happy about that." Siegmeyer asked. "Does she understand the importance of rolling?"

Jambert didn't think that would be Aqua's problem. "She does, but she is quite nimble that if a boulder comes, she would be able to out run them... much to her frustration." Siegmeyer felt his head spinning. "Goodness that would be an exercise. Hmm." Ken agreed to that and readied a jump back up. "And she isn't in the mood to deal with that by herself. Jambert, I think we can get back without an issue."

The knight counted that blessing and promised Siegmeyer. "We'll have the boulder go the other way and leave you free to catch up. May we meet again."

The Knight of Catarina clenched his fist, he asked Kendry. "Tell you're tutor she has my thanks." The boy saluted and used his air magic to jump high, landing on a set of stairs and going through the corridor, making a turn to the left and going to another corridor to his right, finding a boulder rush through, he heard a mechanism turn and took it as his chance to run for it, going up a set of stairs as fast as possible.

He reached to the top and found a mechanism facing the right and a stick facing the left. A boulder dropped down and the mechanism sent the boulder rolling, he found a dead snake men and Aqua sweating. "Miss?" Aqua waited for another boulder to drop down rolling and pushed the stick to where it faced the right. The teacher asked the boy. "Kendry, something or someone is dropping the boulders from above, if someone takes it out... that will be the end of this horrible trap."

The boulder dropped and was punched to a path by the machine as Ken understood and readied his blades, he waited for another boulder to drop and roll, jumped on the contraption and shot himself up, finding himself before a giant with a great helmet, unaware of the boy as it put grabbed another boulder and moved it over the hole. Ken landed on the ball and whistled, getting the giants attention, the boy jumped off the boulder and landed behind the giant, he shot the giant in the back and watched it stomp in rage, Ken stepped back and kept in fire, the giant turned and stomped towards the boy that jumped to another corner, focused his gun like blade and had it turn into an arm cannon. He aimed it at the giants chest and fired, the giant fell on his back and the boy exhaled, he found a chuck of an odd stone, force his arm cannon back into a keyblade and picked up the treasure. He jumped down to find his tired teacher and whistled. "The boulders won't trouble us again."

Aqua appreciated it. "I heard the fight above. Thank you," she saw a door way leading higher up and heard someone coming from a passage bellow. "This room is connected to so many hall ways in the castle. As irritating as this feels, it would warm someone up for similar dangers."

Ken asked. "I was told that a boulder might have been rolling after you as you were climbing up, did it?" Aqua smiled smugly. "It might have, but I had a solution besides running back, you have seen Sora and Riku practice flow motion?"

Ken nodded. "You swung by one of the pillars on the way and dodged it? Cool."

"This is really the last of those boulders?" The key bearers looked to find Jambert entering, Aqua nodded and looked to the doorway up. "And we have a way higher up and hopefully be done with this place soon. Do you have a moment to wait?"

Jambert does. "We seen no trace of a wizard anywhere... but he has to either be here or in Anor Londo. Are you sure you wish to venture alone?" Aqua was and asked the two. "Make sure nothing comes to take that giant's place."

She went to a downward stair way the stick faced and went down, the stair way was long and she found a drop to a familiar cat walk, it had a massive hole leading to another hole and she contemplated, potential or not, the magic she hears about is only a figment, is it real enough for her to learn it? She saw with in one of the cages to her right, a brown robed wizard with a big hat, sitting down and trying to study a scroll despite the awkwardness of a dangling, cramped cage. She tapped the lock on the cage, unlocked it and opened the gate. "I'm glad to get you out of there, I heard of you."

The wizard sat up and took a deep breath as he relished the freedom. "*Ha* You seem quite lucid! A rare thing in these times. This place was melting my mind. The inactivity is repressive!" He exhaled. "Thank you." He looked the way Aqua came from and sensed a power with in. "You are a sorceress yourself?"

Aqua appreciated a keen eye. "That is how I battle and I seek to know about the Soul Sorcery I heard of." She asked. "Could you teach me, Logan?"

The sorcerer nodded. "Gladley, but first I need to log a few things first. I owe you a favor, speak with me at Firelink Shrine, so that I may impart my sorcery."

Aqua looked around and agreed with why. "This isn't the best place to do that." She back up and gave Logan a nod of farewell. "I'll look forward to seeing your work."

Logan looked forward to that himself. "There is much still for us to learn."

Aqua turned around back the way she came, jumped up to the ledge and went back to the room with the mechanism. Finding Ken imagining something particular, his eyes glittering in light and Jambert asking him. "She is everything a knight is and more, except she lacks armor. Mhmm. Is it too cumbersome?"

Ken looked at Jambert and guessed. "It might be. But I never see anyone with a keyblade wear armor," Aqua blushed and approached the two. "That is going to be a lesson I need to speak about to you and Kairi. Ana is the only one of us that has armor, but just having it is... complicated."

Jambert turned to Aqua and guessed. "It isn't as easy as putting on a suit and calling it a day? It's something exclusive to your craft."

The woman shook her head as Ken went to the passage way leading up. "It's more special than that and Ana only has armor because of who or what she is." Ken understood and told Jambert. "Ana... or Anatesis, is a special kind of knight that would be beyond even what you saw."

He went through the door, found a panel trap and used his burning keyblade to press it down, triggering an row of arrow traps, Aqua followed with Jambert trailing behind, the knight focused from a thought and asked. "I hope we are nearly done with this place, it feels like it will be a long way back up."

At a computer room in Radiant Garden.

Sora and Kairi had a front row seat of a work with in a computer, looking like a cobbled together, prehistoric kingdom. With in, a confused Dragon Hackah and his waagh partook in brutal battle against a variety of dinosaurs. The violent display became much as Even explained to try and block it out. "As you know, this world would provide everything these savage hearts desire until we can find a means of sending them back to where they belong."

Wanda wasn't even pretending to understand the digital nature and asked. "Meaning the Orruks are gone knowing none the wiser, we can take back the Vale and my men have even less to patrol for?"

She growled as Ienzo asked her. "Until further notice, the threat of this Waagh or needed... extermination, is no longer a concern. Thank you for keeping watch," The general felt she was having a head ache as Leon asked. "But we been hearing about two goblins and a spider, do we need to worry about that?" Wanda shook her head. "Stingy Bites, Venom Dancer and their pet spider are a dangerous combination, but they are easy to deal with even together and one male spider isn't going to get far besides eating pests for a living and that can be solved by tossing a cow their way every once and a while. If they disturb the peace, they will know they won't be welcome."

Sora felt calm about the resolution to the forces of destruction. "They can hang on for a while longer. Is there anything else you need from us?" Wanda had one. "I want to know where Ana went of to, you said she is with Lady Aqua on an important mission, but where?" Sora wanted to talk about it elsewhere as Cid had another. "We also nearly gotten all the repairs done in the mainframe. Tron took a hit."

Sora asked. "Is he going to be okay?" The engineer smiled roughly. "He's more than fine, but he is recovering. You want to get out of ere and talk? You been jumpy lately," Sora nodded. "I'm fine, but it would help to talk about this." Yuffie winked to that. "It isn't a problem for us."

Sora appreciated it and let Leon lead the way out, leading the scientist behind to observe what they created. Kairi looked back with a feeling in her mind that something was off and heard the voice of Namine ask. "They meant what they said, but that isn't what you were sensing?"

Kairi shook her head and found a light bulb to use, she made sure no one was around, focused on the light and turned herself into a will-o-wisp blending in. She turned back and sneaked in the light to hear Ienzo worrying. "Each day she has less to do and less to take pride in. I fear the stagnation would affect her heart if nothing is done." Even agreed to that and asked almost like an older brother. "But is there any place her craft would exceed in? When you acquired respect and power, then had it taken away from you-" his eyes looked to the side in regret. "Or blown up, by an outside force, you would feel hollow inside from what was lost." Ienzo agreed with that. "I don't know, but this world isn't what she needs. What is going on?"

Kairi wanted to know herself with the various mysteries going on and sneaked past the door. Finding herself with in a cat walk, leading to the disturbing hallway with tubes. Something was calling to her and she flickered out of her light like form. She aimed her keyblade to the ground and saw a keyhole shine. She aimed a beam and caused it to glow, opening up a stair way with a faint flowing glow of purple at the edges, she walked down and was with in a spiral way down into the abyss. She noticed Namine looking down with her and asked. "What kind of place is this?"

Namine shrugged. "I have no idea, but...should we continue?" Kairi nodded and walked down the spiral. "I know those guys up there are still busy cleaning up, but they had this place here for a reason. Something is here."

She and Namine traveled down the spiral that seemed to go forever, Kairi looked upon her Keyblade and guessed. "I form changed this into another weapon, weird," Namine agreed with that and theory craft. "I think your keyblade might be finding ways to evolve, as your heart connects with it," Kairi sighed. "Yeah, but despite that... I still got tossed aside, if Sulley didn't stop Vanitas," Namine pat Kairi on the back. "Vanitas was making Sora relive certain memories. You seen that."

The Princess nodded and in a few minutes, found the end of the spiral, leading to a black door that slid open a door that led to a white hall with many cells that had a red glow on the doors. The doors looked chained and Kairi looked on still, she took a deep breath and walked down with Namine, the blonde girl kept close and shivered. The two reached a white door with the black symbols of a nobody, the door slide open and the two entered a room with a design like chains. In the center was a white throne and in front of it were two odd things, a still set of blue armor with hint of grey, seems fit for a woman. By it was a blue keyblade with hints of grey.

Kairi was speechless and went to pick up the keyblade, she felt a familiar scent on both. Dismissed her keyblade and went to pick up the armor. "What is this doing here?!" Namine had no idea. "I'm as lost as you, but you know who these belonged to?" Kairi nodded to her. "These belonged to Master Aqua. This... raises questions... how much do those guys know of this place?" Namine wondered herself. "They use to be from Organization XIII... but I wouldn't expect them to take this lightly."

Kairi agreed and had to juggle carrying a keyblade and a suit of armor up the spiral stairway, fearing that it would result in more conflict, up the spiral, Kairi and Namine heard bickering. The two ran up to find Ienzo answering something in his defense. "It must have been a skill she acquired, but how would I know there was something there for her to find?!"

Even answered with refusal to admit fault. "That wouldn't have been an issue if you didn't consider that we needed to clean that up." Kairi and Namine exit the dreary place, the two saw the girls and looked absolutely terrified, Even hyperventilate as Ienzo felt it was far too late to explain anything.

Kairi showed the keyblade and the armor. "Did you know these were there?"

Ienzo shook his head. "No, Xehanort used that as his private quarters for his research and-" Even continued for him. "During our time as Nobodies, we were not allowed down there. But, we recognize that armor and Keyblade when Dilian and Braig brought him in with those. Ansem kept those guarded until we were persuaded that we didn't need him."

Ienzo stiffened and Kairi gave a harsh glare to both. "Then when Xehanort took over this place and took Ansem's name, he went to take these. I'm giving these back to who they rightfully belong to."

Even stepped aside willingly. "By all means, this is just another sin on our hands." He looked to Ienzo shaking his legs and shook him to his senses, Ienzo stood aside without hesitation, Kairi's glare lessened to them and went on her way. "Thank you, this is pretty hard to see." Namine agreed with that in mutual pity. "Get this cleaned up."

The girls left and Ienzo looked down into the abyss. "He would be ashamed of us."

At Sen's Fortress.

Jambert sweated to the pendulums swinging and the narrow bridge he stood upon, he rushed past two, stopped and waited for two more to swing by. He sprinted past the opening and made it to the other side, to a wall with a small ledge going left to right, finding to obvious pressure plates to his side and two key bearers to the right. Aqua stepped around the pressure as Ken approached a fog gate and pushed himself through. The woman followed and admitted it. "Those last few can make anyone uneasy. Watch your step, the arrows would come from behind you."

Jambert had it noted and followed her, Aqua went through the fogged gate and the knight wiggled through. Finding a small set of stairs and Ken looking over from a balcony, the boy turned back and advised the knight. "Don't look down," He looked up. "But I think we are almost to the top."

Jambert looked up and saw the top of the fortress. "We haven't truly bested the worst of this fortress until we find a bonfire." He turned left and found a set of stairs that lead up to the left. He made his sprint past the first, found a set leading up ahead, he saw a wide open area leading to the right that was complimented with scorch marks and remembered something he saw bellow. He saw a hole in a ledge, made his dash and jumped down to a bonfire as he heard the sound of an explosion.

Up above, Aqua looked up to find a massive bomb being lifted and felt the heat of fire, Ken watched the flames disappear and made a run for the stairs to the far, the teacher followed and the two were in a safe platform. The teacher grumbled. "This is ridiculous."

Ken looked back and agreed. "And he kind of ditched us for that bonfire we saw because he doesn't want to go through all this again."

Aqua pressed her fingers on her forehead. "I don't blame him, unless we take that giant out, he is going to be throwing that at us again." BOOM!

A bomb was tossed to the lower ledge and exploded. Ken looked to his right and walked up a set of stairs to find a bridge leading to two paths, one to the left was broken and needed a jump, the one to the right seemed more clear, Aqua followed him and saw a rather embarrassed blush. Ken confessed. "Jambert really was just talking about knights and that was when things were going a bit too far when he noticed that were swordsmen as well."

Aqua didn't mind and felt her mood lighten. "If I ever find my armor again, what ever you were seeing might get thrown out the window. For an ordinary knight, Jambert was close to guessing why it is special compared to his."

Ken guessed. "It's light, covers about as much as Jambert's armor and looks cool?"

The teacher had her hands at her hips and she tilted her back forward as she answered tired. "Correct, correct and that depends on what you think is cool."

Toss! BOOM!

They heard more explosions and the sound of clanking armor from behind, she turned around to find Jambert climbing up. "I found the bonfire, now I pray we find a short cut back down, so we never have to do this again." He went to the bridge and saw a bomb hurled there.

BOOM! PEW!

An arrow shot from above and behind, Jambert felt the arrow pierce his back. Ken looked up to find nothing and guessed. "And a sniper is above that?" He growled as Jambert ran across the bridge and to the right, the key bearers made their sprint and followed the knight to a tower. They made a turn past a door to the right and went over another bridge that lead to a room Jambert was thankful for, two cages that seem to be an elevator.

Ken tapped one by its lock and caused it to slowly open up. "There is the short cut. We got to be a corner away from being done."

Jambert grumbled and found a door way to the upper left. "The pendulums, the pressure traps, snake men that want to throw you off, boulders, those gargantuan fire bombs," He pulled the arrow out and went to get an orange flask as he yelled out his frustration. "All of it is poppycock."

He drank from it, glowed in fire and lead the way past to a corridor to a right set of stairs that in turn, brought them to a cat walk. They walked acrossed it, turned to the right and Aqua heard a bolt aimed at her, she back flipped, looked above to find an armored zombie and shot a fire ball to quickly silence it. They reached another turn to the right, reached a set of stairs and made their way to a doorway inside. Finding four paths to take, the way they came, up ahead, large fogged gate to their left and a spiral stair way to the right. Where ever the fogged gate would guide them to, the giant above wasn't going to make it easy, they went to the stair way and reached to the top to find a giant with a large assortment of fire bombs. Jambert charged after the giant, dodged a swing from its fists and slashed at the ankles as Aqua jumped to its face and unleashed some built up anger as Kendry fired at the giants chest, the giant backed away, tripped over Jambert and fell backwards over the edge, falling to his death and giving the group the feeling of a fort being shaken up. Jambert was knocked against a wall, stepped to the side in his attempt to get up and saw a giant iron statue with an axe on its left hand.

The knight sighed. "That's definitely no statue." Ken looked to the menace and agreed with a whistle. "A big iron machine?" Aqua had a more correct term. "An Iron Golem, if we beat it, we would have conquered this fortress. Now what's across the other catwalk?"

Jambert wished to know that himself and followed them down the stairs. Down bellow, he took off to investigate, Aqua's lips twitched. "What actually happened here has to have been a complete nightmare," Ken didn't want to think about it. "We can jump past through some of those traps, Jambert can't. It's all three of us up in the fort, but the actual Jambert did this alone."

Aqua cringed and had pressed her free hand on her chest. "Sen certainly didn't want people making a journey up here. This, could be an idea to consider for later." Ken yelled in a snap. "Are you crazy? Why would we need places like this?" The boy realized what he did, dismissed his keyblades and covered his mouth, Aqua took a deep breath and exhaled. "When we kick Garland out and when we find out more about Sora's connection to Ven, the castle this was... needs protection for when the inevitable happens. This fortress is a death trap to everyone, you are not wrong to find this place overkill, but someone sneaking around and giving the weary bad ideas is what started many problems and that someone would try it all over again."

Ken quickly nodded. "I know who you are talking about and he sounds like the kind of person that would. Some friends from the Imperium had to be protective of Twilight Town in case a Chaos Cult sneaked in. S..sorry for yelling at you."

Aqua relaxed. "Then you know why this kind of thing is necessary, I just hope the next floor isn't something like this or we would conclude that it this the point Jambert lost his mind."

Ken cringed pathetically and saw Jambert return joyfully. "Ha! Sir Kendry, Lady Aqua, I found a friend that will be of great aid for us."

He stepped out of the way for a glowing knight in black armor, a large great sword and black iron shield. He sized the two and asked proudly. "This fortress can take its toll on anyone and that golem is as strong as he looks. What do you think? Will we punch him into scrap metal or send him falling over?"

Aqua sensed the confidence and asked. "What makes you think we can beat that thing easily?" The black iron knight answered and pointed to the two of them. "You traveled from the bottom of the fortress and made it to the top, you look like those who battled many foes before and they were much stronger than the golem."

Jambert agreed with that as Aqua added in. "Faster, more dangerous and in places much worse than here," Ken nodded. "You're saying he wouldn't be a problem compared to the things we fought and saw?" He believed that as the knight introduced himself. "I'm Black Iron Tarkus, the heavy weight slayer of the Iron Golem, I want you to remember this for all time as we look this golem in the eye and make it feel the pain of the countless undead it slain."

Jambert felt small in comparison and lead the way. "I...I hope we are not overcompensating," He was by the fogged gate as Tarkus promised him. "We could be overdoing it with just myself, but you have dealt with foes that used numbers against you, why should we deny an eye for an eye?"

Ken gasped and hummed to Tarkus. "Good point, fighting fair only works when the other person is doing it," Aqua laughed to that. "That's how you fight all the time, but have some rules when you fight dirty, because there is a line," Ken listed a few. "Don't shoot when you know your friend is in the way, rescue your friend before running off, be quick about beating your enemy because you got better things to do and don't make them do things they wouldn't do, we got to be sure the problem is done and over with before we assume and playing them along doesn't guarantee anything."

Tarkus laughed to that. "If you use your friends like that and use deception like that, you would lose in the end when you become a monster," Jambert agreed. "And that foolish behavior would prompt more knights, wizards and ruffians to come for you. Are we ready?"

The key bearers were and followed the knights through the gate. The Iron Golem noticed them and swung his axe side ways as the four charged across the cat walk to an arena without a ledge. They saw the burst of wind slash at them. Tarkus took the damage and pushed forward as Jambert rolled to the right, Aqua jumped to the far left and Ken rolled to the left and position his gun like blade. The Golem marched towards Tarkus as Jambert's hand glowed red, the knight formed a red power and put it with in himself. Feeling a burning pain as he rushed to the Golem's legs with Tarkus. The knights struck the legs as Aqua flung herself to the golems tiny head and let loose a quick flurry of attacks. Ken shot the Golem in the chest with an automatic stream of beams.

The Golem's legs were smashed, the iron hulk grabbed Tarkus with its free hand, shoved him to the ground in a brutal manner and stomped at Jambert. The knight rolled back and watched the Golem swing its axe at Aqua, the Keyblade Master vanished and appeared to the side of its head. Shooting lightning at it as the beam of Cadia's Light hit it in the chest and caused the golem to block it defensively. Jambert swung at the Golem's left leg and caused it to stagger, Tarkus got up and swung his great sword at the other leg, the Golem knelt back to the upper right and tried to catch itself, being near an edge as Ken shot again, creating a larger hole on its chest. Aqua saw a sparkle of something and ordered. "Ken, stop."

The boy did so and saw the sparkle with in the Golems' chest as Jambert and Tarkus tore the iron armor. "What is that?"

Aqua watched the knights making quick work of the Golem, jumped to its chest and reached her hand in, the Iron Golem grabbed her as she pulled the sparkle out. She felt a core of bone and the arm go limp. Jambert and Tarkus thrust once more, the Golem didn't even resist and was pushed off the edge. Aqua back flipped and watched the knights look down over the edge. Jambert and Tarkus watched the Golem crash to the wall of the fortress and fall apart like it was junk. Tarkus mentally counted his record and turned to the key bearers with respect. "That was faster than I expected." Aqua looked closer at the core and asked. "Do you know what this thing is?"

Tarkus nodded and faded away. "The bone of a dragon, good luck and may we meet again in Anor Londo." He waved and disappeared as Jambert asked. "Was that powering the Golem this whole time? Is it like a soul?"

Aqua guessed so. "It's...like a heart?" She gave Jambert the Golem Core and approached Kendry, realizing he was observing something. "How did you figure out the Golem had something like that?"

Ken hummed and looked to his teacher. "I didn't, I was shooting what ever I could. How is Jambert suppose to get to Anor Londo? There isn't any stairs or ladders." The knight wondered that himself and noticed a ring of light shining. "I'm sure there is something, I need to get there for both the Lordvessel and because something happened to the firekeeper at Firelink. This is what I found on her body." He showed an odd black stone with a single golden eye, the eye looked down at the ring as Aqua and Ken gasped. The boy asked. "Someone murdered someone?"

Jambert nodded. "The firekeeper was murdered in cold blood and because she keeps to a bonfire of importance, that bonfire isn't usable anymore. Firelink Shrine connects to many places, so-" Aqua understood. "You and those who depend on that place for sanctuary will have no luck if you die near there. Who could do such a horrible thing?"

Jambert wanted to know and placed the stone away, looking closer at the ring. "They are maidens all undead are thankful for, who ever the evildoer is, he needs to be brought to-" He gasped. "Oh, no, no, no, no."

Aqua felt the horror and asked. "You knew who did this?" Jambert nodded, looked at Kendry awkwardly for a moment and back to the woman. "A knight I rescued from the Undead Parish. Lautrec, he is the only one who spoke anything about her during his stay. Speaking of her serving him well for the fire and-" Ken and Aqua's jaw dropped, the boy yelled. "Why would he do that to someone?!"

Jambert tapped his sword's hilt in guilt. "Was it a mistake freeing him?" Aqua growled, remembered the hollows and corpses and wanted to answer. GROWL!

Two pink winged demons descended from the sky, wielding polearms, surrounding the knight. The keyblade wielders readied to attack and watched a winged demon fly to Jamberts back and carry him, one of the others joined in grappling him. They held him by the arms and followed the leading demon above the massive wall. Jambert looked to be slumping his head in defeat over a situation he got himself into. Ken and Aqua found a white door appearing. They walked past it and were in the sixth floor of Castle Oblivion, Ken turned to his teacher and confessed. "Because of all the undead going on, Jambert had a good point that we shouldn't leave those not hollowed to an awful fate. Then Lautrec gave a pretty fishy laugh once we freed him, I knew that was a mistake."

Aqua didn't wish to talk about it. "Was it obvious that Lautrec was a murdering scum bag?"

Ken sighed. "He isn't dressed in the slightest bit of black and he helped me, Jambert and Solaire beat these two gargoyles. But he was in a prison cell when me and Jambert found him." Aqua turned to her student and felt conflicted. "There could have been any reason he was locked up and this isn't the kind of world you should just... abandon someone. It would be cruel to do so." Ken swallowed and asked. "But unless the person liked behind the cell is someone we know wouldn't do something to get locked up... letting them rot is the better choice?" Aqua wasn't answering that. "It's a cold decision, but someone is settling it right now."

The two readied to get going and found themselves in a familiar shrine, with a dead bonfire, Aqua noticed something by a tree to her right and approached, finding a corner with a young sorcerer talking to a wizard in a big hat. "Master Logan, are you certain you found another sorcerer?"

Logan nodded to him and read his records. "She has the air of a great sorceress, knowledge seeketh knowledge," He noticed Aqua approaching and greeted her. "Hello there, it's good to see you're alive. Hmm-" Aqua gave a respectful nod to Logan. "It's good to see you made it out of that place in one piece." She introduced him to her student. "This is Kendry, one of my apprentices in way of the Keyblade."

Ken focused away from the dead fire place and greeted him. "Hello, I'm here to watch Miss learn something new." He looked at the brown haired student and asked. "What's your name?" The man greeted himself back. "I am Griggs of Vinheim a Sorcerer of the school."

He looked to Logan in admiration as Ken gave his own title. "I was mostly self taught with my own." He sat on a broken pillar and watched as Aqua greeted Griggs. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Griggs leaned by a wall and watched Logan stand up, the old man took out a catalyst and asked. "You said that Soul Sorcery and its concept holds similar value to the Heart." Aqua nodded, extended raised her keyblade and dismissed it, causing it to vanish mid air. Logan was more interested and watched the woman summon it back, Ken summoned his burning keyblade to help make a point and listen to his teacher speak. "The keyblade is tied to ones heart and no matter where, it will always be by my side. That is just one I can show you, through the heart we can sense what is with in others, sense how others feel and let loose what is with in as power." Logan hummed and written it down. "The keyblade is an extension of the heart as much as the power you will see is an extension to the soul." He raised his catalyst in the air and fired a spear of blue energy at the tree.

PEW! BOOM!

Aqua focused with in, aimed her keyblade high and caused a blue glow at the tip.

PEW!

A spear of blue energy was shot out, Ken couldn't believe it as Logan focused with in and found nothing. He had that written down and asked. "The keyblade is more than a simple catalyst, so what me and Griggs would learn, won't be first hand?"

Aqua gestured in apology. "It doesn't work that way." Logan understood as Kendry took his turn, focused on his burning keyblade and burned as one. "And most of the time a keyblade works well when in the heat of battle or when there is something to open up."

He stabbed the ground and let loose a pulse of fire. Aqua looked to her student and agreed, she asked. "And this a sanctuary, Kendry... care to help me demonstrate?"

Ken jumped and dispelled the flame, he walked to the other side with Cadia's Light in hand and answered. "I'm not going to let myself get beaten up, when?"

Aqua readied and dashed to the boy, parrying blow for blow in quick succession, Ken jumped back and enveloped himself with fire as Aqua enveloped herself with magic. Ken aimed his blade and let loose a combusting burst of fire, Aqua back flipped, enveloped herself in magic. She rushed to Ken and quickly knocked him off his feet with a flashy combo, the student was a little dazed and kept guard, Aqua had him stand up. "That's enough, this is the first time I saw you do this... without that keyblade in hand."

Ken looked upon himself and let the fire die down. "I guess I got so use to the fire that it was coming naturally. I don't need to depend on that keyblade to win my battles, it's as powerful as it is because of me and then together, we are able to go beyond." He turned to Firekeeper's Wish as Logan told the boy. "That is the art of pyromancy. You draw your strength from the power of nature, it's quite primitive in these parts."

Aqua turned to the wizard and asked. "But for someone picked by the keyblade, that magic is helpful time and time again," She shot a fire ball in the air, followed with ice and finishing off her demonstration with a lightning. Logan felt like he was in a different world. "This sorcery holds different forms. What you have done to envelope yourself in magic holds great promise."

He took out a shimitar, glowed his catalyst and rubbed it against the blade, causing it to glow blue. Aqua felt the potential and gave the same focus, she and her keyblade glowed blue, feeling herself tied to her inner light and having a taste of new power. Logan caused five blue masses of energy to form from his catalyst, Aqua gave similar focus and caused her own to appear faster, the woman thanked the wizard. "As I said, magic is a specialty of mine. You are a master of it as you claim to be." Griggs agreed with her. "His skills are unmatched." Logan tipped his hat and sat down to advise his student. "You have much to learn if you wish to become a sorcerer of your own."

He and Aqua nodded to each other in respect, the keyblade master readied to leave and the wizard asked. "Heading out are you?" Aqua and Ken nodded, the student picked up his keyblade and answered. "We got to catch up with a friend of ours, he was carried over a wall."

Both wizards gasped and Logan asked. "Goodness. Undead or no, you can't stay here forever. You both have great potential. Don't go and die over nothing."

Flicker. PEW!

The two found themselves in the reality of Castle Oblivion. Ken dismissed his burning keyblade and looked upon his hand, watching it glow in fire as Aqua felt the homing soul masses disappear, she focused on her keyblade and gave that soulful glow. Both of them felt astonished and Ken asked. "Miss... I think you found out about the magic of that world?"

Aqua closed her eyes and exhaled. "Although that wizard was an illusion, his knowledge is real. Come on, let's go see this Anor Londo." Ken summoned his burning keyblade and lead the way. "It took everything just to get there. Miss, what are you going do with that power?"

Aqua followed and giggled. "Right now it is two different, yet similar powers. But they can become one. Do you really think your pyromancy came from being exposed to that keyblade for so long?"

Ken thought of a few others. "Seeing others use it, seeing how important fire is to the people of that world and kind of what I said. Was it out of line?"

Aqua shook her head. "If you relied mostly on your keyblade for battles, that would be one way to loose it and that has happened before."

Ken cringed. "And when it does, it's will be at the worst time." He went to the next door and opened it, he and Aqua found themselves in a grand city basked in sun light. A grand cathedral shined in the distance and it was made clear where they were suppose to go. Aqua almost lost her breath as Ken analyzed everything. "No wonder so many people risked their lives to get here. Do you think they would just let Jambert take the Lordvessel?"

Aqua shook her head. "No, they won't, otherwise Sen's Fortress would have never been built. Come on, let's go rescue that knight."

At Radiant Garden.

Sora asked Kairi in astonishment. "You sneaked back there and found Aqua's what?!" Kairi watched Goofy and Donald hold onto the armor with care and showed the boy the blue keyblade. "I remember this keyblade, this belonged to Master Aqua. It's trying to guide me somewhere." Sora had an idea where. "It wants to be back with Aqua, it's been with out her for a long time. Should we help it?"

Kairi kept her teachers old keyblade firmly in hand and answered. "We should, but have you calmed down? Vanitas gave us all a scare and what we found can't wait." Donald argued about that. "But can it wait?" Goofy shook his head. "We know where Ven's heart is and if we don't hurry, Vanitas would find us again."

Kairi felt it was a good point and ordered Sora. "Don't have anymore nightmares, you can't have those nightmares again. Not as long as we're here to keep them out." The boy was thinking the talk was ridiculous and was forced to focus on the girl as she locked determined eyes with his. "No more nightmares. I'll fight anything and anyone that tries to give you those nightmares again." Sora nodded silently, Kairi lead the way out of town. "Let's find Master Aqua and help her get wake up Ven."

Donald and Goofy followed without hesitation as Sora felt the lingering terror fade away and followed, having a blush. They traveled out of the world and onto the two gummi ships. Donald and Goofy put Aqua's armor in a save location and the boy sat on the chair, seeing the buttons give a beep to guide straight forward. The gummi phone rang and Sora saw the image of an eager Kairi ready for adventure, he smiled to ask. "So any idea where we should go?"

Kairi tapped her forehead, Namine appeared out of nowhere and suggested. "It's near Twilight Town and the Islands, you can't miss it," Namine gave the trio a jump scare; Sora, Donald and Goofy yelped, the girl from nowhere had a confession to make. "There was a reason Roxas and I had to talk to Aqua and the others by ourselves."

Kairi remembered the coordinates and thanked her other half. "We can't afford to waist time, thanks." The halves smiled to the boy that was eager to get going. "Thanks for the tip Namine, we'll figure it out from here."

Kairi smugly pressed the button, the screen went static as Donald warned Sora. "We are breaking a rule," The boy chucked and relaxed. "Don't worry guys, I'm sure they'll understand once we tell them. It'll be fine."

Goofy scratched his head and asked. "I know Aqua's things would be easy, but I can't wrap my head around how Ventus's heart joining with yours would cause Roxas to look like him."

Sora felt his brain short circuiting thinking about, felt a ding of light with in and snapped his fingers. "Because Ventus was in the back corner of my heart, what do they call it?"

Donald answered confused. "Subconscious? Sora, those are the things you don't think about." Sora hummed as the gummi ship set sail. "At least not while I know it. What power do we know of that go into that subconscious?" Goofy answered. "The Power of Waking?! But how are you going to use it?" Sora answered that with a wider smile. "I don't know, but we know someone who done it before." He pointed to the yonder. "Come on, let's go find Riku and the others!"

In the Castle that Never Was, at the Altar of Naught.

Xehanort was impressed by the sheer wickedness of the Coachman that stood proudly with the scream canisters. "And you conducted nefarious business like this before?" The Coachman nodded and smoked his pipe. "Yeah I have and the whole deal with Kingdom Hearts sounds like a venture towards some real profit. There wasn't no risk for what Vanitas had that scaly bloak help along with."

Xehanort folded his arms and asked. "And what of Vanitas?" The Coachman had a sinister smile forming. "Oh he'll be following any moment now, after he handles Sora and the others. Right abo-" He noticed something was off, no corridor was opening. Xehanort thought about what happened. "He is still alive but his encounter with Sora didn't go according to plan?"

He turned to the void in the sky. "Go to the dark city bellow, your schemes could be useful," The Coachman thanked him. "It's a pleasure to be doing business." He walked off and sensed another coming, Ahriman arrived. The Sorcerer asked the Seeker of Darkness. "So he makes seven and since they didn't destroy Vanitas, he will return with knowledge of the Keyblades Chosen one. With that, we will attempt to predict the next move. My Rubrics are prepared at my leisure, you are expecting someone else up here?"

Xehanort nodded to the Sorcerer. "With the piece in place, I suspect wind of both Aqua and of me to blow far. If I am correct, he would have been restored whole by now and is lurking in the shadows to remind me of my plans."

A corridor opened, a black coated figure emerged and was oddly friendly with Ahriman. "So this is the big bad Sorcerer I heard about." Ahriman made no effort to hide that. "I've orchestrated my name being known for the purpose of spreading infamy. You found something urgent?"

The man answered with a whistle. "You caught on." He undid his hood and revealed a face with a scar under his right eye and an eye patch on another. Ahriman and Xehanort looked at black hair that covered the back of the mans neck and saw an overly confident smile. The man welcomed the Seeker of Darkness. "Good to see you're back, it's been a long time."

Xehanort asked. "You mean a couple weeks ago? Braig. What have you found?"

Braig laughed and answered his colleague. "Ha, well I don't need to tell you about a certain someone coming back from the Realm of Darkness or Vanitas... did I hear right about you working with the Forces of Chaos?"

Xehanort nodded as Ahriman advised Braig. "Keep your voice down, Archaon lurks in this castle." The eye patched man whistled. "Easy there, I didn't come here for you."

Ahriman politely turned. "Of course, I'll leave you be." PEW!

The Sorcerer distorted reality and vanished away as Xehanort felt more open. "I have conducted a plan to gather Thirteen of the blackest hearts and due to the corrupting nature of Chaos, my... partners are willing to work for a common goal for the time. We have a few complications to remove."

Braig sighed and patted his hand on his partners shoulder. "And isn't today your lucky day, the forming Guardians of Light aren't so discrete about what they are trying to do and Hollow Bastions little Princess left a trail."

Xehanort turned to his partner in crime. "Kairi? What has she done to make this important?"

Braig answered. "I was getting to that. You know some of Aqua's... stuff you told the others you got rid of?" Xehanort does. "The Chamber of... but ho-" Braig answered. "Think, we all know Kairi has a little Nobody that disappeared and caused trouble here. Because of that Nobody, she figured out that place existed and started snooping around. That Nobody knows a lot more than what we think and if an old friend of ours was correct before he went turned coat, she was apart of that incident in Castle Oblivion."

Xehanort snapped his fingers. "And the reason why Kairi and the others are not accompanying Aqua is because of that Nobody wished to keep the truth of what she did a secret from her other half. But why would Aqua go to Castle Oblivion?"

Braig shrugged. "Beats me," Xehanort ordered him. "Find out and eliminate this problem. Use the castles traps if you must and if things become worse, come back with a full report," Braig followed. "Ten four." He went back to the corridor and left the Seeker to understand his foes.

In Anor Londo.

Aqua and Ken entered a courtyard with three ways to go, ahead was a building with a vast hall that had someone fighting something inside. To the left was a door way leading to something and to the right was an elevator. It was too high for the two to jump, the vast city made Aqua lose her breath and she had to remind herself. "This place isn't real," Ken agreed with that. "But in an age long past, it did and it shined."

He went ahead. "I'm going to get Jambert before he gets himself killed, those big sentinels we found laying dead look... smashy." Aqua followed him. "Ken, I'm suppose to be the one watching you."

The two entered the building and saw Jambert glowing red and rolling past a giant armored sentinels with a thick shield and halberd. The sentinel tried to slam its shield down at Jambert as its partner tried to turn from missing. Jambert cut the right most sentinel in the back and caused it to fall over dead, the knight rolled back from the left sentinel thrusting its halberd forward and rolled to the left, he took his chance and carved his server into the arm of the sentinel. The creature tried to slam his shield down at Jambert and was dealt a finishing blow, falling over. Jambert exhaled and brushed himself. "And just one of them was dreadful." He went to one of two chests, the one to the left, he opened it and plucked a twinkling stone as he heard someone coming from behind. Jambert turned and was relieved to see the key bearers. "Goodness, I thought you would have been in a dead end."

Aqua waved hello and explained. "I had to see what Logan had to teach us. This city is not like any other I seen." Jambert agreed to that. "It is the City of the Gods and the capital of Lordran. But the foes here are beyond the standard hollow. I would be careful of picking unnecessary fights. If you go back and turn to the door way, there is a stunning knightess and a warm bonfire we can use to think about this predicament."

Ken appreciated the tip. "We don't need it, I think that cathedral on the other side of the city is where we need to go. Looking for goods?"

Jambert nodded and went to the right to find a pale brown chest with a straight chain. "I'm looking for treasures once again. You'll never know what trinkets and weapons you can-" He touched the lid of the chest and knelt over, the lid opened to reveal a large set of teeth. "Waa-" CHOMP!

Aqua and Ken were caught off guard by the chest that grabbed the knight and chomped on him, Jambert disappeared into ashes and the ashes were swallowed. Aqua readied to fight. "A mimic."

The mimic showed legs and long, dangling arms, giggling with hunger at fresh prey. Aqua rushed to the mimics face and slashed at it as Ken stepped to the left and shot himself to the lid, stabbing it's lid to a wall with his burning keyblade and aiming Cadia's Light down its throat, the mimic wailed and went limp, dropping from its bowels a crystal halberd. Ken and Aqua looked at a green glowing blood stain that was Jambert and heard someone rushing.

Jambert returned embarrassed, reached to the blood stained and absorbed the presence. He exhaled and picked up the halberd. "Huff! Pretend you never saw that."

He wanted to go back to the bonfire and lead back to the courtyard, Aqua told him. "We warned you about this." Jambert ran faster as Ken rolled his eyes. "So if we go for a chest, we might end up eaten by those things?" Aqua asked her student. "Did any of those chests seem... odd, they mostly looked the same." Ken didn't think too much of it and the teacher gasped. "The mimic is mimicking the chests... but it isn't a perfect match. Be careful about opening any that are different from the others," Ken heeded that. "So those with a straight chain and have a different tint? Because the curved chain is all I see in the chests otherwise."

Aqua took the lead to the bridge. "I hope Jambert listens to us the next time he goes for treasure... but then again... that mimic dropped something odd," Ken guessed as he and Aqua went past the door and found themselves on an elevator that descended down "So he is going to attack the mimic for its treasure. There isn't much stopping that."

The elevator stopped and the two walked down a spiral that lead them on a bridge that lead to a tower. They found a stone gargoyle staying still, it came to life and rushed to them. Ken fired upon the rushing beast without a thought as the Gargoyle charged and took flight. Ken slide under the swooping Gargoyle to dodge and watched Aqua jump on the creature and let loose a couple swings, she fired an ice spell into the things mouth and back flipped, seeing that she earned the creatures attention and exposed its head to an automatic shot.

PEW!

The Gargoyle went limp and dropped two things, a shield and a halberd.

Ken looked up a tower with a bridge and grumbled. "Miss, can you jump this high?"

Aqua squinted her eyes and tried to focus, she shook her head. "I could try, but would he be able to?"

Ken laughed. "No and he would be pretty upset if we do things for him. How did it really happen?" Aqua looked to her right and to her left, finding a buttress leading to a chapel. "What about over there?"

Ken looked and saw where it went, he looked across the chapel, a ledge looked to the length of the tower. "Miss, I think that Chapel is where we need to go." Jambert caught up and saw the dead gargoyle. "You don't wish to waist time." Aqua apologized. "Sorry about leaving you like that, but there is so much to this city we want to see. You can have those." Jambert took the weapons and looked around, finding the buttress and laughing in triumph. "Huh, ha!"

He jumped down to the buttress and slowly walked up to the ledge, the keyblade bearers followed him to the other end, trying not to look down at a fatal fall. Jambert rolled off to the ledge and found a broken window, his companions followed and the knight guessed. "Some good fellow had the same idea we had." He walked through the opened way and Aqua sighed. "A bull headed idea, but we don't have many options." She gasped and asked. "But who did this?"

Ken had one guess. "Solaire is pretty reckless, but he is strong. I haven't seen his summon sign in a while." The key bearers entered the chapel and watched Jambert make quick work of two white robbed assassins that had twin daggers, the knight found a set of ladders near. "It could be Solaire, but who else would have made it here?" He climbed up, Ken followed and Aqua answered. "Tarkus."

She climbed with the group and reached ledge with no rails, it had the only path across a chapel with black and white tiles and a grand statue on the other side, looking like a maiden. Ken looked queasy from the fact the thin cat walk ahead had no hand rails, was a series of twists and turns and was one misstep away to falling to certain death. Jambert looked ahead and was shaking in his armor, the worst part of the travel that would make a mistake mean certain death, white robe assassins with small daggers were on the pathway with in the rafter. "This is insane."

Ken dismissed his burning keyblade and readied his gun like blade with both hands. "This guys want us to run in and swing like idiots. Miss, I think I can make the shot to get rid of these problems from here." Aqua ordered him. "Do it."

Ken aimed at the assassin in the center of the chapel, standing by a chain connecting to chandelier, he fired and sent him falling off to the floor bellow. He noticed in the far distance, two of the assassins, one to the far left and one to the far right, noticing the long shot and walked the path towards him. He aimed to the right and fired, the assassin back flipped, Ken quickly turned and fired again, sending it falling off. The remaining assassin hid behind a pillar and was out of sight. Ken snapped his fingers and Jambert requested. "That is enough, we need to get closer."

He slowly went down the cat walk and tried not to look down, Ken waited and took his turn and Aqua followed, stressing at how delicate the travel has to be, making a turn to the left and making a turn to the right, reaching a split and taking another left towards a more spacious platform, Ken noticed the assassin making its move and position himself further ahead, Jambert standing over the chandelier and Aqua looking down to find an odd strip of paper. Ken aimed at the nimble assassin, fired and sent it falling down bellow. The woman shook her head and Jambert looked down. "Could that be a secret of pyromancy, a miracle given the city or a sorcery?"

Aqua answered as she saw riled up assassins bellow. "I could make the drop to get a better look, but it would be harder jumping back up here and being alone in these kinds of places is a terrible idea," Jambert hummed in agreement. "And we already caused a ruckus." He took his great curved sword and used it to smash the chain loose, causing the chandelier to fall and crash, Aqua cringed and thanked the knight. "We'll... look once we find a safer way down." Jambert nodded. "We are almost there and there is nothing to stop us now." They noticed Ken slowly making turns across the cat walk to a ladder leading down to a fogged gate. Aqua kept quiet and took her turn as Jambert took another route. Ken reached the ladders and climbed down.

He rested by a wall and looked up, Aqua reached the ladder and quickly jumped down. The teacher brushed herself and slapped her face lightly as she listened to a knight above climbing down. With all three together, Jambert pushed through the fogged gate and caused it to fade, finding the top of the tower covered by a roof and having a spiral stairway down. He saw a contraption ahead that confirmed his suspicions. "So this is the mechanism that controls the tower."

Ken went to the right and looked back the way he and the others came as Aqua went the other way and saw a gargoyle waiting on a stairway leading up to the cathedral. The keyblade master warned him. "Before you push that down, we are going to have another gargoyle coming if we do it."

Jambert was ready for the risk and went to the wheel like contraptions handle, sticking to the right. He pushed and caused the tower to descend down. The Gargoyle sprinted on all fours and pounced after the knight that backed away and rolled to the left to avoid a swing. He taunted. "I carved out a tail from your kind once, I'll do it again."

The gargoyle slashed at him with its tail and was kicked to the side of its face by Aqua, the woman gave off a blue glow and slashed as Ken charged and fired an intense beam, piercing into the gargoyles back and causing it to thrash, it flew to the right and faced Ken, inhaling its maw as the boy wasn't remotely scared and shot himself to a nearby pillar, the gargoyle breathed lightning as Jambert rushed behind it, slashed his server down at the tail and carved it off in one cleave. The gargoyle wailed, turned to face the knight and was slashed across the chest, it fell over dead and the knight picked up its helmet. He took the axe like tail as another trophy and looked down the spiral stairs. Aqua went to the chapel and found a small bridge connecting the tower to the lower floor. "Now lets see what is really in that building." She went down the spiral stairway and Ken followed, Jambert kept behind. The youngest asked his teacher. "Miss, what do you think that paper would have?"

Aqua wondered herself. "Any of the three Jambert mentioned and those assassins were guarding something."

The knight knew that was the case. "But to do so in the rafters? Perhaps this was because of our friends entry?" Ken felt it made sense as he and the others reached the bottom and entered the chapel, finding a massive painting of a frozen world.

Fling! Fling! Fling! Fling! Fling!

Five assassins crept from the corners and hurled daggers, one at Aqua, one at Ken and three at Jambert. The key bearers jumped high, Aqua went for the three ahead as Ken shot at the two to the left and fired mid air. If the laser going through them didn't kill the two, the landing did. Aqua pounced on two and slashed at one that back flipped. Jambert rolled and charged at the assassin recklessly, cleaving it in two as the Keyblade Master back flipped and let the knight finish the remaining two off. Ken noticed two assassins sneaking to a column to the left and pointed yonder, Jambert walked ahead and asked. "I'll deal with them while you search the chandelier."

The key bearers didn't mind that compromise. Ken kept watch. "I'll make sure those guys don't go the other way and jump us." Aqua went to the chandelier with her student and found the strip of paper in tact, on mere contact she felt her mind delving deeper into into her soul. She focused on her keyblade and gave off a dark blue glow, Ken asked as he noticed an odd thing crawling in the corner, a humanoid shadow creature with yellow eyes. "That was a sorcery spell? And heartless on two."

Aqua sharply turned to the upper right and found a neo shadow appearing with two more. They sank down and crawled in the darkness, Ken back stepped to avoid two sucker punching as Aqua tried out her augmentation, with two slashes, the shadows were quickly dispersed and Ken shot a fire ball at the lone neo shadow that tried a similar tactic, knocking it up in the air and shooting himself to the heartless with both keyblades, destroying it and raising questions that Aqua was confused by. "Those were real. What are they doing here?"

SLASH!

Ken watched Jambert make quick work of the assassins and shrugged. "I don't know, maybe Garland doesn't want us going further up?"

Aqua tapped her forehead. "If he didn't, he would have sent heartless after us earlier and if what the others say is true, those heartless would have looked different to blend in."

She doubted herself as Jambert noticed something and yelled in distress. "Lady Aqua, Sir Kendry, help."

The key bearers listened to the noise to the left, they followed and saw Jambert looking down at a particular dead knight that seemed to have fallen on his back from a ledge far above. The shape of the black armor was recognizable along with a large great sword. Jambert cringed. "Tarkus was a strong knight, but in the end, even he fell to one of the greatest forces on earth," Ken gave a moment of silence as Aqua kept looking up. "There was no way he was able to keep balance from all that and a fall from there would mean-" Ken agreed with that. "And he was a cool guy."

He took a deep breath as Jambert carved a sign by the corpse that said. Rest well noble knight. He nodded to Tarkus in respect. "Thank you for guiding us this far and farewell." He turned back to the exit and the key bearers were a bit surprised and wandered to the painting the guardians killed for.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary and the teacher was left alone to talk. "This city isn't what it seems to be." She turned to Ken. "I meant even compared to where we are. If the Lordvessel is that important to saving the world, why go through all this?"

The student had no idea and was doubtful. "I guess the gods around here don't take much regard to the undead. That's kind of sad, but there isn't a whole lot we can really do," Aqua stiffened her lips. "All of this has been long past," She wanted to leave. "Come on, the longer we think about this, the longer we are going to be here."

Ken readied to followed and looked at the painting, jumping back in astonishment by the sudden image that wasn't in the frozen world. It looked like a stunning woman with white hair, scaly eye brows and layers of dress like fur, complimented with a furry tail on her rear and a scythe in her hands, the woman looked down upon him, Ken silently turned and followed. They reached out and found the tower being lowered, they went down the spiral stairway and found Jambert lightning up a bonfire. The knight sat to relax and clear his mind, greeting the two. "I found a bonfire we can rest up on until we are ready to go to the cathedral. Lady Aqua, you found anything on that piece of paper?"

Aqua nodded and gave the knight the paper. "I think it is a stronger version of the spell Logan showed me. It was worth taking the detour."

Jambert refused the strip. "Milady, you were the one who found it and it would be more suitable for you compared to me. Do you take me for a thief?" Ken wasn't answering that as he listen to Aqua answer. "You looted from dead bodies before and you take what ever you can find even if you don't need it. It doesn't feel right when you knew who it was?"

Jambert sighed and relaxed. "I suppose not and my habit caught up with me already." That was agreed upon, Ken warned him. "The normal chests are darker brown and their chain is curled most of the time, if it looks even a little off and the chain is straight, don't try to open it."

Jambert listened and looked around to find himself in a tomb honoring various knights and a large statue of a bearded king with a sword. "I'll remember that the next time I get greedy." He looked up to the statue with visions of a purpose as Ken felt something vibrate, he kept himself hidden and saw a message that he had to confess to, he whistled anonymously and texted away.


	37. Glamour

On a gummi ship sailing past the world of Destiny Islands, Kairi let the ship sail and had an odd text. Ken of all people texting her. "How is your day right now?"

Kairi texted back. "Fine, me and the guys found out something and I found something that belonged to Master Aqua and we're heading to where I hope she is," She was given a wide smiley face and a text. "Oh she is, but if you see a castle on your stop, don't go in yet," Kairi showed the text to Namine, the blonde girl put her right hand over her face and was trying not to laugh, the princess asked. "You wandered to a place you shouldn't have and Master caught you red handed?"

Ken texted. "Correct and I might have turned this castle into a complete death trap by accident," Namine looked and whispered to Kairi. "It wouldn't have mattered." The Princess imagined disaster with in and texted with a bit of disappointment. "And I'm sure Master has already told you about what you done," She saw agreement. "That's why I'm helping her clean this mess up. Also a warning if you fight her, she learned a couple new things that's pretty cool." Namine really wanted to know and stayed her voice as Kairi noticed the ship by a world looking like a vast grass land, she texted. "What is it?"

Ken answered. "That would be a surprise, but seriously what ever you found might make her day a lot better than it is now. See you soon," Namine hummed. "What did he do to make the castle like that?"

Kairi had a better idea, put her phone away and held her nobody's hand. "Let's see what we can do. What does the castle do?" Namine answered her. "It creates illusions depending on your memories. But where did he go to have memories so... dangerous?"

Light shined and Kairi answered as she kept her teacher's keyblade in hand. "To fill a whole castle? Not... enough and he would be this happy if it had anything to do with... that." Namine shivered as the light shined, spiriting the two to a grass land with a long stretch of road. Sora appeared carrying the set armor with Donald and Goofy, they had a case of deja vu as Kairi told the three what happened.

Sora felt like the situation was confusing and insane. "He kept talking about finding something new to him," He smiled nervously. "I guess it wasn't as new as he thought. Ha, ha." Donald imagined it and looked ahead, appreciating. "Well he learned it now." Goofy nodded to that. "Y'all ready? We got to hurry." Namine lead the way across the long road.

In Anor Londo

A tower ascended and let Aqua, Ken and Jambert walk across to a set of stairs leading to a cathedral. The teacher looked at her student's smile, like he wanted to say something when given the chance. "I knew you were doing something Jambert wouldn't get, we'll talk once we get into the cathedral," They walked up the stair way and found two sentinels keeping guard, one at a left gate way to a ledge of pink winged demons, the other at a right gate way leading to something more expansive. Both sentinels approached and were ready for battle. Jambert rushed to the left knight as Aqua flashed skipped to the right one, her keyblade bouncing back from the sentinel as Ken used his air magic to jump behind, he dismissed his ranged weapon and held his melee oriented weapon with both hands, he stabbed the sentinel in the back with a charge, pulled, jumped back, held his burning keyblade on his left hand and caused a great fire ball to form in his cybernetic hand. He aimed and shot three at the sentinel as Aqua jumped in his place.

PEW!

She shot an ice ball at the sentinel and caused it to fall over dead. Jambert rolled from a shield slam and hacked the other sentinel down, with the foes vanquished, Jambert approached the closed door and cursed. "Fiddlesticks, this one's locked as well,"

Ken called back his gun like keyblade and looked up at the gargantuan Cathedral. "So we are going to have to find our way around this too?" Aqua sensed something unusual went to the passage to the right. "I guess so."

To the right of the courtyard, she found another locked door and turned to find a ledge down a set of stairs, two pink winged demons perched, ready to strike. She threw herself at them, jabbed one in the chest, jumped back and flung a spear of light upon another. The jabbed demon nearly fell off as the other was knocked off limp, the demon took flight and was dealt a finishing blow, Aqua heard another from behind, side flipped and caused five masses of energy to form. She sprinted and struck the demon in melee as the orbs of energy turned into beams and finished it off, clearing the way as she noticed a buttress leading to the top of a tower.

Ken whistled and followed as Jambert stumbled and admitted. "I say, that is a sure way to deal with those fiends," Aqua looked at another buttress connecting the tower to somewhere at the side of the cathedral and thanked the compliment. "This is the best place to practice and we should get in there quickly." She lead the way down as Ken agreed with her and followed. "I'm seeing where this is going."

Aqua had a vision of an old skill being something of an appetizer. "There is nowhere near enough enemies for me to try it, but this magic compliments what I use." Jambert followed behind and saw not one, but two pink demons, one at the closest left pillar, the other at the far right. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you are like the mighty creatures we've been fighting up till now," Ken imagined a dozen things to watch out for and agreed with him, he jumped to the furthest pillar to the left in a sprint, catching the demons off guard, the demon closest to the buttress was tackled and flipped upside down by Jambert as Aqua made quick work of the other demon. Ken heard something to his right and barked. "Arrows coming from the left!"

Aqua hid behind the pillar as Jambert decapitated the demon, found a salvageable spear and tried to pick it up, two javelins flew at him and nearly knocked him to the edge, piercing through his armor and leaving a mark that Aqua and Ken cringed. PEW!

Jambert crawled out of the way and pulled the javelins out. He was bleeding and he drank from his flask to try and stop it. Javelines flung and Ken took his chance to look at the trouble, he found a silver armored knight with a bow, on a ledge far away and in a position where he couldn't make a clear shot. PEW!

Ken backed into a corner and watched the javelin fly past him. Jambert had an idea. "In your position, there would be no easy way to get up without the threat of getting skewered," Ken counted the spike like rails and calculated. "Those could help block the way," Aqua took her turn and saw a pillar ahead along with another silver knight on a ledge way that lead to what seems to be a balcony, she saw a faint shine of metal on the knight and backed into the corner. Watching the javeline capable of mortal wounds fly past. "And that pillar could help, but you need to time it."

Jambert laughed to that and readied a large shield with the symbol of an eagle. "Or you can have someone with... less caution, bull rush to the pillar while Sir Kendry defeats our ranged foes." Ken thought that was a good idea and signaled the knight to come towards him. "I'll get you up there if those things push you back and then you can leave the rest to me. Go, go, go!" Jambert rushed to him and rolled to dodge overly large arrows, Jambert hid behind his eagle shield and charged, Ken followed close, the arrows fired and missed them as they reached behind the pillar.

Ken pressed his back to the pillar and crawled to the left, he flipped forward and found one of the silver knights letting loose its arrow. The boy stepped to the right to dodge and revealed more of himself. Aiming Cadia's Light and letting loose his automatic upon the silver knight. The knight blocked with its shield and was pushed back over the buttress, falling to his death as Jambert noticed something black standing on top of the towers roof, a black robbed figure with two silver cross bows with purple spikes. The knight saw the cross bows quickly aimed at the boy and stood in the way with his shield. Taking the arrows of light and barking. "Come down there and face us, you coward!"

Ken gasped and the knight ordered him. "Focus on the silver knight, we need to get past this gauntlet," Ken did so and stepped forward to find the silver knight contemplating something, the boy aimed at the knight that looked back to him and readied its shield. Ken fired and found little progress as the knight was simply pressed against the wall. The boy stopped and the knight aimed its bow at him, Ken aimed with Firekeeper's Wish and fired a fire ball above, he skipped to the right to dodge a javeline and aimed his gun like keyblade as the fire ball stopped above the knight.

PEW!

The silver knight aimed his shield and looked up to find the fire ball shine like the sun and burst, raining down upon it and causing it to lose its balance and fall off. Ken yelled. "I got it! Jambert, do you have the next punk in sight." The knight tried to answer as the black figure disappeared, Jambert was confused as he saw Aqua wondering what was going on. "He... disappeared. Lady Aqua, you need to hurry.. I think we are being invaded."

Aqua did so and Ken rushed across the buttress and was at the outer wall, keeping his eyes from left to right as he pressed his back against the wall and kept close watch, Jambert switched his shield for his great curved sword and followed as Aqua was quick on her feet. Ken kept to the wall and went over the hexagon like pathway, he found the balcony in view and made his drop down. He watched Jambert drop down and went to a fogged door, Aqua was the last to jump and asked the knight. "Invaded, what are you talking about?"

Jambert answered with memories of annoyance. "Every once and a while, a vagabond from another reality, much like this one would appear and cause all manner of trouble. Some cross bow man in a black coat appeared from the roof top and was gone once I called him out."

He went to the fogged door and entered an orderly hall, finding a spiral stair way up and two doors, one to the left and one to the right. The knight went to the left door and made sure Aqua and Ken were following him before he opened it, being caught by a pleasant surprise and going in more eagerly. "Ah, ha. I knew you would survive those trials," A voice familiar to Ken echoed. "Oh, there you are. You been quite gallant these days." Ken hurried and had a wide smile that Aqua guessed in a whisper. "He is someone else you met?"

Ken nodded and offered to guide her in, holding his teachers hand like a child would to a mother. "He is and we were getting worried that he hollowed out or died trying to come here." The friendly voice asked Jambert. "Smooth summoning out there?"

The knight tried to answer as the keyblade wielders entered a well kept room with a fire place and several tables, with in was a bonfire and a green shouldered knight with a sun tabard. Ken answered the knight. "More than that Solaire. We made quite a few friends here and someone caught up with me." He introduced him to Aqua. "This is Solaire of Astoria. A Warrior of Sunlight that helped Jambert and me against a couple monsters we fought. Including that big monster from the sewer you probably heard." The woman sensed a radiant glow and sat by the bonfire as Solaire greeted her. "You look quite radiant, Milady."

Aqua felt charmed and waved. "Thank you, I'm Aqua... Keyblade Master of the Land of Departure and teacher of Sir Kendry and of Princess Kairi of Destiny Islands." Solaire felt that was a mouthful and looked upon Jambert like a follow brother. "You've had a bright journey since we last met." The undead knight sat down and warmed up. "Oh definitally, I thought something happened to you when your sign didn't appear in the swamp of Blighttown or anywhere in Sen's Fortress."

Solaire fondled his fingers in a confession. "I apologize for not doing so, those boulder wielding barbarians never gave me the chance and those poor souls carrying eggs were haunting. Brave Tarkus has marked his legacy upon the Fortress and it was not my right to dim it." He promised his fellow knight. "But, any time you see my brilliantly shining signature, do not hesitate to call upon me. You and Kendry left me with quite an impression. I would relish the chance to assist you."

Ken blushed and sat by the fire. "Thank you, it was a trouble getting this far, but so far its been worth it. Finding a warm fire with some friends to share it with." Solaire agreed with that. "It's always worth this moment while out on a journey," Jambert nodded. "Especially out in this unforgiving world. What do you know of this Chapel and the Lordvessel?"

Solaire wondered himself. "This place use to be the domain where Lord Gwyn ruled the land of Lordran and the Lordvessel I heard fondly of should be in the highest point. You really are fond of chattering with me aren't you?"

Jambert blushed under his helmet. "Because there is few truly welcoming in these lands." Solaire agreed back. "I guess it doesn't matter where we traveled from, as long as we share the journey together. If I didn't know better, I'd think you had feelings for me!"

Jambert blushed even more as Ken noticed Solaire having a hint of embarrassment in what he said, the warrior of sunlight tried change the subject to Jambert. "Oh, no, dear me. Pretend you didn't hear that," He laughed it off, Jambert joined in the laughter and warmed up. "You would not be wrong to think that. That is what makes the sun more welcoming, instead of something for us to run away from."

Solaire kept calm as Aqua wanted to laugh with them and stopped, Ken stood up and asked her. "I'm going to keep watch until we are ready to look around. Do you think we got past the worst of this city?"

Aqua looked away from the brotherly friendship and answered. "We don't have to watch our steps and this layout is something I'm use to, but we are not welcome here. One miss step and we could find that we are taking on more than we can manage." Ken grabbed a chair and sat in front of the open door. "No windows, only one way in and out, if they come in with weapons ready, they are getting a second to drop them." Jambert fed a black shade to the fire and watched it rise. "I doubt we are going to have another invader soon, but we should stay on guard."

At the end of a grassy plain.

Sora, Donald and Goofy felt like they been in the world before as they found three people keeping watch of a gate to an odd. Riku looked bored and was leaning by the gate as Ana looked upward in wonder with Moonfang, Mikey noticed five people arriving with something odd and approached with a semi scolding. "Stop right there!" Sora, Donald and Goofy stopped cold at the tone of authority, even Kairi and Namine stopped firm with respect, Mickey knew who they were and lightened his aura a little. "You fellas found something and came as soon as you did? This isn't the safest place to come to."

Riku noticed them and ran to them as Sora answered while setting the set of blue armor onto the remaining patch of grass. "We found out something you and Aqua need to know. It's going to be hard to believe," He placed his hands behind his head and gave a goofy smile. "We found Ven's heart and it was in an obvious place the whole time." Riku caught up as Ana turned in shock, the silver haired teenager asked. "You did?! Then where is it?"

Donald and Goofy pointed at Sora's chest, the boy answered more cheerfully. "His heart was with in mine the whole time. Ah, heh." He smiled weakly as Riku puffed his cheeks in a laughing manner and lost control. "Pfhahahahaha! That's weird, but it's good to know it been in a safe place," He looked back to the castle. "We just need to wait for Aqua to finish in there."

Mickey agreed and looked at the armor placed down and the keyblade Kairi had, recognizing it as he asked. "But if you came to say just that, it would have been a pretty careless reason. Are those what I think they are?" Kairi nodded and kept her teachers old keyblade close. "We found Master Aqua's stuff and we had to come here. It could take a while for Master to find Garland and kick him out before we can finally rescue Ven."

Mickey guessed why. "Because someone else is in the castle, Aqua could be running into some obstacles. It's a pretty special place," Namine agreed and said it. "It isn't just Garland, Ken was talking about a world he found that he been wanting to explore and it turned out to be this one."

Riku's mood crashed to an astonishing halt. "Him?! With that weird keyblade of his?! Oh no," Sora sighed. "That's news to no one, so what gives?"

Mickey had his right hand over his face and let go as he answered. "The castle would have more memories to work with from that keyblade than it would from him. As scary as the places we have been to were."

Kairi looked up to the castle and told him. "That's exactly what happened, Aqua caught up with him and he texted me that he is cleaning up this mess," She warned the group. "He also said not to go in there. He said Master has found something that might make her stronger... or-" Mickey finished. "Or new skills that could help her in the long run. So it isn't all bad. Right now, it would be a bit easier to wait and keep watch." Riku felt that was the frustrating part and asked. "While that happens, how did you find out in the first place?" Sora cringed and took a deep breath. "It started when we found a strange world of monsters."

In the Cathedral of Anor Londo.

Ken and Aqua explored the hall and watched Jambert explore the room next to the bonfire. A silver knight with a straight sword and shield awaited them behind the spiral stairs, Aqua approached and asked her student. "I'll handle this one, see what else is in these rooms."

Ken understood and watched the knight charge at Aqua with a frontal stab, the teacher back flipped and quickly counted him with a parry and riposte, the boy went to the hall and found a door on his left, finding a room filled with drawers and had two tables with scrolls. He mentally drowned out the sound of a one sided battle and found a fire place looking odd. He walked to it and tapped it with the hilt of his gun like keyblade, feeling it go through, revealing an illusion that faded into a corridor. Ken explored in without much concern and went down stairs to a dark room filled with columns. By the walls were lines of treasure chests, most were dark brown and with curved chains, save for one by itself, looking light brown and having a straight chain.

He approached with his gun like keyblade aimed and focused deeply, causing it to radiate light at the nozzle, the boy pulled the trigger and fired, shooting a beam wider than the keyblade and causing the chest to open its lid to reveal a mouth of teeth, the mimic sprout its legs and tried to jump out of the way as the beam punctured it and sent it slamming against a wall. Part of it cracked and shattered on impact, Ken stopped and watched the mimic slide down the wall dead. He noticed something sticking out from the mimics chest and pulled it out, a club that reeked of darkness, a hunger for life and bile, Ken yelped and tossed it to his left.

He looked to the other chests and opened them, the one next to a chest on the corner had a bigger black club that resembled a tooth. The one in the corner had a massive stone shield, the two chests behind the boy felt more tempting, he went to open them and saw thick pieces of a stone set of armor. "Wow!"

He heard foot steps and felt a comforting presence coming. He turned to find Aqua weary of the dark and startled by the brutally displayed corpse of the mimic, the boy explained. "I wasn't fooled by that thing and it got the idea that it needed to move, don't pick that club up. It's evil."

Aqua looked to the left corner to find an ordinary looking club. She squinted her eyes, approached the weapon and made the mistake of picking it up, feeling a void that hungered for the light, that desires nothing more than to slaughter the divine. She looked mortified and simply dropped it, she asked to try and calm down. "But what was it doing here?"

Ken guessed as he heard clanking armor coming. "Someone that really hated the gods, the silver knights came here and wasn't too careful when he or she found this room? Guess the element of darkness really does exist in the world?"

Aqua found that disturbing as Jambert entered with an impressive silver spear and looked like he found a mother load. Aqua warned the knight and wanted to kick the club into the dark corner. "This is the only thing here that's junk you really don't need." Jambert took the woman's word for it as Ken pointed to the chests. "These however are pretty interesting. What did you find?"

Jambert put the spear on his back and went to check the find, having rather dramatic flash backs on seeing the set. "It's a spear I took from a silver knight guarding a sun medal. It seems Havel had a position here before I found him in his tower. I should consider packing this when I have a better time."

He showed a ring with many stones. "This is the secret to how one many could carry such a load." Aqua was interested in the tale. "I see and Havel hollowed and tried to attack you?"

Jambert nodded and lead the way out. "As I explored a tower I shouldn't have and was squished many times," The group of three went back to the hall and found the last door locked from the other side. They went to the spiral stairway and traveled up past the next floor and found a floor with two door ways ahead. Jambert put the spear away and went back to his server, he opened the door and found another silver knight with a spear, he rolled to battle as Aqua heard deep breathing, followed and looked bellow to find an odd statue like demon, breathing heavily, wielding a massive pole on its right hand and having a stone like structure on its back. Ken noticed and readied his shot as he watched Jambert strike the knight down from its back. "And this?"

Jambert looked down and carefully backed away. "You don't want to fight those, although they have valuable titanite. The stones you saw me gather," Ken smiled to him and aimed for the demons chest. "And if we want to search there, we need it dead." The titanite demon raised its pole at Ken's head and caused the tip to crackle, the boy backed up and promised the two as he watched a thunder bolt pass through. "I'll let you know when it's dead." He went back over the ledge and fired down.

Aqua and Jambert understood and left the room, they went to the stair room and found an odd treasure chest in both the left and right. Jambert grumbled on seeing the straight chains and went to the left chest with the intent to kill as Aqua approached the one to the right. She rushed at the chest and stabbed it in the lock, the chest revealed its maw and gagged in agony, Aqua went deeper in, kicked the mimic back and flung a fire spell into its mouth, burning it and causing the mimic to collapse on its back. A silver coin covered in saliva spilled out as the woman heard something falling over in a thud, she picked it up and met to another hall with a silver knight by a window. Readying its bow and arrow at the keyblade master.

PEW!

Aqua flipped forward and watched Jambert charge after the knight with a reckless yell, flipping it upside down and sending it falling off. Aqua felt a hint of danger was averted and went to the door on the left to open it and found herself in an odd, well decorated bed room with rich looking paintings, a fire place and high standards to living, this was more than a cathedral, it was a palace. Jambert entered to look around at the tapestry. "It's like you step into a whole different world compared to the ruin."

THUD!

They heard a mighty foe fall as Aqua agreed and noticed a door at the end of the room. "It's always like that. Go look around while I wait for Ken to get here," Jambert nodded, went to the door to open it, went across unaware and was carved into by a silver knight that caught him by surprise. Jambert rolled out of the way and done battle, Aqua looked away and saw her student keeping his guard proudly. "That was easy once I kept the shot at him."

The teacher stood aside and let Ken have a look at the room, the boy wanted to experiment and took out his phone at a window of golden light. Click! He looked with in and saw the bitter image of an all white, empty room. "Grr."

They heard something being knocked to a wall and went to the room past the door, finding a bloodied Jambert with another dead silver knight and a corridor to a spiral stairway up, the undead drank from his flask as Ken reported. "The demon is dead, we just got to go pick up the goods."

He walked past the door and up the spiral stairway to find an open stone yard of various passage ways, he found a silver knight by a doorway left and felt it was unaware. He put Firekeeper's Wish down and focused with both hands at the silver knights head.

PEW!

He snipped the knight and caused it to fall over limp, dead. He stepped into the golden light and shook his head as Jambert and Aqua followed him. The teacher noticed a silver knight in the far end of the roof top, walking from the door and seeing what happened. Aqua crouched in preparation and silently pointed to the males to go down the other path.

She jumped from structure to structure in a flow and confused the knight, long enough for her to shoot herself at the knight like a spinning missile and letting loose a quick flurry of attacks. The silver knight landed on the wall and was attacked by something that flickered in and out of existence. It fell dead in that glow and Aqua went forward in the door way, going to a spiraled stair way that lead downward until it couldn't go downward anymore. She entered one last hall way that had stairs leading up to somewhere grand. She went to the right in an attempt to investigate and found a tall room with the heads of many drakes. She found two silver knights waiting on guard. On looking at the end of a stair way squaring down, the other by a chest. She jumped down from the edge and the knights looked a tad astonished. They charged with their lances, the woman back flipped and circled around them fast, she stuck fast and pulsed in ice magic, the knights took the damage and blocked with their shields, they tried to stab her with their spears and missed as she circled around and flicked them to a wall with freezing ice balls that made contact and froze them in place. She looked to the back of her right and saw a door, opening it and seeing a familiar place.

"This place was once so beautiful." Aqua turned and found the Firekeeper trying to look at her, the keyblade master agreed to that. "There isn't any denial, it really is the capital of this land. Do you want to talk about what happened to it?"

The Firekeeper shook her head and focused on what was important. "It's fate was also in the past. Up above leads the way to the Chosen Undead's destiny, when the doubts with in his heart burned away. Two warriors will stand in thy way, the Executioner... Smough, detested by many for his brutal practices. Yet a loyal guard of Anor Londo's royalty. The other is the honorable Dragon Slayer, Ornstein, who's spear can cleave boulders."

Aqua was at a lost of what to expect. "We are going to battle both of them and it sounds like... an unlikely team." The Firekeeper nodded. "It is one memory that burned the brightest among the others. But... why were the heartless here a moment ago? Who was the invader Jambert mentioned?"

Aqua answered with the knowledge coming together. "The heartless came when that man sneaked into the castle through a corridor and he is here for me. How else would he have been able to stand in a place near impossible for those of the world to stand on?"

The memory connected and she felt annoyed. "And I know who it is. I never thought one of the Castle's illusions would drive him away like he did." The Firekeeper asked teasingly. "Thou still talk about Jambert as if he is?"

Aqua placed her hand on her chest and felt crestfallen. "I have to, if the real one's heart is like what we seen and heard, it would hurt to say goodbye once we have to leave this one behind. Firekeeper, what do you know of the power that club had?"

The Firekeeper rubbed her left arm. "One of the occult, of the Dark that consumed the world. If thou continues to travel the castle, thou will understand." Aqua had a head ache and sat on one of the two treasure chests. "It and the Darkness I know sound one and the same. I'll know when I see it."

In another part of the cathedral.

Ken and Jambert walked down a spiral stair case and found a familiar, onion like knight leaning by a wall near an open window. Siegmeyer was lost in thought and folded his arms. "Mmm...hrmmmm. What ever can be done?" Jambert asked. "Sir Siegmeyer, up against a wall again?" The Knight of Catarina turned his head in astonishment. "Ah, you two again! I'm afraid so. Let me guess. Were you repelled by the Silver Knights?"

Ken nodded. "They attacked us at every turn just for trying to get past the front door," Jambert agreed to that. "Alone, they are formidable, but in twos or threes, you can consider a retreat." Siegmeyer agreed and assured. "Aww, don't be ashamed. 'Tis the fate of vanguards like you and I. I'll think of something. We can over come this together!"

Ken looked over to an ominous door and thought out loud. "There is a few silver knights across the room?"

Siegmeyer was thinking too hard. "This is quite a fix. We'll need another three, no, maybe five bodies." Jambert sighed and went to get the door. "Or we can resolve this with just the two of us. Kendry, I shall get the door, when I roll, you roll."

The boy understood and watched Jambert open the door, the door went to the left and Jambert looked to his right, rolling out of the way of a swing from a straight sword. Ken rolled further in and watched Jambert do combat with the silver knight and noticed two more approaching. He looked ahead into a bed room, swiped both keyblades and let loose a wave of fire and ash, the knights pushed through and the one on the left met a laser beam to the chest, killing it instantly as Jambert knocked his knight against a corner, rolled in the way of the right, took out a small shield and used it to parry a blow. He riposte as a finishing blow. Ken whistled and watched Jambert notice an intact shield from his bested knight. The knight took it and went to a chest to open it and pick up two chunks of rune titanite.

Jambert put his treasure away and went to open the door as he smiled towards Ken. "Excellent, my boy." He opened the door and Ken smiled back, he went back to where Siegmeyer was leaning at and had news to give. "The way is cleared."

Jambert followed as Siegmeyer hummed a delayed reaction, like his mind was lost in thought for a moment. "Mm! Oh-hoh! What's on your mind friend?" He remembered the words and asked. "Wait... You defeated those monsters?!" He gave praise to the sun. "Fantastic, I'm saved!" He pointed his thumb to himself. "This knight of Catarina hereby commends you!" He had two small rings with a pink gem and gave them to the duo. "Take this, as a token of my gratitude," Ken and Jambert appreciated it as Siegmeyer advised. "But be warned, gallantry entails great risks. Next time, give me a chance to come up with a plan."

The two promised they would as Ken guessed. "It was just a bad time and those knights can be a bit rough. I hope we meet again." He went up the stairs with his reward as Jambert gave Siegmeyer a knights farewell. "You achieved much reaching here by yourself. I'd say I'm quite humbled." Siegmeyer appreciated it. "Thank you Sir Jambert. I wish you fair travels." Jambert and Siegmeyer gave a nod of respect and parted ways.

The undead followed Ken up to the roof and saw the boy marched to the middle door way. "We are slowly finding our way around this place. I wonder if Miss found something." Jambert caught up and guessed. "She may have if she was going a different path than us. If she bested those silver knights by herself," Ken had something to tell him. "She said she went after the elites of an army of blood thirsty maniacs, those knights would be nothing." Jambert gasped. "Goodness." He noticed the dead silver knight and was suspicious. "I say she is more than meets the eye. Underneath the exterior is something beyond my understanding."

Ken laughed in agreement. "She probably wouldn't look that different, she is a guardian angel and I owe her my life for the things she did." He and Jambert went down the spiral stair and the knight had that in vision. "That's a fitting praise, though I wouldn't go saying that say that to her face." Ken blushed embarrassingly and reached the bottom of the stairs, finding a hall way with two doors. "There is someone I need to talk to when I can."

He saw a pole laying still in the left room. "Jambert, that's where the demon was. Could you go look while I check the other one?"

The knight did so with glee and saw the grand stair way ahead. "We will be back here soon. I think this leads the way to the front door." Ken hoped so and went to a room with a stair way leading a square pattern down, seeing two silver knights frozen into a wall and many drake heads mounted on walls left him impressed. He saw Aqua sitting on a chest and jumped off the rafter to greet her. "Hey Miss, I think we're almost done exploring this place."

Aqua nodded to her student. "I think so as well. This was long," Ken agreed, put his keyblades to the side of a wall and checked on the chest to the right, the one his teacher wasn't sitting on. "Jambert should be done collecting loot and if he notices something odd, he will let us know." He opened the chest and found a set of silver gloves and leggings. He pulled them out with a desire and quickly put the leggings on.

Aqua rolled her eyes. "Kendry, that isn't going to matter." Ken made sure the legs were fit and the gloves were on. "Come on Miss, those guys look cool and they have a spare set of armor right here," He stepped firmly in the armor as Aqua got off and opened the chest to find a metal suit of armor and a helmet, letting her student put the second biggest piece on. "Well, they do have a shine."

Ken wiggled under the suit and felt snug as he went for the gauntlets. "You did hint that you use to wear better armor than this so it will-" Aqua gasped and debated. "Oh, no, no. I'm just saying that the armor does look nice." Ken made sure the gauntlets fit and wiggled his fingers, he took a helmet with horns and put it on his head. He noticed his teacher longing for something she lost and asked as he picked his keyblades up. "We can't let Jambert take everything that isn't bolted down. Miss, do you want to go looking for something yourself?"

Aqua blushed embarrassed. "It's silly to look for treasures here when most of it isn't real. Magic is one thing, but this." Ken sighed under his helmet and heard clanking of armor above. "I tried Miss, I tried. Jambert it's me." He looked up to find the knight stuttering. "Oh, no, no, no. I knew it was you when I saw those keyblades." He walked down to have a look at Ken. "Lady Aqua, what happened to your armor? I over heard that much."

Aqua answered even more red. "I lost it and it isn't as important for me to get it back. It's hard to describe since it could mean any armor you seen." Jambert stepped down the stairs and guessed. "It is one of a kind and a klepto such as myself would end up mugging an innocent for it. I'll see if this is a short cut back to the bonfire before we continue."

Ken hummed. "Alright, thank you for the help," Jambert left and the two made sure he was out of hearing. Aqua changed the subject. "You tried to take a picture of this place before and only saw what was really there. So only you and me know of this. Once Jambert gets the Lordvessel, what will that do?"

Ken wondered that himself. "It will get him closer to Linking the Fire... what ever that means." He felt it was a hassle to search his pocket while in armor covering that and asked. "I wonder what Kairi found? Because she and the others were coming here for something."

Aqua perked to that. "What did she and Sora find to make coming here that urgent?" Ken shook his head. "She said it was your stuff." He clapped as Aqua realized what her other student found and laughed triumphantly. "Ha, ha, ha! I can't believe it, did she found what we were talking about recently?" Ken answered with mutual pride. "I think she did."

Jambert returned with grand news. "It was and my estus is full. Come on we have a door to open." The two agreed with a cheerful mood and went together with the knight up the stairs an too the hall with the long path up. They enter a massive hall resembling that of a cathedral. They looked bellow to find two sentinels with more pristine. Ken sniped both of them from above as Jambert dropped down on a silver knight readying a bow. CRASH!

The knight was crushed by the blunt of the great sword and the three walked down the stairs to the floor. Finding a radiant sign of Solaire and to the end of the hall was a fogged gate. Jambert felt something quivering. He took out a black stone with a yellow eye, causing him and the key bearers to give off a blue glow. "...We finally have that man's scent." Ken guessed. "Lautrec?"

Jambert nodded. "We can finally bring him to justice and get the fire keeper her soul back. Are you ready?" Ken nodded as Aqua tensed up. "He won't get away from the three of us. We're ready." Jambert raised the stone up and caused himself and the two to fade, unaware of a black hooded figure looking from the high front window giving off a black glow. "What kind of world did you make? Heh, this will be fun."

With in a parallel realm.

Aqua, Ken and Jambert appeared from a twilight rift as blue spirits with in the grand hall, facing the door way that had three figures. To the left was what looked like a wizard glowing in white, to the right was a simple spear men behind a shield in white. In the center was a knight in golden armor that looked to be hugging itself. The knight took out two shotels and recognized both Jambert and the keyblades on Ken's hands. "Well, look at you. I thought you were wiser, but I thought wrong! Tis a terrible pity. Like a moth flittering towards a flame," He asked his goons. "You fellows? No? Don't you agree?"

The wizard looked at the silver knight with disdain. "They could have just kept on walking," The spear man checked out Aqua and snickered rudely. "I bet they think justice is still alive these days. Ha, darling how about you come on over and we can show you how wrong you are."

Aqua took a deep breath and focused on the wizard as Ken gave a glow of flame and glared at the spear men. Jambert yelled out to Lautrec. "You murdered an innocent woman and deprived all of us of sanctuary, give us the fire keepers soul and we won't have to come to blows." The golden knight laughed at him. "This was why you lambs came to slaughter?" He approached the knight as the mage had his spell aimed to Ken and the spear men approaching Aqua recklessly. Lautrec balked. "You fools have more humanity than you know what to do with. Well let's get this over with."

Aqua flew at the wizard in glittering light and quickly stopped him from casting spells, dispatching him with swift justice as Ken dismissed Cadia's Light and held Firekeeper's Wish with both hands, he burst into flames with a quick spin that knocked the spear man off his feet. The boy drew in air and jumped back, flinging a tornado of fire at the spear man and incinerating him. Lautrec rolled after the knight that held his server in his right hand and a small shield in his left. The golden murderer swung with his shotels and was parried by the shield, Jambert hacked his server into Lautrec's right abdomen and knocked him to the floor. The murderer rolled out of the way as Jambert switched to holding his server two handed, upper cutting Lautrec into a stun lock and knocking him to the ground. The murderer nearly landed and the darkened world returned to that of light, the blue glowing spirits returned to what they were and in the confusion, watched Lautrec hoving mid air. The murderer was being lifted up by an unknown force and he hissed, forcing himself to look up a balcony to find a man in a black coat. "What in th-" He was forced into a hold and was glowing in darkness, feeling a force consuming him as the trio looked to find the hooded man responsible. Jambert yelled. "You, what are you doing?"

The hooded man looked down at Jambert and answered boldly. "Oh sorry to interrupt your little retribution there, but I can't let this dirt bag go to waste."

Lautrec took offense to that as Aqua called the man out. "Quiet Braig, this has nothing to do with you. Leave this city."

The hooded man gasped. "Woah, you're the one traveling through your own maze missy. You made all this effort to make these people feel real, just where did this messed up crook came from?" Ken yelled at him and had Cadia's Light return to his side. "Will you shut up?!" He freed his right hand from the burning keyblade and swiped his gun like blade to aim. "You came here for something, spill it and get lost."

Braig laughed about that as Lautrec gasped and realized. "Of all the despicable..." Braig aimed two cross bows at the keyblade bearers and fired. Aqua jumped to an upper ledge on her right as Ken side stepped to the left. The sniper dropped Lautrec and caused the knight to pool an odd darkness that slowly consumed him. "Oh, sorry, can't have the two of you wandering about here in the open," He taunted to Aqua. "Hey, Keyblade Master, you got yourself a handful. Shame if someone lightens the load."

Lautrec looked dim and growled. "If you think I am going to serve you, you're more mad tha-" Urg! Darkness engulfed the knight and Jambert cringed as the darkness took shape into something large. A vaguely humanoid shape with insect like wings and curved talons of a mantis, an wasp like head and body with armor of gold, a set of arms that hugged the body and an abdomen with a stinger, emerged from the darkness. Standing up with long gangly legs and fluttering its wings in a buzz, on its forehead was the emblem of the heartless, an image that caused Jambert to nearly stop his breath as Ken focused his aim at the monster. "Oh, come on." The Hook Wasp looked down upon them and Aqua ordered. "Ken, Jambert, keep that heartless busy."

She jumped higher to the stairs and focused on the upper most balcony, flowing towards Braig. The sniper disappeared as she landed for a blow and realized he teleported by a pillar and hovered upside down. She formed a barrier to block the barrage of shots and rushed after him, hissing at him. "His name is Kendry and you will mind your tongue about my students."

Swipe!

She swung at Braig and caused him to disappear again, upside down at a stained glass window that had a hole. "Oh, so that's what you were doing? Is this going to be like what happened between your master and Ter-" Burst! Aqua pulsed in ice magic and rushed after him for a brutal duel.

Below.

The Hook Wasp flew high above to where Jambert couldn't reach him save for a measly fire ball. The Wasp shot dark knifes upon the knight and Ken, the boy aimed his gun and shot at the wings, causing the Hook Wasp to fly uneven and glow in an odd protective light to protect itself. It dived down after the two and pulsed, knocking both against a wall and leaving the two dazed. Ken used a healing spell on himself as Jambert chugged from his estus. Ken gasped to an idea and used his air magic to jump on a higher ledge, the Hook Wasp flew higher and shot beams of energy from its maw at him. Ken rolled to the left and spun into a tornado, catapulting himself to the ceiling and falling down with both keyblades aimed. The Hook Wasp was shot from bellow by a chaotic fire ball and buzzed in distraction. Ken landed on the Hook Wasp and stabbed it deep in its back, it fell to the cathedrals floor and crashed, Jambert rolled out of the way and watched the boy take his burning keyblade, changed it into a katana and spun, cutting the wings off in a display of cinders. Jambert took his chance and formed red energy to force into himself, glowing with a power with in and yelling. "For Firelink!"

He carved at the Hook Wasp that slowly tried to recover, it gave off another glow of light, Jambert rolled back as Ken pulled and jumped off towards him. PULSE!

The Hook Wasp stood up and raised its talons high as its second set of arms unfolded its hug and revealed two small daggers, it sprinted after the two that rolled out of the way, stabbing with its daggers and swiping in a cross pattern with its curved talons. Ken let Cadia's Light disappear and rushed after the Hook Wasp with Jambert, slashing the legs as one, the Hook Wasp turn to the duos direction and slashed down with its talon left. Both stepped back and felt the cut, the Hook Wasp slashed with its right and jumped to them to trust its stinger, the duo jumped to the right to dodge entirely and made a quick smash at its abdomen, then another. The Wasp spun after Jambert with its right dagger and caught him in an impalement. Hoisting him to its maw for a bite, Ken swung a point blank fire whip around the Hook Wasp's neck and yanking it down, freeing Jambert and allowing him to heal as Ken calmly stabbed the Hook Wasp in the forehead and kicked him back.

The boy burst into and inferno and roared, he readied slash and felt a gust of wind from behind, seeing in a near flash, a large figure in golden, lion like armor. He wielded a spear of lightning that made its mark on the wasps chest, leaving it prone, the knight pulled and jumped back with elegance. He readied to attack again as Ken rushed to the Hook Wasp's chest for a stab and caused it to burst into flames. A pink heart flew loose from the ashes as the knight in golden armor nodded to both knights in respect and looked up to find fighting. He jumped like an olympian to do battle.

Up above.

Braig was in a corner as he was pelted by ice magic and watched Aqua turn into a pheonix of ice. She rushed at him and caused the man to teleport out of the blasts. He landed a few shots on Aqua and bringing her to more anger, she noticed her student shoving the Heartless onto the ground and calmed her judgement. "Let me guess, you were waiting until Xehanort was heard from again and you heard enough of where I'd be? Right?"

Braig clicked. "Bingo."

PEW!

He appeared to her right and focused his cross bows into a black shot. "Take this!"

PEW!

Aqua back stepped out of the way, she taunted and gave a glow of dark blue magic. "You made the mistake of thinking I didn't have more to learn." She dashed to Braig and let loose a flurry of blue light that caused Braig to sweat, he heard destruction bellow and of a hellish shriek. "Sheesh your student has issues."

Aqua spun to form five masses of energy around her and jumped high, she flung them after Braig as spears from the soul, the sniper teleported to the edge as Aqua yelled. "This is between you and me. Is this all you got?"

She flung another soul spear and sparked in fire, Braig flipped over the fast shooting spear and readied to shoot mid air, unaware of a golden knight resembling a lion jumping right behind him and readying a spear. The man felt a spark of electricity, had a hint of fear in his eyes and disappeared to the broken window. POW!

The knight and his spear landed, Aqua saw a top knot of red and recognized who the knight was. She backed away intimidated as the knight readied to swing his spear, Braig caused a corridor to open up and shook his head. "As if I'm staying, I'll play this game another time."

He jumped in and dodged the spear, the knight looked annoyed and faced towards a glowing Aqua, like he was judging her mettle as a warrior. The keyblade master was dry in the mouth and was given a nod in respect, the knight jumped off the balcony and all the way to the fogged gate. He handed and looked at her and the two knights, like he invited them to a challenge. He turned to the fogged gate and disappeared.

Aqua dispelled the magic glow and jumped off the ledge, slowing her fall with a hint of air magic and a flip forward, finding Jambert looking at the gate and back to a pile of items, a ring and a glowing grey soul. The knight picked them up and didn't wish to ask. "The villain above knows you. Lady Aqua?"

The keyblade master nodded and asked. "Jambert, go get prepared for what is beyond the gate. We will take care of a couple things ourselves." The knight understood and went up the stairs back the way he came from. "Lautrec would trouble us no more, but this is a grim fate for him. Don't dawdle out here too long, for your safety at least."

Aqua under stood and Ken asked in a whisper. "You mean we need to talk about that guy coming in and messing things up? He is a goon that is working for I know who, he came to try and kill us?"

Aqua closed her eyes and went up the stair way to the other side, leading higher and higher until they reached a door way leading to the sound of tinking. She though her words and answered. "Exactly and he almost disrupted the order of the castle. His name is Braig and we've had a little history together."

Ken swallowed as he and Aqua reached a room with an anvil, various weapons and a giant tinking his hammer on an anvil. The two quietly walked down to see the giant at work, reaching to a corner of the room not covered in weapons. Ken took off his helmet and asked. "H...Hello?" The giant turned to the duo's direction. "Who are you? Forge your weapons?"

Ken shook his head and let his keyblades fade. "I'm called Kendry and no thank you. Who are you?"

The blacksmith sounded welcoming and answered. "Smith. Forge, I can! Strong, I am!"

Aqua dismissed her own blade and was interested as well. "You forge for the people of this city?"

The giant went to work and depressingly answered. "No-one home. Everyone gone," Ken knew someone who might want to meet him. "That's kind of sad, a friend of ours might be coming here to see what you can do for him. He would like to have his things forged." Giant grunted with interest. "He come, I forge, we talk?"

Ken nodded as Aqua answered. "We can talk now. We came from a place far away and are traveling with a knight, we want to see how his journey ends before we finish with ours. I'm Aqua and Kendry is my student," The giant greeted her as Ken asked her. "May I go look outside for anything we-" Aqua shook her head. "No Ken, after what happened, you are staying with me."

Ken wanted to sit down somewhere and heard the foot steps of an arrival. Jambert was drawn to the giant and made his way down. "Hello, what are thou doing?"

The giant answered. "Forge! Very good."

Jambert nodded and brought out his silver spear along with a couple glittering stones. "Thank you, could you reinforce this?" The giant looked at the spear and picked up the materials, he hammered away and asked. "Strong soul you have? Forge with, I can." Jambert smiled about that and took out a shotel along with a glittering soul. "When we are to prepare these, the soul of a valiant sister needs her rest."

Outside of Castle Oblivion.

Riku felt his mind was blown by what Sora said. "That's how you found out Ven was in you?" He had a faint memory and whistled. "Wow, we need to get Garland out of there and go wake Ven up. Now." Ana stood guard and refused to let him enter. "Oh no. You know her orders and the castle been scrambled enough." Riku turned to the Stormcast and asked. "But once Vanitas gets out of that door jam, he will be coming with buddies to make sure Ven doesn't wake up. How far is she to reaching him? If she is going the right way?" Ana wondered as Mickey asked him. "The basement isn't easy to reach, but are you sure he's down there?" Sora doubted that as Kairi shook her head. "No, he wants someone to see the final part of his plan come to life. How many floors are there?" Riku answered. "Twenty five, twelve in the basement and thirteen going up." Kairi couldn't take it anymore and texted something. "It's been a while since Aqua went in there and we should find out how far up she is. Let's see."

In Anor Londo.

Ken felt a small vibration as he and Aqua watched Jambert consume spectral wisps. Giving the giant his pay to reinforce an blackened, insect like sword. The knight counted. "A mighty axe like the golem, a more pristine spear and this magnificent fury sword. I believe we will be ready to take on our greatest challenge yet."

Ken agreed with that as the giant used the demon titanite to refine the fury sword. "We got a lot to work with," Aqua looked up and lead her student to the stair way out. "Very, Ken we should talk about that," Ken hummed and said his goodbyes to the giant. "I'll see you later, you're pretty skilled," The giant looked at him and wished him well. "Cometh soon."

The teacher and student went to the hall of the cathedral and found to their right a horizontal lever mechanism by a pillar. Ken went to push it and felt the front door open, he went back and saw the grand light as he asked. "You knew who that spear guy is?" Aqua nodded. "Dragonslayer Ornstein, and he isn't alone." She asked. "How are we going to fight Ornstein and Smough? Given the nature of the world, we only have one chance," Ken answered. "Jambert must have been up against a wall with these guys. We... should see how Ornstein and his partner fights, it looks like he is the kind of guy who would run circles around us and seeing how everyone we know fights." Aqua agreed with that and had a chill. "He could be an actual problem, even for us. Kendry, don't assume you can just shoot him."

The boy understood and perked as he noticed Jambert from up above going the other way to the summon sign. "With four of us and two of them, we should be able to beat them and get to the next floor." Aqua watched Jambert go to a summon sign to summon Solaire, the knights greeted each other and ventured to the floor, Jambert had a refined curved, insect like sword ready and nodded to the two as Solaire eagerly greeted them. "Oh hello again, are we ready?"

The two nodded back and Jambert lead the way to the fogged gate and pushed across, Solaire, Ken and Aqua pushed through, finding a massive hall way with column pillars and two elevators blocked by fog. Awaiting them at the far end was a giant in golden armor that made him look incredibly fat, he wielded a massive great hammer on his left hand and the chin looked up on a balcony to his left. The four looked at the balcony to find Ornstein looking down upon his partner Smough, like he recently told him of something. Ornstein readied to jump down as Smough lifted his great hammer to hold it with both hands. The four felt the immense weight as Ornstein landed with finesse. Jambert shook in his armor. "Oh no, no, no, no." Solaire patted his companion on the shoulder. "Don't worry, with a little cooperation, we can best any fo-"

Ornstein knelt in a stance and glided from the far end of the hall at the speed of wind, Ken and Aqua jumped out of the way from left to right as the knights were knocked aside from the force. Ken tried to shoot Ornstein from behind the closest left pillar the dragon slayer jumped back and moved to the second pillar to the right, he shot a bolt of lighting at the boy that heard the sound comparable to an elephant charging. Turning to his left and finding Smough pushing his hammer across the ground and charging after him. Ken used his air magic to jump to the right of the hall as Smough rushed the pillar and caused it shatter. He landed behind Aqua, who focused and hovered, forming seven beams of various colors and firing them at Ornstein. Smough rushed after her to block the beam, Jambert and Solaire rushed the Executioner and took his attention, the giant laughed, jumped and smashed his hammer at the two knights.

Solaire sprinted as Jambert rolled to the left, Ornstein readied to pick off Jambert as Aqua pounced at the dragon slayer and struck, Ornstein jumped back as Ken jumped towards his left and rained light upon him, the dragon slayer spun towards another right pillar and faced the boy that missed. The lion like knight rushed him with his spear and upper cut him, sending him into the air and leaving Aqua to melee with him again. Smough was struck by Jambert's burning blade and Solaire ordinary sword as he swung his hammer at the two, missing with one swing and hitting another column with another. Jambert rolled to the left most pillar and tossed a chaotic fire ball at the Executioner. Smough pressed his hammer towards Jambert and sprinted after him, the knight ran behind the left pillar close to the exit and watched the executioner butt the pillar with the tooth of his hammer. Shattering it as Solaire charged a spear of lightning and shot it at Smough's back. The knights charged after the executioner, Smough jumped high and slammed his rear down upon them, crushing the knights and forcing Jambert to run away to another pillar. The knight took his estus flask and drank as Smough barreled to him and swung.

Ken got up, cast a healing spell on himself and dismissed his gun like blade to hold his burning one. He rushed after a near dancing Ornstein and tried to upper cut the dragon slayer as Aqua watched the knights battle with Smough topple more pillars. Ornstein noticed that and the woman stood in his way, Ken flipped to the top of a pillar and pelted fire balls at Smough, the dragon slayer jumped after him and landed on the pillar with him. Ken jumped to a window and left the Dragon Slayer to be struck from behind by Aqua. Ornstein jumped to a ruined pillar by the window and shot lighting bolts at the two. The knights were chased to the window and Smough jumped to his right, giving off a sadistic giggle as Jambert avoided another hammer swing. Ornstein saw his partner was being lured around, flowed to a wall and kicked off, diving spear first into the knights. Jambert rolled to a corner as Solaire was slammed against it.

Smough marched after Jambert and felt a soul arrow against his back. He jumped back and swung behind, seeing Aqua back flip against the hammer. Ken changed Fire Keeper's Wish into a spear and shot to Smough's chin, knocking the Executioner back as the Dragon Slayer stepped back to avoid the knights attacks. Smough tried to shake Ken off, the boy pulled and rapid fired fire balls mid air as Aqua pulsed in magic and sent her keyblade flying to his face. Smough jumped back to where Ken landed and leaped high in the air, Ken jumped back with an unusual battle ready stance to watch the Executioner slam his rear to nothing. He jumped after him with his spear spinning in the air, he caught it with the blunt end facing forward, did a frontal flip and stabbed Smough in the chest. He pulled out and back flipped, Smough tried smash his hammer was met with a spinning keyblade radiating magic power, followed by a point blank shot of a magic orb. The Executioner lost his balance and wailed. "Arrrnoooo!"

Thud!

Smough fell on his back and laid still as Ornstein kept a dance around the knights and jumped to him, beaten and bloodied. Ornstein placed his free hand on Smough's gut and gave a silent respectful prayer as he glowed, taking something from his fallen companion. Jambert and Solaire went to the key bearers side and Jamber felt he heard something cracking. Ken saw the beaten wounds on Ornstein close up and felt like something was about to burst, Ornstein grew to the size of a pillar. Aqua was left with her mouth open at the realization. "We're still not done." Ornstein faced towards them and readied his spear, he gave off a radiant glow of lightning and let loose an aura.

Ornstein knelt in a stance and darted after them, Jambert and Solaire were knocked back across the room as the Keybearers flung even further. Ornstein looked down upon the knights, jumped back and swiped down after them. Jambert rolled to escape as Solaire took it, Ken focus on his spear and caused it to change it into a katana. He shot to Ornstein and slashed through his shoulder as Aqua burst into a dark blue aura and rushed at Ornstein, striking at his face and giving the knights time to hack at his ankles. Ornstein noticed Ken jumping to a wall and trying to slash him again.

The Dragon Slayer jumped high to dodge them all and slammed down, Jambert rolled away and watched Solaire take a pulse of electricity. Ornstein side stepped towards the entrance and flipped, he swiped his spear at Aqua to knock her across and glowed his spear at Jambert, stabbing him, hoisting him up in the air and electrocuting him, the knight yelled in jolting pain and was hurled to Ken. The boy jumped out of the way and slashed the air to let loose a streak of fire at Ornstein, the dragon slayer met a soul spear barrage from where he knocked Aqua too and shot bolts of lightning her way. The Keyblade Master ran high up the wall, burst in fire and flew down after him, taking the form of a fiery pheonix that slammed at Ornstein's face and caused the dragon slayer to cover his face in response.

Ken tensed with his burning katana, gave a glow like a ray of sun shine and in the speed of light, flickered, landing on a wall behind Ornstein and letting his katana turn back to a keyblade. He felt a burst of fire behind him and watching Ornstein trying not to stumble. The Dragon Slayer spun to both of them with his spear, Aqua shot herself down to land as Ken dropped, Ornstein moved his spear lower and Jambert rolled above the blade, landed and spun with his burning fury sword, stricking Ornstein and setting him on fire. Slashing away over and over as Solaire rolled and wasn't close enough.

SLASH!

Ornstein looked weak on the knees and fell, Jambert and Solaire stepped far out of the wall as the Dragon Slayer fell on his stomach and on his right cheek. Aqua and Ken nearly lost control of their legs at the sight. Victory was achieved. Solaire gave a v like pose as Jambert saw a soul flickering off of Ornstein and took it. The Warrior of Sunlight vanished without a trace as Jambert saw a ring drop off of Ornstein, he picked it up and saw a the image of a lion as he gave off a faint white glow. "Do either of you want this?"

Ken and Aqua refused, they got up and looked upon the felled foes, they found two elevators and went to the closest one, to the left of the hall. To get a ride up to the highest reaches of the cathedral, they stepped off and tried to shake the feeling as Ken looked down upon the bodies of Smough and the enlarged Ornstein. "We... seriously beaten those guys?"

Aqua agreed that it was an impressive feat. "She wasn't wrong about this moment." She and Ken saw a bonfire and wander over to think it over, Ken asked. "The Firekeeper?" He wondered. "I get that there were a lot of things of this world she didn't tell me about. But... I'm kind of glad she kept this a secret."

Aqua heard an elevator to her right ascend and saw Jambert walking to the bonfire in near exhaustion, falling on his knees and lighting it up, the knight kept quiet like he was having a hard time believing the feat himself. He looked up a small set of stairs that lead to a brass door, he perked up in good faith and asked. "Past that door is the reason we came to this city and fought... all manner of foes. From Sen's Fortress to the finest of Anor Londo... it's like a dream, this... can't be real," He took his helmet off to reveal his rather shocked face, his eyes glowed to the fire as Aqua assured him. "It isn't a dream, we really have gone through a lot just to make it here." She and Ken felt invigorated as Jambert agreed and kept his helmet to the right side of his hip. "Well, no time to dawdle." He lead the way to the stairs and pushed against the two sided brass door, causing it to open as the key bearers followed him, they met a shine of golden sun light and Jambert almost dropped his head at a beauty on a couch.

A large woman in regal white dress, covering her hips and bosum. She had two gold bracers on both arms that rested, she had bellow the shoulder length brown hair, sun like eyes and a regal, yet gentle smile. "Thou hast journey'd far, and overcome much, chosen Undead. Come hither child." The keybearers dared not approach and felt the audience was not for them as Jambert approached the goddess alone, the knight knelt before her in respect and saw a large bowl laying in front of her. The goddess sighed. "O chosen Undead. I am Gwynevere. Daughter of Lord Gwyn; and Queen of Sunlight. Since the day Father did his form did obscureth, I have await'd thee." She let go of the bowl. "I bequeath the Lordvessel to thee." Jambert got up, put his helmet back on and picked up the heavy bowl, lifting it on top of his back and grunted. "Oof! T...Thank you."

Gwynevere asked him. "And beseech thee. Succeed Lord Gwyn, and inheriteth the Fire of our world. Thou shall endeth this eternal twilight, and avert further Undead sacrifices."

Ken and Aqua felt they heard that line before as Jambert felt his purpose shine. "I...I shall carry out this quest for you milady. Farewell." Gwynevere sighed and wished him luck. "Go forth, chosen Undead. May thou be one with the sunlight for evermore."

Jambert felt the bonfire calling to him and proceeded, past the door with his friends to greet him. Ken asked. "So you... just need to get back to Firelink with that? How?"

Jambert answered confused as the fire became brighter. "Un...until I give the firekeeper her soul back, I will have to go for the closest route." The fire glowed an image of the inner workings of a church and gave Jambert a familiar glow. "I...I think I can make it from here. We will meet again soon."

He and the Lordvessel glowed in unison and disappeared in fire. Ken and Aqua looked back and wondered what did the connections mean. The boy looked to his burning keyblade and asked. "Miss, something doesn't feel right. This... isn't like what I saw."

Aqua asked him. "About what really happened to this world? Did... Jambert fail in his quest?"

Ken wondered that question odd as the surrounding flickered, Gwynevere disappeared and the golden light faded, giving way to moon light. They turned around to find a corridor opened up from the balcony, the sound of clapping was heard. Aqua kept guard Braig stepped out and confessed. "I almost didn't think the two of you and those fakes would have what it takes to beat those two. Now its getting interesting, so this whole time the light was a sham?"

Ken formed Cadia's Light and readied to aim, he sensed two figures by the elevators, two lady like heartless with parasols, Aqua asked Braig once more. "You haven't learned anything, get out," Ken aimed his burning keyblade at the left most heartless and flung a wave of ashes to blind it as he focused on the other that aimed its parasol at him. Ken fired Cadia's Light and shot through it as Braig focused on Aqua. "Can't, but this is a better time than ever to get a job done."

He aimed his cross bows and noticed silver arrows being shot from the room behind the two. He jumped out of the way, watched the sniper like heartless become destroyed and the boy with the gun stab the ground with his melee blade and focus locked the ashen mists to destroy another heartless. Braig saw the hint of an otherworldly figure glittering in the moon light and realized the forces of the world were fighting back. Aqua noticed something was wrong and heard a feminine voice address the man. "Thou that tarnished the light of Anor Londo. I am the Dark Sun, Gwyndolin, they transgression shall not go unpunished."

Braig saw more arrows of moon light, a crown like that of a sun, white robes and a lower body of various tendrils, he was weirded out and back flipped away from the arrows. Aqua and Kendry felt hints of slithering and turned around, finding but a faint of moon light flickering.

Ken asked. "Uh... who was that and where did he go?"

Aqua felt slithering right behind her and turned to find a white robed figure with white hair and a crown like the moon, looking down upon the cathedral, clenching his right hand that held a bow. The lower waist had tendrils that revealed to be hissing snakes and the man disappeared, three lantern like heartless, resembling angels with two sets of wings, flew from bellow. The entity raised a staff on his left hand and called a barrage of magical orbs as Aqua jumped to the angels and let loose a quick flurry of attacks at the trio as Ken was uneased and snipped the left most angel, causing the destruction one as the orbs of magic pelted the right angel back. Aqua shot a magic orb to slay the weakened heartless and spun into a twister of magic, sucking the angel in and making it difficult for Ken to make an accurate shot. He glowed in fire and hurled it at the angel, destroying it and giving his teacher time to jump back to the balcony, before the entity that wasn't happy with them. "First thou questioned the Godmother, and now thou brought the Dark upon this city?"

Aqua kept her guard and asked. "Something about what she said was suspicious, but it doesn't matter for us. We were not the ones who brought the heartless here, that man did."

Gwyndolin asked with his own suspicions. "And why shall I believe thou? How did thou dispel the Godmother's image?" Ken blinked and answered. "We... didn't, it just... happened." Gwyndolin turned to the boy in the armor of the Silver Knights and had his snakes raised. "Thou who pilfered with the Undead and wielder of light."

He looked upon the burning keyblade to find a striking resemblance, confusing him more. "How has thou come across the Flame? Father Gwyn's own-" Ken answered fast. "I don't want to answer that, it hurts to think about it here, these Heartless came for me and my teacher." He tilted to Aqua. "Miss Aqua. If we find our way out... they will leave."

Gwyndolin knew the boy was hiding a truth and Aqua stood by her students side. "Do you really want to know the truth?" The moon deity sensed something and gave off a glow. "Go back to the tower and find the Tomb of the Great Lord Gwyn. There thou will answer for this." He teleported away and the keyblade wielders looked down to find squirming shadows fighting against a band of people.

Ken picked his burning keyblade and followed his teacher back down the elevator. Fighting the swarms of shadows and freeing the soldiers, who had blades glowing purple with the moon light. They followed and found three parasol heartless fading away in darkness, Aqua sensed the glow of the blades and shivered in unease as agents of vengeance fought back against the dark. Ken asked her as he watched the cathedral take on a much darker light. "Miss, there are a lot of things... wrong here but... they are fighting back the heartless easily. Why?"

Aqua answered and kept her eye open. "It's the power they are using, it is... light. But in the form of retribution."

Ken felt the shiver as he and Aqua made it out of the cathedral and looked upon Anor Londo in darkness. "Anyone who thinks the light is gentle, really... really needs a reality check." Aqua agreed to that. "You can think of several things, you, me and the guardians of light have done that is beyond soft. That is a light more terrifying than the dwellers of dark would ever dream of and it would still be just."

They watched a woman in golden armor slaying a demonic looking heartless with massive blades and walked down the stairs, the woman looked upon them with a hint of confusion. "It wasn't you who caused this? What is going on?"

Ken asked her. "Do we have to answer that?" Aqua answered for him. "That is between us and your Master. This will be over soon."

The knightess hoped so as five neo shadows emerged from behind, she charged after them with confused vengeance and the two went to the tower and pulled the mechanism to make it turn down. They went down a spiral stairway and went to the tomb with a bone fire, it flickered again to a white room with a simple hall way down.

They found a confused Gwyndolin appearing before them and trying to maintain some control over the distorted world. "Halt, thou have come far enough."

Ken relaxed in respect as Aqua pleaded to Gwyndolin. "This isn't what it looks like to you. There is a reason the city is acting like this."

The deity of the moon awaited an answer. "What has thou transpired upon this city? Why does your apprentice wield Gwyns flame? Why doesn't... any of this-" Ken answered clearly. "Because that is what the First Flame became... when I went into the actual world the first time."

Aqua saw the deities confused scowl and answered. "Because the heart of that world is in this Keyblade, it has dreams of what was. My student made the mistake of coming to a Castle that takes memories and reflect them into reality. Gwyndolin, Anor Londo... and the world itself, is an illusion. A figment of memories."

Gwyndolin readied his bow. "Blasphemy," Aqua answered more. "Including you, would you have seen these if we were from in this world?"

She showed her keyblade, Gwyndolin stopped his bow, hesitating to even spring his shot. The white room returned to the darkened room, flickering back to light. Aqua took a deep breath and continued. "The place we're really in is a place Castle Oblivion and this city is just one floor that had interconnecting rooms to make it look like the real thing," She frowned and felt a deity stilling himself. "We are grateful to you and the people of the city for stopping that man from disrupting what was suppose to be. From distorting a memory of the world."

She knelt like she was trying to apologize and Ken did so as well, having to say it with pity. "I don't know what happened to the real you, but he and the actual world are gone. We just want to get this villain out of the castle and make sure that sniper gets it through his head that he doesn't belong here. There is a lot about the world we want to know, but we are just passing through memories. I'm sorry we had to tell you, but that is why we think about this as outsiders."

Gwyndolin kept a stoic expression and turned to find a white door, confirming what was and slithering aside. "Very well, wanderers of reality," He pointed his staff to the door in defeat. "I'm glad I assisted thee. Thou has seen the light of the Dark Moon?"

Aqua remembered the glow and nodded as she and Ken got up, the teacher spoke. "It could be something a friend of ours need to learn. The light with in can take many forms, yours is one that we often witness."

Ken had that memorized. "We'll try to make sure more of this world is remembered. Thank you for helping us deal with that guy and for helping with the heartless."

Gwyndolin sighed and stilled like it was the end of a memory. The duo went past the door and found themselves in another hall of the castle. Ken was out of the silver armor as Aqua had the technique committed to memory, the boy took his phone to check on a text and sent a message back. "And that makes floor number six. Miss, Kairi and the others are outside of the castle and I sent her info on how far we are. Do you want me to remind you of the dark moon stuff?"

Aqua nodded. "Have that in a journal, I know just the person who would want to know of a way to use the light even after nearly giving into Darkness."

Ken had the mental image and kept the pace to the next floor. "Hopefully this doesn't end with everyone wanting a couple words with me." Aqua followed and let him know. "You'll be fine. Now where else did Jambert get himself into after getting the Lordvessel?"


	38. Howling Into the Abyss

Outside of Castle Oblivion, Kairi showed the group the text message. "They are about half way done and it sounds like Master found something one of us should check up with her on," Riku scoffed to that. "What kind of world did that kid unleash in the castle?"

Kairi rolled her eyes and was feeling anxious. "I have no idea. But if they gotten that far by around four hours, they are going by a little quicker than we expected," Riku sighed and sat down to keep watch. "Yeah, by the time Aqua caught up... I think that kid already had some of the places dealt with. It doesn't take that long unless they goof around."

Mickey felt there was another reason for the delay. "If they just climb up the castle and past the illusions, they would miss some of the secrets of the world and that could be gone forever." Sora looked up curiously. "What kind of secrets are there that we needed to know?"

Riku answered certain. "Powers from the heart we might want to know about and-" He felt a bell ring in his brain. "And powers of light and darkness. Kairi, was she talking about me?"

Kairi nodded. "Specifically you. I think that power is in between." Riku almost smiled and tried to deny it. "Are they really trying to pick off anything they can record? Does that kid really think he would get off scott free for this?" Kairi cringed as Sora argued. "Come on, he's trying to fix the mess he caused and isn't that enough?"

Riku answered as he looked up to the sky. "He's trying to up his game in there if he wants to actually help. All it takes is some motivation." Kairi had her hands on her hips and reluctantly agreed. "He needs the experience."

She had an idea, put her teachers Keyblade to the side and drew out Destiny's Embrace, inviting him to a safer battle ground. "Do you mind if I knock some into you?"

Riku flinched as Sora backed away, letting his friend know he is on his own. Ana cheered by the castle door, some entertainment to ease the boredom was to come. "Come on Lass, show him what you did last time and let him have it." Sora casually sat down and smiled to both his friends, warning Riku in silence that he was entering a shocking battle.

In Castle Oblivion.

Ken had the door open and smelled something rather fresh. He and Aqua were drawn in and were at the exit way of a church, going into a vast dark forest. Ken found himself back in his silver knight set as Aqua saw carved down shrubbery. "How did Jambert's journey take him here?"

They followed the trial and saw an opened door that lead to a stair way down into a much wider ground of forest. Ken saw faint shadows behind the trees. "And somewhere filled with strangers that are keeping watch of something. Once we go in, we need to move," Ken called off his burning keyblade and readied to make a run for it as Aqua tapped her foot for a sprint. "I'm still not letting you run far ahead, do you see the trees?"

Ken understood and asked. "We are going to jump across the trees and if we find a door ahead, that's where we go?"

Aqua smirked and asked. "It's a flow motion to get us across, the hollows are one thing and those like the Silver Knights are another, but I don't want to attack anymore people unless we have to," Ken knew what she was talking about. "I seen that done a lot of times, was that like how you got out of the way of the boulder?" Aqua nodded. "This is an idea for later, but can you try something like that?"

Ken gave a faint gust of wind and looked upon the trees. "There is a bit more to it than this, but I know you GOT to be nimble to put up with guys that teleport around and anything that can jump you from anywhere." He shot himself to a tree and used his keyblade to swing from branch to branch, finding ruins ahead and jumping far ahead. He sprinted and saw a simple man with a shield and sword, keeping guard as Ken rushed close to him and knocked him to the right, he made a sprint to the ruins and noticed an odd thing perching from a window, a white wild cat.

Aqua caught up and had a bit of criticism to give. "Practical, but you rely on air magic to carry you across. What will happen when you fight someone that would shut that down?" Ken sighed. "I did had that happen and I had to think quick, fighting a daemon that could topple armies by himself is scary business." He looked upon the wild cat looking down at him and his teacher, Aqua patted him on the back. "It's pretty advance for both you and Kairi, but eventually you need to learn the actual technique."

Ken laughed to that. "Kairi flies with wings and we knew where that came from. I guess this is another short cut I got to stop doing." Aqua wanted to corrected him. "You actually have the technique down, but the trick is doing it without needing the wind as a handicap."

Ken felt a bit better about himself and felt like the wild cat wanted something. "But it isn't the time or the place. Jambert has to be around here somewhere."

The wild cat meowed out a feminine voice of curiosity. "Is it not so that thou art new?" The humans turned to the cat in shock, the cat tilted her head in curiosity. "Thou fared well to find me, for he seek the grave of Sir Artorias." Her grey eyes stared into them and Aqua asked. "Jambert is heading to... a grave?"

The cat shook her head. "He is traversing the dark for naught but a fabrication. My advise true, forget this! The legend of Artorias is but a fairy tale. Have thine own respect, go not yonder knocking for nothing I say!" Ken politely refused. "So even if the thing he came for is a load of baloney, someone needs to get him out of here and not by attacking him. That would just make him try again."

The cat agreed and flickered her tail. "Well said indeed, thou art a strange one!" Aqua sighed and asked the cat. "We need to know why he is grave robbing in the first place. Who are you?" The cat purred, taking a liking to the two. "I am Alvina of the Darkroot Wood. I command a clan of hunters who track down defilers of the forest graves. What dost thou say? Wilt thou join us?" Ken and Aqua looked to each other in consideration, the Keyblade Master answered. "We can't stay, but we will help you stop Jambert from doing something stupid."

The student sighed. "I thought he was learning his lesson from the last time this literally bit him. But actually going after a grave of a knight... doesn't sound like him. Did he stop to talk to you?" The cat nodded. "I believe thou should hear it from his voice. He speakth insanity." That was enough for Ken to get himself going ahead. "And I'm stopping this."

He walked out and saw a faint flicker of fire by a glittering pond, Aqua followed and saw the flicker. The two went after the sight of light and were nearly slapped by vines of blood thirsty shrubbery, animating and rising after their prey. They were quickly dispatched and cast aside as they watched a tree fall from something, it has to be a mighty foe. They reached the pond and found Jambert sinking his chaotic blade into a large walking mushroom with fists. SLASH!

The mushroom took the burning damage and lazily swung its fists, the knight rolled to the other side and finished it off, causing it to fall over. There was a pond with small walking mushrooms trying to hide and a large mushroom keeping guard of a chest.

Jambert switched the fury sword for his server and noticed two more visitors, relaxing his guard and whispering. "Hello again, what brings you to the Darkroot?"

Aqua answered judgmentally. "We heard you were searching the forest to pilfer a grave. Do you want to explain why?" Jambert looked back to where the two came from. "That pesky cat told you of my venture? Very well, I placed the Lordvessel upon an alter deep with in the Firelink Shrine and I require fuel to open the way to Lord Gwyn. The Souls of the Great Lords, found near the First Flame during the beginning of the Age of Fire. Two are in possession of the Grave Lord Nito, who lives deep with in the Catacombs near Firelink Shrine, and the Witch of Izalith, who has to be beyond the Fair Lady's home. But one is divided into two shards by Lord Gwyn and given to two. One is Seath the Scaleless, the Grandfather of Soul Sorcery and the other is the reason I came here. The former rulers of the city of New Londo, Four Kings that gave into the temptation of the Dark." He shivered. "I'm not breaking the seal of that dreadful place until I am ready to vanquish the four. I came here to seek the Knight Artorias and instead suspect this forest to be his grave."

Ken felt it was a repeated cycle. "So you are going to search his grave because?" Jambert answered the boy, feeling his blood cold in guilt. "For if I do not acquire Artorias's secret to traversing the Abyss, going down there would be suicidal. The ruins of New Londo are cursed with the spirits of those who once lived and the Four Kings slumber in the darkest depths of the city, I am not going to unleash that horror upon the world."

That Aqua was understanding of as Ken noticed the large mushroom losing its patience and waddled over, the boy didn't want more trouble and aimed his gun like blade upon the mushrooms stomach, firing a beam until the mushroom fell over dead. The Keyblade Master asked. "If the legend is even real. Should we make sure you're not wandering for nothing?"

Jambert sighed, put his blade away, left the smaller mushroom creatures be and opened the chest in the pond, finding a basket of ember giving off a soulful glow. "You only need to see what is in that dark place to understand, I take no pleasure in this grave robbery. There is no honor, no chivalry, but if it means I will reach the Fire and dispel the Dark to end this curse, it is what I must do." He took the ember and put it in his box, Aqua felt the regret and demanded. "You will tell us everything you were told when we get to New Londo, how did that come to be?"

Jambert grunted and lead the way to a glowing plant with dead trees shrubbery. "Oh I shall, it takes a brave soul to be willing to traverse the Abyss. What say you?"

Aqua agreed with that as she and her student followed the knight to a ledge by a flowing river, leading to a bridge towards a closed gate. They went down a slope towards their right and went across the bridge, Jambert took out a crest on seeing a glow and approached the door. He shined the crest to the door to undo the seal and cause the door to open a way towards a moss covered grave stone that had many swords planted into the ground, scattering all over. The knight looked upon the swords and sighed. "Sir Artorias must have been beloved, to give up everything to fight the Abyss itself and be respected," He found a more ornate sword in front of the grave yard as Aqua had grim memories of her own. "And to have so many that wish to follow in his footsteps? Please... hurry and find something."

Jambert had one thing in his sights and went for the obvious artifact. "The secret of his ability to travel with in the abyss is associated with this sword. Now... what can we use with this piece of the puzzle?"

Ken shook his head and watched. "I don't think that sword is what helped him, maybe if we try looking around the place and not mess around with a grave."

Jambert agreed and wanted to examine the swords surroundings, wishing to clear away any debris and look at its inscriptions. Grr. Hrrgrr. Jambert and his companions looked up to the grave stone in surprise, a great grey wolf glared down upon him and snarled. Jambert backed away in peril as the wolf jumped in front of the blade, Jambert tripped on a rock and fell backward, the wolf placed its paw on him and sniffed. The wolfs glare lessened, looking just as confused as the knight, the wolf put its paw off the knight and whimpered a question, Jambert stared blankly and asked. "Wha... what are you?"

He and the wolf locked eyes, the wolf turned to the blade and pulled it out of the ground with its teeth, it flipped back to the knight trying to stand up, he adjusted the sword for a battle stance and howled to the night sky. Ken felt he seen the kind of story before. "A dog being that protective of a grave, could this wolf be Artorias's?"

Aqua felt wrong in the heart and backed away. "It... is, that sword it is using, was also it's masters?" She looked at the keyblade she held and felt conflicted as Ken saw a fogged gate at the way they came. "Miss, if that wolf gets Jambert, it will be coming for us next. It's late to turn back."

Aqua shook her head and tried to advise. "Kendry, we shouldn't be here. Everything about this is... wrong." Jambert heard and waved. "Don't you worry for me, I'll be the one to do this foul de-" The wolf dashed to him and swung its head, slashing the blade at him, the knight rolled over the swing and was under the wolf, he took his server and attacked the wolfs legs.

Ken found a pond nearby, took his distraught teachers hand and guided her to it. "Come on, this is getting hard for you to watch."

Aqua followed and wanted the battle out of her sight, Jambert took a deep breath and switched his server for his fury sword, he wielded it with both hands as the Great Wolf jumped back toward the gate and moved the sword to where it had the whole hilt in its mouth, aiming the sword straight and shaking its head left and right. Jambert rolled to the left to avoid a spinning swing and to the right to avoid another, he struck under the wolfs chin and caused it to suffer bursts of fire. The wolf stepped back, swung once and flipped far back, positioning the blade to the left side striking the knight off his feet. Jambert got up and watched the wolf sprint to him, the wolf tilted its head and slammed the blade at him, the knight rolled to its left and struck it in the side, the wolf tried to shake him off and felt a spin of a burning blade underneath. The wolf jumped to the right and swiped, Jambert rolled back and breathed heavily. He approached the wolf again, rolling back from a swing and going into its underside for an elegant spin of flame. The wolf yelped backed away and countered with a swift swipe, it looked nearly tired as the knight drank from his flask and saw the next attack coming from the right, he rolled left and struck again, causing the wolf to limp and struggle to carry the blade. Jambert closed his eyes and struck again, the wolf gave a painful grunt, dropped the sword and fell away from the blade.

Jambert felt himself swelling with power and opened his eyes to find a soul flickering from the blade. He took it and looked in mouth of the wolf, finding three odd things with in its teeth, simple rings with a green gem stone. He picked them out and felt an odd light, he placed his hand on the cheek of the wolf and petted it gently, he left both the wolf and sword be, going to a pond that Aqua was facing towards as Ken tried to whisper something. Jambert took two of the rings and approached with them in hand. "We have a way to traverse the Abyss."

Aqua turned and tried not to look at the dead wolf. "It better have been worth this." She and Ken took the ring and placed it on their finger, feeling a faint protective aura as Jambert readied a bone. "It should be, I will be preparing both the soul and myself for our venture into the Dark, meet me by Firelink Shrine and don't stray in this forest." Jambert knelt and gave off a glow. "Thank you for finding me."

PEW!

The knight disappeared in light and Aqua wanted to leave, Ken wanted to ask something and kept quiet, the two went back the way they came and were back in the vast forest, they found a ledge to their left to have an odd gate like structure. Knowing what it really was, they traveled through and were in a neck of the woods with a trio of hissing giant black cats. The cats rolled after them in high speeds, the duo found that weird and jumped above them, watching them collide with one another, the duo reached to a ledge with another gate. They went through that one and were at a lake that had the corpse of a massive multi necked hydra, headless and being pecked at by birds. Crystal golems wandered and waddled towards Aqua, the duo simply walked to the left, towards the lake. Ken fired up his burning keyblade and formed a barrier of ashes. Giving the two time to reach the lake and find a river feeding into it, they saw a white door under the waterfall and a summon sign by the river.

They went through the door and found themselves in a hall in Castle Oblivion. Reality seemed in the norm and a deep voice echoed. "To battle the darkness of the Abyss. Was it really worth the death of such a noble beast?"

An illusion of Garland appeared, Aqua wasn't in the mood to banter. "That isn't the reason, it was guardian the grave of its master no matter what. Yet... the wolf seems like it recognized the knight. Why?!"

The illusion of the intruder wished to know himself. "Milady, the things you saw traversing the castle all seem to intertwine, is the Dark truly the source of that worlds ordeals?"

Aqua growled to him. "It's always the reason a world faces oblivion. Time and time again. But what is the Abyss?"

Ken asked confused. "The Realm of Darkness? Oh... oh no."

Aqua stiffened as Garland sighed. "That is a misfortune for you, is it really worth continuing this venture?" The woman glared at him and was ready to strike. "Are you going to get out of this castle?" Garland chuckled out of spite. "No, I think not. Not yet anyway, its amusing to see you try to stop me. What's to say you are even going the right way?"

Ken growled and yelled. "Oh come on, you wouldn't be playing this mind game if we were going the right way." He readied to shoot. "That's it, we're kicking your butt out." PEW!

Garland stood there, took it and shattered in illusions, laughing in entertainment. "Yes, continue these glorious battles, not even the Abyss will stop you."

Ken puffed his cheeks as Aqua closed her eyes to try and sense who was where. "Ken, he was trying to toy with us. He is still higher up, but if the floors are as quick as the last one, we will be there soon." The reckless student hoped so and asked. "Miss, we can't be going into a memory of a trip like that. What the heck were the Four Kings thinking?"

Aqua opened her eyes and wanted an answer herself. "Jambert traveled to that forsaken town, so we should ask him. This is a bit convenient for you." Ken cringed. "It's a lesson about why I shouldn't mess around with Darkness, come on Miss, I seen the kind of madness that came from messing with it already."

The teacher agreed with that. "But there is more to that, because of those Four, a whole town, guilty or not, have been swallowed up by the darkness. It is terrifying to deal with knowing that, we need to know the rest of the story."

Ken sighed and stepped forward. "Alright, it's the reason we can't go easy on those that keep screwing it all up." He and Aqua went down the hall and found themselves in an illusion of an elevator. Finding Jambert with a large, pristine blade that glowed with in the light. The knight was amused. "Who knew that broken old blade would be ascended into this. Now we are ready."

The elevator went down and Aqua asked. "What happened in New Londo?" Jambert took a deep breath and answered. "A long time ago, the Four Kings were considered powerful rulers, yet they allowed their hearts to be weaken by one thing. A desire for power." Aqua and Ken found that a simple, petty reason to give into the darkness, Jambert continued. "Then an evil serpent presented the art of Life Drain... the power to drain life, before them. Finding a power so appetizing to them, they became willing pawns of the Dark. They formed a convenent called the Darkwraiths and spread this gift, for that New Londo were imprisoned in a seal of water, to keep the Darkwraiths far away from others. Many were sacrificed to achieve this and their spirits haunt the ruins. This leads to today, I hold the key to undo the seal." He presented them with a key. "Ingwald trusted me with this tale and I will make sure when the seal is broken, it is to eliminate the Four and halt the spreading of the Dark. Any longer and they would be freed into the world."

He exhaled as Ken frowned with him. "I seen the end result of the people that turn to that stuff myself. The damage is done, but we can make sure no more get hurt by this. It's no wonder you got desperate."

Jambert understood and it looked like he was closing his eyes. "Could that wolf be doing more than just protecting a grave of a friend? I will ensure that wolf didn't die in vain," Aqua listened to the vow and warned the knight. "You haven't seen anything that the Darkness could do, don't do anything foolish." Jambert wanted to shake the dread out. "Ha! I suppose I haven't, perhaps we will spin a tale or two at the bonfire when this is done?" The elevator stopped and Aqua stiffened at bad memories. "...Maybe I will. It depends on how bad it is down here." Jambert looked rather disappointed and lead the way.

Aqua and Ken found themselves out of the illusion. Aqua took the lead and imagined the horror. "It has to be a nightmare ahead. Ken, what ever you do," The boy finished. "Don't wander off, because the dark is everywhere beyond that door." Aqua nodded and opened the door, the two crossed over and found themselves in ruins most dark. Finding Jambert pitying various hollows that seem to be shaking their heads in agony or praying, among them was a corpse Ken and Aqua were familiar with, the crestfallen knight. Jambert asked the two. "Meet me by the bridge while I deliver that enchanted ember to a black smith. I'll explain what we need to do soon."

Aqua looked upon a city flooded with water and tried to keep calm. "To think that knight is our guide through this. It takes a lot of courage to face these things," Ken agreed and found it a bit of a laugh. "He is just an ordinary guy that despite how everything is trying to kill him, he is still himself. Ha, all it takes is one big adventure to make someone shine."

In a few moments, Jambert returned with ghastly, severed arms and gave them to the key bearers. "Squeeze them once you see the ghosts and follow me, it is the more effective means of slaying them," They were weirded out and followed the knight, reaching to a more watery ledge, a white robbed specter appeared and floated to the three. The keyblade wielders did as instructed as Jambert took a limb and squeezed, giving off a spectral aura, he charged to the ghost and struck it into oblivion, the knight asked. "Search for any remaining limbs, for once the curses effect wears off... there is little protection against them. There may be countless, but with the three of us, they will be as fragile as bees." He cheered in valor and lead to a set of stairs leading up and deeper into the ruins.

With in a black and white room.

Xion finished a comic about a peculiar girl with squirrel like powers and put it away, she found the Replica fast asleep from a long day and sneaked out to see what was occurring in the lobby. She found a rubric keeping guard, finding herself by her lonesome as she noticed a familiar Sorcerer arriving, she asked him bored. "How much longer are we going to stay put? There isn't anything to do besides reading books."

Ahriman gave a suggestion to the rubric and had it march down the hall, the Sorcerer answered. "As soon as the Replica wakes up you're free to travel where the two of you please. You know fully why it was necessary for me to do that."

Xion nodded. "It's so they know they can leave us alone. Since my... brother doesn't have to get the Tzaangor food anymore, does this mean he finally has some freedom to do what he wants with his munny."

Ahriman chuckled. "He wasn't using it for them anyways, so he earned that and much more. The cross roads of fate. So you say that despite the Changeling undermining him in his task, you managed because an anomaly to your condition revealed himself."

Xion had an idea in her mind. "What if I find more like him, friends that can find me?"

The Sorcerer snapped his fingers and asked smugly. "Can you? It's like finding a one in a million and it could lead to more heart ache, one way or another."

Xion raised her fists up. "I can, I just need to know where to find them. Are you trying to mess with my head?"

Ahriman shook his head. "I'm helping you decide things on your own, the way you want to exist, although I could easily pull your strings. What was planned for the Replica was planned for you, you just need to find it."

Xion didn't wish to think about her plan in front of someone who could read minds, Ahriman advised to her. "You should follow your brother's lead, for that is the best outcome for you when you traverse. I will not speak more of this."

He petted the teenager on the head in affection and caused her to feel confused. "That's because the others would listen in if you do?"

Ahriman nodded and answered. "Or because it would be foolish to trust even me. Every action, works towards a plan, a plan that would drive anyone else into madness if they try to understand. In the end, you will arrange your own machinations and those around you will think the same."

Xion felt she understood part of the Sorcerer's motives and gently moved the affectionate hand away from her head. "You're strange." Ahriman wasn't denying it. "Discuss this with the other when you are finally out of my reach. That will be all for now."

Xion and the Sorcerer parted ways, she went back into the room and found the Replica snoring away, she had one idea in mind. "Hmm, what about that one world he sneaked into?"

In New Londo.

Ken and Aqua felt a case of the spooks as they dodged a swarm of ghosts stretching out their long arms and revealing uncanny teeth. With a combined swipe of magical light and flame, the ghosts dissolved away. They listened to Jambert slashing at a ghost and followed him into a tower with two stairways, one leading up, the other leading down, the knight calmed himself and went up the stairs. "Even knowing the layout of the ruins, its still a dread coming back. I'll go see if there is anything note worthy up above."

Ken and Aqua weren't letting the knight travel alone, the keyblade master voiced her refusal. "And what will happen if there are even more ghosts up there. We'll stay together at all times."

Jambert sighed and let them follow up the stairs and throw a door leading to a ledge, the knight looked to his left to find a sturdy, short range bow and went to retrieve it as Ken and Aqua looked ahead to find a lush valley with blue drakes, a stone bridge and a gate leading somewhere, having some form of light in comparison to the dark place they had to dwell. Ken hummed. "I guess this use to be how people traveled to these ruins before things went-" Aqua warned him with an irritated growl. "Don't say any puns about the town, they're not funny." Ken obeyed and whimpered. "Alright, it' pretty grim anyways." Jambert put the bow and nearby arrows away as he returned back to them, the knight pointed to the yonder. "That is the Valley of the Drakes, I had to climb up here during my ascension from twilight Blighttown. Are you ready to go back in?"

Aqua took a deep breath. "Let's get this over with, lead the way." The knight did so and lead the two deeper down the stairs, they found a lever that was stuck in place, chains leading down a hole and a cell door. Jambert used the key to open the cell door and found a ledge with a round, horizontal push lever. The keybearers followed and the knight pushed against the lever, despite his consciousness screaming to him that he shouldn't do it. He moved it and the two onlookers watched a gate opening, the water that flooded the town rushed away. Out of the town and into the valley outside, leaving only a blanket of darkness bellow. Jambert dusted his hands. "Now we need to hurry and get down there. I believe the lever inside would solve that problem."

Aqua understood and went in first to pull the lever, hearing the chains clank away as her student followed and looked down, Jambert stepped in and clenched onto his glistening sword. The elevator arrived and the three stepped in, descending into the darkened town. The smell of rancid water on the stone wall worsened the tension. They felt the elevator stopped and walked past a small hall, feeling themselves stepping on something wet and soft, they looked down to find the repulsive sight of piles, upon piles of corpses that were rushed to the gate way and generally corpses that laid on the cities floor. Ken whimpered more. "Miss, I want to go home."

Squish! Squish!

The three listened to something approaching from the darkness, a tall imposing knight in sinister, skeletal armor, completed with a black cowl. It had a mighty sword and a foreboding presence, it approached and let loose a quick combo. The keybearers stepped aside as Jambert rolled behind, Ken shot the knight in the chest and saw it not even phased, Aqua rushed in to slash it at the face and it wasn't even pushed. The knight glowed its free hand in an sinister red and tried to grab her, the woman back flipped and watched Jambert slam his blade across the foes back and swung it to the ground, the foe tried to get up, let loose a hoarse breath and fell on its face dead. Ken found a stone gate leading to a stair way up and slowly entered with caution. "That was a Darkwraith? Sheesh that guy wasn't flinching."

Jambert assumed so and followed with Aqua wanting to take her mind off the fact that she was once again, descending into a dark place. They climbed up into a hut and saw more bodies as Jambert took the lead, lifting his sword over his right shoulder and taking out a small, light shield. The hut was mostly a wooden hall and one reaching the other side, Jambert saw a Darkwraith readying its blade upon him. The knight parried with his shield, pushed the Darkwraith off balance and swung his blade at its knee, causing it to kneel over and expose its neck for a swift decapitation. Jambert breathed heavily and noticed a chunk of stone on the Darkwraith's corpse. He looted it and saw a tower with a fogged gate at the entrance, Aqua kept calm and saw they were past the bodies. "I think I know what would happen if one of them grabs onto us, it's the life drain ability you warned us about."

Jambert tried to keep himself knightly and went to the gate. "They seek any who has a soul, so it wouldn't be... an exaggeration, to assume that they would suck out our souls. Thankfully we will know if they are trying that attack." He pushed through and caused it to fade, with in a water logged tower, two Darkwraiths charged after him at once. The teacher and student went for the one on the left, attacking as one, the Darkwraith raised his free hand and caused a dark ripple to form, blocking the keyblade swings like they were nothing. Jambert noticed something shifting, a wet, rotten bundle of corpses merged together and forming a face that coughed out floating heads, he was slashed into while distracted, yelped in pain and rolled behind the wraith for an effective back stab. With one dead, he drank his estus flask to refresh himself and was left to see the red floating head coming to him. It screamed and let loose an explosion that knocked him silly.

Ken and Aqua noticed the red head coming to them and letting loose an explosion, the teacher back flipped as the student back stepped and spun a jump to see where the source was coming from, an animated blob of corpses that tried to spit slime at him and missed, Ken fed a fire of his own into his gun like keyblade and fired rays of fire upon the mound as Aqua let loose a thunder bolt upon the dark wraith and sparked in lightning. The Darkwraith dashed to her and let loose a fast combo that was dodged, he felt a thrust in the back from an electrical keyblade spasm and collapse. Aqua and Jambert watched the blob of corpses burn from automatic beams, the blob inhaled and shot a spiked tongue out, Ken side stepped and kept firing until the blob quivered and collapsed into a mound that was smelling even worse. Jambert quivered and saw a pathway door way ahead. "I'm going to search this tower and find anything useful, I... think that all of them here." Aqua disapproved as Ken advised the knight. "Fine, but be quick, this place has reached my personal levels of no."

The knight nodded and promised. "You will know why I will be running to you soon enough." Aqua grumbled. "I hope you know what you are doing, come on Ken." She and the student walked ahead and felt their feet in water, finding not one but two Darkwraiths approaching slowly. The boy's eyes half dropped, stabbed his gun like blade into the ground and glowed his hand. "Oh, not this!"

He slammed his hand into the ground and caused light to shine, summoning a large spider being ridden by not one, but two goblins. Stingy Bites yelled out in a frenzy. "Let's get em!"

Venom Dancah giggled and glowed in venom, causing the blue spider bellow to salivate. The right most Darkwraith noticed the spider charging after him and tried to block with the power of darkness, it was pounced down, bitten into and stabbed by the Skuttleboss, leaving the left one to go after the boy that summoned it. Ken held his burning blade and side stepped.

STAB!

The Darkwraith was stabbed in the back and burst into flames, Ken lifted the Darkwraith high and flung him to Aqua, who didn't hesitate to to side swiped it in the face and send it flying into deeper water.

He and Aqua watched the other Darkwraith become spider food and saw Stingy Bites finding the grim place like home, snickering and wanting to say something as Aqua had bad news to tell them. "This place isn't real, its a memory from a keyblade, don't even think about it." Stingy Bites mood died as Venom Dancah yelled. "What do you mean it isn't real? Why you called us anyways?"

Ken pointed at the murdered Darkwraith. "Because these guys are a nightmare in a nightmare and I really don't want to stay here any longer than we need to. Thank you for the help."

Stingy Bites growled as Skits twitched its mandibles and earned the boys pity. "I heard what happened and I'm sorry to hear it. Are you doing well despite that?"

The spider nodded as his master answered. "Dragon Hackah es gone, but now we'z got no nest." Aqua gasped and asked. "What happened to him?" The goblins had a hard time explaining it, Venom Dancah disregarded his non existent sanity and was flickering away. "He and the boys wents a pew pew into the big castle. Spiky hair knows if you see em."

PEW!

Ken was more confused as his summon disappeared. "Sora helped with... something? I need to figure that out once we get past this town." He and Aqua noticed more stairs out of water, the boy pulled Cadia's Light out of the ground and approached with caution, they found themselves in dryer ground and saw a stair way to a higher building. Aqua saw hints of ghosts and asked. "You took that side step from Ornstein?"

The boy nodded, saw the ghost and squeezed a dead limb for a spectral glow. "If it means I can get back to shooting faster, I'm all for it." He aimed for the drifting ghosts and warned her. "If I shoot those, would anything else notice?"

Aqua answered with a playful, if defeated tone as she took a dead limb and squeezed. "Probably." Ken pulled the trigger. "Fire in the hole."

PEW!

A ghost was vaporized by the beam and as expected, two more flew from the buildings walls, they were snipped as Aqua noticed two dark figures walking out of the building, two dark wraiths. Aqua focused on them and hovered, aiming her keyblade and firing a prism rain upon them, quickly taking one of them down and causing the other to use its barrier, Ken hurled a fire ball at its feet and caused it to nearly trip, exposing it to a fatal shot. Clank! Clank! Aqua heard splashing of metal, saw Jambert with an eager mood and landed as she asked. "What did you find?"

Jambert answered joyfully. "A large ember for Andre to see and an elevator that leads to a way out," He saw two dead Darkwraiths and apologized. "Anymore delay would mean more of them being let loose. I'll have the next one we find."

He lead the way into the building and found three wisp like heads floating to them, they gave off a scream and the three jumped back to see the explosion, there was another pile of bodies with a face, Jambert yelled and rushed to the mass's side to hack away as Aqua focused and shot an icy orb, the mass quivered and collapsed. Leaving a vacant room with a brown chest and a door way to their left. They went through the door and notice to their right, a Darkwraith charging sword first, Jambert rushed back with a parry and riposte it for a quick kill. They saw a summon sign of unimportance at the corner the Darkwraith was and ahead was a small bridge to a fogged gate in another.

They went across the bridge and went through the gate, entering what looked to be a spiral stairway into a deep dark. Jambert traveled down first and felt something calling for him, he made sure the ring he took from the great wolf was still on his finger and asked. "Do you have your rings ready?"

Aqua and Ken showed theirs, the boy looked down and asked. "So this is where the four are?"

The keyblade master was certain herself. "Deep down there is where they make their lair., She breathed through her nose as Jambert was greatly tempted and felt something odd of the spiral stairs, he went to a ledge and readied to jump in the center. Aqua stopped him with a sharp grab from behind the collar. "What do you think you are doing?"

The knight looked into forever and answered. "We are not suppose to go down the stairs, we are to jump. That is where the abyss lies." Aqua thought it was insane as Ken had an idea. "What if I try using aero to soften the fall when we see the ground? Better safe than sorry."

The teacher looked at her student like if he wasn't wearing a helmet, she would have pinched him on the ear. "NO! Do you two know what you are doing?" The two realized how crazy and nightmarish their situation was and the woman answered for them. "Your diving straight into the darkness." Jambert didn't want to whimper at that fact. "But if we don't, the Dark will consume the world. We have to do this."

Aqua let the two go and agreed. "We don't have much of a choice now. Ken, do that thing when you see the bottom." The boy did so, he and Jambert looked down and jumped onto the middle, Aqua followed ready to attack anything odd, they rushed down through the stairs and looked around to find the darkness surrounding them, where not even stone or stairs were around.

Realizing they really did jump into the darkness, Jambert whimpered. "Oh no." Ken wanted to close his eyes and hope it goes back to the light, yet if he did so, he might risk getting everyone killed, Aqua had a feeling of deja vu sinking into her heart.

LAND!

They felt something unknown catching their fall and were with in the depths of the void, the glow of an estus flask and the keyblades were the only lights with in the Abyss. The three pressed their backs against each other and felt like something was watching them, Ken closed his eyes and wanted to say something, not a word came out in fear that what was in the abyss with them would listen, Jambert saw a horror approach from the darkness, a grey specter of wings, a vague humanoid face, long hair and a long grey blade appeared. The keybearers felt the knight shaking in his armor, he nearly collapsed from the pressure of fear. Ken opened his eyes to find on his side was a specter in the darkness, he stuttered. "That made it worse."

Aqua looked in front of her to find another specter and looked to the gap unseen, a fourth king keeping its distance, like it was waiting for one of the three intruders to make a fatal mistake, even she was trembling in fear. Jambert raised his blade and charged yelling. "We'll send you back into the Darkness, you monsters!"

The four kings swiped their wing in sync and caused blades of dark energy to fly at them, Aqua and Ken looked to each other with a silent nod and charged after the king in front of them, keeping a caution to the one in a distance.

It felt like they were making little progress in running, they dodged the slash and kings they faced floated towards them to do battle. Jambert rolled to dodge and swung, missing entirely and realizing he was still a bit far away. The king swung side ways, the knight rolled towards it and slashed upon it, he breathed in to relax and rolled to the side to dodge a vertical slash, he shined with Artorias's sword and hacked into the king, the king spun in a purple glow, the knight made a run for it and was caught off guard by a magic missile, he felt the pulse of dark energy behind him and was knocked onto his stomach. He rolled to his right to dodge a swing from the blade and got up, feeling dizzy and seeing the king spin and flew after him, its wings reaching for the knight that sprinted away and panicked, he looked behind with his blade ready and saw the king tire. He rolled to dodge a horizontal slash and cut back, causing the king to howl in pain and fade away.

Aqua's rush was a little better.

The king approached her and tried to slash at her, she rushed to the side of his face and let loose swift swings, sparking in lightning and flipping to her right to avoid a downward slash. The king spun and Aqua back flipped, seeing it fly to her with its wings ready to grab her, she flew and flipped behind to face the king, she fired lightning bolts at the king and wait for it to tire, she sprinted and electrocuted it, flying high to dodge a missile of darkness and fire down like a storm cloud. She noticed the distant king approaching her and aimed her keyblade down at the king she was dealing with, firing a shot of power at the kings stomach, causing it to kneel and fade away.

As she was dealing with that.

Ken fired at the king and watched it float to the left to dodge, it fired a barrage of dark missiles at him, he sprinted through, rolled to dodge and jumped from a horizontal double slash, he spun downward and carved into the king with both blades. The king slashed downward and the boy side stepped, continuing his attacks and firing both a laser beam and a fire ball. The king spun and rushed after the boy that flew away with a trial of fire, looking back and seeing the king flying above it and trying to reach for him with its wings. He flipped and did his combo again, forcing the king to stop and swing after him with his long blade, barely missing. Ken felt his magic stop and landed back, he aimed Cadia's Light at the kings face and fired, causing the king to kneel back, howl and fade away. He looked back to find the last of the four kings flying after Aqua, the teacher was caught off guard and tried to get away as the king closed in with its wings. Ken cringed and had an idea burning, he focused on the king and readied his burning blade, he flipped mid air and spun a circle, causing a ring of fire to burn around him. Aqua was caught in the wings and was face to face the king that inhaled, giving off a scream of terror and feeling the power of the void sucking something from her.

WOOSH!

A beam of burning sunlight yanked the king off of her and sent it burning. POW! Someone jabbed into him and kicked him further back, Aqua dropped to the floor and was shaking as she stood up, seeing her student jump off the king and landed by her side, giving a smile to her and flashing to a scowl at the king.

They shot a mixed beam of magic and fire at the king that flew above that and over them. It spun in darkness and readied to unleash something. The duo side stepped to the far left and watched a pulse of power unleash itself. The king swiped its blade side ways upon them, they jumped over it and saw a ball of chaotic fire make contact with its back. The king flew down and turned to the direction of the shot. Find Jambert with his gauntlet glowing in fire, the knight yelled and thrust his shining great sword. The king readied his own thrust.

STAB!

The sword of Artorias sank into the kings heart, causing him to give off a ghastly howl and fade away, disappearing and leaving behind the sword that fell blade first into the ground, along with a fiery soul and four white flickers of humanity. The knight took the soul with his left hand and used his right hand to pull the sword up, the Four Kings were no more. Jambert looked upon the fire mesmerized as he saw Ken and Aqua drawn to the glow. "We...we beaten them."

He placed the blade on his back and noticed a miracle of light, a lit bonfire awaiting him, he gave off a desperate laughter and went to it to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, the key bearers saw it and approached in glee. Aqua had a sweet smile for the knight. "Nice use of that fire ball back there, now let's get out of here." Jambert nodded and knelt before it, giving off an orange glow and disappearing, the keybearers felt they understood what they were to do and heard a deep, disappointed growl from their right.

Seeing with in the darkness, a green toothy serpent much like Frampt. Aqua was ready to fight as Ken yelled. "Okay, what was the big idea showing these guys that?! Huh?"

The serpent wasn't even angry to them and gave a respectful bow. "If I must illuminate the truth, warriors of the light," He raised his head up and answered. "I am the primordial serpent, Darkstalker Kaathe, or I would be if it wasn't for the nature of the Castle and the memories of the rekindled Flame."

The keybearers were caught off guard and Aqua asked. "How did you find out?"

Kaathe answered with his teeth clanking. "Is it not to be that those such as you appeared along side the Undead Warrior in his lonely fools errand? Do you wish to know about the First Flame and how it is the source of the strife with in the world that was?"

Aqua shook her head and wanted to refuse as Ken answered. "After what you did and caused the mess of the abyss, I don't trust you. But... something fishy is going on, what is this I hear about Linking the Fire?" Aqua signaled her student that he was making a mistake as Kaathe answered. "The Darkwraiths, the Four Kings, they sought not the true dark and have failed in seeking the truth. Their fate was their own folly. But the Dark is not of your interest, in the Age of Ancients, the world was unformed, shrouded by fog. It was a land of grey crags, arch trees, and of Everlasting Dragons. But then there was Fire and with Fire came disparity."

Aqua asked. "And with the souls found in the Fire, those like Gwyn, Nito and the Witch of Izalith came and with that, the Dragons were no more? But... where did Seath come from?"

Kaathe snarled. "The traitor among his kin, you will learn of his madness soon. After the advent of Fire, the progenitor of mankind, the Furtive Pygmy, found a fourth, unique Soul. The Dark Soul. He claimed the Dark Soul and waited for Fire to subside. And soon the Flames did fade," Ken understood what happened. "And only the Dark remained? So the Fire was going to go no matter what and Gwyn linked it to keep the age going? Why?"

Kaathe appreciated an observant mind and answered. "For he trembled at the Dark, he cling to his Age of Fire, and in dire fear of humans, and the Dark Lord who would one day be born among them. Lord Gwyn resisted the course of nature, by sacrificing himself to link the Fire, and commanding his children to shepherd the humans, Gwyn blurred the past of those like the Undead Warrior and prevented the birth of the Dark Lord."

Ken stiffened in thought as Aqua felt enough was said. "Jambert isn't your pawn, what ever you talk about doesn't change what you were spreading."

Kaathe wasn't denying that. "For you seen those who sought not the truth, but their own desires. But that naught matter here, for the Undead Warrior blindly follows the illusion and will link the Fire, unaware of the destiny he was denied. For that is what the worlds heart remembers," He sighed at the inevitable. "But enough of this, go. I will wait in the Abyss for that awaits the world."

He sank into the void and let the duo go to the bonfire, having the image of a familiar grassy shrine. Ken was expecting a lecture as he and Aqua found themselves in the light of the surface world, finding Jambert talking to an onion like knight. He stuttered and asked. "So Siegmeyer made it here, should we go see what's up?"

Aqua felt the knight was familiar, the very one from the stories. "Kendry, I'm not angry nor disappointed. We will talk about this when we can."

They approached and heard Siegmeyer give thanks to Jambert. "You and Sir Kendry did much for me up above. I am grateful. You know, I was thinking...the gates at the old fortress...Was that your doing?"

The knight nodded back. "It was the doing of me, Sir Kendry and Lady Aqua. I say it was a hassle."

Siegmeyer cheered. "Yes, I knew it!" He noticed Kendry and a blue haired woman. "You two came at a marvelous time, Jambert told me about some of your escapades. It seemed like an unlikely coincidence," He gave a respectful bow to the three. "Well, am I fortunate! This knight of Catarina thanks you sincerely." He gave them a scroll. "Please, take this, as a token of my gratitude."

Jambert took it and unrolled it, seeing the image of someone focusing deep with in and emitting a force. He showed it to Aqua and Kendry, letting them read from it and finding something connecting. The knight thanked Siegmeyer. "A miracle I don't think I seen enough of. Thank you."

The knight of Catarina appreciated the thanks. "You're welcome. I'll be heading down into the swamp bellow shortly. There's nothing worthwhile up above."

Aqua gasped. "Blighttown?!"

Siegmeyer assured her. "No worries! Adventuring is my life; I'm prepared for the worst." He laughed and left Jambert worried. The images stilled and the keybearers felt a white door open by a bonfire. The scroll appeared in Jambert's hand and they knew they reached the end of the floor.

They crossed over and entered a hall to find the image of Garland standing before them in surprise. The intruder was both impressed and disturbed. "You pay any heed to that Serpent's words? That was the mistake the Four Kings made."

Aqua shot an answer to him. "I don't trust that Serpent as far as I can throw you. But he was the only one with any idea of what was really going on and was the only one who wanted to tell us," Ken saw himself out of the silver armor and had his own answers. "And figured out he was an illusion like nearly everyone else in the castle. I'm not sure how much of what he said was true or a load of it, but I think I'm getting what is happening to Jambert."

Aqua asked. "He was being had the whole time and he followed along with anything if to give himself a purpose to all he had to get through and the things he had to do. With one of the soul fragments obtained, he needs the other one and the remaining two. What more did he have to do to save the world?"

Garland shrugged. "That is for you to decipher, would that knight find peace at the end of his venture?"

The illusion faded away and left the two alone, Ken readied to text someone. "While we are figure that out, I'm going to get answers about what the guys had to pull to deal with Dragon Hackah. Miss, if I had any doubts about what the dark is, I will say without any question that you are right."

Aqua felt that word to be more stinging than expected as her student spoke more. "Darkness, no matter what form it takes, is way too dangerous to mess around with, and the people doing that need to be stopped at every turn. If not, things like the Heartless consuming the worlds and the Darkness in New Londo will happen and by the time someone does something about it, they will just be cleaning up a big mess. More people need to say that the next time anyone gets any ideas to dangle the Dark to our faces and tempt us to use it."

Aqua nodded to that and relaxed. "It's scary how many times people don't heed the warning. Ken, do you know what you did back there?"

Ken looked up and gave a smile like sun shine. "I used a shot lock and it isn't the dark one. I call it the Sun Spear. Miss, do you think you can show that miracle to the others when we can?"

Aqua giggled certain. "I should, for as terrifying and dark as that world was, it has a lot to teach us."

The boy agreed and asked. "So you're not mad anymore about how this all started?"

Aqua took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. "We still have five more floors of searching before we are finished and who knows how dangerous they are. Nito doesn't sound as nice," Ken grumbled and finished his text. "By the time we get to the door I'll get an answer. I get that I'm not out of the woods until Garland is is out and the whole thing with Ven is taken cared of and even then... yikes."

Aqua hummed. "Oh, this was going to eventually happen, but because of this, we need to know about what goes on as we all travel the worlds and not take it lightly when there is something the other doesn't know about. But we will deal with that once this is all behind us," She walked ahead. "Come on, lets hurry this up."


	39. A Neat Trip

Outside of Castle Oblivion, Sora was given a text as he watched Donald give a heal to Riku and Kairi. He thought about it and texted back, feeling a little guilty as Riku managed a swollen cheek and Kairi asked with a hint of adrenaline. "Who was that?"

The spiky haired boy answered. "Ken, since he summons that goblin, he figured out about what we did to the Orruks before we got the chance to tell him first," Kairi sighed and smiled without worry. "They're fine, they are just out of everyone's way and won't cause anymore problems," Sora hummed. "That's what I told him and he's cool with it? He said something about a handy trick that we should hear from Aqua about?" Kairi was interested as Mickey answered. "They are probably learning some techniques for all of us. That was rather quick." Riku guessed. "Maybe because two events in that world were so interconnected to each other and were so straight forward that they have little reason to detour. Hey, do you want to ask him what he and Aqua saw to make it so quick?" Sora was on it and waited. "Who knew this was the place he found?" Riku felt bad about not knowing sooner. "Did any of us?"

In a ledge overlooking an undead town.

Aqua and Ken were astonished by the change in scenery, finding Jambert with a spear in hand and saying hello to Solaire, who was looking up on the light. "It's been a while Sir Solaire." The Warrior of Sunlight sighed in a day dream. "Hmm! Ah..." He noticed the three. "Oh...hello there. Forgive me, I was just pondering... about my poor fortune."

Aqua wondered what was wrong. "What happened?" Solaire sighed. "I did not find my own sun, not in Anor Londo, nor in Twilight Blighttown. Where else might my sun be? Lost Izalith, or the Tomb of the Gravelord?" Ken hummed. "They could be down there, what do you think Jambert?"

The knight guessed. "They are places with a soul of great power. In fact, I am about to head to the Catacombs to search for the Gravelords domain and to find some clerics who disappeared lost, don't give up Solaire," The warrior of sunlight faced them valiantly. "I cannot give up. I became Undead to pursue this!" He looked up to the sun above the grand structure. "But when I peer to the Sun up above, it occurs to me... What if I am seen as a laughing stock, as a blind fool without reason?" He looked down and away from the others. "Well, I suppose they wouldn't be far off,"

He laughed to himself, Jambert shook his head and answered. "I certainly don't. You partook in this adventure to find that reason, you just need a little enlightenment." He approached Solaire and patted him on the shoulder. "That sun is somewhere out there, you need to think about where." The keybearers sensed Solaire blushing under his helmet, the Warrior of Sunlight calmly sighed. "Thank you for your kind words. It lights up even the darkest of days." Jambert chuckled and tried to say something, the illusion faded. Ken and Aqua found themselves in front of the grand door.

Ken had a text message back and cringed. "Come on dude." Aqua hummed and Ken showed the message. "It isn't about the Orruks, I'll look at that myself. Do we really need to tell him what we saw?"

The keyblade master took the phone and texted. "Sora, this is Aqua. Me and Kendry went into a memory about a knight named Jambert, who among a few things, had to plunge into a place called the Abyss, a place of absolute Darkness, to confront four people that gave in to its power. We're never going back in that floor again." She gave a wink emoji and sent. Ken was embarrassed and wanted to open the doorway. "I hope they know that's really you. Now if that conversation is correct, we are going to some catacombs, the last one I been to was not exactly pleasant. But compared a hide out for people that MIGHT have a grudge against us to a catacombs in a world where being undead is a thing."

He licked his lips to the thought of discovery as Aqua had no knowledge of what a catacombs is. "What would make the catacombs more dangerous then?" Ken answered and had his hands at the door. "Catacombs are a bigger tomb, filled with dead things. I hope it isn't as gross." He opened the door and walked through, finding himself in armor and in a cavern with flowing water and scattered remains of skeletons, he saw Jambert stab a skeleton with a silver spear and dodge a fire ball from a foe in a cave way to the right. An undead mage in brown robe, the boy had his gun like blade prepared and snipped the mage, catching Jambert of guard and seeing both him and Aqua. "Goodness you came without warning. Threat not, this shouldn't be anything like New Londo. The Catacombs is but another obstacle we have to traverse down. To the Tomb of Giants, the realm of Gravelord Nito. That was a necromancer who reanimates the dead, that would have been an issue if it were not for this spear."

He showed it as Ken thought that was less unnerving. "The one you took from a silver knight? What does it do?"

Jambert answered and lead the two down a ledge and through a bridge into a crypt. "It holds divine power that will keep the skeletons dead, we just need to find the necromancer and no more will rise. Sir Kendry, Lady Aqua... would those keyblades suffice as divine weapons?"

Ken looked at his and thought it would as Aqua answered. "It depends on what lurks with in the heart, but if divine is light, then it would. Lead the way."

Jambert did so, going down the ledge overlooking the cavern, finding two skeletons put themselves together and revealing white and red pattern round shields and shimitars. Ken shot one of the skeletons in the head as Aqua approached one, side flipped from the skeleton that shot himself to her like a missile and quickly struck it on the head, sending the skull into the chasm and leaving the body to collapse. Jambert lead them across the bridge and into the cave, entering a proper looking catacombs that was littered with skeletons and still corpses. The trio traversed through and slew what they could find. They went into a narrow room with three animated skeletons, quickly dispatched them and let Jambert search around, picking up a well conditioned shimitar and finding a body holding a spear that is part hammer, the knight pilfered and went back to the hall, nothing else was in their way of travel save for more athletic skeletons. They found an exit from one catacomb and found a bridge to their left, tilted side ways. Two skeletons and a necromancer awaited them on the other side should they undo the bridge. Ken took Cadia's Light and shot above the necromancer, causing a fire orb to form and rain down fire balls to clear them away. Aqua noticed the path to the right having three odd floating red heads and shot a couple fire spells to make them go off. Jambert lead the way and was quickly jabbed in his right by stone spikes erupting from a statue, gritting in pain and trying a better job in avoiding the statues entirely. The knight stabbed two more animated skeletons and took an intact round shield as his own. He found a contraption with a horizontal push lever and pressed it down as the keybearers went ahead to investigate and found nothing of importance, they turned back the way they came with the knight across the bridge to another section of the catacombs, fighting their way room to room and reaching one with a spiral stair way into the darkness. Going by each room that had animated skeletons ready to strike and through one particular room, Jambert was shot in the head by a fire ball. The knight rushed in and confronted a necromancer, he trusted his spear into the necromancer for an unceremoniously kill and noticed something glowing in its hand, a skull lantern held by hair. He picked it up as loot and hummed. "That would be useful."

Aqua noticed a push switch much like the one from above and pushed it in, hearing something moving from above. Ken looked down the spiral stair way, flicked a couple fire balls down and saw one land on a stone edge and one land in the roof of a tomb bellow. "Jambert, Miss Aqua, I think I found something," The knight and teacher followed, having doubts about jumping off a stair way into the unknown as the boy pointed to where he saw the stone ledge and shot another fire ball, revealing it. "There is a path way down we need to drop to, but if Nito is deep in here, this could be a short cut." He hummed as Jambert took the skull lantern and shined it bellow, seeing the pathway clear as another ledge was bellow the other. "I believe it does, if you looked down from out of this cave you would find plenty of bones in the cavern."

Aqua felt it made sense and made the first jump down, followed by her student, they jumped down again as they heard Jambert jump after them. Finding a hole in the roof of the tomb, they jumping together as one as Jambert followed behind. The three landed in a narrow crypt and heard something heavy approach. A large menacing, stocky skeleton with a massive pick axe in its right hand and having an odd bony beard across his chin. The three readied for battle as the skeleton went to a right wall and held the pick axe with both hands, raising it up for something. CRUNCH! He carved a wall open, turned to the three and yelled, using the pick axe to lead the way. "Be gone with you!" He turned back to the darkness. "You'll spoil my focus." That caught the three by surprise and Aqua had her free hand by her hip. "Wha... Ken, Jambert, don't leave yet." Tink! Tink!

The skeleton's behavior was the most that caught her by surprise, the skeleton went to his corner and was smithing away a variety of weapons. Aqua tilted her head and approached to ask. "We will be gone in a moment, but who are you?"

The skeleton heated metal by a casket like forge and looked at her in a grumpy manner. "Vamos, if you need some smithing, then produce me some wares!" Jambert ignited a nearby bonfire, took a shimitar, some shards of titanite and gave it to the black smith. "I would like this reinforced, it's a fine weapon for something laying around among the bones."

Vamos grumbled and went to work as he continued to answer Aqua's question. "I'm a mere blacksmith, it's just my weapons and my trade," He looked at the keyblade with an odd sparkle of light in his eye sockets and shook his head. "I would be of no help to a righteous warrior such as yourselves." Ken joined in the conversation and asked. "Doesn't it get lonely down here by yourself?"

Vamos continued his work and answered the boy. "If there is anything I have, it's my smithing and nothing more. Speaking honestly, I must say I am at my very limit. There's no more work to be done. Ahh, unless I had the flames of that legendary witch," He sighed. "But that would require a visit to Lost Izalith. Impossible." Jambert had an idea and asked. "But what if to say... someone gets those for you?"

Vamos doubted that. "Bah, the demon ruins bellow would devour you whole. But suppose that someone leave me those, Old Vamos wouldn't let em down, no, not ever!" Jambert felt it was an idea. "If we were not fools, we would have never came down here."

Tink! Tink! Tink!

Vamos reinforced the shimitar as Aqua asked. "I heard that some of these weapons can be infused to... certain properties. Just a while ago we found an club imbued with dark powers. Do you know of that?"

Vamos looked at her like she was talking of a wrong. "I don't deal with that kind. What has gone wrong with embers these days? I know a bit of fire though." Jambert chuckled like he was on a good guess. "I would like to see it enforced in the flame as much as you can, what titanite is needed?"

Vamos asked. "How much of the green do you got?" Jambert answered with ten. "I gathered some with in the swamp. Ha, ha." Vamos didn't quite care where it was from and went to work, causing a spark of flame as the knight explained. "Andre, the smith by the church, would know of the divine and powers associated with it. The giant forges weapons of thunder and the one that keeps himself locked up in New Londo knows of magical ascension. You give and you take. I have a project I would like to see done before my journey is over."

Aqua had an interest in such a hobby. "Collect those kinds of weapons. Huh?" In a few moments, the shimitar gave off a warm glow, Vamos made sure his work was done and gave it to the knight. "That be all?" Jambert put the shimitar away and nodded. "We will be gone, your focus must not be interrupted."

He went through the hole and found himself in a creek filled with bones, the keyblade wielders followed him out with some enlightenment. Jambert heard something clank and looked around to find four skeletons in spiked wheels, rolling in the wheels and charging after him. He rolled out of the way as the keyblade wielders noticed and jumped high, finding themselves before floating red heads that let loose a scream. Aqua flowed to a lower ledge as Ken shot himself out of the blast range. Jambert ignited a chaotic fire ball and hurled it and the bundle of skeletons, causing the ground to head up into lava and burn the wooden wheels. Jambert jabbed at them and finished them off, exhaling as Aqua and Ken noticed a path down a canyon and traveled, they found a fogged gate. The knight caught up with them and together, they pushed through the fogged gate, finding an odd temple so deep in the canyon. The roof was tilted like an open coffin and they saw a small pool of water with in a temple filled with bones. They jumped down to find an odd hunched back figure in a black robe. The figure had six limbs and looked to be studying a skeleton and having a hills worth of books. The trio looked to find skeletons hanging from the ceiling and noticed that the creature noticed them. The creature turned around and revealed not one, not two, but three masked faces. On the bottom was a golden mask resembling a bearded man, on the middle left was a white feminine mask and at the top was a mask resembling a child. The six limbs had odd lanterns and the three masks looked at each of the three visitors in astonishment, Aqua sensed the emotions of three as Ken and Jambert saw the masks looking upon each other.

The masks gave a combined, distraught mumble, like they didn't expect nor wanted visitors. The creature glowed its lanterns and flickered out of existence, appearing above in the center of the room as two, then to four. Surrounding them in four corners and readying a fire ball from each. Jambert rolled out of the way to the middle as Ken and Aqua skid to the walls, left and right. Ken shot the one closer to the exit and caused it to fumble as Aqua flew to the upper right mage, both made quick work and caused the two to panic. Jambert tossed a fire ball at the upper left and caused it to fall down, the bottom right teleported behind him to shoot a fire ball at the knight that dodged and went to attacking the mage without much thought, causing it to become bloodied. It teleported away to the other end of the room and split into two to accompany the third, Jambert wasn't really fooled on account of how healthy the clones looked and rushed to the one on the right. The three masks looked to be begging for something, the lanterns swayed in the creatures desperate attempt to block. They were quickly stabbed in the chest by the spear. The figure went limp and its lanterns dimmed, the clones disappeared and Jambert found something with in one of the lanterns a lit, a red rite to kindling. He found a child like mask intact and picked it up. Ken sighed in pity for the creature as Aqua noticed a ladder to the right and spoke. "It wasn't prepared at any of us, what was it doing down here?"

Ken went to the table to have a look, finding a book and spoke out loud by the cover. "A log about taking the power of the Grave Lord by a... Pinwheel. That's the name of what we fought?" Jambert put the mask away at a guess. "I believe so. But we had to advance and Pinwheel acted too much on the defense."

Aqua looked at the corpse with sympathy. "I sensed three hearts in one body, but what is done is done. Maybe this would finally free them from this form. Come on, we have to close to Nito."

She dismissed her keyblade and climbed up the ladder as Ken did the same and Jambert followed. Out of the coffin like temple and left wandering into a dark cave that the teacher and student light up a path with their keyblades, like a set of torches. Jambert held his spear in his right hand and the lantern in his left. They found the roof of a sarcophagus to their left and used it to slide down into the Tomb of Giants. They kept close to the cave wall and saw a giant skeleton with a large curved sword, it lunged for them. The trio dodged in various ways and countered, causing the bones to scatter across the cave. They went down the cave and found another slide to use, along with another. Reaching to another skeleton waiting for ambush and quickly paying the price, with another getting a quick rush after the knight that rolled back and avoiding the slam of the large sword. Jambert stabbed it in the face with the divine spear and caused it to fall apart. They found another sarcophagus to slide down. Finding a close roofed passage ahead and to their left, a set of ladders that Jambert noticed. "Hmm, there has to be a bonfire somewhere." He went down the ladders and slid as the other two followed, he found a faint glow by giant skeleton laying and cheered. "Ah ha!" He rushed to the bonfire to light it up and had a seat by it, Ken and Aqua calmed their nerves and had a seat on a skull, looking at a red glow ahead and finding the ruins of a civilization surrounded by lava.

Aqua squinted her eyes and asked. "Is that the Lost Izalith Vamos talked about?"

Jambert looked ahead. "I think it might, beyond the home of the Fair Lady lies the aftermath of a disaster?"

Ken sarcastically smiled. "And we have to go in there soon and see what has happened. Great. This still beats the Abyss," Aqua agreed with that as Jambert fed dark shades of humanity to the fire, causing it to rise high and bright. "We didn't have to travel nearly as long and these are just skeletons."

Jambert gave off a faint glow and felt more clear in the mind. "And we are fortunate to have a bonfire in this place. Before we venture further," He stood up. "I am going to explore a few nearby crypts, will the two of you be rested enough?"

Aqua nodded as Ken crouched closer to the fire. "Don't get yourself killed. It's still a dark place." The boy agreed with that. "And those skeletons are looking to come at us from the shadows at every turn. Don't be long."

Jambert promised he won't and left, giving the student and teacher time by themselves. Ken was wide eyed and awake as he noticed the Firekeeper sitting by the fire. "Is the actual Jambert like the guy we traveled with? He has to be a long memory." The Firekeeper nodded. "He is much the knight thou has seen. The only difference is he met thou as well."

Aqua sighed and looked upon the path with admiration. "Despite how brutal the world is, he kept a bright heart that became even brighter." The admiration became sorrow, the Firekeeper looked like she was aware of something and Ken asked. "Did linking the Fire change anything about the world? Or did things get worse like what I really saw?"

The Firekeeper answered and tried to look upon the boy. "The Knight of feeble origins, became a Lord that preserved the Fire. Yet the world continued to grow darker, if thou expels Garland from the Castle and has yet ascended to the highest point... thou should heed this warning," Ken guessed what it was. "Turn back before we see more? It does feel like this adventure is getting close to ending."

Aqua was feeling suspicious, yet agreed. "If both Garland and Braig are gone, I can get started. The sooner the better." Ken felt a curiosity in his mind and tried to bury it, he focused on the burning ruins and counted the moments away.

In a world that had a vast lake.

Pete squinted his eyes to a far distant sight, seeing an undead dragon dripping in darkness. It flew above the lake as its rider, a red robbed figure with horns, readied a spell. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say the Horned fella was from this world." "Indeed, the pathetic attempt of a god's grasp upon the worlds," Maleficent stepped out from a corridor with the skull pendent in hand, a raven on her shoulder and with a vile plan in mind, sensing that the distant figure noticed her.

She gave the pendent to her raven and had it fly into the unknown, Pete asked as he felt a great evil emerging from the water. "Are you sure about distracting this creep?"

Maleficent saw them, a vast legion of reconstructed skeletons in rusted weapons, she took her scepter and spun it in the air to form a crackle of dark magic. "Forest of thorns shall be their tomb. Born through the sky as a fog of doom," She aimed her spell upon the shore. "Now go with a curse and serve me well. Cast thy spell upon the damned!"

A massive storm blew upon the marching army on the shore, lightning struck and thorns erupted from the ground, snaring the undead, the dragon flew after the forest and inhaled, breathing a miasma of decay as the Horned King glared at the two. "You dare intrude upon my work?!"

He raised two hands in the air and caused purple energy to form. "Gaze of Shyish, take form in your unholy light, ravage their bodies and deliver them to Nagash." The energy took the form of a purple sun that had the face of a skull, the Horned King unleashed it upon the two, Pete made a run for his life as Maleficent disappeared in green fire and teleported to a ledge, she shot lightning from her scepter upon the Horned King's dragon.

The dragon took the hit and shook it off as the Horned King felt the shock and caused the Purple Sun to float after her. "Shackle this wretched soul, make her feel the pain of all she had crossed." The ledge cracked upon and Maleficent teleported to another ledge, feeling rather bored as she watched chains shoot out and snip.

She taken an interest in the kind of sorcery before as she watched a swirl of magical power she created fly after the Horned King, she taunted the necromancer. "You know Nagash has no claim to the worlds. Kingdom Hearts does not belong to him and it never will,"

The Horned King had his dragon dodge the magic, the necromancer laughed bitterly. "And you find yourself any less entitled? To claim such a dominion for yourself is your wish?" The Horned King felt himself being choked as Maleficent laughed loudly in spite. "The heart of all worlds, such a dominion must be mine!"

Pew! Pew! Pew!

A swarm of bat like heartless appeared and flew after the Horned King, keeping him distracted as he was trying to plea to someone. He felt something flutter on the back of his neck and caused his spectral chain to glow, Maleficent chanted. "Undying Lord, hear my spite, your grasp upon this fool will at long last cease." She aimed her staff as the Horned King looked back to find a raven with a skull like pendent, it gave a glow and caused the choking to become worse. The chains gave off a flowing energy that floated to her, taking the form of a skull with a crown. "You dare oppose me? Fool! Only I can stem the tide of Chaos, for what will the souls of the worlds do if they run rampant?"

Maleficent didn't care as she saw the chains dissolving. "And what did your pawn speak about? I know the Chaos gods seek Kingdom Hearts as much as we, but do I need another complication?"

The skull's eyes glowed bright green and shrieked in anger. "YOU ARROGANT WRETCH! THE CHAOS GODS HOLD POWER OVER THE LOST AND THE DAMNED, YOU KNOW NOTHING OF THEM. YOU ARE NOTHING TO THEM."

Maleficent kept a smug smile and focused her staff upon the purple sun for a dispel, causing it to vanish. "And what are you but a powerless skull? How have you been reduced to this state? Perhaps from trifling with one with a keyblade?"

The Nagash screamed in blind rage, Maleficent realized and cackled in amusement. "Or because you found yourself face to face with a Keyblade Master and underestimated her? Now where suppose did all that ire came from?" The chains dissolved and Nagash went into a tantrum as he faded away, the undead dragon and the skeletal army pushing through the thorns stilled and clattered, falling apart in bones and fading into shadows.

The Horned King dropped to the ground and collapsed from being constantly strangled as Maleficent dispelled the chains and ordered Pete. "Take him, we are finished with this miserable world." She welcomed her proud raven as Pete shivered and picked up the Horned King. "Sheesh, Nagash got some issues. You riled him up, that's for sure," Maleficent agreed with that. "For a god of death, he underestimates much. But his influence upon his servant could be a use to us."

She opened a corridor and lead the way, Pete chuckled to that. "Heh, ha, ha, ha! It's like having the ol gang back together, does it?" Maleficent wished that was the case. "That-" She thought of a plan as she crossed through the corridor. "is possible."

In the Tomb of Giants

Ken and Aqua were nearly hypnotized by the fire as the Firekeeper felt a ripple in the flame and disappeared in ashes. "He is coming."

The key bearers woke up from the trance and watched an orange glow appear, Jambert took form and was on his knees panting, holding into a large, radiant ember, giving off divine light. The Undead, took out his box and put the ember inside. "That was almost a death sentence," He greeted the two comrades. "Andre would like to see such an ember. Are you rested up."

Ken got up and went to climb the ladder up. "We were thinking about things." He reached the top and jumped over, drawing both keyblades and looking to the tunnel to find an odd purple glow. Aqua jumped after him and answered the knight. "Is there anything going on at the Shrine we should know about?"

Jambert had one and climbed. "Besides Siegmeyer? Logan took off on a venture to the Duke's Archives and because I grow a tad tired of the dark caves, it could be my next venture. If you are fortunate enough, he might have found more advanced sorcery for you to know about." Aqua turned to the knight and asked. "As well as anything magical for you to take?"

Jambert hummed and looked to his spear. "Mmm, mmm. Perhaps, but I am seeking the Lord Soul fragment first and foremost." He took the skull lantern out and illuminated the way, the three found an odd sight with in a cave full of bones, a bald human in dark clothes, holding an eagle shield and a winged spear.

Jambert asked. "Oh, hello. What are thou doing in a place like this?"

The man looked at the three and greeted them in a friendly manner. "Good day! You all look reasonably sane! What are you doing in the Catacombs? Are you clerics or something?"

Ken and Aqua looked to each other confused as Jambert answered with his head shaking. "Oh, no. I'm a knight and perhaps a pyromancer." Ken answered. "I believe in a light, but I don't go preaching any of that." Aqua answered with her own. "We don't do things like that. Why did you ask?"

The man was confused back. "Huh, that's strange," He disregarded the question and greeted himself with a thumb aimed at himself. "I'm Trusty Patches, the one and only. I have no qualms telling you." He looked over a ledge. "There is something or someone right down that hole. I found them first, but-" Aqua asked. "There is another person alive down there?!"

Patches thought so. "I remember seeing a cleric and her friends wandering in the dark. Since you all look like the rescuing type, why don't you take a peak? After all, we're friends now."

Aqua squinted her eyes suspiciously as Jambert took a look to find something glittering in the dark. "I believe that cleric might be the missing Rhea? But what else is down there?" Ken went to his left side to have a look. "Hmm, nothing but dark, Miss... should we take the jump?" Aqua followed to the knights right side and felt it was rather dangerous. "There are too many giant skeletons here, but we can't just leave someone. Jambert what do you know abou-" Tip! Jambert was kicked off the ledge from behind as Ken and Aqua felt a shove.

They fell into the lower grounds, trapped in the unknown dark and heard a laughter comparable to a hyena up above. "Heh, heh! It's what I do, my friends. You can go on and be the heroes for those damn clerics, while I go rescue the trinkets off your corpse. Nyah, hah hah hah!"

They looked above to find Patches taunting them and walking away, Ken nearly ignited and was given a tug from Aqua. "We will deal with him later. We need to get out of here." Jambert agreed and looked around for three corpses, taking two flickering souls and finding a spare skull lantern as Ken and Aqua went to the left and found still bones, sitting by a pillar near those bones is a woman a white robe, praying for something.

Aqua found it very convenient and asked. "Are you this Rhea?" The cleric looked up at the two figures and sighed. "Thank goodness." Jambert followed and asked like a knight would a lady. "We came falling down after a hyena in human's clothing pushed our limit, did you meet the same fate?"

Rhea wondered that. "My friends Vince, Nico and Petrus all disappeared in the tomb, I believe Vince and Nico were fooled by that lout Patches and I slipped looking for them. But Petrus... did he abandon us?"

Jambert gasped and answered. "That wasn't what I was told up above. He said he searched and found no trace of you." Ken felt part of his heart burning and asked. "But we found Rhea just by looking down here. That's a pretty half backed job unless-" Aqua tensed, saw her student realize something and had him stop talking as Jambert asked the cleric. "What can we do to help you Milady?"

Rhea shivered and warned them. "There are two fierce Hollows not far from here. They were once brave knights... my former escorts. Who would let strong spirits become Hollowed so? Heavens... Is there nothing... nothing that can be done?"

Jambert sighed and went ahead. "There is only one way to put a Hollow to rest. I will be back shortly."

Aqua followed him and asked, far away from the cleric. "What are you trying to do for her?"

Jambert answered as he saw two zombie like knights, one with a crescent axe, the other with a mace. Jambert reached for a small shield and rushed after the two, dodging the axe wielding zombie and parrying the mace wielding knight. He riposte the knight with a swift stab through the heart, knocking the dying body to the ground and rolling out from an axe swing, Aqua aimed a fire ball at the Hollowed knight and let Jambert stab it dead. The knight felt the deed was done and answered. "Ma'am, what I heard was beyond an injustice. Petrus not only left her down here to die, but lied to me about it. I will have a word with that scum when we are finished here. We need to make sure Rhea is safe before we get going," He marched back and asked. "We just need her to reach the bonfire and we will be on our way. Will you leave him to me? You and Sir Kendry don't want to see me give him... quite a mouthful."

Aqua trusted the words and saw her student giving the depressed cleric a hug. Jambert grunted to Ken, the boy let go and apologized. "Sorry, I needed to get that out of my system." He stepped out of the way and went to his teacher, who silently told him what transpired.

Jambert let a comforted Rhea know. "The deed is done, those two can rest now," The cleric sighed. "It pains me to think of the trouble my failings have caused. I'm certain both Vince and Nico would be grateful to you." She took out a scroll and presented it to him. "Thank you so much. Here, this belonged to them, you deserve it much more than I." Jambert took the scroll and noticed the key bearers taking off into the darkness. "Give my companions a moment and we will try to find a way out of this hole."

Deeper in the hole.

Aqua and Ken carved their way through towers that were a mixture of skeletons and rocks, the student made sure there wasn't any more in the area and slowly kept watch as he explained. "Miss, I knew that was uncalled for, but she was blaming herself for what happened."

Aqua saw a small path near where they dropped and lead. "Kendry, she needed it, don't ever stop sharing the compassion in your heart and always listen to what it wants to do." Two more skeleton towers risen up, Aqua shot a fire ball to knock them down and saw a set of ladders. She went to climb up as Ken followed. "If Patches is still here, what are we going to do with him? He's awful."

Aqua didn't wish to think about it and reach to the top, finding a dead end as Ken reached the top, was dumbfounded and squinted. "Wait Miss, I think-" He readied to hit it and Aqua asked. "What are you doing? That's solid," She stopped and drew her blade. "Wait," She hit it and watched her blade slip through, the illusion of rock faded. Ken gasped. "Ah ha! Just like back in Anor Londo.

" Aqua petted his head in affection and kept going, finding a familiar path that was lit by a nearby bonfire. The two saw Patches waiting something out, the man noticed something, looked to them approaching him and stuttered. "...Oh, you... I...well, let's just calm down. Talk about things." Aqua wasn't having any of that. "You kicked people down that hole in hope that they die down there, just so you can steal from them. Give us a reason why we shouldn't toss you down there." Patches confessed with a plea. "I...I know I did you wrong. But, I didn't mean it. These... temptations, they can, well, overcome me... You know what I mean, don't you?" Ken growled and looked Patches in the eye. "The Darkness in your heart and all that? You were laughing at us." He drew his blades. "That's not an excuse for doing that, how would you like it if someone kicks you down that hole?"

The two were ready to give Patches what he deserves as Jambert arrived, looking back at Rhea climbing down a ladder and back to Patches. "That's not necessary fellows," Patches was cornered and asked. "Please, forgive me." He asked Jambert. "You and me, we're jolly Undead outcasts, aren't we?"

The knight agreed with that. "That we are and if it wasn't for you, we would have never found Rhea and the revelation that among her companions, was a dirty cleric," He looked to his companions, who were agreeing with his facts. "Surely that is enough reason for us to... not deliver karma."

Aqua and Ken lowered their weapons, the woman kept a glare at Patches. "It isn't worth the effort. What are you suggesting?"

Jambert coughed as the two stood aside, the knight ordered Patches. "I think it is best you leave these catacombs and because I will be watch you leave, you are to leave Rhea be. If you see Petrus up above, tell him that I would like a chat with him. Do this and you will be absolved of this... misdemeanor."

The vagabond gasped and thanked him. "Oh, brilliant! A second chance! Wonderful! I had a feeling you'd understand, I did!" He had two twin black shades taken out and gave them to the knight in good will. "But now we're friends again eh? Heh, heh, heh," He offered sincerely. "Here, take this, as a token of my apology," Jambert didn't say no to a valuable find as Patches did as he was told, went past the group and reached a set of ladders leading up. "All's well that ends well!"

He left laughing and the key bearers calmed down, they and Jambert went down the cave and found a fogged gate glowing, Jambert took out his skull lantern and saw in the darkness, a skeletal beast on all fours. It roared and pounced at him, Aqua back flipped as Ken jumped back and flipped his gun like blade to shoot the skeletal beast off of a laying, critically mauled Jambert. It sprinted after him and readied to bite as Aqua flew at it and smacked it to pieces, Jambert had the wind knocked out of his lungs and he pulled himself up. He drank from his estus flask and approached slowly to the fogged gate as Ken realized. "Oh crud, there is more like that waiting to jump us if we get too close?"

Jambert nodded, took a deep breath and pushed through the fogged gate, finding a black armored knight with a halberd and a large arrow coming his way from the upper left. Jambert rolled back to lure the knight into attacking, Ken took the chance, jumped over the black knight and look at where the arrow's feather was aimed. He aimed his gun and shot into the distance as Jambert dodged a thrust, switched to his shield, parried the knight and riposte him. The knight got up and was stabbed in the throat, ending it's life and leaving behind a black halberd and white chunk of rock for Jambert to pick up. Aqua listed to lasers and bones falling apart, taking the lead and finding a nearby skeletal beast prowling, it leaped at her as she made an elegant jump to dodge and aimed downward, firing a barrage of magic shots to put the beast down.

The males followed the slow, cautious path that lead to a ledge. Jambert hovered the lantern over and saw something for them to drop on. JUMP! They jumped off and continued to a dead body with a silver ring looking like a serpent. Jambert picked it up and five skeletal towers risen. Aqua aimed her keyblade in the air and brought down lightning as Ken side stepped behind a tower at the edge of the circle, aimed his burning blade and swiped a long range whip of fire. Causing two to collapse as Jambert stabbed one tower into dust and rolled avoid spinning. Ken fired at the two towers for a quick kill and saw to the right, two wisp like eyes, he aimed and felt his nerves reaching its limit. "We need to find a way out of here soon. This is getting on my nerves." Aqua agreed, focused on her blade and aimed high, an orb of light formed from the tip as she watched the laser beam kill another skeleton.

PEW!

Light shined across the tomb and more was revealed, an odd path over an edge and a prowling skeletal beast that was blinded. Jambert saw a small hole, rushed by a narrow ledge and used his spear to take the beast down. The teacher and student followed his lead and reached the other side of the hole as the light faded, they followed him to the path across the ledge and found a bonfire. A place to rest up and calm down.

Jambert fed black shades into the fire and used it to fill his estus flask to brimming. "We should focus close to the wall, we have to be close to an end by now."

The key bearers took a deep breath and turned with the knight, keeping close watch and finding themselves at two roads, one leading down and another where they came from. They went down and let Jambert take what he wants from any thing of value, they kept close to the wall and reached a ledge that gave them a few of a vast lake of water. They kept close to the path and walked to the downward path, finding a skeletal beast that was quickly taken out by combined ranged fire balls. They found themselves out of the darkness and close to a two forked path, in view of the vast lake and seeing a cave to their right. Jambert noticed a red specter appearing from the far end, one resembling a paladin with a giant grant and a shield. Jambert approached the odd paladin, parried him, riposte him and knocked him to the ground, he rolled behind the paladin and used his recovery as a chance to ready a harsh thrust, taking out the invader and taking his stuff. Ken dismissed his burning keyblade, feeling there wasn't a need for a constant light and went into the cave, finding a ledge leading to a deep fall and finding skeletal towers trying to ambush him, he quickly shot the one ahead of him into dusk as he heard another behind him be swiftly kicked over the edge. Looking back to find Aqua nearly looking determined at what seems to be a light in a tunnel and Jambert tagging along. The boy took the lead, noticed a skeletal archer and aimed. Burst! Skeletal towers risen to block the way, the boy sprinted in flames after one tower for a quick kill and saw the archer leaning behind another tower. Ken fired two burning shots, one breaking the tower, the other shooting the skeletons skull off. Aqua and Jambert took the tower blocking the rear out as the boy rushed to less narrow ground, finding a large curved sword swinging at him and missing, the boy spun and saw the second skeleton, he fired and returned it to dust.

Letting Aqua and Jambert reach to another cave way and following behind, the knight asked to himself. "How much longer is this going to go?"

The adults of the group saw a cave littered in bones and having three mages resembling Pinwheel syphoning something. The mages turned rather shocked that someone arrived and hissed. Aqua rushed to the closest, floating over a pool of water. Ken snipped one to the furthest right of the cave and Jambert rushed across an edge above the water, the clone the knight was focused on shot a fire ball and was quickly cut down, fading away into nothing as Aqua finished hers off and jumped off the clone to land on a platform, watching her student make just as quick work of the clone and noticing another clone firing a fire ball at her, she flipped to the left and dispatched the clone, feeling there wasn't much left, she took a path up a ledge and found a gate covered in wooden poles. She cut it through and looked back to find Jambert looking up to the gate and back down into the water. "Hmm," Ken followed him and asked. "If there is something down there, go get it, but know this fog gate is a bit fishy."

Jambert agreed and jumped, finding a swarm skeletal midgets emerging from the water and trying to bite him. The knight rolled away and slew as many as he can, making a rush in the water as Ken walked up the ledge to find the wooden poles covering the way. He swiped his blade against the poles and cleared a way. "Phew, Miss... anything I'm going to expect once all this is over?"

Aqua was looking forward to a long overdue reunion. "Besides Ven getting use to being awake. There is something I wish to talk with your mother about," Ken tilted his head as Aqua sighed. "Ven has been asleep for so long that he needs to catch up once he recovers. He is very skilled, but most of us are going to be learning more," Ken's imagined it. "But by then that wouldn't be the big thing we need to worry about as soon as possible?"

Aqua wasn't certain about that. "When Ven wakes up, that would cause a chain reaction. You need to work on putting together what you learned and saw here, because the things out there are going to be faster."

Ken didn't mind and heard Jambert rushing through the water. "Oh, no, no, no, no!" He looked back to find Jambert running from ten skeletal midgets, he reached dry ground and the midgets stopped and fell apart, the boy in the armor of a silver knight understood. "They might not be as lethal in one blow, but try saying that when there is about a thousand heartless or if we run into you know who again. I really don't want to do something stupid and blow myself up."

Jambert heard that, panted and asked. "Who are you speaking of?"

Ken answered without a thought. "Someone as fast as Ornstein, scarier than the Capra Demon and about as evil as those like Lautrec. You'll see him a mile away when you find a guy in black and red."

Jambert quaked at the word Capra Demon. "That stiffened my hair. These Catacombs are getting to us, come, let's proceed forward." He went through the fogged gate as Ken and Aqua followed, finding a hole to drop down on, they saw a wet ground bellow and jumped the rather far drop. Ken used his air magic to slow the fall and Aqua sensed a great power in the cave, they were in a dark cave with stalagmites blocking the way of something. Skeletons clattered and the group heard something large crawling from somewhere.

Two skeletons rolled and went after the group, Jambert riposte one as Aqua spun her keyblade and shot it at the skeleton, breaking them down into bones that did not get up. "AAAAAAAH!"

They heard a wail like scream and a red blade shot from underneath them, sending them flying to the ground and feeling pain. They got up and Ken looked ahead to find a large form slowly coming for them. A skeleton wearing a suit of skeletons and a black cloak, it had a scythe like sword on its left hand and its other hand pointed towards them, like it was calling them out for intruding. The trio separated if to avoid that bladed attack, the skeleton gave a scream and stabbed the ground again, Jambert rolled to avoid the blade and gave a rally. "Come on, let's send Nito back into his slumber and get that Lord Soul."

Nito was astonished and readied to sink his blade into the ground again, Ken fired Cadia's Light and shot him in the primary skull.

Nito backed away from the automatic shots and blocked with his blade, he screamed and stabbed his glowing red blade into the ground. Ken cringed and sprinted away from an erupting blade, Nito pulled out and watched the boy try to fire, he jabbed again and caused another blade to erupt. Forcing the boy to shoot less than accurately as Jambert and Aqua charged after Nito, going into melee. Nito crouched and readied something, Aqua back flipped as Jambert knew something was being done and sprinted far. Nito let loose a howling pulse of darkness that knocked everyone off their feet, Ken stood up and fired, Nito stabbed the ground and the boy jumped back. Aqua and Jambert got up and tried to get back into the Gravelords personal space, the Gravelord swiped his sword at them, missed, and tried again. Jambert and Aqua rolled under his cloak, the knight stabbed like made as Aqua gave a burst of magic and went wild. Nito tried his burst attack again, Jambert ran to Ken as the boy glowed in fire and shot a barrage of fire balls, Aqua back flipped far to try and get as far away from Nito as possible. WOOSH!

Ken was knocked on his rear and Aqua nearly fell to the ground, her mystical glow became a deep blue, she cart wheeled masses of energy, faced her keyblade side ways and spun it like a wheel, causing masses of arrows to fly through Gravelord. Nito tried out and Jambert took his spear away, he clenched his hand in a red glow and caused it to ignite in chaotic fire. He rushed after the Gravelord and flung a great fire ball at his face, Nito flailed with his face burned off, gave a gasp and fell forward in a loud thump, lava oozed from the wound and caused the body to burn. The three sighed at an achieved victory, Aqua landed and let the magic fade as Ken got up and heard skeletons collapsing. "And that's that."

Jambert agreed and saw a glowing, fiery soul on Nito's free hand, he took it and showed it before them. "The Great Lord Soul is ours."

The keyblade wielders felt a satisfaction as the undead searched the tomb, finding a bonfire in the back left of the room, right in front of a large coffin, the knight took a deep breath and felt enlightened, he placed a bottomless box down and placed the spear with in as Ken and Aqua joined him to relax in the spooky location. Aqua asked. "Jambert, you won't mind if I ask, where did you learn that fire spell? It's hot enough to melt stone."

Jambert answered with a heavy heart. "I was taught this by the Fair Lady after I made a vow to ease her pain. The flames of chaos are quite potent."

Ken and Aqua gasped and asked in unison. "Chaos?!"

Jambert cringed at a questionable choice. "The other side to pyromancy and something I been noticing, fire warms us, guides us and even feeds us... but the other side of it... what they call chaos... what the Witch of Izalith commands... simply burns and destroys. I couldn't just leave the Fair Lady as she is and there is but one request." Aqua tried to control herself and asked. "What did she need?"

Jambert showed her the black shade. "Humanity, it is something that I could use to heal myself on the spot, without using an estus flask... and I have plenty. I should search the swamp bellow before I travel to the archives, for I heard of a powerful pryomancer that could show me towards a brighter fire."

Ken was thinking it made sense. "So if the Fair Lady has some humanity, she will heal from her sickness? But who does she and the other lady have that connection with Chaos?" Jambert shrugged and stilled. The key bearers noticed a white door in front of the coffin, it was time to leave.

They did so without hesitation and were at the ninth floor of Castle Oblivion. Ken was cursing. "Chaos! That power he had was from Chaos?"

Aqua had her hands at the boys shoulders and she advised. "Kendry, you and I know that the Chaos he is talking about and the Chaos we know of are two different things," The boy tried to calm himself down. "They are, but it's no wonder that fire ball was more destructive than we thought. We need to know that came to be before I do something stupid."

He faced to the hall, went away from his teacher and screamed in anger as Aqua realized. "You wanted to learn how to use fire spells like that too? Ken, if this kind of fire magic is that dangerous, it's better off forgotten."

Ken yelled in a debate. "But Miss, we wanted to learn that and use it. I wanted to use it, we were that close to doing something that would have peeved Ana off," He shivered and Aqua gave him a matching, angry frown. "It was that easy for us to fall for it. I hope Jambert knows what he is doing. Come on, we got four more floors."

Ken obeyed and marched to the next door. "There is so much to learn whether we want to or not. I'll ask Jambert about anything else when we see him again."


	40. A Crystal Heart

In the Castle that Never Was, with in a room of thirteen thrones, Archaon stood in front of one and looked down upon the unconscious Horned King, then back at Maleficent and Pete. "You actually succeeded in robbing Nagash of another servant?" He gave a deep grunt and gave respect where it was due. "Impressive, now... what makes you think he would serve as a candidate for the thirteen?"

Maleficent smirked upon the recovering lich. "Nagash's knowledge of the art of necromancy, the power to manipulate the dead, has been passed onto him. Now the Horned one has been freed from the Necromancer's grasp, forever more." Pete wasn't so sure and asked. "How do we know this punk isn't going to just turn his skellys on us?"

Maleficent sighed and gave the stirring lich a cold glare. "If he does, then he would be of no use to us," Archaon gave the Horned King sharper glare. "For his sake, he better chose wisely."

The Horned King slowly awaken and held to his neck, feeling like he could breath and think easily without a certain deity looming over him. "I...am free?!" Archaon barked at him. "Free from Nagash, but not from us!" He pointed at Maleficent. "She is the only reason why I haven't slain you by now."

The Horned King quickly turned to the patiently waiting Mistress of all Evil and breathed in a raspy voice. "Is that so?"

Archaon answered firmly. "Nagash and his ilk are a hindrance to our plans, for he would seek to oppose us and destroy everything of use out of spite. You seen first hand what he would do," The Horned King shivered and agreed. "And good riddance to him. None shall enslave me like he did," He got up as Maleficent asked him. "But now that leaves what to do with you, we seek Thirteen dark hearts for a goal your master sought. For now, there is seven and potentially four candidates, would you be among them?"

The Horned King's eyes dimmed and he placed his hands together. "The source of all life among the worlds? Kingdom Hearts? What would prevent me from acting against you all later and obtaining it for myself?" Maleficent requested to an impatient Archaon to stay his blade. "We all have our own desires, but what is there to gain from betrayal before we even come close to achieving?"

That the Horned King agreed with. "It would be foolish to consider it. Very well." He gave a rather gracious bow to Maleficent. "I will lend my aid, so long as my work remains undisturbed."

The Mistress of All Evil was pleased to hear that as Archaon grunted to her. "Then I will leave him to you. Should he betray us, I will hold you responsible," He ordered in a chilling calm. "Do not, fail us."

He disappeared in a distorting rift, leaving the three to disappear through a door way. Maleficent spoke to the Horned King her plan. "We will bid our time and play the good guests, for the powers of Chaos are NOT to be toyed with. Once upon a time, I lead a cabal of individuals with a likely mind, evil doers from across worlds."

Pete knew the rest of the story. "But then that pipsqueak Sora went and beat them all up, I think I know where this is going."

The Horned King listened and he asked. "You wish for me to bring that cabal back?" Maleficent nodded. "In due time, one has chosen to stay content with his worlds ordeals beyond what comes his door, some are beyond even a Necromancer's reach while some have already been brought back once already."

She had a burning memory of an ungrateful bag of bugs, Pete chuckled and had a list of candidates out of the question. "Others we would have had in mind all turned into heartless or are in a spot where they be croaking it anyways."

Maleficent had a sharp one to Pete. "Other's have been driven away thanks to you're incompetent endeavors. But our bind for power will come yet again."

The Horned King was amused and asked. "That is what you request from me? Those who would be brought back from the void? I presumed you tried that yourself to a faulty degree?"

Maleficent answered quickly. "Yes, that was a mistake. But I know of where to start with your help." The Horned King looked forward to that. "And with that, we could become like gods."

In a mysterious, well kept structure.

Ken and Aqua looked around confused and heard the loud noises of a boar, they found a bloodied, armored, tusked boar in a fight with Jambert. The boar swayed its head and attempted to skewer as the knight back flipped and formed an orb of power to feed into himself. Giving off a glow as he took his server and carved into the boars side, effectively slaying it. Jambert went to rest by a bonfire and notice the keybearers, he greeted them with an unusually somber manner. "I'd thought you two got lost. It's certainly been a hassle going from place to place," He took a deep breath and felt himself attuned as Aqua felt concerned for the knight. "What were you doing and... how were you able to do that?"

Jambert appreciated a good question and showed her a dark wood grain ring on his finger. "I was down at the swamp doing my duty to the Fair Lady when I searched for a pyromancer of legends, I met a fellow that offered this ring... providing I gave him a unique weapon. I gave him the dragon king great axe as an equivalent exchange... but he appears to be looking for something else."

Ken hummed. "That was nice of him... and... how did things go with Petrus? I don't want to imagine what you had to say," Jambert cringed to that. "I thought I give Patches the time he needed to warn Petrus of my coming, but I did not count on Rhea using the enhanced bonfire to spirit herself to Fire Link for a journey to the Pariah. When I gave my due to the Fair Lady and returned to the Shrine. I found Petrus missing. Griggs spoke of him going to the Pariah."

Ken and Aqua felt the chill, the woman dismayed. "Oh no, Petrus didn't-" The knight answered with a trance. "When I arrived in the Pariah, lady Rhea was... slain and the elevator was being used. That was when I lost my self and followed that slimy cleric," Aqua asked him. "You know that's still murder, right?"

Jambert stood up boldly and his jolly tone turned to something fiery and teeth gritting. "He wasn't worth my blade!" He saw his companions jumping back from the rage and he lowered his tone. "He wasn't worth it, I told him this, he was a failure of follower of the light and as a knight. I took the talisman he pilfered from Rhea and tried to be on my way."

Aqua sensed where the tale became darker. "He tried to attack you from behind?" Jambert nodded. "And fought dishonorably, knocking away my blade and leaving me with just my shield. Fortunately for me, I had the art of pyromancy and used the gift to send Petrus to where he belongs. That is the power of Chaos Storm, to make the earth bleed."

Ken asked. "Make the earth bleed... like causing the ground to erupt in la-" He cringed. "Ow, where was everyone?" Jambert tried to calm himself and felt ashamed. "Most were too frightened to approach, save for Patches, who arrived late."

Aqua found it a little ironic. "And him of all people had to be your trusty friend during that? I'm sorry to hear it." Jambert insisted. "Don't be, I had a moment of weakness and acted far from a knight. But that is not why I came here, we are moments away from entering the Archives of the Duke... of Seath, the Scaleless. With such sorcerous knowledge, it would be a venture for all of us. Are we ready?"

Aqua had a smile for the knight as she watched her student have a closer inspection to a lever. "We haven't come this far to let the darkness hold us down, are you ready?" The knight nodded and got up reinvigorated. "Most certainly."

He and Aqua went on a wooden board that had ledges and Ken had his hand on the lever. "I think this is... an elevator," He pulled, caused a ledge to close the way in and readied his gun like keyblade. "That pig was the archives guard dog? I don't think Seath would be happy to know we're here." Jambert found it a good comparison as the elevator ascended a long way up, Aqua ordered. "When you see anything coming after us, let them have it!"

Ken saluted like a soldier and had his aim ready. The elevator reached its floor and the trio saw three blue hollows imbued with crystals, two rushing after them and a third on top of some stairs, readied an arrow of sharp crystal. Ken snipped the ranged hollow first and gunned the other two down. A fourth came rushing from behind a pillar and Jambert rushed with his server to cleave it down, another hollow appeared from behind a still, crystal golem as one more rushed in from a library ahead. Aqua rushed after the two and effortlessly cut them down, with one of them grazing her at her right arm and causing her to cringe in pain. She felt bleeding and saw a nasty cut, she felt a green light heal the wound and watched Jambert carve through the crystal golem, breaking it in two and freeing a piece of strange treasure, a broken pendent.

Jambert claimed it as his own as Ken casually walked up the stairs and tried to side step to the side of the door, taking a soul arrow to his chest and was knocked down on his back, Aqua looked ahead to find a strange mage with a trident like staff, it danced oddly and caused another crystal hollow to become agitated and attack. She focused on both foes, hovered and fired a prism rain upon both, quickly slaying them and ending the shot lock with a simple land that pulsed in green light. Ken felt he was coming through and was embarrassed, getting up with a throbbing pain. "That smarts, we can't afford to get hit."

Jambert slowly walked into the library with his guard up and saw two hollow archers. "No we cannot," The key bearers entered and were focused on the foes in the room, Ken shipped the right most archer, the left aimed its bow at the boy and fired, Ken side stepped and fired as Jambert saw another crystal hollow rushing from behind a book shelf, the knight slew it as Aqua made a flow dash up the stairs, seeing an archer to her left and a melee hollow charging to her right. She stepped on a rail to dodge an arrow and nimbly climbed to the archer. She struck hard, back flipped behind the other hollow and stabbed it in the back, she saw she was in a cross section of stairs and saw another hollow appearing from behind the stairs, trying to climb up after her.

PEW!

Ken shot it dead and looked around, feeling overwhelmed as Aqua took her turn, it was a vast library of countless secrets. The boy and knight joined up with her, the keyblade master confessed. "It could take a hundred years to read all of this." Jambert agreed as he and the group went to the left, keeping themselves alert as Ken saw a crystal hollow by a door way on the other side and snipped it, he found two more guarding a chest to the other side and fired upon them. "But where did these crystal hollows come from?"

Aqua tapped and guessed. "Maybe they were experiments? I hate to imagine how it is done," Jambert was suspicious of the unguarded treasure chest to the far end and found its chain curled, he opened it to find twinkling titanite. "It's best not to think about it, clearly they were turned into these for the purpose of knowledge. But where did the knowledge went to?"

They went back and went the other way, a crystal hollow attempted to get the jump on them and was quickly cleaved by Jambert's server, the knight searched a balcony overlooking the vast world and found another twinkling shard. The key bearers went further down to find a chest that was heavily guarded and saw a straight chain as they cleared the way. Ken gasped. "A mimic!"

The chest heard that and opened its lid to reveal a maw of teeth, a tongue drooling and two arms, it tried to get up as Ken and Aqua shot it in the lock together. The mimic hissed and went limp, leaving an opened, dead maw. Jambert followed and was dumbfounded, he searched the mimic to find a shield of crystal under the mimics tongue, he growled and left it. "Those are mostly ornamental, they break way too easily and cannot be repaired."

Aqua found this odd. "So it's junk that you of all people wouldn't take? That's a first."

Jambert followed them back and found an elevator for a balcony, he took his turn to pull the lever. They ascending up and looked down upon the archives. Aqua spoke over confidently. "If Seath really is a dragon, then this is way too easy," The archive bellow was covered by walls of what was clearly a tower, Jambert agreed with that. "After all the perils we been through in these lands, a quick trip through a lair would be refreshing."

Ken didn't agree with that. "Jambert, remember what you said to the mopey guy when we came to this land. When he told us that there were two bells to ring and all that, you said getting to them sounded easy. It wasn't... at all," Jambert regretted that memory. "But we gotten much stronger since then, this time I'm sure it would be simple," Ken reiterate as he waved his burning keyblade like a red flag. "Seath is one of the guys who was around since before the Age of Fire, invented the soul magic and has a lord soul on him. I think Nito was not only asleep, but Pinwheel was one of the reasons he was weak when we found him."

Aqua felt she was regretted her words. "I take that back, despite what Pinwheel was doing, Nito wasn't a push over. Do you think Seath knows we're coming?"

The elevator stopped and the three saw themselves with in a tower with many crystals, Jambert's confident became uncertain and he saw a white soap stone by a wall, he went to read it out loud. "Put on a rare magenta ring of sacrifice before going up. Big Hat Logan," He took the advise and took off his dark wood ring, putting it in his pocket and putting on a silver ring with a magenta stone. "Why did we have to curse ourselves like that?"

Ken flickered an ember to a corner and had a plan of his own. "Miss, I would like to experiment. If Seath starts to try anything funny, could this trick I have work on the both of us?"

Aqua considered that and option as Jambert found a hall and marched forward. "I hope it works Sir Kendry, for you two are still human."

Down in the crystal hall, there was a strange white robed soldier with a half golden mask, he was covered in crystals and wielded a crystal sword and shield. Jambert rolled back and carved the soldier through, the trio found a stair way circling up the tower, finding a crystal lizard Jambert slaughtered for titanite and at the end of the stairway, they found a fogged gate. They traveled through and found a large room covered in various crystals. At the far end was a bed of crystal that had something of flesh sticking out from the upper torso. A large pale, scaleless white dragon in an upward, human like position, six blue and pink gossamer like wings and a lack of eye sight roared. Jambert readied his sword as Ken went to the left and Aqua to the right.

The boy fired at the dragons head as the woman let loose ice magic on his torso, Seath felt the laser shot on his snout and freezing ice peel the skin from his chest. The wounds regrew and the dragon acted like nothing happened, he pointed his claws at them in an order, Ken and Aqua felt something rumbling behind them and turned, finding a golden crystal golem grabbing onto them, they thrashed as the golems glowed and caused them to glow in light. In each of golems, the student and teacher found themselves encased in crystal, very much alive, but unable to move.

Jambert sweated as Seath focused on him, the dragons maw glowed in white power and he breathed downward, shooting out a beam. The knight rolled to his right to dodge the breath and saw crystals erupt, he put his sword away, glowed his right hand in fire and rushed to the dragon to hurl a ball of chaotic fire, scorching Seath at the chest to reveal burnt flesh that quickly mended itself. Jambert quacked in his armor and looked upon the golems, he switched back to his sword and tried to go to the golem containing Ken. Seath heard the foot steps and pulsed in power, causing crystals to erupt from the ground, stabbing the knight from under and sending him flying. Jambert landed on his stomach and tried to get up, Seath breathed his beam down and rushed it after the knight, blasting Jambert with an odd power the knight didn't feel at first, he felt himself stiffening and crystals forming out of him, turning into a statue of jagged stone as the ring of sacrifice gave a dark glow. The keybearers in their prison wanted to scream and found they weren't able to do that, Seath ordered his golems to take them somewhere, knowing there was no further intrusion.

Somewhere in a prison.

Jambert found himself waking up by a lit bonfire and his ring of sacrifice breaking apart, turning into jagged stone crumbling. The knight put his grain ring back on and found the prison narrow with cells covered in icy like crystal. He found nothing at the cell and looked around to find crystal hollows, he took out his server and carved them down, went to the bonfire to think about his situation and reach his essence with in the fire. Feeling himself absorbing a power that went into his mind. He heard something from above jump and looked out of his cell to find the prison much like a tower, another came marching towards another cell, a golem holding a silver knight with in, escorted by three snake men. One of them kept guard of the door and Jambert thought of a scheme, he took out his box and pulled out a fury sword. He heard a door open and some one being tossed in ruthlessly, a teenage boy yelled. "Hey, what's the big id-" The door slammed and the boy tapped something hard at the door. "Wha... what did you do to me?"

Jambert heard a feminine voice bellow shouting familiar questions. "What did you do?! Let me go!"

The knight heard something being tossed aside and the sound of a woman bellow trying to fight back, Jambert readied his fury sword for the snake men facing his back against the cell bars. The knight questioned the snakes intelligence and stabbed it in the back for a quick kill, he went for the keys dangling by its right hip. Pulling them in and using them to unlock the door, Jambert put the fury sword into the box, put the box away and took out his server. He stepped out and looked down to find a channeler wizard on a balcony bellow with Aqua trying to pull away, her hands were bound together in crystal, the wizard glowed a spell and bound her legs together. A snake man noticed Jambert and went to a lever behind a gramophone, it caused a gate bellow to open and the horn to let loose an odd, annoying sound. Strange snake like creatures with two tails and a hair worth of long tentacles slithered out, two snake men ran up the stairs as the channeler went into a room behind the balcony with Aqua continuing to struggle as he dragged her.

Jambert glowed his hand and forced in his body a power that burned his insides. He rushed after the snake men and quickly slew them, three of the strange creatures slithered up the stairs. Two spit at the knight as another reared up its hair and revealed a fanged maw, it jumped after the knight that back flipped to dodge. Jambert slew the creature and rushed after the other two for a cleave. He went down the stairs to find two more, they tried to pounce on him and were distracted by harsh banging from behind. "Hey!"

BANG!

The creatures looked scared and confused as Jambert went to attack them without much of a thought, the knight looked in the cell to find Ken with his hands bound together in crystal and his keyblades by his feet like a cruel taunt. The boy was relieved and asked. "Thank goodness, if you can let me out, you can help me break free. If not, help Miss."

Jambert tried to use the key and found it didn't fit, he apologized hastily. "I'll be back for you post haste!"

He left the boy and was quick on his feet, he looked bellow to find a keyblade slowly floating to the balcony, spinning vertically and flinging into the room behind, catching the snake men by surprise and causing the one by the device to go to the ladder and climb down in haste. Jambert hurried, found another snake creature grasping onto a snake man and impaling its throat with its tongue, he cartwheeled to its side and slew it. He heard a loud crack, the sound of snake men hissing for battle and the sound of explosions, he wanted to know what was going on and saw four more of the snake creatures at the bottom in front of a gate, wandering around aimlessly. He put his sword on his back and glowed his hand for a particular attack, he startled the four and they varied from trying to pounce, to spitting. The knight flipped to their side, knelt and caused the ground to erupt, consuming the creatures in a chaotic fire storm that left parts of the ground melting. Their charred remains squirted liquid as they fell in the lava puddles, burning away. Jambert climbed up and heard another crack, he reached up and saw Aqua confronting two out of five living snake men, she disappeared and appeared behind one that was in the back, trying to shoot lighting at her. She flickered in an out to repeatedly strike snake down and appeared to the side of a terrified snake at the right wall. She knocked the snakes shield aside, slew with with a stab through the heart and tossed its body to the left wall, among two other snake men that had the mercy of a swift death. By a stone pedestal was a channeler wizard that leaned at the foot of the stone, dripping splatters of blood. The knight asked. "Lady Aqua, how have you rescued yourself?"

The Keyblade Master turned and was relieved to find the knight. "*Phew* I knew you would try to find us," Jambert pulled the lever to turn off the noise as Aqua continued. "That channeler had the nerve to toss my Master's keyblade away like it was trash, he was trying to do... something to me on order of his master. Me and the keyblade really are connected to each other and it came to protect me when I need it," She asked the knight with more worry. "I heard Ken screaming, where is he?"

Jambert answered and pointed his thumb to stairs. "I lost count on the cells, but he is in the second to last cell before the room I was locked in." Aqua thanked the knight and jumped off the balcony, finding the mess left behind and looking behind her to find a cell with two snake like creatures, giving a womanly cry. Jambert climbed down and looked upon the two, wondering. "These things were let loose like beasts, but why were they imprisoned?"

Aqua didn't wish to know and noticed a cell with a wizard in a familiar brown hat. "If they are miserable, you know what to do. I'll be back."

She walked up the stair way as Jambert readied his blade and approached the creatures, seeing a vague resemblance to women in dresses. He stopped and thought about what he was doing, the creatures noticed him and cowered in the corner, like they were begging him to not do what he was going to do. He gazed upon them in a realization and approached, he swung his blade to cut them down. He found something on them, scrolls of miracles to a Princess of Sunlight, he was more shocked and put them away. He looked back at what he did and realized what he slaughtered, nearly dropping his blade and finding Logan just as disturbed. "These things were once-" Logan answered him both in fascination and horror. "The Pisaca, were once maidens until they were... transmuted. Why?"

He wanted to change the subject as Jambert felt sick. "But that's no longer important. I don't suppose you could stage me a getaway?" He looked up to the stairs. "The Archives above, such a storehouse of knowledge. So close, but just out of reach! The thought offends me so, I simply could die!"

Jambert agreed with that. "And you wandered close to Seath and didn't heed his hostility until it is far too late. Thank you for leaving that warning." Logan appreciated it. "Seath's breath seems quite potent enough to petrify flesh, such a wondrous power."

At a cell above.

Ken over heard a fire storm, fighting and talking, he felt embarrassed and kept smashing his crystal binding. Seeing a crack and repeated over and over. "Come on, they rescued themselves, I can-"

SMASH!

The crystal shattered and Ken felt freedom in his hands, he laughed and called his keyblades to his hands, looking upon them and swung his gun like blade at the lock, opening it and not realizing someone was right in front of him. An rather astonished Aqua that stood aside to the left and asked. "You're alright?"

Ken answered with a question. "Yeah, I guess you caught Jambert by surprise?"

The teacher placed the tip of her keyblade on the ground and held firm with both hands, having a rather serious frown. "Seath and his goons have made... a mistake. Jambert's waiting for us down bellow and we need to think of how we are going to get through this."

Ken looked down at the remains of carnage. "Since I don't think there is any alarms, we just need to make sure none of them let Seath know we're here on the loose."

Aqua agreed to that and went down with her student, finding Jambert climbing down from a ladder with a key by his belt, she took a deep breath and spoke. "Thank you for trying to rescue us. What did you find?"

Jambert kept the key close and looked over to the cell. "Aside from Logan, who would need our assistance yet again, nothing good. You were right to assume a disturbing secret to the Pisaca, but we are to plan once we get to safer ground."

Aqua cringed and wanted more answers. "Someone needs to bring that Scaleless, mutated lizard to justice," She went down into the cell and found Logan recognizing her and greeting a fellow sorcerer. "Hello again! What a chance meeting this is!"

Aqua smiled to the wizard and used her keyblade to unlock the cell. "A chance indeed, I heard you were coming here and this would have been a good chance to learn new spells together. I found a stronger version of the weapon enchant when me and the others were exploring a cathedral. It felt like it was a long time ago." Logan gasped. "Oh Heavens, only a few are allowed to even learn that." He appreciated someone well attuned to the arts. "This makes twice that you rescued me. I must be sure to repay you." Aqua asked. "Why don't you come with us to the archives? Once we find a place we can rest, we will try to look around while you find any new spells for the both of us to learn?" Logan clapped. "An excellent idea Aqua. If I discover them, I will share them with you. Be prepared to be impressed, by the onward march of sorcery."

Aqua and Ken were ready to escort the man as Jambert lead the way, the knight felt invigorated. "Many of us have become much more skilled in the arts since you last saw us Big Hat. You... seen what I done?"

Logan does and was impressed. "The firestorm, in its various forms, can be quite devastating," Ken sighed and spoke. "I'm getting pretty in sync with my own fire as well, but I know if I am going to look for anything new, it isn't going to be here."

Logan wouldn't say that. "If you listened to your tutor's instructions, then you should know that you would obtain the knowledge anywhere if you experiment."

The group reached the ladder and climbed up, Jambert first, then Aqua, then Ken, then Logan, they reached to the top and the knight found a two door gate and used the key to unlock it. He pushed it open and lead to a balcony overlooking a lush forest and at the end of the field, a crystal cave. He stopped for a moment to enjoy the sight as the keyblade wielders noticed something odd, to their left were two crystal hollows laying dead and feeding a pool of darkness across a wall. Jambert looked to the left and hastily readied his server as the key bearers felt it too familiar. Logan observed and saw spider legs emerging from the pool. "What are-" The spider legs quickly skittered, letting out four, black, yellow eyed spiders with a heartless emblem on their abdomen. They skittered fast and leaped at the front most trio, Ken fired at two as Aqua rushed at the heartless arachnids, quickly dispatching them and causing a hearts to flicker. Logan looked up to find a spider using a web to float down upon Aqua, it severed the string and fell. The wizard glowed his staff and fired a soul arrow at it, knocking it to the balcony and causing Aqua to realize something as she delivered a coup de grace. "Someone is in the archives, making heartless!"

Jambert asked. "Heartless?" Ken cringed and answered. "Creatures of darkness that use to be people until their hearts are consumed. Think like the things you saw in New Londo, like what happened to Lautrec. They are nothing but trouble and that would mean."

Aqua nodded. "He is in the archives. Jambert, Logan, what ever you do, keep your eyes above." Jambert understood. "That same villain that tried to shoot us in Anor Londo." Logan heeded the warning himself. "Another invader seeking to bring misfortune for a simple minded gain. Let's be quick."

The group of four went to the door way ahead and made a left leading to a balcony overlooking the clouds bellow. Eight spiders swarmed from a stair way in frantic speeds and Logan formed a soul mass, he readied another arrow as Ken took the charge with his burning blade, giving a spark of fire, swiping the eight and letting his blade form into a spear. He rushed through the eight like an inferno, sensed something above and jumped back to spin, finding four spiders jumping from a roof above. Aqua simply shot a fire balls above, the soul masses formed into beams and merged with the fire, shooting the spiders back into darkness. Jambert shivered and asked. "Why did it have to be spiders?"

Aqua shrugged. "I don't know, but we need to be careful." Logan agreed and readied his next spell as Jambert and Ken lead the charge up the stairs. Finding themselves in a grand library, the two found a channeler readying a soul arrow for them. Ken jumped with a trial of fire, landed on the channelers head and stabbed him in the back, bringing him to Jambert's blade that gave a clean slash. Five spiders climbed from bellow the ledge as three skittered from stairs, Jambert formed a chaotic fire ball and shot to the five as Ken shifted his spear into a katana and rushed at the three spiders to slash them. The knight saw that bellow the stairs and through the book shelves was a balcony on the right with a bonfire. "There, if we reach the fire, the light will keep these fiends away!"

Aqua and Logan looked, they nodded to each other in agreement and looked up to find ten spiders crawling down. Aqua formed her own five masses of energy as Logan made his, the keyblade master spun upward and caused the her masses to form into soul arrows. Pelting half of the spiders to oblivion as Ken shot to the remaining five, slashed them into kindling, landing on the side of a pillar and found stairs leading down, he shot to the top of the stairs and felt there wasn't any more spiders bellow. "Come on, before more go after us!"

Jambert and Logan kept a look above and followed as Aqua felt skittering behind the book shelves in the center of the room. She jumped above one and found a swarm of fifteen, she glowed in white magic and dived down, making sure the tables and books were not damaged as the heartless swarm were vaporized. The three quickly went down a series of stairs and Logan saw a glow from the highest point up above, he focused and shot a soul arrow at a shot aimed for Aqua.

PEW!

Ken looked at the shot and directly up, seeing traces of silver and someone trying to move away. Ken's gun like blade glowed in fire and he silently shot, a beam reached the ceiling and formed into a sun ball that fired a barrage of fire balls at the sniper. The trio reached to the bottom floor and reached Aqua, who was leaning by the right bookshelf in caution. Together they reached to the bonfire, Jambert light it up and the group felt an ashy haze in their vision. The dark peril vanished and they sensed a feeling of safety, they sat together around the bonfire and relaxed, Aqua asking Logan. "Is this far enough for you to make it on your own?"

The wizard nodded. "I believe I will find what I am looking for without an escort. I'm not too old to defend myself you know," Ken let his katana return to that of a keyblade and used it to form a wall of fog. "And he won't try to shoot us while we are resting up." He and Aqua sat by in exhaustion as Jambert looked at the garden bellow. "Now we can enjoy the architecture in some peace." Logan observed and was fascinated by the crystal golems lurking with in. "And theorize."

Ken and Aqua wondered what Logan was planning, closed their eyes and opened them, finding the illusion to flicker to a much narrower white room with the fogged gate there. The boy didn't care and rested his back on a wall, closing his eyes for a rest. "The castles acting up again, just how far up is that guy?"

Aqua had no idea and saw her student out of the silver armor. "We have to be getting close for the reflection magic to distort like this. Go get some rest while I think about how we are going to handle Seath," Ken shrugged and closed his eyes. "We need to figure out why our attacks didn't work or our next fight with Seath will be our last. Something you and Jambert figured out really got under your skin, Seath's responsible for it?"

Aqua nodded and felt her anger reaching a point. "AS if that story of Petrus didn't make me want to kick something, those things use to be human women until Seath had... something done to them." She had a realization of what Seath had planned for her and wanted to sit down as Ken felt the fear. "And Jambert was just massacring them like any monster until he found that out? The people that spoke badly of Seath are onto something, that's got to be some pretty messed up stuff if him doing those crystal things to people wasn't another."

Aqua agreed with that. "If he is the one who discover this kind of sorcery, then you and me would both have things to reconsider," Ken let his mind drift. "But is the magic as uncomfortable to use as Chaos fire?"

Aqua didn't think so. "Seath's magic might have came from something more petty than I thought, but the magic itself isn't corrupting. I need to know where Logan's studies got him to and learn what I can while you... try to learn from promancy. That could be the next floor if Jambert journeys to the Lost Izalith." Ken had a smile and fell asleep for a nap as Aqua to put together one more mystery. "Be ready to move when I wake you up. Now... why spiders?"

Outside of Castle Oblivion.

Riku and Mickey finished theorizing something that made Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi and even Ana uneasy. The mouse finished. "When I found Aqua in the realm of darkness, she had been fighting against the Heartless endlessly despite how scary that was. Now she spoke of the Abyss as something similar and maybe even more scary, why?"

Riku answered that certain. "It's not just because of what was in there, what would be the most terrifying parts of fighting in the Dark?"

Sora tried remembering as Ana had a few in mind. "If it is any dark cave, then it is the... décor. Pick anything that would get under you skin, especially in the literal sense, and it will become a nerve wrack going through it."

Sora gasped. "Or... if it really is the darkness. You don't know if you are falling until it is too late." Donald and Goofy had a more vivid memory, the duck squawked and stomped his feet. "Don't remind us!" Goofy agreed with that and asked. "It sounded like she had to jump down into a place like that again. But how is a memory helpin' her?"

Kairi felt Namine behind her back and asked. "You know a lot of the castle and how it is tied to memories, if that keyblade Ken brought in was causing all that... then Jambert was important to the world?"

Namine shrugged about that. "I don't know about him, but it sounds like that world was in a constant battle against the Darkness, the Abyss." Riku agreed with that and asked. "If Jambert wasn't anyone special, he became important to the world. His figment is the only constant and if I recall, you can interact with the illusions like you can with everyone else."

Namine remembered that as Sora looked to the castle, looked to Goofy, Donald and even Jiminy having an odd feeling and asked. "Have... we been here before?" The blonde girl sighed. "I knew this was coming." She looked to them determined. "Yes you have and there is a reason you don't remember it-"

In Castle Oblivion.

Aqua felt her perception of time flickering in and out, the white room flickered back into the illusion of Seath's Archives. She found Jambert turning from sight seeing and crushing couple wisps with his hands. He took in a strange power and focused on the fire for something as Logan was drawing out his plan to get to where he needed to go on his own, the sound caused Ken to stir from his nap, he found himself in the armor of the Silver Knights and stood up, playing along. "Yawn! I must have dozed off. Wha...what do you guys think? That sniper ought to have left us alone by now?"

Aqua answered bored. "For now, but he is still in the Archives, waiting for his chance. I'm sure of it," Ken felt ready to traverse the fog and asked the wizard. "Logan, try to keep yourself safe, the important rule of any sniper is that they don't want to be noticed and it would be easy for him to get noticed from here."

Logan had a mental layout. "Then I should find a place in the archives where I can study in peace. I'll wait until the path is made clear before continuing my search for knowledge," Ken nodded as Aqua gave a thankful bow. "We will find our own path, thank you for the help."

The boy in armor pushed through the fog, finding a tranquil, if battle torn archive. Aqua and Jambert saw the fog faded and went ahead to the stairs, Ken looked around to make sure there wasn't any sniper lurking in the shadows and marched with his eyes looking above, he followed the adults to the left most stairs, going up the path back to the balcony they came from and made a right. He had an chilling feeling. "Isn't there suppose to be hollows or heartless coming after us by now?"

Aqua and Jambert entered a room they were familiar with and looked around to find mostly dead hollows, the teacher felt it eerie. "Those hollows must have been where Braig got those spiders from and even he would find those hollows annoying and dangerous." Jambert found a stair way in the center of the balcony and walked up to find a contraption with a lever, he looked up a ledge to find a dead crystal hollow as Aqua looked at the contraption to find a wheel. Ken followed and kept watch in all the corners, he looked downward to find a treasure chest on a book shelf, flickered an ember and had curiosity take over. "Miss, Jambert, do you think I can get down there, open the treasure chest and get back up? Lickity split?"

Jambert looked down at the tempting chest as Aqua kept her watch, she turned the wheel and felt the stairs move, turning backwards, with the upper ledge leading to a door way and the lower ledge leading to a chest. Aqua ordered. "Me and Jambert will go look down for anything special while you search the chest, be careful if the chain is odd."

Ken understood, waited for the grown ups to go down the stairs, position himself above the bookshelf and made a jump of faith. Using his air magic to land safely and having freedom to search the chest, the chain was curled and he opened without a care, finding a crossbow with triple layers. "Cool!"

He picked it up and used his burning blade to teleport back to the stair way above. He found Jambert returning with twinkling titanite and Aqua wondering. "Did all this come from that cave?"

Jambert had visions of fortune as Ken offered him the odd cross bow. "Then I will be in good fortune to bring the black knights halberd with me to the Demon Ruins, Sir Kendry, what is that?" Ken wondered. "Looks like a triple bolted cross bow, one good aim will hurt like big splinters. I'm not sure if it will be much, but do you know anyone who might sell you something that can help with this?"

Jambert nodded. "Indeed, but that will be for another time." He took the cross bow and went up the stairs to the other side, to the highest balcony in the library, Ken walked backwards and cautiously ascend, with no one of notice, the trio went to the door way and heard a contraption in the other room activate. They hurried and found a stair way had turned, descending down to a massive door to somewhere. Aqua and Ken caught sight of a wizard in a brown robe casting a spell and making short work of what ever was in the room. They followed down and found a set of ladders to their right, Jambert hummed, went down the ladder and slid to the bottom floor as Aqua admitted. "Logan really is quick on those books."

She dashed to the ladders, flipped with style and slid down, Ken followed with a bit of caution and nearly dropped trying that trick, Jambert was on the floor of the secret room and looking close to a pulled lever that opened a passage way back into the main library, Aqua jumped off the ladder and landed eagerly to find what is with in as Ken nearly lost control of his descent, caught himself a couple bars to the floor and climbed down the old fashion way.

They went into the room to their right and found a place full of treasure chests, one to their left had a set of channeler clothes, one to the fare left had a straight chain and was clearly a mimic. Jambert took his server and carved into it with a left upper cut, the mimic rolled back from the damage, landed with growing feet and opened its maw to reveal arms. Jambert cleaved to the upper right and tossed a black fire bomb into its mouth.

BOOM!

The mimic coughed and screamed as it fell back wards, its mouth burning up and leaving behind something that was slightly charred, a falchion that gave an enchanted blue glow. Aqua and Ken felt the knight taking it eagerly, the keyblade master asked. "That was what you had in mind for treasure when you came here?"

She felt the falcion's power. "This place is a treasure trove for wizards once we find what we are looking for."

Jambert agreed with that and kept looking, finding a treasure chest behind columns and near a corridor between a column behind, a book shelf to the right and a pile of books to the left, he opened it and found an ember box glistening in crystal. "Oh..." He felt disappointed yet took the ember anyways. "I know someone who appreciates stunning looking weapons," He turned to the right and found Ken opening a chest and finding a large key for something, the boy wanted to laugh. "Ha! This has to be the key to Logan's cell. Ha, ha, ha." He casually tossed it Jambert's way. "This one's all yours."

The knight caught the key and put it in his bottomless box along with the ember and falchion, he found it amusing and laughed with him. "Ha, ha, ha, ha. I won't say no to a collection of knick-knacks." Aqua noticed a lever in front of suspicious floor tiles that looked like stairs, she pulled it and was humored by a good joke. "Sorry for making it useless now." The stair like floor lowered itself down to a small basement and shifted into stairs, she walked down to find a fogged door way and sensed something skittering behind her, a spider like heartless that was quickly slain. She pushed through the fogged door and found herself on a wooden edge with a small ladder down, she was a jump away into entering the garden leading to a crystal cave.

She felt the presence refreshing and turned back up the stairs. "I found a way out of the archives, but where did Logan go?"

She snapped her fingers and walked back to the empty room, taking a right to a passage into another library room, finding a circle of books and Logan sitting down to read deeply into it. She coughed for his attention, startling the wizard and asking. "Hey, was it you who made getting here easier for us?" Logan relaxed and shrugged with his hands. "I presumed you and the others changed the stairs and made it easier for me to traverse. You three are very diligent." Ken and Jambert followed in as Logan focused a mass of energy and clenched his hand, causing to condense into a mass of crystal energy. Aqua felt a little disappointed that it was what she already knew of, if in a crystal form, she asked with an idea. "The spell you are learning is like what you taught me except with crystals, it will tear if it makes contact?"

Logan believed so. "You condense the power with in your soul and have it take a more corporeal form, then unleash it." He took his catalyst and a shimitar, glowed the wand and rubbed it against the sword, causing it to glow dark blow and crystalize. Aqua focused deep and whipped her keyblade, causing it to glow dark blue and radiate to be like it was part crystal, her body gave off a blue glow and felt she reached a potential. She caused five masses of crystal power to form and fired it at a wall, arrows, convolving in crystals, shot and scattered, she caused her glow to fade and watched the crystal around her keyblade flicker away, giving a tone like a regal teenager finding an old toy restored to its prime. "Nice, we're going somewhere."

Ken was impressed and asked Logan. "You are starting off with magic you already know and making it better? That's fast, what book did you find?" The wizard was lost among the many and answered enamored. "A log of the secrets of the crystals. This place is truly magnificent, more than expected even. But as promised," He promised Aqua and Jambert. "I will share what I learn of these sorceries and the secret of Seath's immortality."

The trio found that detail crucial and Jambert asked. "We threw what we could and his wounds closed promptly no matter how lethal they were. How is that possible?"

Logan answered enlightened. "Seath is a true Undead, different from you and I. No mortal blow affects him, granting him true insulation from death. It is the effects of the Primordial Crystal, a sacred treasure pillaged by Seath when he turned upon the ancient dragons. So, only by destroying the Primordial Crystal can you so much as scratch his hide. And it so happens, the Primordial Crystal is passed the inner gardens of these very archives. The Crystal Cave."

The trio listened to the secret and Jambert tried to keep his manners. "That was very informative Big Hat Logan. Thank you," Aqua nodded to Logan with respect. "I found a stair way leading into the gardens that is a couple rooms away, we should see if this crystal really is what we need to find. We'll be back to see what else we can learn."

Logan nodded back and wished the trio good luck. "Come again, any time you please. For I too, learn, whilst teaching a student." Ken lead the way and gave his goodbyes. "I might have one story that I think could help you know about a keyblade. It's when me and Cadia's Light met for the first time, that is the big secret." Logan wondered and went to his books, remembering that. "Fascinating, farewell and good luck to you all."

Aqua lead the way down the stairs and to the door going out into the garden, the trio saw crystal golems waddling aimlessly and a golden golem behind some trees. Ken snipped a blue crystal golem near by as the adults jumped down to fight the golden golem that sensed something wrong. Jambert slashed into the golems hide as Aqua jumped behind and let loose a quick combo, the golem caused its left limb to form into a massive spiked club and swung. Jambert cartwheeled behind for another slash as Aqua burst in air and fired down bursts of light. Causing the golem to crack and fall, letting out a sight familiar to Jambert, a knight in onion like armor. Ken jumped from the ledge and caught up as the knight was on his knees and got himself up, Jambert asked jokingly. "Got yourself captured as well Siegmeyer? What are you doing here?"

The knight acted astonished and asked with a woman's voice. "Oh, no. I'm not him. Was it you who rescued me?" She gave a ladies bow of respect to the three. "Why, thank you. I am Sieglinde of Catarina. I don't know how I ended up in that crystal," She admitted in embarrassment while trying to keep a knights dignity. "It wasn't terrible in there, but I could hardly move."

Ken sighed. "They just need to be looking for you and grab you when they can. It's a good thing we saw the gold color and did something about it."

Sieglinde agreed with that. "And I must think of some way to repay you three," She turned to the embarrassed Jambert and asked. "You know of my father, have you seen him?"

Jambert answered with a clear memory. "I found him having a venture down in that horrid swamp when he ran out of purple moss for the trip back up to Firelink Shrine. He should be there by now." Sieglinde sighed. "Thank goodness! I knew he was here somewhere." She readied for her adventure through the archives in front of her. "Well then, now I must go find him. Thanks again, truly. Now if he'll just stay put, and keep out of trouble." The trio gave their goodbyes and watched her journey to the ladder up.

Jambert wished her luck and went to the crystal cave, finding two golems noticing him and attempting to leap at him. The knight back flipped as the key bearers made quick work of them, allowing an otherwise uneventful venture to a cave way of shining crystal. They went down the slope and found the ground near slippery, with the long way down, falling would be ill advise. They reached the bottom of a slope and look from over the edge a vast cave of blue crystal that had light green butterflies perching. Jambert heard stomping, turned around to a lower slope behind and saw a golem coming to them, he slowly approached, let the golem leap and flipped under it. Dodging a shock wave and taking the construct by himself, the keybearers found the cave other worldly, Ken asked. "So if we smash the crystal, we would be able to give Seath what's coming to him?"

Aqua nodded. "That's the idea, Seath is an evil creature and needs to be destroyed before he brings more harm to the world."

Jambert lead the way down and asked. "I couldn't agree more, but as the grand father of sorcery, his work has spread far and wide in the world. The soul sorcery you and those like Logan and Griggs use would have never been possible without that dragon."

Aqua felt that to be the most painful part. "And through that power, great things can be done. It's an element like fire, ice and electricity, it can be used for good things and I'll give that scaleless monster credit for that. It changes nothing about what we need to do."

Jambert hummed that he found the decision mutual and followed the crystal path to a bottom, leading to a ledge that had a wide path ahead, yet no bridge or anything. Snow flakes flickered on the invisible path, Aqua face looked more crossed and asked. "We have to go through this invisible bridge?"

She flipped her keyblade and she nearly bellowed. "Ohhhhh no! Forget that."

She aimed it and caused a spark of light to shine, revealing a more visible pathway, Jambert tilted his face mask to her and lead. "Thank you Milady, that would have been a hassle."

Ken agreed at the outrage. "And we really don't got the time for that. Let's go get that Lord Soul and get out of here."

At the library.

Big Hat Logan was enthralled by the tomes of sorcery as he sat in the same spot he was, seeing powers from the soul that he had no idea existed. "Mmm undead. I ha... soul...huma... huma... Najka?" He blabbered gibberish only he understood and heard footsteps, he tilted his hat up and felt his sense of time distorted. "Didn't they just left?"

A black haired man in a black coat appeared, giving Logan an annoyed if carefree expression. "You know what, you old coot, for an illusion made up by this dump, you sure did made it worse for someone out there," He readied his hand crossbows. "Can't let you teach Miss Keyblade Master anymore tricks that would be a sting to our health."

Logan stood up and yelled in a senile tone. "Who are you?" He siezed as many books as he can and ordered. "Stay clear... stay clear of my work. I'm on the verge of unlocking the Paledrakes mysteries! How dare you disturb me!"

The man was nearly taken aback by the tone and rolled his eye that wasn't behind an eye patch. "You're losing it, you old Big Hat," He aimed his cross bows at the wizard. "Here's another mystery, if the Keyblade Master and her dunce get out of these archives, this whole world is going poof! You included."

Logan shook his head and saw a faint shine, he rolled out of the way and formed five crystal orbs. "I'm too old for this."

He drew out a small leather shield and a shimitar as the assassin vanished in the air and appeared behind the wizard, floating high up by a wall. "Nice knowing ya, ya looney wiz."

PEW!

Logan rolled out of the way turned sharply and took out his catalyst, he glowed and watched the man teleport away, ready to shoot the wizard at the back of his head. Logan swiped his catalyst on an instinct and shot a crystal soul arrow, the man was knocked back, teleported on a book shelf and tried to fire, the crystal masses shot at him as one, the man teleported out of that fire as Logan shook his head and was blabbering gibberish. "Nonsense, mmmmm, crystal... hmm. Breath?!" The assassin on top of a book pile tried to shoot, Logan rolled out of the way and was running to the door, ignoring him and muttering. "Seath, his breath!"

ROAR!

Logan heard the sound of a dragon outside, flying towards somewhere. The wizard had an idea and tried to make a rush out, the man behind grabbed him by the back of his robe in disbelief in what is insanity. "Whoa there, where do you think you're go-"

Rip!

Logan cut a piece of his robe and freed himself from the mans grasp, being down to his underwear and showing a typical nearly bare, elderly body. The assassin's eye was blinded and Logan blabbered gibberish and made a run for it, up the stairs to reach a library with an elevator. A swarm of dark spiders dropped down to do battle, Logan gave a roar and used his catalyst to crystalize his shimitar.

In the crystal caves.

Jambert and Aqua reached the other side of a crystal path and watched Ken jump from another path, holding a blue slab of rock in his hand to give to the knight. "What are you going to do with these things?" Jambert answered with a whistle. "Oh, just something to make my... collection feel special. Nothing more than that. The enchanted falchion made it a tad easier."

Aqua believed that and saw in the distance, a glow, being guarded by five clams. A clam from a corner raised five tendril like legs and crawled towards Jambert, it rushed after him with its hard shell and odd spikes. The knight rolled back and cut into it as Aqua struck it from behind, causing the clam to fall and open itself, revealing a vast collection of glowing human skulls. Jambert chose to ignore the horrifying implication as Ken shot the closest clam, waking it up and luring it to the group. The clam took the shots, flapped its shell and lunged at the boy that jumped high and shot himself down with both keyblades aimed down. He shoved the clam into the ground and back stepped to see it open itself. Aqua picked off a clam to the left with a thunder bolt and fired a barrage of ice balls, slaying another and bringing three remaining. Ken shot into a clam to right and let Jambert have his prey, the knight baited the claim to try and upper cut him with its shell, rolled back and slew it, it opened it self and revealed a twinkling titanite shard for him to loot. Ken let Cadia's Light shift into a hand cannon and aimed for the last two clams, firing massive beams that brought both to a halt and leaving them opened.

He let the keyblade form back into the gun as Aqua approached the odd shine, finding a thin crystal pointing upward and giving a glow in the center, the student and knight followed her into a wide misty room. The knight asked. "So this is the Crystal we were told about. With this gone, we would stand a chance against that dragon." Aqua agreed and was ready to smash it as Ken had his gun aimed. "Easy as pulling a trigger, one shot and it's over for-" Aqua stopped him. "Kendry, no. I want to smash this thing myself, this thing is every perverted power sorcery could do. What good is living forever when all you do with it is bring misery?"

Jambert found that a good question as he and Ken followed Aqua to the crystal, the trio felt something shaking as they reached close. They turned around to find something massive flying to the arena, smashing the crystals with albino claws and two tentacles that make up an abdomen.

"ROAR!"

CRASH!

Seath arrived and pulled his head up, he gave off a laugh like growl. "Ignorant humans, thou had come so far," He pushed forward with his tentacles and addressed the Undead warrior. "To know the thin thread between death and eternity. Does thou know what would happen if thee is without a bonefire? What would that compare to my beloved crystal?"

Jambert cringed as Seath hissed to the key bearers. "To wield a power meant for Lords! What a shame for it to be lost forever more over something foolish," Ken refused to listen to the dragon as Aqua had her left hand under her chin. "A shame indeed, for all this great power you hold... it's warped to evil ends."

Jambert agreed with that as Seath breathed in and out in anger, the knight barked. "The Lord of Sunlight granted you such an honor and you abuse that power for your own ends!" He readied his sword and had his attention to the crystal. "Not anymore! We will slay you this day and take the Lord Soul."

Seath roared as Aqua tried to ready a smash, the roar of the dragon caused her to turn to face the beast that aimed his head to the left. She realized the dragon was readying a breath and thought it was an even better chance. "Ken, Jambert, move!" She and Ken made a dash as Jambert knew what Seath was trying to do and run to the tentacles, finding one at the far back that resembles a tail.

Seath breathed out a beam that caused crystals to erupt, he rushed the beam over to the crystal by accident and caused spikes to erupt underneath the Primordial crystal, it shattered and Seath felt something fading. He gave off a scream as Aqua ran up his chest and upper cut him under his chin, Ken burst in fire and shot himself to the dragons chest, keeping himself floating and firing. Seath felt the pain of blades and flame, he growled and swiped his claws after them. He faced Aqua and breathed out a beam, the woman disappeared and struck him by the soft horns on his left, Ken floated away from the left talon and the right grabbed him, Seath felt the fire burning in the palm of his hand. Ken grunted from pressure and kept burning Aqua noticed and tried to say something as the left talon grabbed her.

SCORCH!

Seath felt something burning through his tail and flailed his tentacles in agony, he dropped the two towards the slapping tentacles. The key bearers backed away and found a hint of fire, Seath turned his head behind and heard someone rushing to him, with something igniting. He tried to use his tentacles to crust the assailant, Jambert rolled past them and was in front of the dragon. Jambert ignited and knelt in position, Seath sensed the power and gasped in realization. A pillar of fire erupted from underneath, followed by sixteen more, consuming the Scaleless dragon in an inferno, Seath flailed as his body charred from the flame, turning black and breaking apart. Ken and Aqua cringed as Seath went limp, his upper half falling over as a flame formed.

A bonfire appeared and something floated out of Seath's maw, a flaming soul. Jambert claimed his prize and went behind the dragon, Ken and Aqua followed him and found a burnt off piece of tail giving off a glow with in, the knight pulled a piece of bone out, revealing it to be a great blue bladed sword with a golden hilt. The blade glowed blue like moon light and Aqua was taken aback by its beauty, she questioned how it was possible, Ken whispered something in her ear. "That happens every time we cut off a dragons tail," Aqua nodded and waved. "You lighted that dragon up Jambert." She cheered like a teenager. "Woot!"

Jambert smugly carried his prizes over to the bonfire and placed down a bottomless box. "A sword fitting for one of the arcane arts. That would be passed down for ages to come." He put the sword into the box and Aqua was disappointed that she would never see such a wondrous blade again, she took a deep breath and found something odd happening. "Huh? We got our Lord Soul, now what are we going to do before we go down to the ruins?"

Jambert laughed and switched a blue dragon themed ring for a grain ring. "There has to be more spells for you and Logan to learn, we should check on him before we leave. Kendry?" The boy was tempted to ask something as he looked upon the remains of Seath and went to the bonfire. "That was something the Fair Lady taught you? Are there... others like it?" Jambert answered without a thought. "There is one the maiden of the swamp has taught me, a fire storm is a fire storm." Ken felt the idea burning into his heart as he sat down by the bonfire. "Cool. Are we ready to warp back to the archives?"

Jambert put his box away as he and Aqua focused on the flame, the trio felt an orange glow and found themselves back in the archives. Finding spider like heartless circling by a familiar man with crossbows and a black robe, the trio found the man holding onto brown robes, Aqua was ready to attack. "Braig, WHAT DID YOU DO TO LOGAN?"

Braig was caught off guard and asked. "Easy there missy, that fake was going crazy before I showed up," Ken aimed his gun at him. "I swear if you call someone here a fake one more time." Braig snickered to him. "As if that matters kid. Everything here is an illusion coming from a memory. You're friend over there included, wake up."

The key bearers readied to come to blows as Jambert shook his head and stepped forward with his blade ready, he requested to the two. "Deal with the heartless and find Logan, I'll handle this scoundrel."

The swarm of eight spiders rushed after the knight, Ken opened fire at four as Aqua rushed after the other four and glowed in magic, they quickly dispatched them as Braig was in more disbelief at the knight coming for him. "Are you dense or something?"

Jambert yelled to him with a fire burning from his heart. "I am Knight Jambert, the Chosen Undead, the Ringer of the Bells of Awakening, one of the conqueror's of Sen's Fortress, he who seen the golden light of Anor Londo, Slayer of the Four Kings who damned New Londo, Slayer of the Gravelord Nito and the Slayer of Seath the Scaleless." He aimed his blade at Braig. "I am no illusion, you vile man! Leave these lands and never return, or I will cut you down here and now!" Ken and Aqua felt the aura of a bright heart and went up the stair way without much worry.

Braig felt it was more insane than what he saw from Logan as the key bearers ditched him for a figment of memory. "Are you kidding me?" He gave a cruel smile to the Undead. "Fine, I'll play along. Bring it."

Jambert paid some caution and approached quickly, Braig teleported on top of a book shelf to the left and fired upon the undead that back flipped and shoved the book shelf down Braig teleported to another and tried again, Jambert knocked it down and forced the assassin to confront him head on. PEW! Braig was behind the knight and fired at his back, Jambert felt the pain, flipped and swung his server at the man. He saw another teleport, Braig appeared in front of him and charged bow first, Jambert flipped to his left and drank from his estus flask to heal.

PEW!

Braig appeared on top of him and fired, the knight cartwheeled to the left and formed a ball of chaotic fire.

BOOM!

Braig was sent flying and teleported again, he was at a far end of the library, upside down and firing at the dodging knight. Jambert charged after him and swung, missing because of a teleport and finding Braig in the center of the room, focusing a dark energy and aiming to the knight.

Jambert knew what was coming and approached waiting. PEW!

Jambert flipped to dodge a dark shot and swiped his curved great sword onto Braig, the man teleported to stairs and tried to reload, exposing himself to another chaotic fire ball. The assassin felt the heat and teleported to the center of the library, he caused a rift to open beneath him and he taunted. "Kiss yourself goodbye, fake."

He shot into the rift, Jambert felt dark arrows appearing from around him and perching his armor, he back flip and ran, realizing he might have barked louder than he can bite and having half as much luck avoiding the arrows as he did getting hit. Braig appeared next to him and rushed. Jambert dodged and drank from his flask again, Braig circled around him shooting, the undead sweated and flipped, his hand ignited, Braig saw another fire ball coming and teleported into the center, spinning and shooting. Jambert rolled close to him, pressed his hands together, took the shots and leaned, unleashing a chaotic firestorm that caught Braig in the various blasts and caused him to back flip to a set of stairs, he gritted his teeth in humiliation. "This can't be happening?!"

Jambert drew his blade and looked ready to continue, Braig shook his head as the knight approached. "This Castle has gone nuts to remember something like you, where did-" He felt dumbfounded at something he should have known as Jambert rushed at him without a second thought, yelling wildly. "For the Fair Lady!"

Braig teleported away from the slash and caused a corridor to open in front of the bonfire. "How did a smuck like you become this strong? Guess that is something to figure out."

He jumped in and Jambert yelled. "Run you spineless fiend!" He looked around to the destruction he caused and ran up the stairs, knowing his friends are not safe from him.

By an elevator.

Aqua looked up and felt something wrong was happening. "Ken, we need to make sure Jambert can catch up with us and this elevator will take forever. How far can you fly?" Ken thought it out. "If I focus and keep shooting, high enough to get to the top, what about you?"

Aqua felt odd and remembered one particular battle she had. "I did this before, I can do it again."

She focused concern for an elderly man and ran up the wall, she kept running and baffled her student that backed away and used his air magic to fly, shooting himself high, above the archives and up the tower, he felt himself nearly drained and reached a hole in the top, he flipped forward and landed in front, feeling himself in a familiar domain as Aqua finished running up and flipping. Ken shook his head and asked. "How do you do that?"

Aqua went to the right towards the only passage to the stairs up the tower. "It's complicated and I need to teach that soon. Come on."

Ken followed his teacher to the stairs circling up the tower and found someone in Seath's old lair, it was drained of color and less crystals, standing in front of a throne with a chest was an elderly man in a brown hat, stripped down to a crystal catalyst and his underwear. Logan looked at them like they were hostile strangers. "Get back, I'm so close." He raised his staff high and shot a beam to the ground, causing a trail of sharp crystals to rush to the duo. Aqua and Ken jumped left and right, the Keyblade Master called. "Logan, it's me, Aqua. Snap out of it."

Logan mumbled to himself, like his brain was overwhelmed by so much knowledge. "A...key...what...mmm."

He was having a head ache and Aqua tried again. "How many of those books did you read? What did you find?" Logan rolled back and formed five crystal masses of energy, unaware of a dark aura glowing around him, he was talking gibberish, shot the crystal beam at Aqua again and tried to roll back into a corner. The soul mass shot at Ken, the boy jumped to the side to dodge and saw they were homing at him. Hitting him in the chest and causing him to feel a sharp pain.

Aqua shook her head and rushed after Logan, the wizard readied his small shield, was struck aside the head and flipped back to the center. He was struggling to remember something and the aura became stronger, she asked herself. "What did he read?" She tossed a heal at Ken who was seeing a pattern, a dark pool formed under Logan and the boy warned his teacher. "If we don't do something, we got a Heartless coming. What happened to his brain?" He barked. "Logan, it's us! Snap out of it, your turning into something that isn't you." Logan fell on his hands and knees, his body was being engulfed by the darkness, his form altered and changed. Bloating and swelling with crystal energy into a dark orb.

Aqua cringed as Ken looked horrified, eight long, purple, crystal draconic limbs emerged from the orb, a purple crystal, dragon like head, with a, odd hat like growth on its head, emerged from the front end. Having a set of mandibles like a spider on its maw, emerging from the rear was a thick tail that on the other end was a dragon like head with a tube like tongue. The main body looked to have a thick cephathorax with butterfly like wings on its back, matching the legs, and an abdomen with a heartless emblem. The two heads roared out of control and flailed around, the image was a mental pain and the Crystal Duke rushed after Ken, its long arms clawing wildly, one nearly getting Aqua. The boy flew high and jumped on the dragons back, shooting at crystals that were not cracking. Aqua back flipped and jumped to a wall, running up and flying to a ceiling as Ken felt an odd aura stiffening his body. The boy jumped far off to the dragons left and flipped, he merged his keyblades together into a large melta and apologized. "Sorry Miss, but this thing needs to go!"

Aqua dived onto the dragons back for a heavy blow and finding no progress, feeling herself stiffening and jumping back to the dragons right. Watching a beam scorch the dragons side, doing absolutely nothing but heating the crystal up. The head with the hat snapped at Aqua as the head on the rear snapped at Ken, the two dodged and found it odd how nothing was working. Ken split his keyblades back and tried to focus on the spot again. He jumped high, spun Firekeeper's Wish in a large circle with a spin and thrust forward, firing a beam of sunlight at the crystal hide, burning at it as the boy shot into the beam and struck with his keyblades, causing a crack.

Aqua gasped, smiled and ran up a wall again, dodging clawing from the multiple limbs as Ken focused something in the crack and jumped off. "Miss, hit there. I think this trick ought to work."

Aqua jumped high and hovered, she fired a repeated prism rain on the burning orb in the crack, causing a volatile growth that became like a bomb going off. The Crystal Duke's rear head hissed and shot a web of crystal at her, Aqua flew higher to dodge and fired again, the growth became brighter with the second barrage and the third one caused it to explode in a rainbow light.

CRACK!

The purple crystal cracked open and caused the body to come like a spider web. The two heads yelled in fury and thrashed, the chittin fell apart and revealed a blue scaleless hide, the two maws glowed white and aimed wildly towards the duo. Shaking the crystals off and revealing a blue scaleless body. Crystals erupted from the path of the beams and shot to the two like long spikes, getting the two on their backs and causing some blood. The crystals shattered and the dragon flew high to the ceiling, firing dark crystal soul arrows at its foes, Aqua flipped back to the wall as Ken jumped back and ran to the door, the crystal arrows missed and caused jagged stones to emerge. The Crystal Duke landed down and was attacked on its front head in a more traditional manner as the clattering of armor was heard. Jambert entered with horror and was disappointed in himself. "Lady Aqua, I used up my firestorm on that scoundrel, shall I distract him from your... move?"

Aqua heard and barked as she flipped to the dragons left side. "Any help would be nice right about now!"

The spinneret head fired its breath at her, the Keyblade Master rushed up against a wall and dodged crystals as Ken fired fire balls on the rear head and laser beams on the other. Jambert rushed to the dragons front neck and burned his hand, waving a whip of fire at the dragon and causing a burn as Aqua burst in magic and fly to the center of the ceiling, giving an elegant spin and for seven crystal masses of energy to float to the corners of the room. The two heads fired up at Aqua as she caused the crystals to shoot arrows in the center by the tip of her keyblade, causing a large black prism to form. She fired down as the heads were shaken off their aim by Ken's shots, the prism flickered in light and crashed into the Crystal Duke, causing an explosion of light, like that of a rainbow. The Dragon's heads flailed like limbs and was giving off a glow of white, like something was calling from the madness, the heads and limbs went limp and something floated out of the dragons front maw, a heart glowing like a blue crystal.

The body dissolved and Aqua landed to the center, finding three things remaining a brown wizards hat, a crystal catalyst and a scroll. The Keyblade Master picked the scroll up confused and saw a depiction of one with a mighty soul firing a beam from the tip of a staff. She felt crestfallen as Ken and Jambert went to her side, the boy asked. "Miss, that was amazing, but are you alright?"

Jambert asked like the bumbling knight he is. "Lady Aqua, was that Heartless... Logan?" Aqua nodded to the knight and looked to her student. "I... am, but..." The knight stilled and on the rest of the throne was a white door. Aqua found it a convenience and had her student follow. "We will talk out there. This Castle is getting to me too."

Ken grunted and followed his teacher through the door, to a white hall. The boy saw his teacher shaking with grief, thought he return a favor and gave his teacher a hug from behind, calming her down and reminding her. "None of that was real, but it does hurt to watch. What ever Logan was reading really messed with his head and caused him to go completely out of control."

He let go and his teacher turned around to advise. "Sometimes there are things you and I are never meant to know, knowledge... can destroy someone if they cannot handle it. It's better to be ignorant and happy than to be all knowing and fall as Logan or even Seath has." She took a deep breath and raised her keyblade into the air, mimicking the spell she learned, it fired a beam and let loose a trial of crystals, she hummed. "Logan was a brilliant man, but he was following the knowledge of a mad dragon. Maybe I can put that wizards knowledge to better use."

Ken asked wildly. "Like how you... mixed the crystal magic with that... thing you do?"

Aqua told him the name. "With Prism Rain? I need to practice with that power more, but it can lead to amazing things."

Ken nodded and slowed down as he went to the next room. "I guess being a Keyblade Master doesn't mean you're done learning something new," He sweated nervously as his teacher sighed. "I guess I'm not, Ken... are you ready to go past that door? Once we head to Izalith, this will be when we know about Chaos Fire and for you to know more about Pryomancy. Every one has a particular element they are special at and Fire..."

Ken turned around and had his hands behind his head. "It works with what I do, shooting Cadia's Light and its heated lasers, rushing to people like a bullet, defending myself. It's a dangerous element, but there is so much I can do with it." He imagined. "I wonder if Kairi got around to mastering water? If Ana is all about lightning... wow."

Aqua had that vision of glory and shook it off. "Ken, one thing at a time."


	41. Lost in Chaotic Fire

With in a warded room, a Replica was having an odd dream of a civilization in flames, he twisted and turned in horror as he watched people take on bestial forms. He was shaken from something and heard the words. "Come on, wake up. Please wake up!"

He woke from the nightmare and found Xion worried for him, finding her right at his face and causing him to nearly jump. "Ahhh! Xion, don't do that."

The perpetual dark sky outside shot his perception of time and he sat up with a fogged mind, Xion pouted and cracked a smile. "I got good news, we're not grounded anymore," The Replica wasn't believing that. "That's what he told you? What's the catch?" Xion wonder that herself. "He never said of one, if there is it wouldn't matter until later when we are ready to face him over this scheme of his," She looked conflicted about what she felt about Ahriman. "He is the only one here that bothers with us and he is the only one that is nice to us. But he is strange with his talk of making plans and how we are the ones setting our own up."

The Replica felt conflicted about it as well. "He wants us to ditch all this and never worry about him again. It's why that gives me a head ache. If we are free to do what we want, we are going to have to start small and not make a scene these people will notice. Xion, watch out for anyone offering something that sounds too good to be true." He got up and went to get the black coats as the dog like shadow disappeared into the Replica's. "Know that problem you have and stay close to me and we do need to be back before too long. A day was ridiculous."

Xion countered one of the warnings and took her coat. "If it's too sudden to be true, it's probably the Changeling or worse. So where are we going?"

The Replica put on his coat and answered as he opened up a corridor. "That one town with some alright dudes. This place is too gloomy and you might need some décor that's better for you, you'll know why I picked that town when you see it."

He smiled to her as she put her coat on, the girl smiled back and giggled. "Ha, this ought to be fun." The adopted brother lead the sister through the dark gate and the two were spit out in a rather colorful town of various animal like people, Xion was taken aback and the boy planned. "Now where is where?"

In Castle Oblivion

Ken opened the door eagerly and caused a light to shine, he and Aqua felt an odd tension. They traverse through and found themselves in front of a structure that lead into a volcanic cave. Lava was down bellow and various people close to them were crawling on all fours. The people had eggs on their backs and cling to life as hosts. In front of them was a bonfire with an uneasy Jambert sitting by, waiting. The knight noticed them and waved. "Are you all ready to dive into the heart of the demon's kingdom?"

Aqua answered as she tried to look away from the hellish imagery. "No, but do we have a choice?" Ken shook his head and spoke fast. "Not the first I did this! So Jambert, what else did you do while we were gone?"

The knight was glad the boy asked and looked upon the egg carrying host. "It took much, persuading Eingyi to speak with me, but he has informed me of much once I... talked to him on his level. He taught me what I wanted to know about his taboo pyromancy and of where we need to go. The maiden from the Swamp also informed me of what was to come and taught me more of the art," He looked to the right and to a path ahead. "The lake of lava is being risen by a molten giant, ceaselessly discharging more upon the lake. We need to eliminate it if we are to travel down... unless any of us can help me traverse lava on foot."

Ken and Aqua shook their heads, the Keyblade Master asked. "What did the woman the swamp told you about Izalith? Or of the Witch who has the Lord Soul?"

Jambert pressed his hands together and turned tot he fire. "The Witch of Izalith is not in a position to give it to us willingly. She caused all of this and to halt the threat of the demons, she must be put out of her misery," Aqua asked. "Put out of... Jambert, what did she do?"

The knight sighed. "She tried to replicate the First Flame her ancient pyromancy, once the flame started to fade, and instead she created the Flame of Chaos. It consumed her, most of her Daughters and the poor souls who lived in the city... twisting them into demons. The Witch of Izalith became a Bed of Chaos, the source of all demons."

Ken swallowed. "Like the big bull we fought at the town and the Capra Demon? Why Quelaag and her sister had those spiders? So the Witch was trying to stop the end of the world?"

Aqua cringed. "That could have been what she tried to do, but instead... it's why we are here. Jambert, what more do you know about the demons?" Jambert thought he knew. "The Stray Demon that attacked Traverse Town for... seemingly no reason, is a mighty if slow foe. The Taurus Demon Sir Kendry spoke of is faster and has a mighty axe and the Capra Demon attacked with aid and I don't doubt they would do that here with their kin. They are not simply fiends for us to slay, that is why we should not hold back for them."

Aqua agreed and felt grim of the task as Ken asked. "So... the Molten Giant? He is the first on our list?"

Jambert nodded and stood up. "And I know the way. Once he is dealt with, I will have the time to show you what I learned."

He took out a black halberd and lead the way down the hill and to the right, leading to a path towards a stone bridge and a fogged gate. The three went through and kept traveling the road. They found a narrow passage between two hills and through the passage, found a creature standing from the lava bellow. Aqua felt emotional pain just by looking at him. A molten giant humanoid with a shoulders worth of molten blisters that seemed to have mutated into insect like limbs, the giant was trying to hold in place, his exposed rib cage that ceaselessly discharged lava. The giant's head had two curved horns and its face was slumped to the right side, its face had multiple red eyes that seemed more focused on something else than them. If it even was aware of them, the teacher stuttered. "It...it...it's bleeding lava and it is feeling every part of it."

Jambert sighed and found no way for him to reach it, he took out the triple bolted cross bow and caused it to sparkle lightning. "I doubt he will let us release him from this hell so easily."

Ken sighed and stayed by the path out as Aqua went to the left and Jambert further down to an odd path the giant was looking at. The giant noticed him and his pained face gave a growl, warning them against doing something, the knight turned back and found a make shift grave, with a cloaked body being preserved. The knight faced the giant and made sure his companions were in position.

He aimed his cross bow at the giants face and caused it to cringe in pain. The giant faced him and bellowed. "Arrrgh!"

His blister tendrils raised up and slammed, the knight cart wheeled as the giant took a laser beam to its tendril. It noticed a boy shooting him out of reach and a woman rushing to the tendril to strike in melee, the knight that shot him joined on the other side and stabbed into the tendril with his halberd. The giant pulled its tendril back and moved to where the boy was, the boy shot him in the face, the giant let go of his rib cage and used its long arm to slam at where the boy stood, Ken yelped and sprinted out of the way. "Bad, bad, bad!"

SLAM!

The giant slammed his arm and caused a stream of lava to splash across the cliff edge, he raised it up and slammed it again at the boy, missing and giving Aqua the chance to strike fast and glow in ice, Jambert took his stab yet again and the giant slammed at both of them with its blister tendril, Jambert and Aqua flipped, the giant slammed at the woman again, wailing pitifully. Aqua rushed at the tendril and struck it with the power of cooling ice, slightly soothing the giants pain and causing him to focus on her. He readied a short tendril and shot it at her, the tendril burst like a volcano, the woman back flipped and watched a large beam puncture the tendril, Ken's gun like keyblade changed into a hand cannon, Aqua swiped upward at the tendril and caused pillars of ice to puncture the limb, the giant tried to pull and felt another scratch from Jambert.

The giant took his arm and swiped at the two closest, Jambert and Aqua were knocked against a wall as Ken jumped back and rushed back in, firing the giant at the face and causing it to march to his position. The giant swiped again, Ken jumped above the first and was swatted to the duo that were scorched. The boy landed on his stomach and forced himself up as Jambert nimbly flipped forward and Aqua shook off a daze. The giant took his arm and tried to crush them, Jambert and Aqua rolled out of the slam as Ken jumped back and shot at the molten end of the arm, causing it to bleed, Jambert carved in as Aqua flicked ice at the wound and caused sub zero stones to pelt. The giant pulled his arm back and took another automatic round to its face as Aqua gave off a dark blue glow and had faint flickers of crystals float around, she swiped a large crystal wave of energy at the giants face. The giant felt the power and leaned back, Aqua raised her keyblade up and shot an arrow of crystalized energy, the giant took the crystal to its cranium and gave a death grunt. "Arrrruh."

It fell back wards onto the lava and caused a crashing sound. Aqua went over the edge to have a look, finding the giant laying on his back and not getting up, its red glowing eyes ceased and its discharging wound stopped, its orange glow cooled to black, Jambert and Ken looked down with her, most of the lava cooled with the giants body, giving a safe passage across to the lower depths of the ruins. The knight turned to where the giant was guarding and had a closer look, finding the body preserved as Aqua and Ken followed him, the boy asked. "This person must have been important to him and he was watching her than the lake?"

Aqua felt it was the reason and pitied the giant. "But now whats to stop a grave robber from coming and defiling it all?"

Jambert had no idea and wanted to turn back. "We can't stay here, that's for certain."

Ken agreed and had an experimental solution. He took Firekeeper's Wish and stabbed the ground, forming a burning line and raising it up high, a burning gate of fire appeared and lava dripped. "I'd like to see a punk try to get past this."

Jambert agreed with that. "They will find nothing but the fire if they try. But before we continue," He went back to the wider edge as Ken remembered. "Right, what did the guy with the eggs taught you?"

Jambert put his blade away, let his right hand aflame and pointed his thumb to his chest. "Many parts of your body could be used as an focus point to releasing the power of the flame," Aqua felt one technique that was obvious. "Like breathing fire? Okay..." Jambert shook his head and faced to a wall. "No Milady, like breathing out the smoke from the fire. The things no sane person would breath in, can be breathed out."

He lifted the lid from his helmet and breathed in, he breathed out purple, poisonous mists, Aqua's mouth dropped. "That's... that's carbon dioxide. Kendry, do you know what that is?"

The boy answered naively. "It's the stuff we breath out? I think I know what this spell does."

Aqua cringed. "Fire gives off that stuff when it burns, your using the fire magic and forcing it into your lungs as you breathed out the mist, it's more concentrated and it can get lethal when someone breaths it."

Ken felt he was in a science class as Jambert hummed. "Is that why he was banished? Kendry, you are to breath in and out in one breath."

The boy nodded, placed his burning keyblade down and caused a spark of fire to form in his hand, he focused the flame, inhaled and breathed out the poisonous mist. Jambert was impressed and breathed deeper in, he breathed out a mist of a darker purple and Ken tried that, he spewed out the more lethal looking mist and asked. "This is a stronger mist."

He considered that skill a blessing as Aqua warned him. "This could be better at defending yourself compared to the ash clouds you use, but only use this as a last resort, do you understand me?"

Ken saluted as Jambert waited for the mist to clear, he had another pyromancy spell in mind. "Now Sir Kendry, there is the other spell, the art of the Fire Storm."

He stood far away from the two, focused his flame and knelt, facing his two hands downward, causing pillars of fire to erupt, yet there was no lava puddles, the knight stood up and Ken tried the same, going further away and delivering the same results the knight did. Aqua was a little surprised about how easy it was to learn such a move and saw her student thinking about something. "Thank you for showing me this, there is something I can do to make it work, where me and Miss came from, the people we fight are much faster and might see that coming."

He focused and called his burning keyblade back to him. "But if I can catch them off guard, like a finisher. Ha, ha, ha, ha!"

Jambert remembered his battle against Braig and agreed disappointingly. "If you can work it better than I can, then this is beyond my teaching. I wasn't able to catch that villain before he ran."

Ken turned to him and apologized for sounding ungrateful. "I didn't mean that the lesson was bad, you helped me a lot. It's just the rest of this is up to me now." Jambert had a frown complimenting the black beard and mustache as he flipped his lid down. "I knew what you meant, the more... chaotic version of that spell requires looking deeper into yourself. Until we see the truth of that power, I would advise against fooling around with it unless it is necessary. Are we ready?"

Aqua nodded and looked at the ruins of a city across the lava. "We should hurry, it's rather amazing how far the path of magic can take you."

The three went back the way they came and Jambert spent time by the bonfire, focusing the spells he knows of. They went down to the lake of dried lava and found a herd of taurus demons in a corner. They didn't notice them and Jambert saw an ember with in the lava near the demons, his eyes light and he grumbled as the key bearers kept quiet and sneaked towards the ruins. The trio saw something walking from a ledge path to the ruins, a familiar goat demon. Slowly walking up, turning its head towards them and sprinting with its machetes, Ken didn't hesitate and shot it down.

He tried to keep a brave face as he and the group reached with in the ruins, seeing a ledge and looking down with them, nothing but lava and tree roots. Jambert felt they were far away from the taurus demons and spoke. "There is one of the embers back there in the lava, but how would any of us get it?"

Aqua wasn't sure. "Unless you can make yourself fire proof, we can't without scarring ourselves." They went deeper to the ruins and found more stable structures with two capra demons side by side at the entrance, keeping watch. Ken heard something from behind and turned around, finding a knight of thorns sprinting and rolling over him, the thorns caught into his armor and tore, the boy yelled out in pain and caused Aqua to sharply turn, finding a knight of thorns stepping over and coming for her next, she took her keyblade and bashed the knight upside the head, knocking him off the cliff and falling to his death. "RWAAR!"

SWOOP!

A wing flaming demon caught the knight and flew down the river of lava, Aqua saw her student bleeding and used a healing spell to stop it, Ken felt the soothing and tried to get up as Jambert turned towards them and heard something coming, he turned back to find the Capra Demons noticing him, they charged. The knight ignited his hand and hurled a chaotic fire ball at them, the demons took it and moved over the lava puddle, both swinging their machetes at him at once, the knight rolled back, took his black halberd and rushed at them to knock them down. "They know we are here now! We're not afraid of you twisted beasts!"

Three more capra demons ran out from the ruins and were shocked by their dead kin, Ken aimed his gun at the furthest back one as Jambert rushed to the other two demons and fooled them into attacking, leaving Aqua fling herself to them and swiftly striking the two, the demons stumbled back and jumped back as Jambert maneuvered to their side and rushed his halberd through one, pulled back to let the demon fall and swung the blade at the other demons neck, decapitating it as the last of the five demons fell over from gun shots. The travelers entered the ruins and Ken asked. "Jambert, any idea what that spiny guy's doing here?"

The knight had no idea. "It's been so long since we encountered him in the sewer that I forgot about him myself."

Aqua knew for certain. "Who ever he is, he is working with the demons. But why?"

The trio thought of it and knew this wasn't the last they seen of the knight of thorns, they went down a set of stairs and a small odd statue of a fat demon on a pedestal, they found stairs to their left, leading down into a temple, to their right was a wall and a simple path to a bonfire. The statue jumped off and scooted to Aqua, breathing fire on her and causing her to yelp, she back flipped and quickly struck it in the chest, shattering it into pieces. She healed herself as the knight went to the path toward the bonfire, she and Ken followed and watch the knight reach for the fire at the far end, having his hand ready as he sensed something burrowing from the wall. He rolled back and a large worm jumped out, snapping at nothing. Ken shot at the worm in reflex, the worm thrashed mindlessly as a hole burned through more, in time the worm fell apart and laid dead in smouldering bits. Jambert went for the fire and rested long enough to fuel his power. The key bearers went to the stair way down and saw four demon statues, Ken shot the four to bits as Aqua saw a taurus demon going to the stairs and climbing, the boy advised. "Last I saw big guys like this, zapping them works."

The teacher appreciated the tip, shot thundera at the demon and rushed to it for battle, she sparked in lightning and forced the demon to stagger, it tried to swing its axe and met a point blank lightning orb to its face. The demon fell backwards dead. Aqua back flipped and watched a worm emerge, it was snipped in the head and fell dead. Ken walked down and looked at the entrance to the temple, finding a fogged gate and jumping from a ledge above, a fearless Capra Demon, Aqua kept her electrical crackle and rushed at the demon. The Capra Demon swung both machetes as one at her, missed and watched her hover above it, aiming her blade to its head and firing lightning bolts, bringing the demon to a swift end. Jambert walked down and saw a road to the left, leading to a ruined path with a treasure chest. "Hmm."

Aqua and Ken noticed, the keyblade master advised. "The rest of the ruins is this way across the fogged gate, can't the chest wait?"

Jambert shook his head. "I didn't have to deliver Griggs ill news empty handed, that chest had an ember for the fellow locked in New Londo and Vamos said of two fiery embers. I won't stop until I collect both."

Aqua and Ken shrugged, the boy asked. "If that ember is there and not deeper in the city."

He noticed a taurus demon down the path, noticing him and the group, he fired at the bull's chest, the taurus demon tried to push through and gasped, something pierced through his heart. Ken stopped and let the demon fall back.

Jambert lead the way to the stretch of the ruins and found another taurus demon in front of the ruins. It roared and the knight readied his halberd, the Taurus demon slammed his axe to the wall, Jambert flipped over the axe, stabbed the demon in the chest, pulled out and slashed into it's ankle, the demon leaned and waddled, giving off a death rattle and tripping over the ledge, falling into the lava bellow. They went to the wall and turned left to see the chest across the hall, they walked and heard rumbling from above, they sprinted and saw large worms burrowing down after them, five in total, they reached the other side and Ken simply dismissed his burning keyblade, he held Cadia's Light with both hands and turned to the worms underbelly as the knight opened the chest and found a large box with a burning ember. "Ah, ha!"

Ken tiredly agreed. "Yeah, that's a cool find. I'll get this over with."

PEW!

He shot in the underbelly of one worm and slew it in under a minute, then aimed for another. He form changed it into an arm cannon and blew the last three to bits, he shifted his weapon back to a keyblade and blew the smoke out from the tip. "One down, another to go." Jambert put the ember away and lead the two back where they came, they went into the temple and found to the right an odd path, the knight wondered and went to the side, finding a broken road with a left edge leaning.

Ken and Aqua followed him down and found the cool insides of the temple, finding roots scattered around and one leading them down, they found strange bugs scittering away and gave chase, exterminating them all and reaching to an odd door. The keybearers wanted to investigate it and Aqua asked to herself. "Why... was this built?" Jambert had no idea and approached, causing the door to slide down, one pillar at a time. They found more strange insects trying to flee and chased them all down, one particular with red eyes pounced after the knight, Jambert sliced his halberd through it and carved it on two, he noticed the insect having a glow of sunlight above its head and took it for his own, letting Ken shoot the remaining bugs and Aqua to find a crystal lizard. The knight heard familiar sparkling and made a slow approach, he sprinted after the lizard and slew it, taking two shards of twinkling titanite and burning red titanite. They found a hall leading somewhere and finding a beast of titanite keeping guard.

Ken shook his head and turned back, Jambert silently approved of that and turned, leaving the keyblade master to ask. "What made you decide to turn back?"

Jambert answered that. "The titanite demons are too much of a hassle to slay and we have a ruins to explore."

Ken agreed and went up the root. "Besides, we need to get that Lord Soul and get out of here. What ever is past that isn't worth it." Aqua was a bit startled. "Well said, but... it's odd coming from you two."

Jambert did find it odd. "While I wouldn't mind a little... endeavor, I can afford the risk of death. You two are fortunate to not have that. Besides, you two have your own reasons to explore these lands and they do not require me anymore."

He went up the roots and reached the fogged door as Ken turned to him. "Maybe, but it's kind of my fault me and Miss are in this in the first place. Where ever we meet that's important, you are there. It's nice that we have each others backs," Aqua reached to them and saw the pattern. "No matter what you were, you're our friend and you have a strong heart. Strong enough to overcome places like this."

The knight blushed under his helmet and gave a small bow of respect to the two. "And you two traverse these lands like they were but a stepping stone. Regardless if I am a senior or not, I'm forever grateful to have companions like you, Solaire, Seigmeyer and even that dastardly Patches," He saw the two blushing to him, the knight went to the fogged gate and cheered. "Now, let's overcome what ever is past this fog."

The two wanted to cheer back and followed him through, entering a hall with roots lit a flame, a large fat demon with an obsidian staff, black skin, wings and a body that was constantly on fire barreled through the branches and caused the ceiling to fall in flame. Aqua blew a blizzard to stop the fire from falling on her party and jumped to the far end of the hall, Ken spun a side step and ran as Jambert went close to the demon and rolled to dodge a downward smash, he thrust and slashed at the demons gut as Ken shot the thing in the back, Aqua flew to the wings and slashed. The demon jumped back, knocked Aqua back and caused her to land, the demon's eyes focused on the mortals behind him and he flipped his staff down, he stabbed the ground and Ken warned. "Back away and hit him!"

Aqua wondered why and back flipped as her student jumped back.

PULSE!

A pulse of fire set the roots and hall on fire, Jambert avoided the fiery roots and charged again, the demon fluttered his wings and tried to slam his rear down, the knight rolled back as Ken shot the back of the demons head and Aqua gave a glow of frigid ice, she raised her keyblade in the air and caused the demon to freeze in place, a pillar consumed it and left it exposed to a quick slash, the demons fire was going out and it spun side ways, he waved his staff and caused another burst of fire, missing entirely and being shot in the head again.

Jambert rushed his halberd through the demons leg, the demon panted as the undead sparked his own fire, inhaled and breathed out toxic mists, the demon breathed it in and coughed violently, leaning over and trying to swing, he fell on his knees, drooled lava and fell face first, dead. Victory was achieved and the undead found a chip of obsidian resembling the staff. Finding it odd as the key bearers were impressed by him, Ken confessed. "It isn't exactly the quickest way to finish him off, but it sure is clean and to the point."

Aqua agreed and lead to the next room, finding a stair way up and a stair way down, demon statues slid towards her and were shattered. She asked her student. "With those ways put together, you're set if you want to keep your style and stay... unique."

Ken followed her up and felt less special, not that he minded. "A lot of can people shoot at ya from far away or close, but I made that into a hobby. Is it a good idea for me to practice any of these like I have been doing for a while?"

Aqua shook her head. "No, it isn't. If the others back home want to fight you for play, you can kill someone by accident." Ken wasn't denying it. "I'm saving them for the next time I end up running into that psycho again and I knock that mask off of him."

Aqua reached the stair way circling up and leading to a stair way that lead to a strange platform, it was surrounded by inert statues. She stepped on it and watched yellow light glow beneath her, she back flipped off and watched an elevator go up. Jambert found it a little redundant. "That seems to be a short cut out of here... if we couldn't just use the bonfire to do that." He turned and lead the way down, to where they found a tunnel with a bonfire.

The knight lit it up and used it to feed something into it as the keybearers went down a root, guiding them to a confused knight in a tabard of the sun. Solaire. The knight noticed and greeted them in a sombre tone. "Oh... hello there. What brought you down into these caverns?"

The duo heard the tone and Ken answered. "I'm here to learn what I can about pyromancy and know about the Flame of Chaos. Just knowing about what these demons use to be, kind of makes this into something we need to do."

Aqua looked back and to Solaire. "Jambert helped my student learn... a breath I never expected him to. Is something on your mind?"

The Warrior of Sunlight saw Jambert coming and insisted. "Oh, it's nothing. I just... need to keep looking for my sun. If we journey a little more, we will find the Lost City of Izalith. But how are we going to get past the lava?"

Jambert arrived and greeting the fellow knight. "Well hello there Sir Solaire! Are you ready to fight what ever demon comes our way through jolly cooperation?"

Solaire's mood lightened and he gave a half hearted laugh. "Ha, ha, ha. You have done well to make it down here without losing faith. Yes, yes." He turned to the fog. "Come on, we still have some good to do by vanquishing these demons." The three agreed, with another to add to the party, the four traverse the fog gate and found themselves in a small lake of lava, a couple streams flowed into it and roots of a tree sink deep into it.

ROAR! They heard something roar from above and the sound of something smashing. Jambert felt a hint of fear and saw patches of harden ground to reach through, one in the middle of the lake, one by the fogged door and various others leading to pathways across the lava lake. Aqua looked up to find something dropping down into the lava, a strange demon with multiple insect like necks and heads, the main one glowed many eyes and had a tail with a snapping maw, it crawled many down ward spikes and hissed as he stomped forward to his prey. The group saw their ground was too puny to fight the centipede like demon and looked around, Jambert went to the right path and made a jump over the lava, yelling to follow. "Come on, we will be thrashed into the lava if he comes here!"

Solaire followed without much thought as Aqua and Ken watched the Centipede demon coming to them fast, they followed him down the path of dried lava and noticed an island by a wall, a little bit of a corner, but it will do. Jambert noticed and the group agreed, making a run for it and jumping to an ideal battle ground.

The Centipede Demon followed them behind the roots, exposing spikes and a open gape of fire. Ken fired at the main head and drew the demon closer, Aqua shot crystal arrows and formed crystal orbs of that power, the demon took it and reached the edge of the island, he readied his right head and shot it towards the four, Solaire and Jambert were knocked against a wall as Aqua and Ken jumped out of the way, the demon tried again at Ken and missed, Aqua flew at the limb and slashed it down, severing it and forcing it to come to the land. The demon jumped and slammed its other head at her, leaving her distracted and being nipped by a moving severed head that Ken snipped. Jambert and Solaire rushed after the demon and hacked at its body, the Centipede Demon stomped to shake the knights off and used its left head to swipe Solaire, raised upward and dropped the knight on a set of jaws on its belly, chomping at the knight that struggled to get out, Ken rushed to the left head, jumped and slashed the neck, taking the head off and causing the demon to wail, dropping the knight and watching the boy shoot himself back to the wall and shooting the severed head, making sure it stayed dead.

Jambert hacked his halberd in the centipedes dominate head as Solaire got up and readied a bolt of lightning, the demon jumped high to avoid the bolt and Jambert rolled back, waiting for the demon to jump down and roar. Aqua jumped on the demons dominate head and gave it a quick stab, causing it to fall over and hiss as Solaire cut its leg and made its main head fall to the ground, Jambert readied his halberd and swiped at the demons main neck, decapitating it and causing two rings with an orange gem to drop out of the neck stump, the demons body went limp and the rest of the heads fell to the ground. The group felt victory was achieved, the two knights went to pick them up. Jambert put the grain ring away and applied it to his finger as Solaire felt calm enough to make his victory pose.

The knight put his ring on and the key bearers jumped across the lava back to the platform they traveled, going across the platform in the middle and finding a cave with dried enough lava, the nimble key bearers made a far leap and used air magic to shoot themselves across. They looked behind to find the knights following them, traversing the lava with little problems. They backed away and let the knights pass, Jambert looked more optimistic. "This is jolly good, with this I can traverse that lake and get the Chaos ember."

He exhaled as Solaire's depressed mood lessened, the four found a bonfire and a vast pool of lava to their right. Solaire and Jambert lit the bonfire up and rested, the key bearers leaned against a warm wall and felt a hint of sanctuary as the undead fed a black shade into the fire. Jambert readied to warp. "I'll go get the ember while you three rest up. I won't be long."

He let himself fade in an orange glow as Solaire was distraught, expecting to be disappointed in his search for his sun. Aqua sighed. "If you can't find your sun here, where else would you go?"

Solaire wondered that himself. "After all the searching, I still cannot find it... where are you my dear sun?"

He felt there was one place he hasn't looked and kept to himself, the keybearers felt the depressing aura and went to their own business, Ken looked at his right hand and was left wondering. "Miss, there is something I want to ask. I know two of your friends your trying to save are important, one is... probably going to be happy to see you by the end of today, but what about the other one? You never talk about what happened to him?"

Aqua hesitated to answer, realized something and asked back. "Could you wait until we finish our business in this place? This is especially important if you ever meet a certain man causing problems," Ken looked confused and asked. "That guy? Let me guess, it isn't going to be as easy as beating the tar out of him?"

Aqua nodded and saw an orange glow return, Jambert appeared by the bonfire and showing a box with a chaotic ember. "I have returned!"

He took out a bottomless box and put the ember in, he adjusted his halberd and readied for the adventure. "Shall we traverse?"

Ken and Aqua stood up as Solaire kept a cheerful mood. "We can't give up, we are just a little bit away."

The key bearers agreed and walked close to the lava, finding a tree root sticking out and being with in flying reach, teacher and student looked to each other and jumped high, they glided across the molten death and landed on a root, they used the branch as a guide to reach the other end of a safe platform and found another root leading in between three massive pillars, they looked upon a sea of lava deep with in the earth, with more streams of lava feeding into it and distant buildings in a narrow patch of safe land. For the domain of the demons, there was one thing missing, Aqua asked and placed her free hand over her eyes. "Where are the demons? Unless they are-." Jambert and Solaire followed, the knight with the halberd looked ahead foolishly. "Ha, we just need to travel fast through the lava and we will-" He looked upon a massive temple like city in the distance. "finally be in Lost Izalith, away from the lava." He took his halberd and readied to charge as Ken warned him. "Wait, somethings wrong, if you listened to Miss... you know what it is."

Solaire looked ahead and found nothing wrong. "What do the two of you expect?" Aqua kept quiet and dismissed her keyblade, she used her right hand to symbolize a flat surface and her left hand as something underneath it. She moved her left over her right and had her left hand resemble a fanged mouth. The Jambert wanted to ask what she was doing and flinched. "Oh, no! No, no, no!"

Aqua nodded. "And we can't touch that lava, keep yourself safe, but if something attacks you two, you're on your own."

Ken had a promise for the two. "Unless we can shoot the thing from solid ground, but I'm the only one who can do that, from afar, I'm not that good at shaking them off unless I get into the fight. Focus on getting to the other side and baiting what might be hidden to us. Then we can all fight it together."

Aqua agreed, jumped on a pointed up root and made a leap to another, then another, eventually reaching the building, Ken did his jump and used his air magic for a more stable landing, with the teacher and student at the other side, the knights had their turn. They rushed through the lava and were praying, going to solid land and finding something jumping out of the molten rock, a large spider oozing with lava, greatly resembling the one the Chaos Witch was merged with. It tried to chomp on the knights that rolled out of the way, they made a desperate attempt to get to safe land. Ken shot into the spider's head and Solaire readied a spear of lightning, hurling it at the spider and causing it to stagger, the automatic beam punctured the spiders head and caused it to slump onto the lava, slowly sinking. One frightful monster was bested and Jambert felt like a fool. "Even here in the open there is always a foe waiting to pounce."

Aqua didn't want to touch metal that had been heated in lava and nodded. "You haven't fought something like that since Nito's. Don't let your guard down just because you felt that you are stronger than these guys."

The group traveled around the building and found with in, a treasure chest with a large wisp. The tension worsened and the knights noticed a root that would lead them on top of the distant building, something stirred in the lava near them, another lava spider that pounced and spewed lava from its maw, the knights rolled back as Ken jumped back and Aqua back flipped. The Keyblade Master fired ice spells as Ken shot automatic laser shots, Jambert rolled to the spiders abdomen and stabbed deeply into it, causing the spider to shriek and fall over dead. The heat was getting to the humans and they jumped on the root, going to the roof of the other building in hope to avoid more ambushes, the knights followed up and looked on yonder, finding a roof over a branch way into the temple. Solaire asked the keyblade wielders. "Can you make such a glide from here? We'll catch up."

Aqua believed she could as Ken squinted. "We can do that and drop down on the root and I don't think those spiders will chase you from there."

He jumped high and used his air magic to glide at the roof of the gate, far away from the group and watching Aqua make hers. They jumped down on a root and used it to climb up the temple and through a broken window, away from the lava, they found a large demon with a hammer noticing them from in the temple grounds and looking up, Ken made his jump on the demons skull, stabbed it and jumped off, leaving it to Aqua to finish it off. With their entry done, they looked around a temple that was destroyed by roots and of a roaming demon statue, Ken shot it and felt like he was a miss step to being attacked. Jambert and Solaire followed and saw the dead demon leaning its stomach to a wall.

Jambert saw a path through several buildings and took the lead, seeing a few moving statues and feeling bored. "Keep your guard up, we are most certainly not welcome here."

The three agreed and followed through the gate, finding an odd creature on top of a ledge over them, a strange four armed, furry demon in a grey cloak, wearing a birds skull for a mask, holding a machete with its upper left hand and using its lower hands to form a fire ball. The demon cackled mad and used its upper right hand to pick fire from the fire ball and throw it at the four. The group rolled to dodge the fire and Ken aimed and fired, the demon stepped to the right and raised its fire orb high, causing the orb to split into two, the free fire orb shot fire balls along with the conjurer, Aqua shot an ice orb at the demon and was unaware of statues sliding to her and her student, the knight noticed and attacked as the demon jumped back and fled, howling like an animal. Aqua gritted at what happened. "It just let the others know we are here."

Jambert shrugged like it wasn't the worst thing to happen. "Then they will regret that!" He raised his halberd high. "Now, to the Bed of Chaos!"

They rushed into a building full of demon statues and found a strange creature waddling to them, it looked green, having tentacle like limbs, two of the limbs sticking out towards them and having an opening, its main body looked like an upward tube with many black eyes. It aimed its two tentacles at the group and shot out a white mist, Solaire and Aqua circled around the beast as Jambert and Ken backed away and watched the two make short work of the odd demon, cutting into its tentacles and tipping it over, revealing an inner maw of razor sharp teeth. Ken asked. "Is... that's its stomach?"

Jambert thought so and advised. "I would rather we don't find out."

The mist cleared, Solaire was pelted by tosses of fire balls from up the stairs, Aqua looked up and found that very same four armed demon, she dashed after the demon and flipped over it as it swung its machete down. She attacked it from behind as Solaire charged its front and slashed, the demon plucked some of its fire and sprayed flame all around, forcing Aqua to flip back and burning the Warrior of Sunlight, Jambert charged up the stairs and thrust into the demon, the demon struck him back and jumped to the side to avoid a laser shot. The demon was bloodied and desperately tossed fire balls at the closest three, it hurled a fourth at Ken as the more melee trio combined a stab, the fire faded and the demon fell dead.

The three let Ken catch up and went into the next building and went out through the right, finding three paths, a root in the middle lead to something more predominate of a threat, a large demon with it's chest and arms glowing red, a two handed, tree like axe with a burning blade and a body looking wooden. The demon breathed fire balls at the four, Aqua and Ken jumped over the fire ball and landed behind the demon, the teacher going in melee as the student focused on what he specializes in, the knights charged down the root as the demon turned around and shoved Aqua away with its axe. It sank its axe into the ground and charged after the keyblade wielders, pushing the teacher aside into a building with an empty room and causing the student to make a frantic roll to avoid the axe, he passed a heal as the knights stood in front and were in a guarding position, the demon turned to the three and raised his axe high, the three males rolled to the demons sides, Jambert slashed his halberd at the demons chest as Solaire went for the legs, Ken slashed a sucker punch at the demons face and back flipped to safer grounds as Aqua felt the ground beneath her breaking apart, she jumped to the demons burning back, letting loose quick slashes and glowing in magic. The demon was quickly overwhelmed and the distant shot pierced its chest, its glow lessened and the demon fell over like burnt wood.

THUD!

The four sneezed to the ashes and turned to the building that has a hole, finding a knight trapped with in, one resembling an onion. Jambert and Ken jumped down first to see what Siegmeyer was doing, Aqua and Solaire followed in concern for the two. Ken heard snoring, why was the knight sleeping in such a forsaken city? He tapped the knight on the shoulder and caused the knight to wake up. "Mhm! Oh-hoh! Excuse me. I was so absorbed in thought, I just drifted away. It must be the warmth."

Ken had his hands on his hips as the other three looked down to find shallow if dangerous looking swarm water, along with four tube like monsters waiting for the morsels of flesh to come down. Siegmeyer looked at the monsters and at them, rushing to conclusions. "No, don't tell me. Those monsters making life difficult for you? You need not be ashamed."

Jambert turned to answer. "We never fought that many at once Sir Siegmeyer and they want us to go down there." He and Solaire looked up, finding their only way out being the murk bellow, Siegmeyer sighed. "Then we are in the same boat... You know, I really have run up quite a debt to you... Perhaps the time has come..." Ken calculated and talked to himself. "If we go loose on them... we mi-" he stopped and chuckled to Siegmeyer. "Wait, you don't have to owe us anything. If we work together, we can get out of this and be laughing by a bonfire."

The knight laughed back. "That is the plan friends," Aqua and Solaire heard the knight of Catarina, the Keyblade Master asked. "So what are we all going to do to get out of here?" Siegmeyer insisted they listened. "It's an idea. A good one really... I will rush those dire fiends, and you all can slip away in the confusion. Please, I owe you much more than this."

The party of four thought the sacrifice was unnecessary and Siegmeyer pressed his fist against his chest. "By the honor of the knights of Catarina, allow me to assist you." He readied to jump. "And now, I go! Don't be slow."

He jumped into the murk with the four odd demons and yelled. "C'mon, over here you fiends!"

He swung his zweilhandler and cleaved one in half, the three waddled to him to attack and the knight yelled. "Perish, foul creatures! I am Siegmeyer of Catarina, and you shall fear my wrath!"

The four jumped down after the knight, Solaire and Jambert struck a second down and Aqua used her charged up magic to hurl a third across, leaving Ken to charge up a small orb of energy from the tip of his keyblade and tossed it into one of the monsters mouths, causing a rupture of light with in that caused the monster to fall dead. A fifth one waddled to the group and Siegmeyer was distracted by it, cleaving it in two and panted as the four felt the murk water burning. "Hng...hng..." He noticed the four standing there, trying to ignore the poison. "Why, you! Didn't you get away?"

Ken shook his head and answered with a held back giggle. "You jumped down before we finished the plan. We weren't going to leave you behind to fight all those monsters by yourself, no matter how strong you are."

Jambert agreed with that. "In here, that's suicidal. But-" He whistled a tune to Siegmeyer. "They were no match for us all. Now we can escape peacefully."

The Knight of Catarina guessed so and sighed in disappointment. "I supposed so. Well, you all saved my life once again...Thank goodness," He looked downward tired. "I'm exhausted... I think I'll have a rest. Don't you worry, the ground below me is my pillow. I'll recover shortly..."

He folded his arms and Aqua was having difficulty understanding how anyone could sleep on the poisonous waters. "Hey wake-"

ZZZZZ

Siegmeyer snored, the pure silly chaos caused her to blow air and refrain from laughing, Jambert searched around the murk and found red chunks of titanite as the Keyblade Master sighed. "He'll be fine, let's get out of here."

The group went to a hall right and made a left, going around a square hole that leads into an abyss, made a turn left and went further down to find a hall to the right, finding nothing important save for a chest that Jambert went to open, assuming no mimic would willingly hide in the hazardous waters. He found a red slab of titanite and cheered. "Eureka, I'll be able to have Vamos finish tha-" He stopped and silently put the slab away. "Uh...right, the way out isn't here."

Ken didn't mind and guessed as he lead right, went left and stepped around the holes, he looked left and right, finding an end with stairs, he waved back to the three. "Found it!"

The three following appreciated it and with the four out of the water, Ken used a healing spell to mend the toxins from the water. Aqua took the lead again and up the stairs, they found another tube like demon waddling to them, it was quickly cut down and the four found a series of roots, using one that leads the way back up to the dead fire demon. They went up the way they came and took the left path up stairs, a woman in grey robes appeared out of nowhere and let loose a stream of firing like one would a whip, those that didn't get burned by that or melted stone met a sudden roll from a black knight of thorns. Jambert took out a round shield and confronted the thorn knight, parrying and riposting him as the pyromaniac rushed to the disoriented three and readied a certain kneel, Solaire rushed after her like a dimwit as Ken and Aqua jumped back, watching a fire storm let loose and melt the stone to where lava formed, the knight of sunlight was sent flying as Ken rushed to the witch, using his keyblade like a spear. The witch was knocked to the ground as Aqua found it maddening and shot lightning down, finishing the witch off as the knight of thorns fell dead from the stab wound. Jambert picked up the knights sword and shield, along with the witches burning catalyst. Aqua gave off a heal and noticed to the stairs left leading down into a fogged gate. Ken saw and noticed down the stone path away from the gate, a tube demon guarding something. He shot it until it tipped over the edge and went to search. "I'll be right back while we think about what is behind the gate."

Aqua allowed it and talked to the knights. "That has to be the way to the Bed of Chaos. Are we sure on what to do?"

While she was talking, Ken found a chest with a curled chain, opened it and found a scroll most foreboding. "Reach deep for the fire and lash out the all consuming Chaos to melt thy foes."

He used his free hand, glowed it in fire and lashed it out like a whip, spewing out fire that melted stone, he felt his heart relaxing and told himself. "This isn't those guys, it's another fire spell."

He went back to find Jambert looking down the gate and finishing an answer. "This one is like any other foe, we just need to observe and know where to strike."

Ken whistled and tossed the knight a scroll. "I finally found a fire spell, I think you know some of it already," The knight was rather astonished and Aqua asked. "Ken, did you try practicing that spell? You know what we feel about that kind of fire magic."

Ken understood. "It's just a fire spell, all it does that's different from what I saw Jambert do is make lava. I'm not using it until I have to, when you play with fire," Aqua finished for him. "You will get burned."

Jambert read the scroll and was impressed. "My boy I think you found a chaotic variant of fire whip." He thought to demonstrate and glowed his hand, waving it around like a whip and spreading fire. Ken cracked his knuckles as Solaire was impressed by the warmth of the fire. "I'd say you have grown quite a custom to the art."

Jambert agreed and thought to ask. "Once I give enough to the Fair Lady so she wouldn't need my assistance, I... may need a word with you at the Altar of by that old castle. There was an offer you had that I'd turn down."

Solaire gasped in a near flamboyant manner. "You wish to become a Warrior of the Sun? I'd knew that you'd fancy it. But first," He lead to the fogged gate. "We must obtain the Lord Soul, there's no telling how long you're world and mine would be as it is."

Jambert wondered. "That's the mystery, but if we both put the Witch out of her pain... we could be doing it in both times. Are you ready?" Solaire had his hand by the fog. "More than ever."

Aqua and Ken joined in, the woman of the group found the friendship warming. Together, they pushed through and saw a ledge to slide down on, covered in roots and branches. They slid as one and felt their hearts beating as one. No matter what Chaos awaited them, they hope to prevail, they slide through branches and caused loud snaps, falling of the ledge and finding a thick collection of roots reaching to the world outside, in the center was a tree vaguely resembling a woman, it had four arms and branches looking like hair. To its side were glowing roots, hanging from the ceiling, anchoring something primordial, one to the left and one to the right. The roots base was covered by branches and in the front of a tree was a fiery barrier. The tree noticed the four and slumped down as Jambert and Ken knew what to do, the tree had its lower hands to the ground and its upper hands igniting fire balls.

Jambert asked. "If me and someone else cut the roots, we will be able to open...something?" Ken hummed. "I got the one on the right."

The Bed of Chaos hurled the fire balls at the four, Aqua tossed her keyblade and spun it like a wheel, forming a barrier that blocked the fire, it nearly pushed her back. The Bed of Chaos growled and readied to slap its forward hands at her, using the long wooden vines like a cat o' ninetails. It missed entirely and Solaire taunted brashly. "Come on you old pile of twigs! Feel the might of the Sun!"

He charged and Aqua sprinted after him, distracting the Bed of Chaos as Jambert went left and Ken to the right, the two approached far and behind a root, making a sprint to a fiery barrier as Aqua and Solaire tried to dodge fire balls and branch slaps, crack. The Bed of Chaos heard branches of something being cut, Jambert and Ken felt an intense heat as they hacked the branches and had to back out, the boy healed himself with a spell as the knight drank from his flask. They noticed a hand like branch coming for them and jumped back into the barrier.

SLAP!

Jambert snapped a branch and felt the inside of the barrier cooking him, he stabbed at a glowing orange root, Ken spun wildly, thrust and felt the heat becoming too much.

SNAP!

The roots were cut, Aqua and Solaire watched the roots catch fire, the roots exploded and the heated barriers faded, Ken and Jambert panted and felt their inner fluids nearing a boiling. The boy used another heal and was dizzy as Jambert fell on his knees and gasped, he drank from his flask in desperation as the two confronting the tree saw something emerging, a red spirit of fire, it had two branch like bones for arms, pulling away from the tree.

WHIP!

It freed itself and showed burning roots, one on the left and one on the right looked like burning talons. Jambert and Ken attempted to run back and were slapped to Aqua and Solaire, the fiery barrier blocking a collection of branches faded and the floor in front of the Bed collapsed. Only a single root down a drop could allow the knights to traverse. Aqua used another healing spell and called. "Ken, Jambert! This thing just got mad."

The Bed of Chaos right most branch slammed at the four, Ken scurried like a pest as Jambert flipped out of the way, the other two hands of the bed combined fire balls into one massive white inferno. Ken whimpered, back flipped to get on his legs and jumped far away as Aqua and the knights were in a panic and ran to him. Ken felt the white fire too much to look at and closed his eyes, even with eye lids, he heard the explosion and felt white light burn bright. He felt his hair being pushed back from the hot wind of the impact as Aqua looked at her blue dress and found it about to catch fire. Jambert looked back to find lava pooling into the room, the fire spirit stabbed its talons at the knights and the tree half readied to slam at the key bearers.

The teacher barked. "Ken, jump!"

The boy obeyed, spun back to the bed and tried firing at the spirit's white core, nothing was happening, the Fire Spirit looked at him falling and shot a chaotic fire ball at him, missing and shooting a wall to cause more lava to pour. It readied its roots to plant and Solaire was the first to make the brave jump on the main root, he yelled. "Hurry, before its fire consumes us all!"

Jambert followed his jump as Aqua and Ken made the jump, avoiding the ground that burst into a volcanic eruption and caused the ground to collapse entirely. Solaire and Jambert went for the branches and hacked at them as the keybearers followed, helping them hack away and carve through a path, they heard the spirit outside yell and the surrounding tree ignited in flames. Jambert panicked. "Oh, no, no, not now!"

He flipped and broke through the branches as the wood twisted and danced to the burning, like something was moments away from exploding and devouring him and his friends in flames.

BASH!

He and the party reached the deepest core of the tree, finding a tiny bug waddling, glowing in fire and hissing. They struck as one and caused the bug to gasp, causing the tree outside to stop its chaos, the growing fire cooled and smouldered, the four felt a flash of light and closed their eyes again. Jambert, Aqua and Ken opened them and found a phantom of Solaire, looking at them like they were phantoms on the other side and picked up two glowing souls. Jambert hummed and went to the bug to find just that, a soul imbued in fiery chaos and a bright Lord Soul.

The keybearers watched Solaire's phantom disappear and Jambert falling to a bonfire like his legs were jelly. The student and teacher nearly fell over, dizzy in the head and saw a white door appear, Jambert's image stilled as the keybearers went through the door and felt like they were cooling down from pure chaos. The boy felt he understood a bit as he saw a familiar white hall and his illusionary armor gone. "That's... what the Chaos Fire is? It's what happens when you take fire for granted?"

Aqua looked back and saw part of her blue dress was singed. "And it became like wild fire, it and those born from it twisted and destroyed everything they encounter," Ken sighed. "You can control where and what fire burns, but you can't really control the fire. I'm still going to save the Chaos Fire for emergencies."

The teacher approved of that decision. "At least, practice that kind of fire away from people and don't show it off." They turned to travel and found themselves in an ashen lake with many stone pillars reaching for a clouded sky, they found Jambert looking in shock at the sight of two knights.

Both in onion like armor, one standing over a knight laying on his back, dead. Jambert asked. "Lady Sieglinde, this is what you're father meant by his final adventure? Why?"

Sieglinde answered crestfallen. "He wanted to discover these forbidden lands by himself," She sniffled. "My father...all Hollow now... has been subdued. He will cause no more trouble."

Jambert asked. "Why would he go Hollow? He was always so eager for adventure that it wouldn't be..." He looked down confused as Sieglinde sighed to a bigger picture. "It doesn't matter now. It's finally over... I will return to Catarina..." She looked to Jambert ever grateful. "You assisted us both greatly. I can hardly return the favor-" she had a slab of rock in an attempt to do so. "but take this. It's of no use to me now," Jambert took it and saw a bonfire nearby, he wanted to leave as Sieglinde fell on her knees and sobbed. "Oh father...dear father."

The undead reached the fire and the illusion faded, Ken had no idea how Siegmeyer Hollowed as the teacher asked. "Maybe he had a lot more problems than we thought and he was bottling it up."

Ken looked at his left hand and formed Firekeeper's Wish as he asked. "Not a lot of people we met are having happy endings. Lautrec was awful, Rhea was murdered by an awful person, Logan went insane and now this. Is this why the Firekeeper was only keeping the happy parts in the stories?"

He felt his world a little bigger and asked. "With all the Lord Souls, Jambert... and Solaire, used them to open the way to Gwyn... beaten him and linked the Fire to keep the world a light for a little longer? That's how it ended for them?"

"A very likely assumption, young warrior. But have you learned anything from traveling that worlds memories?"

Ken and Aqua faced the hall and found Garland once again, the boy piece together what he saw. "That... when Jambert started looking for answers, he only found more questions?"

The teacher wanted the knight to leave her castle and answered. "Logan lost his mind in learning about magic he should have stayed away from. When someone learned of the dark, New Londo happened, when we looked for answers, we found out that Linking the Fire did as little for the world as you are from taunting us. Are you going to leave already?"

Garland answered in insistence. "Only if you turn back, you know you won't be able to reach me in time, the crystal is soon to be ready and you're journey into that world is becoming more treacherous," Aqua wasn't buying it and readied to strike the illusion. "Nice try."

The knight was a little startled and readied his blade. "Very well, you teeter on the edge of revelation, proceed and witness its splendor." He charged and Aqua effortless shattered the illusion, with him gone Ken realized and took his gummie phone. "Miss, we are one floor away to reaching the last one, he won't be able to keep screwing with our heads anymore."

Aqua saw what her student was doing, smiled fiercely and asked. "This game of his is nearly up. You remember what you asked before?"

Ken looked up and saw the expression of someone wanting to put her foot up someones rear and asked without regret. "I was talking about why it wouldn't be so easy to give Xehanort what we are going to give to Garland. Why do we have to hold back on that guy?"

Aqua's fierce smile lessened. "It isn't because of him, he has another friend of mine, Terra. Terra is the reason we can't just show Xehanort where he can take all his nonsense about Darkness right away. It's because-"


	42. Memories of the Wolf

Outside of Castle Oblivion, the teenagers had a text most ridiculous, yet informative. Kairi said it out loud, dull and annoyed. "We are at the second to last floor, Miss can use sharp magic crystals and I can breath poison now. L O L. He's using that now?" She stopped and realized. "Wait, how did that happen?"

Riku was think about it out loud. "Let's start with Aqua, we need to know how she can do that."

Sora looked at Namine with a better understanding and looked back at the castle. "It's because of a memory that they found that kind of magic. We need to ask when we can, because that-" Namine agreed and finished. "And that world's memories are slowly becoming theirs, who did they meet that is helping them?" Mickey gasped and answered. "They met someone who has a close connection to that world and that someone became like a guide."

Ana chose to believe that and smacked her right hand at her forehead. "Well it's no zipping wonder they've been running into oddities. The lad has a lot to answer for if that means he isn't taking it seriously."

Kairi sighed. "It's been an two hours since we got that last text, so he and Master are hurrying. L O L means what ever he found, he finds it funny for some reason."

Namine guessed. "It's the poison breath. That's a random spell to have, what he and Aqua find in that castle is mostly illusions, but things like magic is real enough for any of us to use. But we're going to need a stronger explanation."

Riku hoped so. "They are going up faster than we expected, so the kid isn't going to be dead meat for making things worse." Mickey spoke in defense of the boy stuck cleaning up his deed. "He might have actually done something would have helped us in the long run. It's just two more floors."

Goofy and Donald were preparing campfire tea, the shield bearer advised to the group. "There isn't much of a point worrin' now. They'll be outta there soon." Donald invited for a moment to relax. "We'll be ready when they do."

Jiminy finished writing a detail on his journal. "There is a lot of secrets we're going to be learning today, it'll be worth it."

In the Castle

Ken was in more disbelief and asked. "How are you going get that old man out of him? Xehanort sounds way too dangerous for us to hold down long enough for us to do anything for Terra." That was the detail Aqua had a head ache thinking about. "Terra is even more complicated than Ven, he is still in there trying to fight it, but..." She had an idea. "Maybe if both me and Ven are there?" Ken marched to the next door. "When you wake Ven up, that's going to be our next big goal, saving Terra and giving that old man what he deserves for ruining all of us. " He took a deep breath and went to the door. "This secret's safe with me. This was what you talked to the King and Yen Sid about the other day?" Aqua nodded. "And that's what I should talk to the others about. The instant Ven is awake, Xehanort will try his darnest to avoid us and try to take us down from the shadows. If you can look into the Abyss itself and know what is wrong when it stares back at you, the other's will have some common sense to think before going after that man."

Ken guessed as he had his hands at the door. "That isn't why going after Xehanort would be dangerous to anyone not Kairi or Ana. We all seen the dark a lot of times and just once is enough for that guy to mess with our heads. I'm opening the door, this should be where Jambert finishes up his journey."

He opened it as Aqua relaxed, they went in together and found themselves in Firelink Shrine of all places. Ken was more surprised that he was out of his armor as Aqua looked around to find no sign of Jambert. She found, deep with in the shrine, a serpent resting his head. "Would he know where he gone? If Linking the Fire really is that important, wouldn't he be there to see him off?"

Ken followed her and approached the serpent. "Or Jambert didn't go yet." He tapped Frampt on the head. "Hey, wake up." ZZZ Frampt snored, the boy tapped again. "Come on wake up!" the serpent mumbled. "That pie was most delightful Jam...ZZZZ" Aqua grew tired of the nonsense, approached and used the blunt of her keyblade to tap the serpent hard. Frampt stirred and snorted. "Hmm. No, no, I'm fine, I'm fine. Well wide and awake! Do not treat me like an old withering snake." He faced his head up and yawned, having a look at the key bearers and gasped amazed. "Could it be?" He had a closer look. "You must be the acquaintances of the Great Jambert? He has spoken much of you after his return from the Lost Izalith."

Aqua believed that and asked the serpent. "Frampt, do you know where Jambert gone off to? Did he go... Link the Fire?" Frampt looked to the Undead Burg with concern. "He has acquired the Lord Souls, but he feels himself not ready for his task. He spoke about commodore with his allies that aided him through out his journey and has traversed to the Undead Burg after finishing... gifts to them."

Ken asked. "Gifts? For who?"

Frampt answered that. "For the most valiant knights he had ever met. Sir Kendry, Lady Aqua, you should find him before he traverses a point of no return."

The boy looked back and knew where to go. "There was one person he was talking to before we left Izalith. We'll start from there," He looked up to the serpent. "Thanks for the tip." Aqua did appreciate the knowledge, even if she doesn't trust the serpent. "I wouldn't imagine how his journey would have been alone. He is a brave knight, we'll go find him."

Frampt agreed with that. "He indubitably is courageous, farewell warriors of the light. I'll remain here and await thy safe return."

He gave a bow of respect and let the Key Bearers turn back, the teacher and student went to the bonfire to concentrate and mimic Jambert's trick, finding to their left, a burning door way. The two looked to each other strangely and traveled through, finding themselves at a familiar ledge overlooking the town, finding Solaire staring up to the sun in wonder and confusion, they found a passage to their left going into a familiar keep and took their chance to ask. Aqua asked. "Solaire, do you have a moment?"

The Warrior of Sunlight looked to the two in surprise. "Where did... I see." He asked with an adoring memory. "You seek Sir Jambert? He has a lot on his mind, mysteries he seeks to discover."

Ken nodded and knew what was on the knights mind. "He told you that after you became something like brothers? We're looking for him because he just disappeared, do you know where he went?"

Solaire was moved by the term and looked to the Pariah ahead. "He has traveled to the old church to find Andre, that wasn't too long ago," He gave a hearty laughter and wished them luck. "Regardless of any tribulations, he shines as bright as the sun. I couldn't have asked for a better companion."

Ken agreed with that and laughed back. "Ha, he took a while, but he gotten a lot stronger as a knight and a lot braver too. We'll see you once we find him, take care for now."

He went to the castle as Aqua gave a bow to Solaire. "We'll see each other again, may your heart shine like the sun." Solaire gave a bow to both in respect. "Thank you, may yours be the same. Ha, ha, ha!"

Aqua laughed with him and followed her student to the castle, they went up a set of stairs and found the burning remains of the castle smoldering and the remains of a boar smoking. Ken answered her teachers question. "Jambert was having a hard time here, even the birds were out to get him and that was just when he came to these lands. He panicked a lot and we seen what he does to just about anything not crystal weapons or otherwise. Even if it might have slowed us down."

Aqua felt that she was on the mark as she and the boy went into the large church and made a turn to the right, finding a smaller church near Sen's Fortress. "I didn't miss too much until I caught up, but it takes a strong heart to endure these kinds of hardships and not only survive, but thrive without losing ones self."

Ken agreed with his eyes sparkling. "Even if the world gone nuts, Jambert never let that part of himself go. Is that why he didn't go Link the Fire yet?"

Aqua imagined it as she and Ken went to the next building. "If he goes to Link the Fire, that could be a one way trip for him. He would be leaving so much behind," She worried about someone. "Could... this be what Ana is feeling since she got here?"

Ken guessed. "All the people she had to leave behind to help our worlds against the Four Chaos? That has to be hard to do, didn't you make friends over there as well?"

The teacher felt regretful. "I have and the Heartstone was left behind. We don't have an easy way of returning back to those worlds, they only have my word to go by... and that was from a decade ago."

Ken didn't mind as he and his teacher entered the church and heard a black smith below, they went down the stairs to see a muscular man with black smith gear, his shirt off and long grey hair, beard and all. The black smith looked up and gave them a hearty greeting. "Well, hello there. An employer of mine told me a bit about you. Need to know where he ran off?"

Aqua nodded. "We do, Solaire told us he would be here. You're Andre, correct?"

Andre nodded. "Aye! And he called you and your pupil Lady and Sir," He looked at the door way out. "He be heading to Darkroot Basin, he wanted to get something out of his mind before he goes on one last adventure. If you pass over there and make a right as soon as you see it, you'll find him down the basin. Ye may want to be quick, none of us want to see him go Hollow."

Ken promised Andre and placed his fleshy hand by his chest in salute. "He won't on our watch! Thank you for telling us." Andre grunted. "Be careful out there Sir Kendry, the same can be said for you Lady Aqua," The two appreciated the good wishes and Ken smiled to him. "We will, thank you for helping him."

The smith went back to his work and the boy lead the way, Aqua followed to a familiar forest. They followed the instructions, going down a path with various dead tree monsters and a hill downwards, they found a forest with a distant lake and kept traveling, finding a mostly clear lake and a river, they found Jambert looked down at his hand, holding a broken pendent. Aqua cheered. "Jambert, there you are!"

The knight almost dropped the pendent and turned to the two. "I say!"

Ken approached him and asked. "We were worried about you for a minute, what's on your mind?"

Jambert showed the broken pendent. "I just needed to uncover a few things before I go to Frampt and fill the Lordvessel. This pendent I took from that golem in the archives originated from a kingdom a maiden that was trapped in crystal was from. But she is nowhere to be seen." He looked down the river and noticed something, a dark rift. "Did something kidnapped Dusk?" The key bearers saw the dark, foreboding rift, Aqua warned him. "Jambert, remember what happened the last time we fought against Darkness."

The knight agreed. "It's something beyond foolish and once again, we have to brave it. Are you two ready for this fine, terrifying adventure?"

The two felt they didn't have much of a choice and Ken answered as he went to his pocket and get a ring on. "Be sure to put this on before we go, that wolf didn't die for nothing." Jambert and Aqua agreed, putting on the green ring and went to the rift in preparation, the trio reached for it to feel what was on the other side and found a large ape like hand with many suckers, flying out and grabbing the three, they attempted to fight back and were throttled wildly as the hand dragged them in, they felt the darkness closing in and felt themselves dropping on their knees, they were in a cave under a tree, by a bonfire. Aqua shook her head and asked. "Where... where did that thing take us?"

Ken sat on his rear and tried to get up. "This... doesn't look like the abyss." He took his ring off and put it in his pocket. "What did we get ourselves into?" He helped his teacher get up as Jambert used a claymore to get himself up. "Huff! I don't know." He stood and switched his ring back to the dark wood grain. "But we shouldn't dawdle until it comes back," He found a fogged gate ahead. "We'll get to the bottom of this yet."

Ken and Aqua felt easy in the legs and followed the knight through the gate, finding themselves in a shallow lake and hearing the roar of a beast. A horned, white Manticore with four feathery wings, it rushed to them and pounced, Jambert cartwheeled out of the way as Aqua and Ken side stepped, the Manticore back flipped, crackled its set of horns and fired lightning bolts at the three, they dodged and Ken shot it in the neck. The Manticore took flight, circled around the boy and shot an orb of lightning, Ken spun his jump to the left and the Manticore landed. Jambert rushed for its scorpion tail and cut at it as Aqua rushed to its face and let loose a flurry. Ken cracked Firekeeper's Wish, folded his arms and charged to the Manticore, using both blades and striking it on the side. The Manticore spun and swiped its barbed tail at the three, knocking them back and making them feel the poison, it jumped back and focused on the undead. The trio got up and watched it charge to Jambert, lashing at him with his claws and forcing the three to back away. They slashed the Manticore's face and caused it to jump back, it flew into the air and dived down after Aqua horns first, missing and landing by a wall, giving Jambert an opening to take his claymore and slash it at the lower tail, severing it and causing the beast to howl in pain. Ken shot it in the rear and forced it to turn, Jambert stabbed it in the neck and pulled out, watching the beast quietly fall to its side in a splash and releasing a golden soul. The knight took the tail and lashed it out like a whip. "Such a savage weapon." He and the group found a structure to the left of the lake and traversed, reaching the other side and finding a circled structure with odd, mossy robbed like statues surrounding a center, a bonfire.

The trio looked around to the gorgeous day light in the forest and went to the fire to rest up, Jambert put the tail into his bottomless box and whistled. "That beast wasn't too terrible." Ken agreed with that as Aqua felt she was being watched. "A Manticore's serious business, a crazy shaman turned into one of those and it was fight of my life. It's like fighting a flying lion. What up Miss?"

Aqua looked ahead and found to the left of the exit, was a brown cap mushroom with eyes, perching next to a tree with various mushrooms. "This, this is weird."

She got up to approach the sentient mushroom and the males followed her. The mushroom blinked and spoke in a voice that was like a grandma's. "Well, look at these three. From what far away age has thou come? Thy scent is human, indeed... But, not intolerable."

Ken and Aqua realized they were yanked across time as Jambert looked on dumbfounded, the mushroom had a closer look at the knight and recognized him. "Ah, Princess Dusk's savior. Thine aura is precisely as she described. I thank thee deeply, for rescuing her highness."

Jambert appreciated it and tried to get something, showing the mushroom a broken pendent. "I came looking for her to know about this odd thing, but a beast snatched us away, has fate been the same for her?"

The mushroom wiggled in fear. "Indeed she was, snatched away by that horrifying primeval human. And so I must ask... Couldst thou once more play the savior?"

Jambert answered without hesitation as the key bearers looked to each other and were in agreement. "I shall," He turned to the two, Aqua clenched her free hand into a fist and vowed. "We'll help you rescue Dusk," Ken giggled and made his vow. "We won't let you down."

The knight turned back to the mushroom that was grateful for the effort. "Thank you. I am Elizabeth, guardian of this sanctuary. Something of a godmother to Princess Dusk." Aqua felt those words familiar as Elizabeth offered. "I shall assist thee, to my utmost. For I am one with the sorceries of Oolacile." The woman of the group was tempted as Jambert advised. "They are a tad different from the Sorceries you learned thus far, they could be worth considering before we go."

Aqua agreed and asked Elizabeth. "I want to know more of them. Elizabeth, what has that beast done besides kidnap us?"

The mushroom was worried sick about someone. "Thou shall see further on. An abyss was begat by the ancient beast, and threatens to swallow the whole of Oolacile. Knight Artorias came to stop this, but such a hero has nary a murmur of Dark. Without a doubt, he will be swallowed by the Abyss, overcome by its utter blackness." Aqua, Ken and Jambert reeled at the word Abyss and were astonished by the name Artorias.

The woman asked. "Please teach me what you know, we need to save that knight before it's too late!" Elizabeth appreciated the bravery and went to teaching as Ken went to a corner and texted in private.

Out of the Castle, during a campfire tea party.

The teenagers once again had a text, one being a little more urgent as Riku read it out loud. "We are going into another memory about the Abyss and... time traveling? Wish us luck in getting out of this one."

He texted back and let his friends know. "Care to explain?"

He looked to the group. "Did anything about that text made sense?"

Namine answered with a whistle. "No it didn't, but this is the second time we heard of that Darkness... the Abyss."

Riku was given a text back, finding it making more sense. "And that's exactly the problem. Hear this. A long time ago with in that worlds memories, there was a knight named Artorias that battled against the Darkness of the Abyss, to where he had special rings made to protect himself and those close to him from its power. But he eventually died trying to fight the Darkness and his sword and pet wolf were left behind. The memory is all about that figment they call Jambert traveling back to before Artorias died and how in that time, the Abyss was rising and that knight went to fi-" He stopped in a fearful realization and Mickey gasped. "Oh no."

Sora asked. "That's when Artorias fell?" Riku nodded. "In more ways than one."

Kairi had a text warning her about something and she giggled to lessen the tension. "So Master Aqua is going to have even more tricks up her sleeves? Ha, come on guys, I'm sure they'll get though this one as well."

The guys believe that, Riku sighed. "I know they will, but what is it about the Abyss that scares Aqua that much?"

In a memory of Oolacile

Ken wasn't amused as he looked upon a bush. "Come on Miss, this isn't funny." Aqua flickered to becoming more visible and tried not to laugh at the sheer mischief she could cause. "Don't threat, this is genius if any of us ever feel like we are being watched."

She flipped among the many hooded statues, raised her keyblade in the air and took the appearance of one. Ken rolled his eyes and Jambert had a disturbing image in his mind. "And anyone who believes one of us is alone, that will haunt their unlives forever more."

The statue moved and crumbled, revealing Aqua acting more childish as Ken admitted. "Anyone who knows you by now are not going to like this." Aqua agreed and lead the way out of the sanctuary. "Come on, let's get through these woods and find Artorias."

The males agreed, together they crossed through a stone bridge into a lush forest, fought their way through active scarecrows that wielded pitch forks and large stone guardians with massive hammers that shook the earth. They found a tower with a panel and a hole with in, finding nothing of importance save for unimportant gauntlets that looked heavy, they left and kept exploring to the left, they found more scarecrows and stone guardians to fight through and reached a bridge crossing above a gulch.

They tried to traverse through, unaware of a danger flying by to block their path. WOOSH! A large black dragon landed on the other side, the dragon had spikes on its spine, going down to its tail, two wings a small set of jaws and oddly enough, a single orange eye on its forehead. The dragon looked upon the three and growled, sending an intimidating thought with in the trios minds. The dragon decided the three were not worth the trouble and flew off to the left, Jambert felt his heart calming and asked. "Was that a dragon? I thought the dragons were no more?"

Aqua asked back. "What of the last dragon you saw over a bridge?" Jambert sighed. "That was not a dragon, if it was, there wouldn't have had an extra set of legs.." He swallowed and crossed the bridge and went to the only path available, right. "We should do something about that dragon before he comes back to claim victims." Ken agreed with that and focused on any scarecrows or guardians. "We fought one before and it wasn't too... difficult, if you get past the... trying to eat you with its big giant mouth part. Don't forget that once we tricked Seath into shattering that crystal, you blew him straight to Hell."

Jambert corrected him. "We fought a malformed dragon that deteriorated, this one looks... more to be at its prime and I did not account for Chaos Storm to be as effective as it was. Seath also had no scales to protect him." Ken shot the various monsters as Aqua felt what the black dragon was. "I... fought a dragon before and that thing looks like what I expected from one. We shouldn't go after something like this without a reason."

Jambert was interested in the tale. "You hesitated for a moment. What was special about the dragon from your tale?" Aqua remembered green fire and answered. "She was a witch that turned into a dragon. She was what you expected, fierce strength, breaths fire and is vile enough to destroy everything in her path once she reached to that point. There was one other I fought not a long time ago that was more of a heartless that turned into a dragon, it was the size of a mountain and I had... pretty unlikely help. So.. this could be the truest of dragons I've seen yet."

Ken saw the way was clear and lead. "We should learn about that dragon before we try, we had a lot of reasons to want Seath gone and we knew how to beat him when we were ready."

The others agreed and traverse the forest, finding a tower with a panel and something to step on, the trio stepped on and watched the symbol glow white, the panel went down like an elevator. They were delivered to lower grounds and found three paths, one to a Colosseum, one to a bridge with an odd man in fancy black clothes, a top hat and a sinister smiling mask. The man folded his arms and hid a red rose, the trio were suspicious of him and went close, the man looked at them and asked. "Hm... Oh, let me guess...Snatched by a shadowy limb, and dragged off to the past?"

Jambert nodded with his guard up. "Most certainly, who are you?"

The man answered, getting to that. "Yes, of course. Exactly what happened to me," He looked at the three and gave a gentlemanly, gracious bow. "We are all strangers in this strange land. But, at least there are more of us. I am Marvelous Chester." He tipped his hat and asked. "Did you happen across Knight Artorias? The legendary Abysswalker, from the old tales..."

The trio shook their heads and Aqua asked. "Did you?"

Marvelous Chester nodded and snickered as he tried not to look at the Colosseum. "Well... since you haven't, it's just as well... He's a colorless sort, if you ask me. Mwah, hah, hah, ha!" He wasn't apologizing as Aqua asked. "That meant he is behaving the complete opposite of dull and we need to stop what ever is happening to him before it's too late."

Chester snickered to her. "Oh, is that what the giant mushroom is making you do? Not that I care. It's none of my business. Heh, heh, heh..." Ken squinted his eyes and was certain Chester couldn't be trusted. "So what are you doing here to get by, huh?" Chester shrugged. "I suppose I just get by, I've little to talk about, really. Oh, but you know me by now. What do I know? Heh!"

Ken wasn't taking his eyes off of Chester, held his burning keyblade by the edge of the hilt and used his fingers to point to his eyes and point to Chester as he walked backwards to the Colosseum. Chester found it mutual and waved him off, letting the adults turn back to find the third path by the bridge back, leading from their left into the bottom of a gulch and down to a canyon. The group were far away and Ken flipped his burning keyblade back into a more favorable grip. Turning to the Colosseum and finding a fogged gate. "If he tries to attack us..." Jambert patted him on the shoulder. "Let it go, no good can come from being paranoid."

Aqua agreed and asked. "Would he really get something out of attacking the three of us? Come on, Artorias shouldn't be far." The three pushed through the fogged gate, finding a small twisted humanoid with long gangling arms, long nails, tattered clothes and a mutated, bloated head of many eyes, backing away from something.

CRASH! SPLAT!

A larger knight in dark metal armor, blue cloth and a top knotted helm covering his face, jumped down sword first upon the creature, stabbing it in the chest and slamming it into the ground.

The sudden shock and the knight like form caused the trio to become still and near breathless, they witnessed Artorias, slaughtering a twisted creature. Artorias looked down at the squirming creature in a savage manner, with his overly large sword on his right hand and his left hand looking like it was dangling. He lifted the blade up and pressed down to make sure the creature was dead, Artorias looked at the trio of arrivals as his surroundings glowed in dark. Aqua backed away like she was hearing something from the Abysswalker, the knight looked like he was trying to say something and cringed as more of his body was being consumed by the darkness. He was trying to fight what was with in, giving a growl mixing of a pained wolf and a man. "Aaarrr. AAAAAAAAWWWWR!" He gave an inhumane roar that nearly caused the adults to drop their weapons and caused Ken to drop his by accident, he scurried to pick them up and get into position as Jambert looked back to find the fogged gate blocking their way out and faced back to his foe. Artorias spun his blade out of the ground and position himself for battle as Jambert looked back, finding the humanoid dangling on the blade.

Artorias flung the body at the three, Jambert flipped out of the way as Aqua and Ken were too terrified to dodge and were knocked off their feet by the bleeding body. Artorias roared at him as the keybearers pushed the body off and made a desperate attempt to regain control over their limbs. Jambert tried to circle around Artorias, the Abysswalker crouched and leaped after him, readying a blade meant for two hands with one hand and crashed to the ground. Jambert flipped out of the way and slashed at him, Artorias spun with his blade and back flipped to the wall as Aqua readied to go into melee with him and Ken positioning himself to a far corner of the arena. Artorias charged towards Aqua with a swing of his blade, the keyblade master back flipped, she and Jambert attacked as one.

Artorias slapped his limp left arm and splashed sludge at the knight and tried to crush Aqua with an over head smash from his sword, Aqua rolled to the left and Artorias felt laser beams burning at his chest. He leaped after Ken, the boy stopped and sprinted away from the smash, Artorias followed with a somersault and slammed his blade at him, the boy side jumped. Artorias somersaulted again, forcing another dodge, and again. Aqua and Jambert tried to charge and Artorias thrust towards them, Aqua rolled out in time and watched Jambert be knocked to a wall, she burst in magic and attempted to counter, giving the knight time to heal himself with an estus.

Artorias spun a slash at her to force her back and back flipped to a far corner. He build up in dark power and growled, Ken readied his gun and shot Artorias in the head, staggering him and stopping that, the trio noticed dripping abyss everywhere. Artorias charged a thrust after Kendry and forced the boy to side jump and spin, he swipped at the knight with his burning keyblade and stabbed with his other. Artorias spun his sword again, Ken jumped back and changed the form of Firekeeper's Wish into a spear, Artorias looked at the stance and blade form oddly. A noble, if delusioned voice spoke least the knight's helm. "Ornstein? What are you-" He cringed as he went into another frenzy, he somersaulted again, Ken jumped to the side and thrust with his spear as his terror became pity. Aqua charged after the knight, slashed and forced him to back flipped, Jambert charged as the darkness forced its way into the corrupted knight, the three dashed at the knight and thrust their blades into him.

Artorias spun his sword, forced them to roll away and slammed his blade at Jambert, the undead rolled and the Abysswalker slapped dark goop at Ken and Aqua, getting it in their eyes and forcing them to move away as Jambert slashed against the foe. Ken and Aqua wiped the goop off and watched Artorias try again to slam his blade at Jambert, like a rabid wolf that lost its mind. Artorias charged at the two blade first as they tried to mentally adjust, they attempted to dodge and were knocked aside on their sides, Jambert rushed after Artorias for his own thrust and stabbed him in the back, the Abysswalker went limp as the blade pulled out, he stabbed the ground with his sword and held onto it. Jambert helped the keybearers up as Artorias muttered. "S...Sif..." He acted like there was someone there and gave a chuckle like he was being licked in the face. "There you are," He looked at the three warriors disoriented. "All of you... cough! Forgive me, for I availed you nothing."

He fell off his blade and landed face first, passing away from battle. His body let loose a dark ooze and a black flicker of a soul hovered, Jambert took it with him as Ken's burning spear returned to normal and Aqua found another door, leading out of the arena. Both keybearers were shaking stiff and tried to process what they saw they focused on the outskirts of a town. Aqua and Ken collapsed by the fire as Jambert sat on his rear and shook. "What are we going to do? If Artorias fell to the Abyss's power, how are we going to save Oolacile?

" Aqua yelled out in lingering terror. "I'm trying to figure that out!" Jambert and Ken were intimidated at the Keyblade Master losing her composure, Ken whistled and asked with a tone like a younger child. "Miss, what happened back there was as bad as the Four Kings and this time it was someone that fell to the Dark fighting it."

He and Aqua sensed a ravenous darkness in the town ahead, Aqua breathed deeply. "We need to find someone who knows what the heck is going on or we are going to end up like Artorias or worse." She looked at the Colosseum as Jambert looked at the town, the knight saw three bloatheads in the distance, dancing around like maniacs. "Well they won't be of help. What say we turn to the Colosseum and get that out of our minds?"

Ken agreed and looked at the darkened soul. "For now, this is all that's left of Artorias? What are you going to do with that?"

Jambert shrugged. "I'll get to it when I get the chance to leave this place. I don't imagine this getting any worse."

Out by the bridge.

Marvelous Chester readied a cracked red orb for a trip and saw a black rift open, letting out a black haired man with an eye patch and a black coat. The man looked arrogant and had a sudden rush of terror. "Man, what in the world did she run into this time?" Chester had a large cross bow in hand and laughed. "Heh, heh! Judging by the scent dying off, I say the bumbling knight and his companions slew Knight Artorias? I heard the Abyss found him first, but even still..." The stranger snapped his fingers. "Ah man,"

Chester asked. "Let me guess, you're looking for that dame and the young one?"

He noticed a knight in dark clothes heading to the Colosseum. "Well you won't be able to make much of a foot with Ciaran around. Heh, heh, heh!"

The man turned to him and asked. "And I don't suppose you got any better ideas?"

Chester tossed the man a cracked red orb. "Believe it or not, Oolacile, the town ahead of the Colosseum, has brought the Abyss upon itself. Fooled by that toothy serpent, they upturned the grave of primeval man, and incited its ornery wrath."

The man's jaw nearly dropped. "They would be that stupid to mess with the Darkness like that. Sheesh!"

Chester agreed with the baffled expression. "What could they have been thinking? But to you and I, it's all ancient history. You have to ask yourself. Does it really matter? Heh, heh, heh!"

He laughed as the man felt he finally founded someone he liked "Ha! It really doesn't, names Braig. What does this thing even do?" Chester shined it with glee. "It will allow you to invade without worry of the hassle. The undead has some spare humanity I could use and you have a vendetta against the other two I presume?"

Briag tossed the stone back to him and snickered. "I don't really need that, but you've read my mind," He caused another black door to open up. "Let's get this party started bud," Chester took his cross bow and followed. "So the hunt begins. Mwah, ha, ha, ha!"

In the Colosseum

The trio of travelers saw a rogue like knight with a porcelain mask and long, white, braided hair dangling from the back of her head. She set up a grave with some stone and the remaining armor of Artorias. Jambert approached the knight with the abyss corrupted soul in hand, the knight looked at the undead and at the soul. "You, is that not... The soul of the man who fell on this spot, he was a dear friend. I wish to pay proper respect with that soul. Would you be willing to part with it?"

Jambert didn't see why not and gave her the soul of Artorias. "I wouldn't have needed the weapon anyways, and who are you?"

The knight sighed and answered as she took the soul. "Typical. I am Lord Gwyn's Blade, Ciaran. One of his Four Knights," She gave a grateful bow. "Thank you, you are very kind," She took out a golden curved sword and a small silver dagger. "Please take these, I no longer need it. May the Lord guide thee."

Jambert took the blades and felt there was more he could do to honor the man he and his comrades had to put down, he looked at Ken and Aqua with a request. "We should leave her alone." The keybearers saw that the knight was trying to do something with the soul, they respected a mourners wish and went back the way they came, they went up a set of stairs that lead to the upper floor. Aqua sighed. "Thank you for doing that for her. We had to set that right somehow."

Jambert agreed as he and his friends reached the top and head to a split leading to a locked tower. "I've left my friend in that odd town to die, pilfered from countless corpses, murdered someone's loved one, I murdered Artorias's loyal wolf and plundered his grave, I slaughtered those unfortunate maidens, thinking they were beasts and I... might have doomed a friend into going Hollow, I think I've committed enough sins and I don't need another."

Ken pouted and went to unlock the door as Aqua was taken aback, she asked the knight. "That was another thing you were thinking about before traveling to the lake?"

Jambert nodded and asked her. "Am I... worthy of succeeding Lord Gwyn and Linking the Fire? I've reached the near end of my journey, am I worthy of my name going down in the ages? None of this would have even happened if I hadn't been thinking about that."

Aqua stilled and thought about it, Ken unlocked the door and heard the sound of metal carving into something, he turned to the two and whistled. "Hey, I think there is someone here."

The grown ups followed and heard the carving, Aqua kept her answer bottled in and went up the ladder with the males, finding an armored giant using a carving knife on some wood, Jambert approached and saw a large bow. "We don't mean to intrude, but what is someone like you doing up in this tower?"

The giant turned his head towards the trio. "Hm? Visitors, have we? Thou must be the ones who freed Artorias. An old friend he was, and thanks to thee... He left this world with his honor intact," He went back to carving wood. "And here I am, retired and blind. Of little help to thee, I'm afraid," He warned the three. "If thou seeketh to explore this domain, be wary of a black dragon. I fear thee is of no match for this terrible beast."

Aqua chuckled to that. "I imagine that dragon would be bad news for us. Do you know of what caused the Abyss to be a problem here in the first place?"

The giant chuckled back. "I suspected thee hast taken a gander at it, but the Dark of the Abyss, which swallowed poor Artorias, threatens to devour our entire land of Oolacile. It seems this dire fate is unavoidable. But seduced by a Dark serpent or no, they awoke that thing themselves, and drove it mad... One's demise is always one's own making."

Jambert cringed as Aqua looked to the town. "So this is the peoples fault and they deserved what's coming to them? That's...grim. But what are we going to do to stop the Abyss?"

The giant sensed the courage and answered. "If thine wish is to succeed poor Artorias, and challenge the spread of the Dark, then thou must face Manus, Father of the Abyss. The Dark emanates from Manus himself. Even if this land shall expire, thou maybe able to prevent further corrosion." He sighed. "But even so, one day, the flames will fade, and only Dark will remain. And even a legend such as thineself can do nothing to stop it."

Ken looked at the doomed town and felt depressed. "We're late to stop this town's destruction, but we can at least try. Miss, Jambert, once we go into the town... we aren't going to stop until Manus is. Is there anything we need to think about before we go there?"

Aqua took a deep breath and wasn't in the mood to traverse the Darkness invested town yet. "There is, but what is out in the forest?"

Ken answered. "A path at the bottom of the gulch, I want to see what's down there... but the town is more important," Jambert approved of the venture. "We should consider that at least, Lady Aqua... where would you be?"

Aqua sighed. "I'm not going down in the Colosseum. Jambert, make sure Ken doesn't get hurt." The knight saluted proudly. "Worry not, that is why I lead charges." He asked the boy. "Shall we?"

Ken was worried for his teacher and asked her. "We will, Miss, don't let this place get you down, we're almost done."

The two left and Aqua was left alone with the wood carving giant that asked. "Is there more in thine mind?" Aqua nodded. "It's like my student said, things in this place are getting to me, we traveled with Jambert through many things and we are going to part ways again. He thinks he is darker than what he actually is."

The giant sighed. "It is in the nature of humans, he isn't that different from they. But that is the life he seest fit, as how thou seest fit," Aqua sat by a corner and sighed. "I guess so."

Down in the Gulch.

Ken and Jambert had a rather uneventful trip as they followed a light stream and fought through undead dogs. They found a gate way with an open door, crossed to the other side and found a ledge with a ladder down. Jambert took the lead and slide down as Ken jumped down ledge to ledge, reaching the bottom of the gulch and look upon not one but two water falls, Jambert noticed a treasure chest under the one at the other side, Ken hummed. "This is a pretty place and it has treasure at the end of the road." Jambert agreed to that, sheathed his sword and rubbed his hands together in greed. "Nothing ventured is nothing gained and there doesn't seem to be anything dangerous here." He walked ahead and nearly left the boy behind, Ken growled. "Hold it, we don't even know if that's a mimic or-" SWOOSH!

He and Jambert heard something heavy fly by and looked up, nothing was in the sky, they looked to their right to find something strafing around, that same black dragon, the dragon glared at them and it backed its head for a breath. The boy made a sprint and jumped high to the ladder to climb as Jambert followed, both yelling. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no!" The dragon breathed yellow and black fire across the ground, scorching it into an cataclysmic inferno, Jambert reached the ladder and tried to climb, he was swiped out by the force of the fire and yelled. "Aaaaaahhhhhh!"

Ken looked down as he climbed up, finding the fire dying down and a scorched knight laying on his back and turning into dust, he felt something staring at his back and reached the top, he turned back and found the orange eyes of the dragon staring at him in a warning. Ken yelped and ran as fast as he can, the dragon did not pursue. He went back to the Colosseum to find Ciaran mourning and an irritated Jambert asking. "I need to talk to Gough if I want help against that dragon?"

The rouge nodded and felt the grave was near complete. "It shouldn't be allowed to terrorize the skies, if you find Sif, tell her Artorias needs her. He would be grateful to have his companion back."

Jambert nodded and saw Ken entering. "I shall take note when we traverse into that town." He asked the boy. "Sir Kendry, you escaped in one piece?"

Ken nodded and wanted to leave the mourner be. "And I overheard, top of the tower, we were told to watch out for him," The two left the arena and went up the stairs. Ken spoke. "That dragon's territorial, anything going in there is dead meat whether they know or not. If he isn't dealt with, some one less faster than me is going to get fried. Like what happened to you."

Jambert didn't wish to be reminded. "And I won't have that happen again."

The two reached the top and went into the ladder, climbing up the ladder to find Aqua noticing urgency, she asked. "You ran into that dragon?"

The two nodded as Gough asked. "Is the Black Dragon causing thee duress?"

Jambert answered with a plea. "We barely had a warning before he breathed at us, Kendry was able to escape, but not I. Could you assist us? Would you assist us?"

The giant thought about it. "Hmm. I thought as much. He is called Kalameet. A ferocious dragon indeed, even the mighty Anor Londo dared not provoked his ire. I see little good coming from this, but... Thy intent is to persevere... to the bitter end?"

Jambert nodded and answered before Ken and Aqua had time to think about what they were agreeing to. "That dragon started this fight and I intend to finish this and claim his tail bone for my own!"

Gough laughed with him. "Hah hah hah! Good, good. What is bravery, without a dash of recklessness! I have taken a liken to thee. And I owe thee much for thy service to Artorias. Now, watch and see how Gough hunts dragons."

The giant stopped carving wood and tried to reach for his bow in the way only a blind person would, Aqua looked at the knight with a scolding frown as Ken realized they started a fight with a dragon capable of calamity. Gough found his bow, picked it up, stood up to face where the dragon was and took out an arrow the size of a large spear. He aimed, pulled the string and grunted, the trio saw Kalameet flying into the sky in the distance, the giant released the string and sent the arrow flying.

"HAH!"

The arrow pierced the dragons right wing and punctured its hide, causing the dragon to fly with one wing and fall back down into the gulch, giving off a screech. Gough put his bow away and went back to wood carving in triumph. "Hah hah! Yes, a truer shot has never been loosed! That bat will be grounded for a good spell! The rest is in thine hands, I await good tidings."

Jambert gave his thanks as Ken admired the blind giant and Aqua wanting to jump down the stairs with her student, Gough felt nostalgic. "Ahh, dragon slaying. Knighthood's highest calling..." Aqua and Ken jumped down, feeling like there was a challenge calling to their hearts, the teacher asked. "Do you think we're ready to fight that?"

Ken nodded and asked. "Miss, you fought a dragon before, what are we going to expect besides fire, claws, wings and hitting us with its tail?"

Aqua sighed and answered with her eyes closed. "One epic battle, Jambert just went over the deep end." She felt a tad nostalgic as Jambert climbed down and asked. "You don't have to come, this is between me and Kalameet, that once in a life time chance to fight one in its prime."

Aqua opened her eyes and scoffed. "Are you kidding? Kalameet attacked you and nearly scorched my student. I'm not letting him get away with that. Besides, it's been a long time since I fought a dragon like this, you're not exactly a noble knight, you never call yourself that... but it... brings good memories."

Ken asked, thinking his teacher isn't so above it all. "So now we got a reason, this is going to be fun?" He shrugged like he can live with that. "I'll stay out of the dragons front and rear and if I can't really do much shooting... heh, I might need to learn in case I ever run into a dragon like the one you talked about."

Aqua and Jambert were willing to let that plan go, the teacher advised. "Kendry, sooner or later you might fight things as horrid as what's in that town. But you have been versatile. Lead the way."

Kendry did so, down the stairs and out of the Colosseum, the trio felt their hearts going into a synced rhythm, they found the wooden gate behind a fog and pushed through, they looked down to find no sign of Kalameet, Jambert took out a blue shield with a dragons crest and climbed down the ladder. "He is hiding somewhere," Ken jumped down with his eyes on the edge to the right. "More like he is waiting for us."

He jumped to another ledge and reached down as Aqua made a rather elegant light jump, the boy reached the bottom and kept his attention to the right as Aqua landed, the teacher looked with him and stepped forward, both finding Kalameet pulling the arrow out of its wound and snapping it in two with his teeth. He stared at the keybearers and his eye glowed red, Jambert climbed down and had his claymore and crest shield ready. He approached the two and looked the dragon in the eyes, intimidated, but not quacking, he aimed his sword and balked. "You shouldn't have provoked our ire dragon! Now we came to finish the job. Prepare yourself."

Kalameet heard him, gave a rather pleased laugh and approached with his right wing limp. Aqua and Ken readied their blades as Kalameet tried to fly in the air and swoop after them, the keybearers rolled to the left as Jambert stood aside with his shield ready, he was pushed by a wing and relaxed. The dragon turned to look upon the teacher and student to its left, inhaled and thrust its head forward, they rolled to the left to dodge, Aqua went to the dragons belly as Ken shot the dragon at where the wound is and found the dragon ignoring the damage, Kalameet swerved his head towards Jambert to breath black and yellow fire, the knight rolled to his rear and tried to attack him by the tail.

Kalameet finished his breath and slammed his tail at the knight, Jambert tried to cut into it and made only a deep scratch. Kalameet swiped his head and tail at Aqua, forcing her to jump far back, the dragon rushed forward at the boy that jumped back and readied for melee, Cadia's Light aiming upward and Firekeeper's Wish facing towards the right, like a shield. Jambert slowly approached the dragon that seemed distracted and was swiped by a tail, Kalameet faced his head back and heard the knight yelp, he turned, inhaled and lowered his head forward, letting loose a stream of flames. The keybearers went for his lower legs as Jambert went to the underbelly, they sliced against the dragon and cut into his scales. Kalameet flew up and breathed to the ground, Jambert raised his crested shield up and backed up as the key bearers jumped out of the blast zone, the flames reached wide and Jambert was knocked off balance with a scorch.

Jambert felt a little dizzy as the dragon landed. He went to the dragons side as Kalameet tried to claw and bite at him, missing and giving the knight the chance to flip to the rear legs, Kalameet stomped and Jambert used his shield as he backed himself to the dragons rear, taking some of the impact and using his estus to heal. Kalameet growled in annoyance and slammed his tail after the knight, Jambert flipped to the right to dodge the tail and rushed at it to thrust his claymore into it, cutting deeply and hitting bone as Aqua whispered something to Ken. "Do you think you can give me a boost the next time he jumps?"

The boy gave her a thumbs up and stayed near her as Jambert pulled his sword out, Kalameet looked furious and charged after the keybearers, they jumped back and watched Kalameet flip backwards and sprayed his fire breath at Jambert, the knight used his shield and was blown away, the keybearers attempted to dash to the dragons tail and met a full swipe. Kalameet took flight and swoop down after Jambert as the keybearers landed on their rears and got up, Jambert flipped to dodge and went to the dragons rear, Kalameet stomped and didn't hear anything, knowing he missed and looked behind to find Jambert taunting him with his shield up. Kalameet slammed his tail down and the knight flipped to the right, then to the left, he slammed his claymore downward at the wound.

SLASH!

The tail came off and Kalameet yelled, he felt his balance was off and flew to the sky. Jambert raised his shield and saw the yellow flame as Aqua made her dash and Ken swiped his blades upward, creating a gust of wind that elevated her for a high jump. She landed on Kalameets back and struck him in the back of his head as Jambert went to Ken's side and used the chance to drink from his estus for a heal. Kalameet landed and tried to shake Aqua off, the woman hold on to his spikes, the dragon saw the knight and boy together, Ken fired at his eye, Kalameet raised his head up and pounced at the two, the knight and boy dodged side to side as the dragon reached a wall, spun, shook Aqua to his left side and breathed fire upon the far two, Ken raised his burning keyblade and caused a fiery barrier to form, using it to shield himself as Jambert used his shield again. Aqua landed on her feet and Kalameet turned to her and stood upward, she tried to back flip as the dragon folded his wings, she felt herself in a psychic hold and floated to the dragon's glowing eye. Kalameet unfolded his wings and caused Aqua to feel a burning mark above her head, she was dropped in a thud.

Ken flung himself to the dragons face and spun his strikes, distracting the dragon as Aqua had the chance to back flip away. Kalameet swiped his head against the boy and sent him flying to a lake as Jambert had his blade and shield ready, Kalameet breathed a stream of fire at him, the knight rolled to dodge and cut into the dragons front claws, Kalameet stood upward, Jambert rolled to the left as the dragon folded his wings and caused his eye to glow. Aqua rushed to the dragons neck and swung, Kalameet rushed forward and knocked her on her back, she was oddly feeling battered and worn out as Jambert was pushed aside, Ken pulled himself out of the water and tossed a healing spell at Aqua, he fired at the dragons head, the dragon's felt his scale penetrated as Jambert went for his front again, Kalameet raised upward and breathed fire down upon him. Jambert flipped under the dragons head, slashed him at his lower belly and caused the dragon to lower himself, his claws and maw ready for another attack, Jambert used his shield to block the claw and get away from melee, the dragon noticed Ken healing himself and felt Aqua on his back again, she struck at the back of his head as Ken flung himself at the side of the dragons neck, stabbing and swinging. Jambert took his chance as the dragon tried to shake them off, he ran to the under side of the dragons chest and thrust his sword upward, stabbing Kalameet in the heart. The Black Dragon raised up, weakly clawed after the knight and going limp, Ken and Aqua jumped back, watching the surroundings distort into a white room with in a castle and the knight and dragon flickering with in.

Kalameet took the form of a grey dragon with a large spear impaled in its chest and a maw spewing orange fire mixed with green as Jambert took the form of an odd knight with red cloth, they were in the depths of an underground cave. The mysterious knight stabbed the dragon in the side of the head with a black steel katana and caused it to raise up and howl. The image distorted into a battle taking place in feet deep, underground lake. Where much larger purple dragon letting loose a dark cloud of specters upon a cloaked, ashen knight that wielded a claymore, the knight struck the dragon on the head and caused him to rear up, the ashened knight sparked a lightning bolt and hurled it at the dragons chest, it landed and burst through, causing the dragon to howl in maddening pain and breathed out a dark beam at the ceiling, swiping left and right as a death throe, the beams swiped through the cave and caused delayed explosions. Ken recognized the cloaked knight as the castle distorted back to the gulch, back to the vision of Kalameet and Jambert, the knight stood back as Kalameet tried to keep himself standing, the dragon coughed and fell to his left side in a limp thump, victory was achieved.

The three panted and breathed deeply, Jambert pulled his blade out and saw something fall off of the dragon, two things, a ring that had a dragons eye and an odd card. The knight picked both up and looked at them in interest as Ken and Aqua tried to make sense of the distortion as the knight went to them to give them the card. "I... seen this dragon before. Do you want this?"

Aqua and Ken looked at the card with three triangle like spikes at the upper edge, it had the image of a dragon perching in a nest of twigs, having fur all over its body and having four wings. The dragon stood upright in a meditative stance, Aqua took the card as Ken asked. "You seen this one? What did it do?"

Jambert felt guilty remembering. "Nothing, it kept itself passive even as I... cut off its tail, it grew back as soon as I turned my back."

The knight went to the severed tail to pull out his treasure. "It had a fine great sword with in. I will be keeping the tail and ring. The fury of a true dragon is to be respected, at least." He pulled out an obsidian rock that looked like a great sword as Aqua kept the card close. "They are tied deeply to the the world, no matter how history tries to deny it. Come on, let's get back to Gough."

In a colorful town.

The Replica finished putting up posters for the latest ice cream flavor and expected pay as he kept using his disguised voice. "And that is the last one, thirty minutes early," He looked at the image caramel ice cream in a cone that had white cookie covered straw berries for horns. "She might like this,"He looked at his shadow and asked. "What do you think? The people here seem nice enough to not cause trouble."

He felt a shadow that was indifferent, yet observing, the Replica shrugged and heard the sound of a girl giggling. "S..Ha! Stop it you silly-" The Replica gasped surprised as the creature in his shadow popped its head out, red eyes looked suspicious, the boy asked. "Stay hidden, that's not trouble."

He followed the noise to a road leading to a castle, Xion was being licked in the face by light orange dog with black ears and a green collar with a tag. He smiled at another friend his adopted sister had made. "How did this happen?" Xion looked at the Replica with soulful blue eyes. "He came after I was thinking about that theme park opening in three days." She looked at the tag and introduced. "Dupmic, this is Pluto."

The teenager laughed in joy and teasingly warned Xion. "We can't keep him, he looks like he already has an owner." The sister puffed her cheeks as the Replica lowered himself. "You did a lot for Xion than you realized."

He lowered his hand as Pluto felt something was looking at him, the dog dismissed it and stook his paw, confirming what the Replica said as Xion explained. "Not a lot of people can see me, let alone do this. You're a nice dog."

She scratched the back of Pluto's left ear, the dog smelled the boy and felt the sunglasses were a tad ridiculous, he jumped on the Replica and caused him to panic. "Woah, woah what are you," pluck! Pluto pick off the sun glasses and saw light green eyes along with silver hair, the Replica panted in anxiety and swiped the glasses back with a fit of anger much like the person he was made after. "No, don't do that again you-" He stopped and tried to hide as Xion pulled Pluto away and lectured. "Pluto stop, my brother hates it when that happens."

She looked at her adopted brother, the Replica knew he had to say something fast and calmed himself, he asked the confused dog with his disguised voice. "I know what you're thinking, but I'm not him. I look like him, sound like him... but I'm not, please don't tell anyone, because if someone else sees me, I'm doomed, is there... anything we can get so you can forget about what you saw?"

Pluto wasn't taking a bribe and looked at the boy in pity, he pointed to a treat shop anyways, Xion felt the dog's intent. "I don't think that's necessary if it really is that important, he won't rat you out, but you need to make it up for yelling at him," The Replica growled and closed his eyes. "Fine,"

He turned to the shop and thought out loud. "I read about what dogs can get away with eating. Xion, I'm kind of broke so don't expect much... and no chocolate." Xion snapped her fingers as Pluto realized he was dealing with a book worm, he and the Replica gave each other a ridiculous frown expressing a poor situation, the Replica sighed. "Look, if I give you chocolate, I'll just be another prick that they WILL try to hunt down. I'm sure there is something that won't be boring, okay?" Pluto hoped so and was given a petting from the two, they went into the store in expecting random shenanigans.

At Gough's Tower

The giant asked the three. "Why... thou has defeated Kalameet?" He laughed in pride of the three. "Wonderfully played. Lord Gwyn's blessing upon thee. That beast will never take to the skies again."

Ken laughed back. "Thanks for shooting him down for us, even when grounded, Kalameet fought tooth, nail and breath," He exhaled as Aqua placed the dragon card away and sighed. "That, was one of the most intense battles I felt. It takes a lot for even three people to take down."

Gough agreed with that. "It is beyond the impossible for humans such as thineself to best, yet here thou are. The dragons, shall never be forgotten... We knights fought valiantly, but for every one of them, we lost three score of our own." The giant remembered more vividly. "Exhilaration, pride, hatred, rage... The dragons teased out our dearest emotions. Thou understands?"

Jambert does. "The name, Kalameet, will go down in ages forever more," Gough agreed with that. "At they twilight, old thoughts return, in great waves of nostalgia."

Ken and Aqua had much to remember, the woman asked. "But what about you? Now that the dragon is gone?"

Gough wondered that himself as Jambert looked at the wooden great bow, the giant noticed. "Ahh, this Greatbow? I shan't need it, with no dragons to hunt. I know not if a human could operate it," Jambert took the dare and touched the bow, feeling it glitter in light, fading away and reforming in his hands as a smaller, if still heavy form, Gough sighed. "Take it, thy need outweighs mine."

Jambert took the gift with honor and bowed. "Thank you great Gough, we will go traverse the Dark and stop the Abyss from spreading any further." Ken did his own. "Me and Miss don't look like it, but we fought forms of the Dark a few times, we won't let you down."

Aqua gave a graceful bow. "You have done a lot to explain what happened, thank you."

They finished their goodbyes and went for the ladder as Gough gave his. "Farewell, proud humans. May every honour be bestowed upon thee."

The group went down the ladder and down the stairs, back to the bonfire by the town, Jambert rested and used his box to put the bow, obsidian sword away, he put his claymore in and took out the glistening sword of Artorias. The knight huffed. "If I'm going to keep Artorias's honor alive, I must see that his sword shines upon this legend," He looked at the two and asked. "But I say, I didn't expect a card of all things to come from that dragon, do you have any knowledge as to why?"

Ken didn't and Aqua shrugged a lie. "Beats me."

Jambert believed it, readied Artorias's blade and held it with both hands. "Alright then, jolly good," Aqua lead the way in and found a stair way to a part of the town, finding four, mutated humans like the one Artorias flung at her, dancing and howling like savages, Ken spun and caused Cadia's Light to glow in flame, he shot above a bloat head and caused an orb of fire to form, it rained down fire balls upon the four and caused them to try and swat the fire away, feel the burn and notice the three. They sprinted at once, Aqua rushed two, knocked them away, side flipped from the creatures attempts to claw her and slew them in one shot. Jambert dodged attempts to slug him in the head and with one slash, cut them down. They found more stairs and found an elevator with no panel to use and a roof on top that was supported by pillars covered in leaves, something crawled out of it, a swarm of thirty black, yellowed eye, insect like creatures. Ken and Aqua readied their blades as Jambert approached without fear. "More from the abyss? Come at me fiends!"

The heartless sank into the shadows to ignore the illusion and went after the key bearers in a unified pounce, Aqua back flipped as Ken jumped back, the boy aimed his burning keyblade and swiped it like a whip, letting loose a wave of flames that scorched ten, Aqua jumped over and dived into the twenty with a burst of light, scattering them as Jambert felt confused, Aqua burst in magic and drew the twenty to her, causing the shadows to dissolve as Ken placed his two keyblades together and spun in fire, vanquishing the ten.

Ken felt the pattern was familiar. "That guy's at it again," Aqua agreed and found it was no coincidence. "This town is a epicenter for the Abyss, of course the Heartless would find this place at home. Jambert, there isn't a whole lot you're sword can do against them, if you find anything like those bloat heads, focus on them."

Jambert sighed and marched. "If you say so," He noticed two bloat heads dancing around with four humanoid shadows, the bloat heads noticed him and rushed after him, Jambert noticed the shadows sinking down after his comrades and back flipped to dodge the bloat heads, he slashed them off the edge and turned to find Ken spinning a jump and flinging fire balls and beams upon the four as Aqua struck two and caused them to dissolve, the knight took his chance and struck the neoshadows with his blade, to the keyblade wielders shock, the heartless melted much like the others. Aqua admitted defeat. "Or I was wrong and should have expected this from a sword that fought in the Dark before."

Jambert turned down the path and asked proudly. "I hope Artorias is watching this," He sprinted and turned right, the keybearers followed and found to the right corner, a bloat headed woman with a staff, along side here was a bloat headed pointing at them like he was accusing them of something. Jambert rushed at the sorcerer that gave a dark glow and tried to swing something.

SLASH!

She was cut down as Aqua and Ken stabbed the other bloat head and hurled him over a ledge. Jambert noticed ten bats of darkness diving after the keybearers switched Artorias's sword out for pyromancy, he aimed his hand upward and shot a burst of fire at the heartless, stopping them and letting Aqua strike them away in one swipe.

Jambert switched back to his blade and tried to lead, Aqua followed and Ken slowly kept his eye open for anything attacking from above, down a set of stairs. PEW! Ken hummed at the noise and was shot in the left shoulder by a cross bow bolt, he was nearing to yell and faced back, Aqua heard the sound of something puncturing her student and was caught off guard by a bolt of energy from above, hitting her in the stomach and causing Jambert to look up. The knight saw a particular ranged assassin acting a little cautious on a roof top, the key bearers saw a red glowing man in a top hat and wielding a crossbow, Ken and Aqua jumped out of the way of the next shot, landed to the left and right of Chester and left Jambert to switch to his triple bolted cross bow, the knight walked backwards as the assassin aimed once more and heard bolts fired upon him. The assassin jumped and the key bearers hit Chester once, the phantom spun kicked them off of him and he sprinted away from them, he spun and readied three roses, Jambert switched to his blade and went close after the phantom, the key bearers rolled out of the way of that and heard pews, rolling more to dodge the shots and sneaking to under a building, where a bloat head surprised Aqua with a clawing, Ken raised his cybernetic hand to heal his teacher as she impaled the bloat head and snapped the bolt's arrow head off in one swing, she pulled it off of him and gave him a heal.

Jambert was stabbed by a rose and rolled after the Chester, the teacher and student rushed out of the building, Aqua jumped high and back flipped to dodge a shot as Ken shot himself in the air and spun, Aqua was right behind Braig and was ready to strike as Ken landed and had both blades aimed at the mans face. The Keyblade Master slyly asked. "What's the matter, got nothing to say this time? Everything here didn't need you or your heartless."

Braig was caught in a corner and jumped back, he raised his crossbows up in trickery. "What's there to talk about? That's the memory of a bunch of idiots messing around with Darkness. I got to say, these are really good at dooming their own world."

Ken sighed. "They really are, but we're seriously tired of you messing around here."

Jambert was kicked back by Chester and rolled to dodge throwing roses, he rushed after him and knocked him off his feet as Braig felt it was time to hit and run, he had a look at the burning keyblade and was putting a detail together, his good eye went to the bonfire in the distance and found a burnt coiled sword. "So this is how it all started?"

Ken fired both a laser beam and a fire ball at the same time, Braig side stepped as Aqua jumped around a pole and struck him. "Everything you see is because of this Keyblade, that's how I learned to do this," She gave a glow of blue magic and crystals, she flung a wave of crystalized energy at the man that simply back flipped to a bridge, Chester was dealt a fatal blow and disappeared, Braig disappeared and left the two with their guard up, they notice an alternate stair way leading somewhere, Ken whistled to Jambert. "Hey, we found something."

He connected the trial around a stone railed edge of the street, Jambert saw the connection and went there, the keybearers jumped down and Jambert wondered. "Why did Chester work along side him?"

Aqua didn't need to think about it. "They both use cross bows as weapons, have an attitude and I don't think Chester was talked into doing this, he doesn't need much of a reason."

Ken felt sore about it. "And now we got heartless to deal with along with these freaks." Animal like howling of insanity filled their ears and Jambert shivered to the sight of yellow eyes in the shadows. "We just need to keep ourselves safe until we can find a bonfire. Come on, this has to be a short cut."

At the Castle that Never was.

Maleficent and the Horned King were in a lower, grey chamber and were caught performing a ritual by Ahriman. The Sorcerer placed his left hand under his chin and asked. "So this is how your scheme to get back into power is to be played? You tap into the Realm of Darkness and search for the hearts of the deceased wicked? Using memories and necromancy to reform the body. That's quite the impressive spell for a mortal to pull off."

Maleficent sighed. "My resurrection spell had faults, an ungrateful bag of bugs kept forgetting everything that transpired, to the point he forgotten who brought him back from Hell in the first place," She had a hypothesis on the art. "If my spell is attuned with one who could tap into the dead more accurately, I will not have a repeat of that again."

Ahriman looked upon the Horned King mentally focusing upon a void and advised to both. "Even if he'd forgotten everything, his loyalty sounded like it was only to himself and himself alone. Just who are you starting with?"

The Horned King answered with a hoarse breath. "A witch who was bound to the darkest depths of the sea, she is suppose to be a cunning one," Maleficent agreed with that. "And I know just the world she could observe for us. For in the off chance those fools reach a turning point in there endeavors, revenge would be a suitable motive for her cooperation."

Ahriman approved of that. "Yes, for if she was willing to work with you once without trouble, she could do it again after this generous chance you are giving her. She should focus on more than just her... little world, unless she can crush those who oppose us in one fell swoop, revenge would only bring her back into the abyss again."

Maleficent had another in mind. "Or she will assist with... other endeavors, for the worlds change and she could aid those tempted by the Darkness."

Ahriman pressed his finger on his cranium. "Precisely, the larger plan is of most importance. There-" He looked around to make sure no one was listening and whispered. "There is also the... detail that each of us are on our own, baring any ties we have with those we prefer. The balance of power is important for the survival of the individual. Even those who are among the thirteen and not a minion, could end up a subordinate. You need to maintain that power before the leaders of this group pull our strings entirely."

Maleficent agreed with that and dare not question Ahriman's actions. "Much like how you're... candidates are apart of your plans and you dare not allow anyone to control them, you seek to nurture their nature as those longing for freedom?"

She smiled to the Sorcerer who answered. "I am letting them pick their own destiny, but I need to study what the X-blade is and what is required to bring it forth. Only one holds the answers and I cannot, breach him. I suppose you have your own way to regain the lost power should my endeavors be counter productive?"

Maleficent thought of it hard and asked. "Could those dark hearts be those among the damned? This could be an... intriguing experiment," She went to continue her ritual with the Horned King, who felt like he sensed something and smelled it. "What is this scent of cinder?"

Ahriman wished the witch luck and saw a corridor open, dropping someone on his feet, Vanitas landing head first and looking like a scared child, glad he escaped what he assumed was a nightmare. The Sorcerer smugly asked, seeing a clearer image of a puppet like frog with an keyblade resembling a banjo. "We were expecting you an hour ago, what drove you out of your element?"

Vanitas formed a keyblade, jumped up and was ready to murder the Sorcerer for his tone. "Would you shut up?!"

The Sorcerer shrugged. "Not a very wise threat, you overstepped your bounds for your little game and you were banished to a world that... tolerated your transgressions even less so than others would. You're partner in crime is in the city bellow and you have something you wish to share with us?"

Vanitas gave Ahriman a cold glare and lowered his weapon. "As a matter of fact, I do. Just what are you up to?"

Ahriman pointed to three doors. "One of these would lead you to those who recreated you, the others will lead you in a circle. Figure it out, we have a siege being prepared soon and you wouldn't want to miss it."

Vanitas tilted his head. "Huh? Are you toying with me now?"

Ahriman raised his staff and answered with a malicious tone. "Of course I am and you should know why," He gave a more respectful nod to Maleficent. "Once he makes his report, expect our siege to begin shortly, don't stare too deeply into the abyss, for you don't know what might stare back."

Pew!

Reality distorted and Vanitas was left to two magic users that were more focused on their work, Maleficent sighed in amusement. "For once, we will see where this allegiance would provide. Now, what do you mean by cinders?" Vanitas grumbled and picked at random as the Horned King answered. "It... is a scent... familiar."

In Oolacile.

The trio of odd warriors dropped down from the ledge of one building to another, finding two paths to go, one by an edge, the other into a building. They went to the edge to find a suspicious wall and odd words carved in front of the wall. Jambert tapped the hilt of his sword and felt a tink, he looked down at the words and read it out loud. "Let there be light. Hmm," He tapped the chin of his helmet and pulled out a skull lantern glowing. "It isn't divine magic, so maybe." He shined it to the door and watched it disappear, the knight hummed and went in, the keybearers followed in and found the room odd, the knight found in the right corner of the room, a chest with a curled chain.

The keybearers heard foot steps and turned around to find a bloat head trying to enter, Ken shot it in the chest and sent it falling off the ledge, the knight opened the chest and found an odd silver pendant that's design seem to be familiar. "This came from Anor Londo," He took the pendant and put it around his neck, Aqua sensed significant light energy from the pendant. "Why is it here?"

Jambert wondered and tried to focus and pulsed out a barrier of light that had orbiting orbs of light around him. "Why doesn't matter, it can help us push back the Abyss," He counted his blessing and Aqua took the lead to the other path, she entered and had a dark orb hurled at her, she felt like she was hit in the head by a heavy rock and found a bloathead sorceress giggling at her pain, she sprinted at the bloat head and cut her down, Ken entered and felt like he was smelling something odd as he looked at the corpse of the sorceress. "Miss, I think there is more of those around... somewhere."

Jambert entered and saw stairs going down. "Perhaps down bellow?"

He went down and was pelted by a dark bolt, he sensed another being hurled and rolled out of the way, the key bearers jumped down the rails and watched Jambert try to charge his pendent, he took another bolt of darkness from the closest bloat head on the stairs and pulsed out light to deflect another from a bloat head on the floor. Jambert slew the closer assailant as the last of the sorceress's hurled another dark orb, the knight focused and pulsed in light, Ken aimed for the casters head and yelled. "Kill stealing!"

PEW!

He snipped the sorceress dead and jumped off the stairs, onto a floor with two empty treasure chests and a third unopened, it had a curled chain, he flipped the lid and found a scroll, Aqua cast a heal on herself and Jambert, jumped down and asked curiously. "This was what those freaks spent all that time guarding? What is it?"

Ken smelled it and felt something dark with in the scroll. "Miss, should I show it in a place like this?"

Jambert didn't see much wrong with it as Aqua slowly put it together, took the scroll and wished to unroll it herself. "If those maniacs were able to use the powers of darkness before they turned into this, then this will be a new rule. We are to ignore these, unless Jambert's habits kick in and he takes them anyways." She unrolled the scroll and watched it glow in darkness, with an a white aura around it. She had a mental vision of her tapping a void with in and seeing her hands glow like the abyss, forming into a round orb, she had a crazed, wild burning vengeance in her heart and finding herself before a tan, golden eyed, old man that had a goatee, she was ready to strike him down with irony. She felt something shaking at her and pleading. "Miss, snap out of it."

She felt herself returning to reality and she saw the scroll with the image of a dark orb, she screamed in shock and hurled the scroll back into the chest. Ken didn't want to let go and asked. "What happened, you were staring into that thing when it started glowing?"

Aqua took a deep breath and answered. "It... was showing me how to use that spell, we... are going to let Jambert take these, we don't need them."

The knight felt his klepto habits kick in and he went to get the scroll. "Milady, toying with the Dark is what brought the people of Oolacile into this fate in the first place. I'll take them, but only so no one else would think to use them."

Aqua shivered and agreed. "It... didn't take much from what the scroll showed." Ken guessed. "It wasn't just showing you to use the Dark?"

Aqua felt that the most disturbing part. "In that vision, I was... tapping into myself..." Jambert cringed. "You were tapping into your humanity? That's... how they done it?"

He found a door way out and a dead end, he turned back and went up the stairs to find more leading out, Aqua found the concept something that drained at her mind as Ken went up the stairs and asked the knight. "We will be heading back where we came if there isn't anywhere to go from here, Miss... should we try to find a path Jambert can follow? This was pretty far from the bridge."

Aqua listened and followed back where they came from and searched the edge where they found the pendant of light, they found a near by roof top that was in jumping distance even for Jambert. They did just that and found a tower with spiral stairs, connecting to a wooden bridge they would have gone through and connecting to the lower part of town. They jumped on the stairs and went up see what they would have missed, they found a chest with a straight chain, facing directly to them, obvious signs of a mimic, Ken and Aqua were tired of those creatures, the student readying a bright fire ball as the teacher readied an orb of light, the chest tipped forward and sprinted after them, revealing its legs as it opened its maw. The student side jumped to the left as the teacher cartwheeled to the right, they aimed to the mimics sides and with the combined power, blew it up. Leaving an odd wood carving behind, Aqua picked it up and tossed it to the ground, seeing the wood crack and speak in a deep tone. "Very good!"

The teacher picked the wood up and recognized where it came from. "What was Gough doing?"

Ken shrugged and went down the spiral stairs. "I don't know, but this is funny. These mimics are getting a little more springy."

Aqua agreed to that and followed him down, they found a stone bridge that had a bloat headed sorceress on the far end, to the duos sides were bloat heads sprinting at them and placing their hands together to swing at them like one would clubs. Ken jumped in between the two as Aqua jumped back, the student placed both blades together and spun, caught the bloat heads with them and flung the creatures off the ledge, he finished his spin with a straight shot at the sorceress, shooting off a burning beam of fire that incinerated her. He heard clanking metal jumping on a bridge and turned to his teacher. "I think if we go this way, we will be closer to finding Manus?"

Aqua sensed something coming from bellow, five grotesque orbs of darkness, wide maws and three tendrils each, the teacher caused five crystal masses of energy to form and swiped her blade, causing the masses to shoot at the balls like crystal arrows, two of the orbs teleported above the boy as the three were obliterated. Ken looked up to find the two orbs sprinting at him with their maws chomping, the boy yelped and jumped on the wall to dodge, he swiped with his burning blade and let loose a whip of fire, snaring the heartless in a tight grip and slamming them to the ground, causing a burst of fire and the orbs burning away.

Ken let himself drop down and felt satisfied. "And if we go deeper in the dark, we won't just have this looneys to worry about. All this happened because these people chose to listen to that toothy snake and to make it worse, mess with Darkness. Then someone brought the Heartless here."

Aqua heard the clanking and turned to find Jambert tossing a wooden carving, it gave out a deep. "I'm sorry!"

The knight picked it up. "It took me more than a couple seconds to see how you went all the way over here so quick. Now could someone explain what kind of Heartless are those and why they would be more numerous the deeper we go?"

Aqua answered that. "The Heartless prey upon the darkness with in peoples hearts and if Manus is the source of all the Dark we are fighting, they would be drawn towards him along with all the people that were mutated by the Abyss. With how... feral the people became, I'm surprised they haven't turned as well... or not yet. Don't expect that luxury to last." The trio went down the narrow bridge and through a set of stairs to the left, entering a building that had black and blue goop and finding a horrific sight.

A bloat head being dragged into a dark wall with yellow eyes, the creature clawed at the ground as black hands pulled him close to the mass. The eyes looked at the three and rushed at them to reveal its true forms, a small tide of lesser shadows, swallowing the bloat head. The key bearers attacked the swarm and sent them ebbing back, revealing a red orb of twisting shadows, the bloat head was gone and the heartless with in tried to spit something at them, Jambert stood in the way with the silver pendant and glowed in light as a barrage of dark orbs fired upon the trio, the abyssal power deflected from the light, the key bearers found their chance and charged at the orb, unleashing a quick barrage of attacks that caused the orb to vanish in mist and for the heartless tide to fade. They went to the right to find more goop and two bloated orbs of unstable energy with many glowing yellow eyes. One in the right corner of a room with stairs leading down, the other slopping from the central pillar.

The orb in the corner rolled and let loose a flurry of claws, the other inhaled, opened a maw with many tendrils and let loose a stream of fire that had darkness within. Jambert flipped towards the balcony bellow and looked down to find a sorceress dancing with eldritch like heartless as Ken spun and aimed Cadia's Light at the breathing blob in point blank range and fired, filling the heartless with holes as Aqua and Jambert baited the other heartless into attacking and heard something firing from across the room, they dodged and saw both a cross bolt and arrows of energy. Ken noticed, growled and looked to find a balcony, with two figures hiding behind a pillar on his platform.

The boy rolled his eyes dashed to the balcony and used his air magic to jump across to the other, finding the red phantom Chester jumping back for a better position at the two fighting the heartless and an annoyed Braig that asked. "Are you going to keep getting on my nerves kid?"

Ken shrugged, stabbed the ground with his burning keyblade and used his fleshy hand to absorb the air into an orb of fire. "Are you going to leave and take these Heartless with you? Me, Miss and Jambert would really like it if you clean up the mess you added in."

Braig backed away and readied his cross bows. "As if, I can't get rid of them even if I want to by now. The Heartless are getting drawn to the Abyss kid, and that Old Coot would have my patch if I return empty handed."

Ken took a deep breath, his fire orb disappeared and he gave a look to Chester, who realized what was happening. The boy exhaled a small cloud of toxic smoke, it landed and expanded into a thick cloud of toxic mist, Chester rushed out of the mist and was gasping from the poison, he flung three sharp roses at the boy that jumped to the left and kept taunting Braig. "Well, that Old Coot isn't going to get anything here. Not that it's a bad thing for us."

He called his burning blade back and saw a fire ball rush at Chester, who avoided it and was in a corner, Braig wasn't amused by the taunt and laughed sarcastically. "Ha, you talk a lot for a dud that got lucky. Let's see how you can handle this." He disappeared and appeared further back to the room, standing on a wooden plank by a hysterically laughing sorceress. He rapid fired at Ken, who was disappointed about something, dashed after a reloading phantom and spun at him, knocking him off balance. Ken heard shots again and back jumped, Chester fired at the boy, Ken side stepped in a spin, focused his gaze at Braig and cartwheeled mid air, his burning keyblade made a circle that glowed like the sun. The boy aimed his gun like blade at the sniper that realized the kind of move that was coming, Chester rushed at him to kick and was knocked asunder by an orb of magic light. Leaving Ken free to pull the trigger and fired a beam of concentrated sunlight, Braig teleported away from the burning beam of sunlight that roasted the sorceress and a piece of rope with a dangling body, as Chester got himself up in his toxin induced dazed, took out his roses and fell over. The boy went over to the balcony to find Jambert looking down at the madness bellow and Aqua waving rather jolly at him.

Ken waved back, Aqua gave him a thumbs up in thanks and dived down at the blobs, she gave a mighty swipe and engulfed the heartless with light. With no enemies remaining, Ken jumped off the balcony and felt a gust of wind pushing up, softening his landing, Aqua lowered her keyblade and winked. "Thanks for keeping those two away from us."

Ken gave a respectful bow and turned to the body to find a scroll. "Takes a sniper to take down snipers. There is another reason Braig is messing around with this place, who would gain anything from knowing the magic found here?"

Aqua had a scowl at the thought as her student picked up the scroll and found it was already unrolled. The boy stared at a black foggy mist and found it complete madness. "No, no, no." He tossed it to Jambert and confirmed something to his teacher. "This magic is all dark and it doesn't just mess you up from the outside if it connects. It's no wonder Gough said saving this town is pointless."

Jambert put the scroll away and agreed. "Why create such cruel spells?"

Ken didn't wish to know. "I can already poison people, I don't need this."

Aqua saw a left door and took the lead. Finding herself and her companions out of the building and at what seems to be the lowest street in the town. With more blue dark goop and a path to the right, finding themselves between a road to the left and a door into a particular room. Jambert excused himself and went to the right as the teacher and student looked on, finding two bloat headed sorceress's across the road and in a dungeon, fanatically channeling a dark power with in a figure in chains, four bloat headed people that were on guard, the duo felt something wrong happening. Ken shook his head and charged something hot into his gun, aiming for the central space in between the bloat heads. "These people haven't learned anything."

PEW!

He shot at the space and caused it to explode in fire, knocking the bloat heads asunder, they got up badly burned and rushed after the two, two more joined in the frantic stampede and Aqua gave a glow of ice, she flung icy wind to keep the bloat heads frozen in place and gave Ken the chance to rush in between the masses, glow in fire and made a pose Jambert taught him, unleashing a fire storm that sent the bloat heads flying as burnt corpses. With the last of the bloat heads dead, the boy placed both blades together and fired a quick fiery beam at the sorceress's, the one on the left was turned to a burnt pillar and the other one turn around with a spin, finding a bright fire quickly ending her existence.

The chained figure kept a dark glow and disappeared. The duo felt the aura of wrongness in the air and found Jambert returning. "I found an elevator out of here. Now how should we-" He saw the scorched bodies and Ken facing him. "We cleared the way, but I spent my firestorm."

Jambert chuckled and advised. "Have you... trying focusing in drawing in more heat?"

Ken gasped and had his hands at his hips. "Is this the chaos one? Me and Miss had an argument about that and all of it is pretty destructive for my tastes."

Jambert shook his head, glowed his hand in fire and went down the road, he gave a pose much like with his chaotic fire storm and caused large pillars of fire to burst from the ground, Ken felt the heat in his heart and looked dumbfounded. "No way, is this firestorm but... better?" He clapped and thought of something. "If I use fire storm then that-" Aqua had her hand at the boys shoulder, wanting him to calm down as the knight spoke of the name. "This is Fire Tempest, the Maiden of the swamp taught me this after... I helped her family," The knight shrugged. "I still have the other one at our disposal if we need it, but it appears you dispatched these thoroughly."

Ken and Aqua knew the woman Jambert spoke of had a connection to Izalith, the Keyblade Master felt something dark was coming from the dungeon and was ready to run towards the danger. "We will talk later, those things were up to something."

She sprinted and Ken followed, Jambert exhaled and jogged behind, they entered the dungeon and found from the left and right sides, statues of mages, all around the floor was abyssal goop and growing out from the center was a puddle of darkness. Jambert assumed and taunted the puddle. "Come out and face us, you abyssal spawn! We will send you back to the void where you belong."

The room rumbled and the pool grew into a giant mound, Aqua saw faint small wings as Ken noticed it attached to a body covered in chains, the mound lifted to reveal a humanoid giant, the teacher readied for battle and looked like she was shaking, Jambert saw size and looked behind to see the door way completely engulfed in darkness. Ken asked his teacher. "Big Heartless?"

The heartless revealed yellow eyes with in a head of chains, the chains dangled from its blackened skin and the heartless revealed a heart shaped hole bellow its chest, its right arm looked like it had a sword like spike for a hand, its left was wrapped in chains that dragged a boulder. Aqua answered. "Big Heartless."

Jambert swallowed and drew out his sword as the Prisoner swiped its sword at them in rather fast speeds, Aqua and the knight flipped to the right as Ken jumped high and fired at the creatures head, the chains heated and gave a dark glow as the beams caused a sizzle, the chains rushed from the giant and tried wrap around the boy. Ken shot to the ceiling and spun to let loose fire balls that dealt more damage, Aqua took her chance and charged at the Prisoner's chest, the chains reducing her blows to scratches, Jambert charged for his own, aiming for the knees and causing the Prisoner to step back, it lifted its stub of a left arm and spun the ball and chain around, it slammed it to the ground, the chains sank into the darkness and as the ball went for Aqua. The woman side flipped and watched the ball slam into the ground, sinking into shadows. Ken landed and saw the heartless lifting its left arm for a punch. Jambert back flipped and paid attention to what the attack was going to do.

PUNCH!

The arm punched into the ground, Aqua saw to her right, a rupture of shadows, the ball flung at her like a canon ball, she rolled forward as Jambert took his shield and rolled to the Heartless, the ball made contact with the left side of the dungeon and disappeared, Ken saw above a shadow over him, he jumped back and avoided the ball falling into the floor, Jambert flipped under the Prisoner's legs and watched the ball leap from the ground, the Prisoner pulled and caused the ball to be yanked back, going across the chained path it came in hope that someone in the group thought the attack was over.

Jambert slashed at the legs to do some damage as the chain reached back to its wielder, the Heartless slammed its sword down at the knight that flipped behind him. Aqua shot down thunder bolts and caused the Prisoner to focus on her, it glowed its chest and shot out an orb of dark energy, she dodged to a wall to her left and saw another was shot at her, she flung to the right and flew to the Prisoner's head, giving off an aura of lightning and doing some damage. Ken rushed to the Prisoner's underside and spun in an infernal tornado, the chains heated up and sizzled against the Prisoner's skin, the giant put its hands together against the repeated blows. The trio noticed and tried to back away, Jambert was too close and back flipped to feel a slam from both arms, knocking him off the ground as Aqua gave off a crystal glow, she jumped high, focused and caused seven white crystals to form around here, she felt light into them and shot them in unison, causing a rainbow like glow that caused the giant to lean back, Jambert rolled back under the Prisoner, pressed his hands together in chaotic fire and leaned, causing a chaos storm to engulf the Prisoner, it fell on its knees and burned in the lava rocks that started cooling down as Jambert flipped past a small crack in between puddles. Ken jumped directly underneath the Prisoner and gave off his own glow, he posed like he did for firestorm and unleashed large pillars of fire, Aqua and Jambert watched the Prisoner break down with the flame, burning away. At the eave of the tempest, the Prisoner vanished along with the chains, the dark barrier vanished and the trio looked upon door way leading deeper in.

Ken sweated as the adults went ahead of him, Aqua saw stairs leading down to a corridor to the left , her student caught up and calmed down. "That's a lot of fire than I'm use to, I got a lot to work on once this is over."

The teacher had a certain guarding knight to thank as the group went down the stairs. "Among you, Kairi and Ana, you were the one I was worried about the most."

Ken laughed as he and the group turned left and saw a dead end with a panel, the teacher stepped on as her student continued. "I was the only one that was nothing but problems. I think Kairi learned a few things on her trip and I might want to try mixing my pyromancy and what I know by myself. The further away people are from that light show, the better."

Aqua closed her eyes and slightly turned her head to her student. "I don't believe Kairi is going to be as easy as you think it would be, there is one thing she is capable of that if she is able to utilize, could be capable of great things."

Ken knew what it was. "The light from her heart. I seen it melt wackos that embraced the dark and you want to bet she would still kick my butt after this?"

Aqua wasn't going to do that and saw an elevator rise, with a bloat head on it, looking astonished at her and snarled in its attempt to attack, the teacher swiped the bloat head to the right and sent it falling into the darkness. Jambert asked as he and the group stepped on the elevator. "And Kairi is?"

Ken answered as the elevator moved and the surroundings flickered. "A friend of mine and a big rival. She is pretty strong and has been keeping up with her friends. Her friends, Sora and Riku... ever since their trip, they been even more ridiculous that if I have any hope of getting stronger, I need to think about how to do so as my own. They're cool people."

Jambert thought of it as the light stopped flickering and reached to the bottom, he nearly had a relapse in shock as Aqua sighed. "They were self taught and they exceeded even the things you have witness from Ken and I."

They traveled a dark dungeon that had a bonfire at the end and a hole leading into somewhere dark, Ken spoke in his teachers defense. "That was because you were busy getting out of the Realm of Darkness and all kinds of crazy places, we only got your word and we believe them. I think they are getting more stronger because you gave them ideas. Like if you never told them about form change, they wouldn't have been able to do it."

Aqua knew that was true as Jambert lit the bonfire and rested, she and Ken looked across the hole and felt dread going in, they rested to clear their minds. Aqua looked in the hole and asked. "So this is where Manus is? Why did he drag us here? Why is he spreading the Dark?"

Jambert didn't wish to know and used some cloth to clean Artorias's sword. "It matters not, for we are going to put this beast down. If the Fire goes out, would there be anything to stop the Abyss from consuming the world?"

Aqua shook her head. "Without light, there is only darkness, Jambert... are you sure linking the Fire is the only way to keep the Dark away?"

Jambert nodded and pointed to her. "Of course I am, it will rid the Curse and halt these horrors for good. As of now, if I don't do it, who will?"

Ken and Aqua thought of it and the boy shook his head. "Anyone else that isn't tied to all this time stuff is either not interested or they are unable to. Jambert, you fought through everything the world has to throw at you, despite everything, you became strong."

Aqua agreed with that and remembered a question she was asked. "Despite what you had to do to get this far, you're heart has not given in and you've become what you are. If you think Linking the Fire is the right thing to do, we won't stop you."

Jambert looked into the darkness and focused on cleaning the sword. "Even if my name is never sung, the world must go on. If it means the world can have a hope at prosperity, then I will have no regrets giving Patches my regards."

He fed black shades into the fire to make it grow as Ken respected the wish. "You done a lot for us, so we are going to be with you until the end." Jambert appreciated it and cleared his mind for the final descent into darkness.

In the summit of the Castle that Never Was.

Vanitas finished giving a report to Xehanort and Archaon, the Seeker of Darkness was rather surprised. "That was where Ventus's heart has been hidden this whole time? That would explain why Roxas looked so similar."

Vanitas gave a cruel. "Who?"

Archaon answered with a satisfied, relaxed stare. "No one important to you, it would be wise to wait until Sora has a reason to separate from his friends before you assault him again."

Xehanort agreed and realized. "Now that Sora discovered that truth, it would only be a matter of time before Ventus comes into the picture... unless."

The Everchosen asked. "The Keyblade Master's intentions for the Castle is a mystery, but would that be connected? You're assassin would answer what is transpiring there, whether he succeeds or fails."

Xehanort gasped and folded his arms. "Castle Oblivion is important to Aqua for a reason. Vanitas, when Braig returns, we will see what that reason is. With different threats, they will all be divided."

That Vanitas looked forward to and was understanding something. "I'll be back when he shows up," He left the two be, the Everchosen grunted deeply to his partner in crime. "Regardless of the outcome, this will be one of many foreseen." The Dark Seeker smiled to that. "It will be one of many paths we will take."

Far away from the twos vision and hearing, heading to a large room with a platform, Vanitas laughed it off. "Venty wenty, is that little castle where she hid you? Why isn't she doing that sooner?"

He saw a small distortion to his back right and aimed his keyblade, finding a pink mist with a symbol of Tzeentch. Taking the form of a mighty, horned, dark knight with a large sword and speaking in a deep voice. "A hell scared warrior seeks the advert his fate and is attempting ascension," The figure shifted to Aqua. "And the light of order doesn't tolerate such desecration. She travels to Oblivion's Edge to expel the warrior, who awaits in the top floor."

Vanitas saw the figure for what it is, snapped his fingers and caused it to change into a blue robed, formless horror. "And she was going to go there anyways for something, so why would it take her any longer to kick him out, Changeling."

The daemon giggled. "Such a tribulation would take time, but delving into oblivion-" The daemon changed into the appearance of a certain blonde boy giving off an odd fire and holding a coiled keyblade of fire, Vanitas placed his free hand on his face. "That pathetic screw up is the reason she is wasting more time in that Castle?"

The daemon gave a wide, sinister, fiery smile, using the blonde boys voice. "Is he? Or is he the reason she knows the secrets a dead world?"

The daemon changed to a brown robbed wizard in a big hat. "The memories of those gone mad from the knowledge of the Soul?" It changed into a bumbling knight. "From one who barely remembers his name and sought purpose? What sort of knowledge have they to share?"

Vanitas found it more ridicule worthy. "They sought new tricks from those idiots?" He realized. "They found new tricks? That's why you came to bother me?"

The daemon shifted into the image of a blonde spiky haired boy that riled Vanitas up, using a voice near identical to who he remembered, yet having a rather aggressive attitude. "That world is nothing but ashes, but it's heart remembered what it once had. What could that something been?"

Vanitas had it with the demon and struck, the Changeling jumped back and took the form of an armored man with white fur on the shoulders, the man wielded a halberd and a chime. Vanitas found it to be outrageous and laughed. "And what pathetic fool is this?" The man gasped raised his chime and focused, calling down lightning, giving the fiend in black a belief that the form was something of the mentioned world.

At Oolacile's Dungeon.

The trio felt themselves rested and Aqua took the first step across the hole, finding herself in a dark cave and looking down into an endless abyss, Jambert followed and looked down as Ken noticed a path to the left. "This place is creepy. At least it isn't New Londo." He felt nauseous in remembering as the adults followed him and saw a light sparkle with in the darkness, Jambert made his rush and found a crystal lizard minding its own business.

CRASH!

He smashed the lizard on the back for a quick kill and harvested the twinkling titanite, Ken and Aqua noticed a wider cave space that was pitch dark, finding many, predatory, glowing red eyes with in. The eyes rushed at the three, three bloat heads dashing forward, Ken fired upon one and turned to gun the other two down, Aqua noticed a yellow glow far right and a white glow far ahead, she looked drained and went for the white shine, Ken and Jambert followed behind, finding the edge of a cave way and a dark glow of a figure, a bloat head sorceress that quickly turned to them and flung five small dark orbs at them in point black range, leaving a sharp sting and another creature of darkness for Aqua to slay. She looked at the shine to find another scroll for Jambert to horde, Ken cast a healing spell as his teacher guessed. "This has to be what ever that thing caste. So much concentrated darkness-" Jambert took the scroll and went to the yellow shine, finding a small guide through the darkness, a ledge going down, he noticed something digging mindlessly bellow and jumped down with his sword slamming.

The key bearers heard a bloatheads death grunts and went down the ledge, walking against a cave wall and finding odd specters bellow, humanoid black shades that gave off a white glow and had white wisps for eyes. Pulsing from one to another, it looked familiar to something they kept seeing through out their journey, they realized what they are and felt a haunting chill as Jambert followed and looked down to realize. "Humanity? Down here?"

Aqua asked. "Do we even know what that stuff is?"

Ken answered as he and the party made it to a ledge and found near by a ledge directly going down into white mists. "It's the stuff Jambert uses and hordes all the time. Now that I'm thinking about it, their glow seems familiar too."

Aqua agreed with him. "This is the power those lunatics are using, they feel alike as well."

The humanity phantoms drifted mindlessly and Aqua continued. "But they are not coming after us. Are they aware that we're here?" Ken went to the ledge above the mist in an attempt to look down, the ledge disappeared and the boy was sent falling into the mist. "Whoaaaaa!"

The mist slowed his fall and he landed lightly on his stomach, he freaked out and felt someone jumping behind him, the boy asked. "What is this place?"

He turned to find Aqua having a disturbing thought. "Two sides of the same coin," Jambert landed next and Aqua asked. "Jambert, why is it called humanity and why do you use that stuff?"

Jambert scratched his head. "It started when I became Undead and went to the Aslyum, I... don't remember anything before than... I barely remembered my name. That was when Oscar came to drop me a key," He took off his helmet and showed his face. "I don't always look like this, when I die... I look like the countless Hollows we seen and I use the specks of humanity to restore myself. Until I regain what was lost, I feel as if that is the only thing that matters. I rationed it if I know going back is suicidal."

The knight looked confused and put his helmet back on as Ken asked. "So this stuff isn't anything like the Heartless. This stuff is a part of you?"

He looked to Aqua, who thought more about it. "This is what a friend of mine meant by there being two sides. The light and darkness in hearts, why those of pure light aren't flawless as people. We're all human in a way and this might be why those things have a glow."

Aqua snapped her fingers. "That's how they are able to do it even with a heart of light. That's how Artorias fell as he did despite being one pure of light. It's the soul, it drives our basic instincts and wants. How we manage is dependent on what we do. That... makes it worse."

Ken whistled to a point he spoke of. "When someone messes around with something they shouldn't and uses it to hurt people or get there way? That's how the Heartless, the Four Kings and Manus happen? When someone who is dark inside just... takes and ruins things for others... that's when we have to kick their butts and get things back in order?"

Aqua agreed. "Or when someone covets the light and tries to take it for themselves, that's how the Keyblade War from generations ago happened. I should tell you, Kairi and Ana about that, it's how Xehanort tried to get to Kingdom Hearts and the cycle is going to repeat itself."

They looked at Jambert, who was unaware of how he is a victim of the extremes of the light. The knight turned and found a familiar white cat in the mist. "We will speak of that later, when Manus is no longer a concern."

He approached the cat and asked. "Alvia, what are you doing here?"

The cat meowed and vanished in mists. Appearing further away, Jambert gave chase and the key bearers were more confused, following him and watching him be rushed through by a shade of humanity, Jambert looked like he was given a sudden drop of temperature and swiped his blade at the shade, causing it to silently shrink down into a black flicker, Jambert scooped it up and approached the cat, it disappeared in mist and reappeared further ahead. Ken aimed his gun at the distant shades of humanity, causing them to vanish, he and his companions went to the Alvia and found her by a cave wall. They saw the cat smiling smugly and tried to get answers, the cat vanished and meowed, not reappearing again. Aqua knew what the wall really was and swung, revealing a hidden passage way that had five phantoms of humanity drifting away, surrounding a small grey wolf holding a sword in its teeth and curling up in a circled barrier powered by a shield. The trio recognized the wolf and vanquished the dark shades, Jambert approached the wolf as the barrier flickered away. The knight asked. "Sif?"

The wolf perked at the name and raised her head, seeing the blade of her master and whimpering, Jambert lowered himself and asked. "You're friend isn't coming and I came to help him finish this, will you help us honor that mission?"

Sif smelled the knight, wagged her tail in trust, dropped the sword and howled like Jambert was part of the pack, the barrier disappeared and the wolf picked the sword back up, joining the party and keeping a shield guarded, Jambert picked it up and stood proudly as Ken and Aqua realized something and silently lead the way out.

Sif eagerly followed and lead to a yellow stone, the four cut through any black shades in their way and found a blue shining stone leading them up a slope. They confronted a sorceress that gave off a spark of fire. Sif rushed behind the foe as Jambert rolled to her right, dodging a burst of orange fire that had a darkness with in, the wolf and knight cut the sorceress down and found ground to jump on, leading to a familiar swarm of humanity shades. Ken and Aqua jumped down, the student asked. "So not even pyromancy is safe from the dark?"

Aqua agreed and saw a fallen pillar across a chasm, finding a specs of light flickering in the dark, like shots. "And I thought the Chaos Fire was... questionable. Everyone, we got company!"

Jambert and Sif saw from a ledge above the humanity swarms, a red phantom of Chester readying to snipe at the knight. The wolf sprinted and went to the ledge up, Jambert flipped to the side to dodge as the key bearers side stepped out of the way, the shades became agitated and went for the wolf, Jambert rushed up the ledge and cut them down as the phantom stepped back and readied his roses.

Bellow, Ken spun Cadia's Light and flung a bomb of concentrated light at the sniper. Aqua sensed a side step, jumped over the explosion and rolling to avoid another shot, finding Braig taunting her. "You just couldn't keep yourself out of places like this, could you?"

Aqua stood up and answered rather casually. "I guess not, so how does it feel knowing this place existed?"

Braig chuckled and dodged a beam of fire. "The old trick of sprinkling the Heartless on everything is a death sentence here, this whole Chasm is tied to one thing further ahead and he holds the absolute power over Dark... or the Abyss."

Woosh!

Ken jumped, drew his air magic into his burning blade and landed after the man, falling down and unleashing a faulty trio of fire pillars. Braig teleported and appeared on the other side of the ledge, Ken gave a rather sarcastic smile. "And now that the Dark isn't listening to you anymore, it's suddenly one of the scariest things in your life?"

Braig placed his cross bows together for a dark shot, the key bearers jumped over him and dodged the shot, they struck him back like a duo and the sniper hated to admit it, the boy's smile turned into a disgusted, angry scowl as Aqua kept a cold stare at Braig and warned him. "You can tell that old coot this, he knows nothing of what he talks about. As long as he keeps messing with the Dark, he is going to end up swallowed when something much more terrifying takes control."

The sniper scoffed to that. "After all this, I had a back up plan if this didn't play out," He sensed something and was disappointed. "Shame Chest is a fake, so kid... you're done playing with those matches?"

Ken growled and gave him the silent treatment, his blades gave off a light as Aqua answered. "When you play with fire, you will get burned. While you can stop someone playing with a sword, all that has to be done with a gun is for the trigger to be pulled." She found it humorous and her student's anger turned stoic. "But if someone knows the dangers and uses them with care, why stop them?"

Ken shrugged and aimed at Braig with a warning. "Just go back to where you came from and leave us alone, this castle already has enough problems that is so close to being fixed."

The sniper felt a point was made, opened a corridor and shrugged. "Fine, if that's how your going at, good luck talking any sense into that old coot. That fire isn't going to make the dark go away, but that isn't why you're really after it, is it?"

He noticed Ken confused and turned to the way out, taking his leave and vanishing. Aqua turned around to see the confusion, the boy shook it off and saw Jambert and Sif arriving across the pillar like bridge, the knight had a scroll in hand and warned the two. "I found a scroll that has the technique we saw. This shouldn't be allowed to spread."

The boy agreed and asked. "These people put the Abyss in just about anything, even fire. I guess this happens when you focus on wanting someone to burn as you charge up the fire? That scroll I read up above was all about channeling that wish to see people suffer, so that's another thing we need to know to make sure it NEVER sees the light of day."

Jambert put the scroll away as Sif growled in agreement and went into a tunnel, the group followed the wolf to a ledge and found a fogged gate. Sif jumped down and confronted five shades of humanity, Ken and Aqua blew a stream of air magic to Jambert, signaling him to jump down. The knight did so and fell to the shades, carving through them as the key bearers jumped down. The four looked at the gate with tension.

Jambert asked. "This is where Manus lies? The source of the Abyss?"

The key bearers nodded and Sif walked to the gate with vengeance in mind, the humans followed the wolf through the gate. Finding themselves over a ledge and looking down, finding only darkness.

Rumble!

Aqua felt a glow of darkness and was ready to strike, being one of the first to see that same ape like hand from before, reaching out for the four, pressing them into the ground, gripping onto them and yanking them into the dark in a full throttle. The four found themselves laying in a cave floor and tried getting up, in the center of what looked like a grave. They heard a growl and got up, finding something with many red eyes, hearing heavy foot steps approaching, emerging from the darkness was a black, ape like creature with horns. The horns had many red eyes, it had a large eldritch, ape like arm on his left and a smaller limb on his right, carrying a massive staff like club. The ape had a face without eyes and a snarling mouth that gave a growl.

Jambert shook in his armor, readied the crested shield and the sword of Artorias as Aqua posed for battle and Ken stepped back to ready his gun. Manus raised his large hand, caused it to flicker in darkness and slammed it at the closest two, Jambert and Aqua flipped to the right as Sif bolted and circled around the beast, slashing its sword into the beasts back and being swatted like one would a fly on his back. Jambert and Aqua struck at Manus's hand as Ken fired at his face. Manus sprinted to the boy and tried to swat him, Ken side stepped to the right and side stepped again as Manus swatted left and tried again to strike him.

The boy pressed both blades together and slashed Manus on the tail, causing him to light up in fire. Manus jumped high and slam down at him with his ape like hand. Ken jumped back behind a charging trio and shot a shining fire ball as Aqua gave a glow of fire, Jambert and Sif watched Manus slam his club down at them, the wolf jumped left as Jambert flipped right, Manus roared furiously at Jambert, the knight rolled back and watched the beast let loose a combo. Jambert rolled back again as Aqua backed away, seeing Manus swipe left, right, left, she and Jambert were knocked back by a slam from his large hand and were smashed by another slam of fist and club.

The two got up as Sif slashed at the beast and Ken focused on Manus, flipped in the air, spun and formed a fire circle that glowed like the sun. The Father of the Abyss was shot by a fire beam, roared in pain and jumped back as Ken flung himself down. Manus glowed his club and moved it to his left, ready to swipe a spell. Ken jumped back as Jambert took his silver pendent and readied a glow. A barrage of dark orbs washed over the trio and light caused them to deflect, Manus upper cut Sif and the trio tried approaching the beasts right. Manus dashed, jumped and placed both hands together in a smash, Aqua and Jambert flipped as Ken side stepped, the trio rushed at Manus again. The beast took the slashes and sprinted to where the three were, picking something up, something dangling by a string. Aqua and Jambert looked around their person, the knight was relieved that the silver pendent was close as the Keyblade Master realized she dropped something important to her, she side stepped to the right and saw Manus holding a pendant that looked like a blue flowery star, the beast growled in frustration, dropped it and was stabbed in the back by the trio behind, it swatted behind and knocked Sif, Jambert and Ken away.

Manus glared at Aqua and raised his catalyst in the air, causing darkness to rain down. Aqua flipped behind and was in a panic to keep herself alive and get her keepsake before Manus steps on it, Jambert focused the silver pendant and protected Sif and Ken with light, the dark rain formed into a single orb, the three jumped back and watched it fall to the ground as Manus charged to them and slammed his left and right, Aqua rushed to get her keep sake and switched from fire to a magical glow, her keyblade enveloped in a light like a sword and she slashed at Manus's back as Jambert, Ken and Sif cut into the beasts hands. Manus jumped to the right as Aqua caught with the group, the Father of the Abyss raised his club and Jambert glowed with his pendent, arrows of darkness rushed after them and were deflected by the light.

Manus stretched his ape like hand and slammed to the four again, Sif was slammed to the ground and the humans rolled back, Jambert heard something drop, a broken pendant. Manus saw it and frantically rushed on all fours, he used his long hand to swipe the four away and clear them from the pendant, Manus picked the pendant up and lifted it to his face, giving off a faint feeling of nostalgia. Jambert and Sif got up, saw the beast was distracted and charged as the keybearers got up and were a bit confused, realizing that there was a reason Manus picked up the other pendant. Manus looked at the knight and wolf and swiped again, Sif jumped at the beasts horns and slashed as Jambert flipped forward and thrust the sword of Artorias into the beasts chest. Manus howled and felt his body heavy, he kept clinging to the pendant as he dissolved into darkness, refusing to let it go, he collapsed with his grip tightening more and gave off a slight pulse of a white glow.

He vanished with the pendant and causing a flicker of light, revealing a maiden in gold, laying unconscious if unharmed. Ken and Aqua watched Jambert hold the sword on his shoulder and Sif sitting down proudly. Jambert petted the wolf in good will as the maiden came through in a haze and saw the two, the keyblade master exhaled and noticed something in the void, five sets of eyes looking down upon her. A vision of a dark orb with white wisp like eyes sneaked into her mind, she shook it off as Jambert noticed a bonfire and whispered to the wolf. "Sif, thank you, but could you go find Ciaran? She needs your help."

The battered wolf whimpered, dropped its sword and flipped Jambert's lid up, giving him a lick in the face and knocking the knight on his back in affection, Jambert gently pushed the wolf back with a laugh. "Ha, ha, ha." His laugh went to the point where tears dripped down, the knight pulled his lid down, the wolf snorted to its friend, picked up its sword as Dusk disappeared in light. Sif slowly disappeared and Jambert placed the time displaced sword on his own back. "And that is done. Elizabeth would want... would want to know of this."

He went to the bonfire, light it up and caused it to shine a vision, Ken and Aqua noticed a door way shining in light to the far back. Ken promised the knight. "We'll catch up once we finish looking around. We won't be long." Jambert understood and disappeared in the fire, the bonfire flickered away and left something glittering, a simple card, Ken picked it up to see what image it had and sniffled. "He did all this just to keep his memory alive," He showed Aqua the image, of an undamaged Artorias under the moonlight, petting Sif at his side. The teacher had tears dripping and wiped them away. "And he did, come on, I think we are almost done with this floor."

She and her student went to the door, on the other side was the Oolacile Sanctuary, they found Jambert talking with Elizabeth. "And that's how the Abyss was pushed back."

Elizabeth listened and noticed the other humans coming, she greeted them. "I awaited thee. Thou has rescued Princess Dusk,... and rid us of that terrible primeval human. Even halting the spread of the Abyss!" She announced to them all and shook off pieces of herself. "I salute the grandeur of thine enterprise. Please allow me to express my gratitude. I thank thee... as do we all."

Jambert took the mushroom and told his companions. "And with how this was done, Dusk will think it was Artorias who done the deed, keeping his legend alive. We are finished here," Elizabeth pitied the knight. "I will remember thee, but I will keep thy story to myself. This is the best way, for thou art from a time far ahead. No-one will sing thy praises, but they greatness shall live on. For it shall be my purpose, to remember all thou hast done for us."

Jambert sighed and turned to the bonfire. "Thank you, that... is all I wish. Now if you are correct, the fire should get us back to our time."

He walked to it, sat by it and invited the two humans, Ken put the card away and joined, giving a light smile to the knight as Aqua sat next to him. They saw the image of a familiar shrine and Elizabeth wished them good luck. "May the flames guide thee."

Their vision glowed in orange and they returned to Firelink Shrine, finding Patches sitting by laughing. "Nya, hah, hah! There you are again, where did you three go off to? That sunbathing Solaire came by asking about where you gone. He said you went off to Duskwood and didn't come back for a spill."

Jambert took out his box and readied to change around his equipment. "Oh, nothing too important, certainly not... keeping history as it is," Patches raised an eyebrow and felt he heard more ridiculous stories. "Care to trade a story for a story with Ol' Trusty Patches?" Jambert felt enlightened. "Well, it started when I went to Duskwood with an old broken pendent," Patches asked. "That old junk was how you got dragged into an adventure?" Jambert readied to answer, the image of him and Patches stilled.

Ken and Aqua saw a white door leading to where Frampt is and knew they were at the end of the floor, they traveled through and checked their persons, finding the two cards still there. Aqua gave a mellow laugh. "Ha, so those memories are that powerful?"

Ken looked at the image of the Everlasting Dragon and asked. "Strong enough that something of them lives on. Artorias and how he gave everything to fight the darkness or..." Aqua felt something strong ahead and helped him finish as she put the dragon card away. "Or of an epic battle that no matter the place or people, it is a grand test of the heart," She looked on ahead and thought of the Abyss. "Ken, did you see yourself using that horrible spell when you read that scroll?"

Ken shivered. "That's the worst part, I was in a place where I wanted to use it. Why was Manus after that pendant?"

Aqua took out her charm and wondered. "He was desperate enough that he mistook mine for it. When he found it... I felt he was... happy. Even in that state, he still had a heart?" She thought of it and walked ahead to the final main door. "Yet... it was so twisted by the Darkness that the pendant and the princess were the only things he cared about. He needed to be stopped before he destroyed everything."

Ken agreed and went to the next room, both in an odd room with an altar. A great door was before them and they found Jambert before the Lordvessel, feeding four flaming souls into it, the bowl lit in flame and cause the door to open in white light. The door to the Undead Knights destiny, Jambert turned around to find familiar friends and looked up to something, Ken and Aqua turned to find Frampt hanging upside down and in aw. "Ahh...ohh! The Lordvessel is satiated... Magnificent. You are the righteous successor to Gwyn, the new Great Lord. And I am Kingseeker no more."

Jambert was certain of his purpose. "I shall see that the Abyss never consumes the world, Frampt. All those who remain will finally have the blessing of peace," He gave a knights salute and Frampt gave a salute from one of his fleshy mustaches. "Your acquaintance was an honour. I must admit, I am fond of you humans. May you enjoy your serendipity. And may the Age of Fire perpetuate."

Jambert gave a nod and looked to Aqua and Kendry. "Are you going to allow this knight to give this last duty to the world alone? Or... are you going to follow me to the end?"

Ken answered proudly. "After everything we been through, we want to see how this ends," He flickered an ember and promised. "Besides, if things start going wrong, I can just get me and Miss out of there."

Jambert hummed and drew out his claymore. "Very well, Lady Aqua? This is a place no one has visited in a long time, are you ready?"

The woman took a deep breath and answered. "We are. Despite how our paths crossed, this has been a eventful adventure. We're glad that we got to met you."

Ken agreed with that. "Same, I learned a lot because of you and I don't want to just say goodbye right now. Lead the way, we'll follow."

Jambert felt warm inside and lead the two through the gate, seeing a stair way up through a white void, seeing phantoms of bold knights walking from one fog to another, at the end was ash cloaked ruins, partially melted. It was under a cloudy sky that had flickers of golden light and a temple resembling a furnace. The trio took a moment to enjoy the scenery and notice a black knight standing before them, the last obstacles before the end of a long journey.


	43. Memories of a Nameless Song

In the Castle that Never Was. Vanitas quickly pinned a demon disguised as knight down with chains and watched the knight pulse with the force of light and break the chains. The knight spoke in riddles. "A bearer of a curse most foul, to experience death, over and over, until hope fades."

Vanitas didn't really care and vanished. "So that roach didn't stay dead? Why is this important now?"

The Changeling rolled back and countered Vanitas with the polearm. "The bearer came from nothing, yet he delved into eternity. What would a soul that determined do when he comes for the Thirteen? What would he do to you?"

Vanitas felt the stab, back flipped and brutally countered with a beat down from his keyblade and aimed, shooting out a fire ball encroached in darkness, the knight landed and rolled out of the way, he switched to a staff of bones and a black steel katana, the knight glowed a blue light and fired an orb of energy into the ceiling, he fired a barrage of arrows that made contact with Vanitas and gave the feeling of knifes, annoying him more as he dodged the barrage of energy from the orb and watched the knight empower the katana. He taunted the knight and watched it make a rush after him, disappearing, reappearing from behind and stabbing it in the back, hurling the knight across and being even less impressed as the knight returned to the form of the Changeling. "Stop wasting my time, heh, you're the reason ol Dusty's doll got lost?"

The daemon answered back with a rather angry tone. "Was I? Or was I the reason my Master's game has lead to a path of eighty one doors?"

Vanitas was even more confused and rushed the demon into a wall, letting loose a pulse of darkness and causing the demon to vanish in mist. He noticed two people appearing in a blink of an eye, an intrigued Xehanort and a rather chill Braig. "And that's what's been going on in the Castle, her student turned the whole place into one colossal fun house."

The Seeker of Darkness felt enough was heard and knew more were coming. "And by the time they are finished, we would be ready. She allowed her student to stumble that close to the Dark?"

Vanitas found that hilarious. "What was she thinking?"

Xehanort found that the most suspicious part. "If he took the lessons from his teacher to heart, that would have not been tolerated. Something affected her, or him... or both."

Braig smiled slyly. "He thinks he has it all figured out, it isn't that different from what Miss Goody Goody thinks about. I'm not so sure how that will help ya."

Vanitas laughed harder. "What an idiot, does he really think he knows about the Darkness to flip it off?" Braig whistled to him. "Oh that's not where he is giving the Big Bird to, but to who."

Xehanort placed his right hand over his face and imagined it. "Brazen fool, what else about him that I need to know?"

Braig answered that one. "You know that one member we had that pulled a big one at us. Spiky hair, throws things and liked to burn? The kid's got one of those and it's coming naturally," He opened a corridor to leave. "I'll go see what comes out of this when your finished playing. Laters."

He disappeared and Xehanort warned Vanitas. "You'll wait until it is a better time to end that threat. You know who is the greater one by now," The black masked fiend sighed as he heard marching. "I had that figured out already. Won't be long now."

With in an ashen temple.

Jambert, fought his way through a cat walk, riposte a black knight, rolled back and countered, causing the knight to fall over and drop his shield, Jambert picked it up as Ken and Aqua realized their presence was unneeded. The knight turned back to them and asked with a stalwartly tone. "Something on your mind?"

Ken shook his head. "Not really, it's just we haven't gotten a chance to really fight these guys and you been handling them well on your own. Compared to Oolacile, where we all had a share in the fighting."

Jambert shrugged like it wasn't a big deal. "Would you two have tried jumping on this narrow path?" Aqua cringed. "No, with all the ashes, this is a good way to lose our footing and fall," The knight agreed with that and found it humorous. "These black knights were a great adversary when ever I meet one, the first time I met one... I wasn't too sure if I would have been able to best one on my own without repeatedly dying. I'm no longer disappointed in that," He laughed it off and lead to the outer rim of the Kiln as Ken found it a little funny. "They don't look so bad now and you don't really need us anymore," Aqua corrected him. "He never did need us for his battles."

Jambert noticed someone ahead of them, looking in the Kiln through a window with aw and determination. Solaire, breathing slowly in excitement. The three hurried and were in more wide grounds, Jambert asked. "Sir Solaire, you know what awaits us in there?" The Warrior of Sunlight jumped back and sharply turned, finding a merry band. "Goodness!" He gave a hearty laugh and greeted them like close friends, giving a rather warm group hug. They broke up the hug and Solaire answered. "I think it is what I have been searching for. My Sun, my very own Sun. This whole time it has been linked to the First Flame, but I don't think Lord Gwyn would be eager to share."

The trio look down the window to see a husk of a king trying desperately and in a mindless state, keep a dying fire alive. Ken looked closer at the bonfire and felt it had a grand hilt very familiar. "He is guarding the First Flame?"

He turned to Solaire and was given a nod. "And he has been burnt out, Jambert... shall we relieve the Great Lord of this burden?"

Jambert nodded back and tapped Solaire on the shoulder as Aqua looked away and realized that was where the Knight's journey was to end. "We shall, we will become the light of the world together," He gasped and nearly forgot. "Oh before that," He took out two weapons the student and teacher were familiar with, a shimitar with a chaotic glow of fire and a falchion with an enchanted glow. He grunted firmly like a knight of authority. "I knew all along that we would eventually part ways, this seems to be the crossroad."

Aqua took a deep breath and accepted that. "Jambert, Solaire, once you do down there and Link the Fire, there is no turning back. Ken and I can't stay here."

Jambert agreed with that and presented the two with rather pristine weapons. "For this isn't your place. Now... I know you have something far superior to these, but that is not why I had them commissioned." The boy whipped his eyes and knew what they were. "They were something for us to remember you by? That was why you were looting all those stones and was that determined to go get the embers?"

He took the shimitar gratefully and placed it on his hip with a sense of a burning fire. "Thank you." Aqua sighed and took the falchion, placing it at her hip and giving a thankful bow. "This was pretty thoughtful, thank you."

Jambert blushed under his helmet and nodded back in respect. "You two have been true friends," He gave a bold knights salute. "Long may the sun shine upon thee!"

The keyblade wielders gave a bold knights salute back and gave an in sync parting. "May your hearts ever shine!"

Solaire was near smitten by the good will and gave a salute back. "May your bravery shine brighter than the Sun!"

He smiled to Jambert, who smiled back to him. The knights looked upon a stair way down and traveled to confront their destiny. Leaving the keyblade wielders be and for them to await the final battle with in the world of memories. Ken asked. "For the final bit of this memory, I'm kind of glad that this was quick," Aqua agreed with that and listend to two knights fighting their way down. "That might also mean the Castle would finally go back to normal and I can focus on what I came here for. Do you want to help?"

Ken grunted. "Of course, what ever Garland is up to can't be good for any of us. Now that we don't have anything else to worry about, his schemes days are numbered bellow one. A zero point... something." They heard more fighting and were drawn to watching through the window, seeing a fogged gate rippling from the other side. Gwyn turned to the gate on instinct and drew out a flaming sword and held it in his right hand, Jambert and Solaire entered.

The Lord reduced to cinders leaped at the two, Jambert flipped to the left as Solaire took the blunt with his shield. The knights carved and cut, Gwyn countered with a quick combo, the knights took the burning slash and rolled to the right. Gwyn sprinted to Jambert for a thrust, the Undead warrior flipped to the left and drank from his flask as Solaire swung again, Gwyn jumped back and let loose a quad slash combo. Striking Solaire to where his poise broke and giving Jambert time to charge a chaotic fire ball, colliding with Gwyn and causing his own flame to give a bright burst that made him dimmer. Gwyn dripped in lava and rushed after Jambert, grabbing him by the face, rising him up and bursting in fire, sending the knight falling back. Solaire hurled a lightning bolt at Gwyn and slashed him in the back as Jambert drank from his flask and gave his own attack, Gwyn turned to the Chosen Undead and readied a slash, Jambert raised up a black knights shield and blocked the blow. Gwyn reached to grab him again, the knight flipped back as Solaire struck once more. Jambert cut into the Lord and was kicked back, Gwyn tried to slash after him and was blocked. Jambert flipped back, put his claymore into its sheath and had his hand glowing bright, Gwyn readied to strike and felt another slash in his left calve, he turned to Solaire, grabbed him and burst into fire, sending the Warrior of Sunlight flying into the ashes as Jambert rushed after Gwyn, placed his hands together and leaned in pose.

Gwyn readied his flurry of blows and was engulfed in a fire tempest, Jambert rolled out of the way and watched the Lord of Sunlight waddle and fall on his knees, looking up at the knights in a desperate attempt to go on and slumping his head down, his sword went out and his body crumbled to ashes and cinder. Solaire slowly sat up and saw that the fight was over. Aqua watched from above and felt a sombre feeling. "In the end, the Jambert's fiery heart was able to burn through even the Lord of Cinder."

Ken watched Jambert help Solaire on his feet and pointed to the near bonfire with the coiled sword. The Warrior of Sunlight was taken aback, he and his friend were to find much more than the Sun, they were to become the Sun itself. The knights guided each other to the bonfire, uncertain of what to do, they knelt to the fire and placed their hands near the flame, their bodies set on fire, they stood up and quivered as the Kiln around them lit up, the watching duo saw the fire consume their bodies, ready to spread across the Kiln. The fire burst and blinded the two, they opened their eyes and found themselves in a white room with a stair way down and a cat walk back.

They noticed the gifts Jambert gave were gone and before them were three cards. Aqua picked them up and saw two of three images that nearly broke her down emotionally, one was of a Solaire looking up to the sun in praise, above a perch Ken was familiar with. Another of was of Jambert sitting by a bonfire in Firelink, one particular was near alien to them, a knight they never met before, wearing a crown with upward curves and red cloth. He sat on top of a stone throne of ashes, like a king would. The two felt a mixture of sorrow, joy and confusion as Aqua remembered the image of that knight confronting a dragon. "Could this knight have been another who linked the Fire and restarted the cycle of the world?"

Ken noticed a door to their left side leading somewhere and answered. "He probably is, Miss... we know what Jambert and Solaire did... didn't save that world. When I went to that world, there was only toppled castles, ashes and flowers that grew from the ashes. That was when I saw Benedict fighting... something at the end of the world." He let Aqua put the cards away and opened the door. "But that should be the last of these memories getting in the way, right?"

Aqua nodded and warned him. "That keyblade's memories of the world are the strongest with in the Castle. Just, what ever you do, don't think about that moment, who knows how things gotten worse."

Ken let Aqua go in first and followed, in a white room with décor resembling white flowers, with a door to the right. The burning keyblade let loose a cloud of ashes and it formed into the Firekeeper, the blind maiden expected a lecture and asked. "So this is the Castles true form? Is thou satisfied with thy curiosity?"

Ken answered in an attempt to clear his mind. "I am for now, but if I keep thinking about it here, I would be putting myself and Miss in danger again. Is Garland close and is he going to try to hold us back?"

The Firekeeper shook her head. "I don't sense him delaying thine arrival, but he may have a trap lurking," Aqua counted on that. "We spent so much time getting here, even with the memories, he thinks he is ready for us. The nerve." The Firekeeper agreed with that and was ready to fade back into the blade. "Thou are the Lady of this Castle, banish him forever more."

Aqua felt motivated and told both Ken and the keyblade. "I'm not mad about what happened anymore, I know a trick of how we can get out of here very fast when we are done."

Ken relaxed his blades and turned to the door. "Thank you, now let's do-" He turned to the door and gasped surprised, a knight covered in cinders and a cloak opened the way, he went into the next room and disappeared. The boy tried to ignore it and continued. "Let's... do this."

Aqua turned to find the door opened for some reason and took the lead. "Come on, we got to hurry before this Castle finds something else to use." Ken agreed with that and took out his phone to text. "I just need to keep my mind busy since I... thought I saw someone."

Out of the castle.

Kairi read a text and started organizing Aqua's Keyblade and Armor quickly Sora and Riku were caught off guard by the eagerness as Ana noticed and asked. "They finally kicked that trespasser out?"

Kairi shook her head. "Not yet, but they are finally through the worst of the castle, they are at the final floor and going straight to Garland. They saw the end of that keyblade's memories and there isn't much getting in the way now, we need to clean this mess up before they get back out here."

Donald and Goofy sighed and cleared out the campfire as Mickey looked up to the castle. "I wonder what they found at the end?"

Sora guessed and felt heavy in the heart. "They must have had to say goodbye to the friend they made?"

Riku closed his eyes and asked. "A figment of a memory of someone they never knew? It could have been worse."

Namine figured it might have. "Those memories connected from somewhere and they reached as far of the chain as the Castle could show them. If they don't get out soon, it might happen all over again," Kairi smiled wide and spoke of one good info. "Unless they get slowed down by anything or if the last floor is that large," Namine remembered more accurately. "It... really isn't, so this would take... I think ten minutes."

With in the Castle.

Ken placed his keyblades down and looked upon his metallic hand with a fire ball, having a hard time believing it. "This really is real."

Aqua opened a door ahead and turned to her student picking up his keyblades. "It's like that long dream we awaken from is more real than we thought. If I'm correct, this is the highest point of the Castle."

Ken gave the door a sharp glare, Aqua felt like there was a whistle of a gun and readied to charge in. "Let's do it!"

She jumped in and saw a collection of crystals gathered around for a ritual, four large crystals, glowing in fire, flowing in water and air, rumbling like the earth, were at the outer edge. Closer to the center were four more crystals, one orbited the center as another followed around it in magnetism. Two larger crystals floated bellow them, one glowing in and growing life, the other in still coldness. Above the center were two crystals dancing, one spinning side ways like a clock and the other showing images of various fiends. In the center was Garland, standing proudly, floating behind him and overlooking the ritual was a winged, four armed, horned demon. The demon had yellow skin at his arms, legs and tail, the rest of his body was red. Garland noticed them and greeted them. "So the revelation came, at long last. That accursed Keyblade made any intervention of mine redundant in purpose."

Ken shot a laser beam from his gun, a barrier glistened around Garland and reflected it back to the boy, knocking him of his feet as Aqua focused and fired prism beams, having similar results and being better at dodging. The teacher stopped as the student got himself up, Aqua asked furiously. "And you are using the crystals here as well? What are you doing?"

The demon above asked back in a polite tone. "Indeed, what are we doing here?"

Garland answered that as the crystals glowed and filled him with power. "Sir Kendry, you were right to assume I would have perished with in the Realm of Darkness. For the influence of Khorne had twisted it into a bloody hellscape of skulls, fire and brass, I thought that was my fate as well. To be devoured by the hellish daemons," He turned to the demon above. "Until an unlikely savior spirited me away into this very spot, where he tended my wounds and guided me to this moment. A Spirit of Strife!" Ken growled and healed himself as he looked up to the demon. "To travel the worlds and use the crystals to drain magic, while saving this place for last? Is this a doomsday ritual?"

The demon opened his fanged mouth and laughed. "Ha, ha, ha! Always assuming your answers. No, this is something more complex."

Garland laughed with him. "Why would this demon know where I should go? Why would this demon be this prepared? Have your friends spoke of what they saw from each of the moments they found the crystals?"

His body became encased in a dark crystal and he glowed as Ken and Aqua looked to each other annoyed, the boy answered. "Kairi and Riku never told us about the specifics, just that it was an odd ritual, a heartless you made guards it, and by the time she gets to checking it out... it's gone," Aqua felt that could have been a major clue to know and looked up to the demon as she answered Garland. "But, we know you and the demon know each other. Why would you cast your lot with another?"

Garland's body changed shape, his horned helmet in tact, yet wings, a tail and an extra set of arms formed. The crystals drained of power and slowly fell still as Garland's voice slowly changed. "With these, I command the elements, I can flip your world upside down, rip apart space and blink through time. With this power, I am reborn!"

SHATTER!

The crystal shattered to let loose the sinister force, a demon identical to the one above, Garland gave a glow resembling a clock as the duo realized they witnessed a paradox. "Born again in this endless cycle I created. That, is what the Spirit of Strife has shown me and with this, I begun anew."

Ken and Aqua tried to stop the demon from casting his spell, in a blink of an eye, the demon vanished. Landing in the demons place was the one supporting the ritual. "And with that finished, I am unleashed. I am the Spirit of Strife, the very thing that brings your worlds into endless conflict. You may see me as an avatar of what you Chaos, of Discord. Where all things collide and blend. That is what I shall bring upon the worlds."

Aqua readied for battle in her confusion. "Garland, do you think we are going to let you do that?"

Ken felt rather guilty and aimed. "We were all so busy with a bigger threat that we let you do this under our noses. We're going to stop this!" Garland readied for battle and asked. "So long as you are divided, you will be nothing more than a part of the cycle, unable to overcome they who control your reality for their own unsatisfied reasons. Do you really think you can overcome a god?"

He readied his claws and flapped his wings as Aqua ordered. "Get lost already!" She dashed after Garland and let loose a flurry of blows, Garland blocked the keyblade swings with his arms as Ken jumped behind him and fired, Garland gave a glow and reflected the beam back to the boy that used his wind to dodge.

Garland vanished in an instant and hovered above them, using his four arms to ready a spell and cause the force of gravity to send the two falling down in a thud, the teacher and student struggled to get up and Garland landed before them, his arms and wings stretched, water formed behind him and he flew to the wall, the water rolled at the two like a tsunami and sent them rushing back to a wall.

SLAM!

The key bearers were on their backs dazed and the demon pulled something back, forming a tornado that sucked them in and throttled them, Garland taunted. "I am beyond the Hollowed husks from ages long past! You may try again and again, but the cycle will end the same."

Woosh!

The duo landed, battered with an inch of their life, the demon landed and readied a finishing blow, unaware of something coming at him from his left, a black ball of fire that scorched Garland and caused him to land, the demon looked to the direction and found a knight covered in ashes giving off a glow of dark fire and cursing at him. "Will you take the hint already, this Castle doesn't want you anymore!"

The knight channeled the darkness in his hand and slammed it to the ground, a burst of fire rushed after Garland and washed over him. The demon took the damage, folded his lower hands and looked at the battered keyblade wielders. "Figment of a memory long past, you defend them even if it doesn't matter for you?"

The Ashen Knight yelled at him. "I can do this all over again until I kill you, begone already or you will be seeing the fires of hell sooner than later!"

The demon considered that a hollow threat as Ken and Aqua pulled themselves up, he used his right hand to show three fingers. "Make harmony with the order of the worlds, for by tomorrow you will have three days and three nights," The demon opened a corridor behind him and flew in backwards, speaking to a recovering Aqua. "Go and free your companion, he has waited long enough."

The keyblade master gasped and noticed the knight of ashes letting his fire fade, the knight turned around to the wall to disappear and Ken called out to him. "Wait, Benedict," The knight sharply turned to him and drew his claymore. "I'm not him, I'm just a memory in this accursed castle! Haven't you learned anything? Thinking every fleeing man must be caught. Still thinking every secret must be unearthed. You seek the truth and you barely had the stomach to go on as you keep bringing this agony upon yourself."

Ken jumped back in shock as Aqua barked in his defense. "Hey, he fixed this and what were you using?"

Benedict looked at the keyblade master pitifully. "Power better off forgotten and out of anyone's hands. Since you needed that power mad freak gone, I might as well put it to good use. Now you can see to the end of this damned place, right?"

Aqua nodded as Ken looked hurt from the lecture. "Once me and Ken get out of here... thank you." Benedict readied to leave through a fog of memory and was stopped by a reflective barrier. One came falling down around Aqua and blocking the exit. Ken blinked in stress as Aqua asked. "What now?" Ken rubbed his forehead in confusion. "This castle isn't done with us?" Benedict banged on the wall and smashed against it with his claymore, Ken noticed his burning keyblade igniting, he shook his head to try and block out a memory.

The knight couldn't believe it. "No, no, no. Kid, you need to snap out of it," He realized what he done and cursed himself. "Damn it, what have I don't?"

The castle slowly distorted and Aqua smelled ashes, she gave a glare to Benedict and tried to fight the barrier as Ken realized. "You... came to help us. But... seeing you keeps reminding me of how I got this." He looked at his burning keyblade broke a sweat. "Oh no."

Benedict approached the boy and tried to shake him out of it as the surroundings took the form of open, craggy ruins, covered in ashes, discarded swords and flowers. "Kid, you need to forget about this, I'm not worth it."

The ceiling looked like a darkening, cloudy sky and in place of a sun was a blackened eclipse, with the light draining away from the world. Ken refused to do something that heartless and was in a near trance, finding at the other end of the room to be a knight of cinder sitting by a dying bonfire. The knight stood and revealed its misshapen form, looking like the elite armor of a knight, if with red cloth, its helmet looked to be warped by fire and have what seems to be a melted crown on top, the knight looked upon Ken and reached its right hand into the fire blade, it hesitated to pull as Ken felt a swirl of emotions in his mind, he slowly aimed both keyblades at the guardian of the flame. Benedict took a deep breath and rubbed a flaming hand on his claymore. "Brash Soul of Cinder, this ends," He approached the Soul of Cinder. "It's time the flame goes out, if there is one thing I can do right, it's putting you lot down."

Ken swallowed and approached the odd Soul that pulled the flaming sword. The Soul of Cinder marched to them, Ken fired and the Soul rolled to the right, he countered with two swipes, Benedict rolled back as Ken jumped back, the Ashen Knight countered with his swipes as Ken rushed to the foe, impaled it and back flipped. The Soul of Cinder's ignited his blade and swiped to upper cut Benedict. He marched to Ken and slammed his blade down. The boy felt the heat and jumped to the right, cutting him by the ankles and causing the Soul to fall on his knees. Benedict pulled himself up and drank from his flask as Ken felt a power coming from the knight, he backed away and watched the Soul of Cinder stand up and shifted his sword to a pike. Ken was surprised and the Knight spun after him with the pike, knocking him to the ground and knocking Benedict across.

Ken forced himself up and watched the Soul of Cinder glow his pike and trust after Benedict, the Ashen Knight rolled to the left as Ken healed himself. The two went into melee against the Soul of Cinder that flexed and pulsed with divine power, knocking them back and giving the Soul of Cinder time to kneel and glow in healing light, Ken shifted his burning keyblade into a spear and rushed after the Soul of Cinder, stabbing it in the head as Benedict scorched his hand and yelled. "Kid, jump back! NOW!"

Ken did that and watched Benedict hurl a swirling ball of chaotic fire at the Soul of Cinder, scorching it and causing it to kneel again, Ken pulsed a heal and watched the Soul of Cinder change its pike to a staff. The Soul of Cinder summoned five crystals of energy and readied another spell, the boy and ashened knight rolled to dodge the masses and rolled again to dodge a spear of magic. The Soul of Cinder rolled out of the way of their attacks and fired a barrage of magic spears, the two rolled left and right and unleashed their attacks upon the Soul as Aqua tapped the barrier again and felt something familiar, yet uncanny about the Soul of Cinder.

Ken rushed to stab and back flipped behind Benedict to watch the knight hurl another ball of chaotic fire, the Soul of Cinder leaned forward again, forced itself up and shifted his staff into a curved sword. The Soul of Cinder inhaled and coughed out a mist of poison, the duo dodged that as the Soul of Cinder formed a chaotic fire ball and hurled it at them, forcing another dodge and leaving behind lava. The Soul of Cinder flipped to the duo and unleashed a flurry of slashes, Ken jumped back, dismissed his gun like keyblade and formed his spear into a burning katana as Benedict rolled back, frantic for his life. Ken skid in a trial of fire and slashed at the Soul of Cinder, the burning soul back flipped to avoid another, formed a fire ball and put it in its chest, glowing a power from with in. Ken rushed and slashed over and over, dodging the burning blows of the Soul of Cinder and jumping back as the foe back flipped and readied another chaotic fire ball. The boy slowed his breathing, noticed a familiarity and flashed his blade like a flicker of sun light.

WOOSH!

He appeared behind the Soul of Cinder and caused an explosion, landing gracefully and turned around to find the Soul of Cinder kneeling again, the burning katana returned to a keyblade and Ken called his other blade back as the Soul stood up and looked at him disoriented and about the tumble, the curved sword return to a great sword and the Soul readied to stab the ground.

Ken and Benedict slowly backed away, the Soul stabbed the ground and burst in fire. Both felt the heat blow across their face. The Soul of Cinder turned to Ken and leaped after him with its blade swinging, Ken rolled to the left to dodge the swipe and countered with a point blank shot, he felt his eyes dripping from something and focused on the heat of battle as Benedict approached with his burning hand, hurling a barrage of fire balls and drinking from a blue flask. The Soul of Cinder readied a bolt of lightning and tossed it to the sky, striking lightning down at the two, Ken flew to one end to dodge the lightning as Benedict was caught in it the lightning, the Soul of Cinder rushed after Benedict and tried to upper cut him. Ken shot a barrage of fire balls that caught the Soul of Cinder's attention, the Soul jumped to the right and let loose a barrage of lightning bolts, Ken swerved left and right in a charge. He punctured the Soul in the chest and his teeth gritted, he jumped back and the Soul of Cinder felt a burning slash from Benedict. The Soul readied his blade and unleashed a long combo the duo dodged the flurry of attacks and rolled back the Soul of Cinder stabbing the ground and pulsed in fire. Ken lash out a fiery whip from his burning keyblade and used it to slap the Soul that slashed horizontally and forced Benedict to roll away. Ken saw the Soul approach and miss timed a mediocre jump as he recognized something. The Soul of Cinder reached and grabbed him by the face, lifting him up and bursting in fire, knocking the boy into the ashes as Benedict growled and hurled a chaotic fire ball at the Soul.

The Soul turned to Benedict and went into melee with him as Ken was dazed, got up and focused on the Soul of Cinder. "Benedict, get out of the way!"

The Ashen Knight saw the boy glowing in fire and dodged a tossed lightning bolt, Ken jumped in the air and cartwheeled with his blades, glowing a ring of fire that formed into the sun, he shot the ray upon the Soul of Cinder and engulfed it in the light. The Soul of Cinder pushed back against the light, stubbornly refusing to give up, Ken shot himself into the beam and thrust into the Soul of Cinder, causing it to give an eerie howl and shake its knees, Ken pulled out and jumped back, watching the Soul of Cinder land forward and stab its sword into the ground, trying to use it as a way to get back up. It lifted its head up to the boy and weakly lowered it in despair, fading away in ashes and leaving behind the sword of the First Flame.

The boy fell on his knees to see the flame slowly die out and heard a barrier disappearing as Benedict looked upon him in sorrow and sat next to him with his knees. Looking at him silently in a question. Ken understood, his blades faded and he plucked the flame from the fire pit, he tried to say something, felt his eyes blinded with tears and broke into a cry. The world around him slowly drained of light, Benedict heard a woman asking from behind. "Benedict."

The Ashen Knight turned to find Aqua crossed at him and trying her hardest not to cry, he clenched his fists and felt himself fading along with the darkness. "I'm already gone. You... need to get him out of here before another bastard screws it up again."

She wanted to yell at him and felt getting more angry would make her student feel worse, she focused on Ken and ignored the disappearing knight. "Ken, this isn't real," She gently tugged at him, Ken looked up at her as the illusion faded, feeling grim and getting up, the flame flickered from its illusion into a card as Aqua gave him a hug. "It's okay, it's going to be okay."

Ken hugged back for what felt like a long moment, he had his mourning out of his system and let go, knowing of the grander picture. Aqua spun her keyblade to form an orb with sparkles. "This is how we can get out. Go ahead, touch it."

Ken did so and saw many layers of floors, he pressed his finger on the one at the bottom and the two were in a flash of light, finding themselves to the door once more. Ken looked at the card and found the image returning his depressed mood, the Soul of Cinder sitting beneath the eclipsed sun. He put it away and convinced himself. "I just need to get out of here, that's all" Aqua smiled to him and went to the door. "I got you're back in case the others are... mad about this."

Outside of the Castle.

Ana felt something being pulled back, she and Moonfang were the first to find the double door open. Aqua emerged with a cheer and slight signs of burnt clothes. "I'm back!"

She let a distraught Ken out, looking like he was expecting to be lectured. Sora noticed and asked. "What... happened in there?"

Namine sensed memories of a Soul of Cinder and backed away, advising to the spiky haired boy as she disappeared into Kairi. "Don't ask, don't ever ask."

Aqua let Ken go to the group, the boy promised. "I tell you later, Garland... turned into a demon using the crystals, traveled back in time to keep a time loop and his demon self that went back in time kicked our butts and escaped after a memory of an Ashen Knight tried to bail us out and caused the Castle to show some answers I didn't want to see," He whistled a warning. "We have no idea how to deal with Garland now. Some guy also came snooping around the castle to try to kill Miss and it didn't work."

Aqua nodded and wanted to say something urgent and noticed Kairi having something set up, the princess gave a respectful nod. "Master, we need to hurry for other reasons, but I found something might belong to you."

She presented Aqua a set of familiar armor and a keyblade that resonated to her heart, she nearly burst in joy and asked. "Kairi, that's my...where did you get that?"

Kairi winked. "I felt something calling to me from a place that was secret and... creepy." Ken had a closer look at the armor and looked back to Aqua, he smiled widely to her as the Keyblade Master approached the armor and picked up her keyblade with her other hand, feeling like a part of her came back home.

She smiled proudly to Kairi and felt a stronger sense of power resonating from her. She embraced both her and Ken in surprise, causing the teenagers to blush and try to push away. Sora and Riku looked to each other and snickered to each other as Ana dismissed Moonfang and approached the group. "Lady Aqua, Kairi did a little more than find your armaments; She, Sora, Donald and Goofy found a pretty massive discovery and I advise against celebrating just yet."

Aqua looked to her friend, aware that her students were being overwhelmed by affection. "What did they find?"

Sora folded his arms upward and placed his hands at the back of his head as Mickey asked him. "Sora, would you do the honors?" Sora smiled widely as Kairi and Ken escaped their teachers grasps. "Weeeee figured out where Ven's heart has been," He placed his right hand on his chest. "It started when some of us went to a world to see if there was trouble and-"

At an arena in the Castle that Never Was.

Archaon growled and took his standing. "I'll see that Thanquol and that Coachman remain in their place while the Horned King finishes his ritual."

Xehanort folded his arms as Vanitas was waiting at the que, Maleficent and Ahriman teleported in with the ten Rubric marines and ten terminators. The witch insisted to Ahriman. "Pete could learn from the Tzaangor as they could learn from him." The Sorcerer agreed proudly. "He knows how to use the heartless, but he needs to know of actual combat and where to strike. Perhaps our... experiment with the necromantic arts would yield someone to teach them."

Maleficent found the potential promising. "And if the Horned King insisted we prioritized this... heart of cinder, before the sea witch, our forces might regrow yet." She greeted Xehanort. "My heartless are ready, but what is this siege?"

The Seeker of Darkness answered to that and showed a map of a mountainous world. "In mere moments, Aqua would perform something that would unlock a world called the Land of Departure, her home world. If our theories are correct, this is for a purpose that would provide them a base and much more. We are not to allow that to happen."

Archaon agreed with that and ordered. "This siege is to be of two parts. One from with out and one from with in," He looked to Ahriman and Maleficent. "You will provide us with an army to sweep the gates and crush those who would defend it, if not Xehanort will deal with that. You're objective is to further divide their defenses, for they will not know who is the bigger threat until they are after you."

Ahriman laughed to that. "And while they deal with us, that will be when Xehanort deals with those foolish enough to defend it. Someone is going to deal with less than experienced wielders of the Keyblade while someone would be the imminent threat," Maleficent smiled maliciously to that plan. "And the novices being separated is precisely what we hope for."

Archaon have a malicious smile back and directed to Vanitas. "And if you are correct, Aqua and Sora would be with in the Castle. The collective suffering you harvested more than appeased Slaanesh and I happen to have command over one of it's minions."

A figure of purple mist distorted behind Vanitas, the black helmet fiend turned around to find a less than impressed, large, elegant, lightly purple daemon with light clothes, features both masculine and feminine, having four arms, the upper two having crab like talons and the lower two being talon like claws. "This thing of malice is who I am associated with?" It rolled its eyes and scoffed. "Ehh, how is this worth my time?"

Vanitas chuckled to that. "There are at least four or less gnats that would be a major annoyance whether or not I get them and Aqua separated and you would keep them away from her as long as I need. You can do what ever you like with them, so long as you make them scream and wish they were never born."

The daemon was interested and smelled a memory. "Hmm, I could use some new playthings," The daemon introduced itself. "I am Qrikzith the Voidthane, a Keeper of Secrets and a figure head."

Archaon tossed a crystal at Vanitas. "And in case Aqua has new toys of her own," Vanitas caught a gem that caused a jolt of ecstatic pain that caused his senses to heightened, he yelped and yelled. "What was that?"

He felt his grip on his keyblade even stronger and something flowing in his free hand, staring at it like someone on a high, Qrikzith sensed a familiar power and answered. "A boon, knowledge of magic fitting for both mortal and daemon. But what would happen if he fails to slay Aqua?"

Archaon pointed his sword at Qrikzith. "It depends on what Xehanort finds, consider this a task that leads to two outcomes. A... scouting of what our foes have that would lead to us crushing them by the end of this war and finding a candidate. Or we would crush them sooner and work unhindered."

He warned the both of them. "Fail in both and your existence is forfeit!" Vanitas was intimidated by that as Qrikzith gasped in fear and sighed. "Then they better provide some sport," It looked down at Vanitas. "Slaanesh might be generous, but she is as pleasurable as a lash when she grows tired of pointless games. Do not, lead me to a fools errand."

The masked boy sighed. "Well that isn't my choice, we got orders." Qrikzith had its lower hands at its hips and taunted him. "Oh how droll, what's a little business without taking pleasure?"

They looked at Archaon who seemed satisfied and at Xehanort who opened a series of corridors. "So it begins."

At the front of Castle Oblivion.

Aqua looked baffled and her eyes went watery with hope. "Ven was with you the whole time?!" She tried to keep herself calm and Ana rubbed her back. "Don't cry in joy yet, he's still sleeping."

Ken smiled widely at Sora. "You're awesome for doing this; you're really, really awesome."

Sora blushed overwhelmed and didn't know what to say. "Hey it just... it just... we only figured it out." Kairi was a little disappointed in what she didn't get to see and asked. "So what we are going to do?"

Aqua winked and had the group back away. "Ven's in this castle, it's time to wake him up. I said I'd be right back, but I've been gone for way too long. I'm in for an earful."

She held her masters keyblade in hand, closed her eyes and breathed deeply, Donald wanted to ask what was the big idea for such machinations and Goofy kept him quiet. Aqua aimed her keyblade at the door and caused a keyhole to appear, causing a flow of energy to rush through, the group were amazed and Goofy let Donald go, Aqua thrust the keyblade forward with both hands, like one would put a key into a lock. Energy glowed at the tip and shot into the keyhole, causing a reaction that nearly blew the group away in magic wind. Aqua gave a confident smile and watched a particular energy shatter. The gloomy castle sprung a color and filled it with life, they watched the castle click and reassemble itself back together into one that was supported by a bridge and chained to mountainous pillars. The rocky ground filled with grass and stone, the group found themselves on a mountain leading down into a valley bellow, they were impressed by the more lively world, they wanted to look around and Aqua asked Sora, Kairi, Donald and Goofy. "Would you please come with me? Ven is going to get overwhelmed if the first thing he sees is so many people at once."

Kairi carried the armor as her teacher picked up her old keyblade, the Princess asked. "I just need to get this inside for now? Someone might try to steal it."

Aqua didn't mind. "If that is what you want. Everyone else?"

Ana had a fierce smile. "We'll make sure this doesn't get disturbed!" She held her hammer like keyblade with both hands as Riku shrugged. "If someone tries to come here to mess with us, they'll regret it."

Ken placed his burning keyblade on the ground and held Cadia's Light with both hands. "So warning shots unless we know the intruder is a scumbag?"

He saluted Aqua and was in a guard position as Mickey wished her well. "Good luck! We will be here."

The temporary group of five went through the door and left the trouble maker responsible for the unnatural things alone with Riku, Mickey and Ana. The silver haired teenager felt it was safe to ask. "You know this doesn't mean your off the hook because this ended up biting you hard in the end. It was obvious this Castle wasn't normal and you didn't get the clue to turn back until you were neck deep."

Ken knew that. "And there are a lot of bigger things to worry about besides kicking my butt a new one. Can I please not talk about what I saw at the end. The Undead, monsters that can easily kill you, knowing a thing about Darkness and the Abyss are all things I can deal with."

Mickey guessed what happened. "You made friends with a figment of memory and it wasn't saying goodbye that hurts you in the heart?"

Ken shook his head. "He taught me how to use fire magic better and it was how that goodbye happened that I don't want to talk about."

He nearly stared into space and woke himself up as the Ana saw a door open up, Kairi waving back to those inside. "Good luck!"

She walked out, closed the door and met up with the group, making sure no one was listening. "I put Master Aqua's armor in a place no one will look. The rest is up to them while we make sure nothing comes sneaking around here."

She asked Ken with her own piece of mind. "Master said the two of you gotten cards made from that Keyblade's strongest memories and that you have one that would show us everything once we see it. Now, what else did you saw besides what ever is hurting you now?"

Ken answered more relaxed. "Miss can explain all the Abyss stuff better than I can, but both cases is some of the scariest things you would see in your life. We met a lot of people in the memories, both people you might like, some that are... pretty awful and those... strange. The cards didn't start coming until the second to last floor when we found and fought the stuff of legends. But we also found some spells we could actually take with us and even share some of them out. We just need to mix them well enough."

Kairi understood that as Riku asked him. "For you, it's pyromancy, all us use fire at some point, so what makes yours special?"

Ken whistled and answered as he approached a wider ground. "Variety and even one with a breath."

He formed a fire ball on his fleshy hand, inhaled and breathed out a light purple cloud, that burst into a cloud of poison mists, Kairi cringed. "That's concentrated carbon dioxide! You know that stuff can kill you if you breath it in."

Ken knew and walked back. "And this is the lighter stuff, if I use the deeper stuff, it won't be pretty."

He blew out air magic to blow the mist away as Ana was half impressed. "That's certainly different from breathing fire."

Ken agreed with that and returned to his guard. "There are a few more, but I'm keeping them for later. So, anything happened with you guys?"

Riku, Mickey and Ana looked like they didn't do much as Kairi answered. "Besides what Sora said, I've been getting better with the form changes and I found an element I like. Water."

Ken and Ana felt an idea coming, the Stormcast asked. "You know how to make those elements work together?" Kairi tried to think about how it would with fire. "Well, we all know water conducts electricity and fire would get extinguished if dampened," She snapped her fingers and had a rather aggressive plan. "Unless we boil it."

Riku signaled a time out. "Overkill, complete overkill."


	44. The Awakening Siege

With in a restored castle, Aqua nearly felt like she was back in time and held a silver and blue keyblade in her hand, she lead Sora, Donald and Goofy across a near golden hall, making sure they didn't get distracted and was willing to put past events behind her. "Ready?"

The trio nodded and followed, rather excited to the return of another keyblade wielder. Goofy asked. "So what we got to worry about with Garland now that he got away?"

Aqua took a deep breath. "It's like what Ken said, Garland made a paradox of himself. Saving his past self from the corrupted darkness and giving him a task to keep the paradox stable in his favor. He has control over nearly all the elements of magic and nothing we threw at him did anything, Ken tried to shoot him and the beam came right back. Garland said he was going to give us three days and three nights for us to be ready, I wouldn't count on that."

Sora cringed and Goofy was worried as Donald grumbled. "What a dirty-" Jiminy popped out of one of Sora's pockets and confessed. "It is, but laying low while something bigger is going on, to the point where we wouldn't have had the attention to deal with it then, is pretty ingenious. We gotta tell the others soon, if Garland already has control over Heartless, we are going to be in big trouble."

Sora agreed with that and asked. "One guy went and got power and we need to figure out what we can do to beat him."

Aqua sighed and was at a lost. "There is one element that could scratch him, but it isn't enough. Ken wasn't exaggerating when a memory of an Ashen Knight came to try to help us, a memory of Benedict. That knight was using abyssal fire, fire... that has been affected with Darkness. Since Riku is the only one that we can trust that knows anything like that, we need to figure out how to manage the magic making up Garland's being."

Donald counted a few. "How are we going to do that? We know how the magic works, but taking it away from him is our only chance."

Aqua made a turn to the right and to a stair way leading up in the castle as she agreed with that. "That isn't a power either of us know, but there could be someone more attuned to that power than either of us." Goofy hummed and knew of two. "Merlin and Yen Sid ought to know."

Aqua nodded and guided the three up the stairs. "The power to dispel all of that is going to take everything we know of magic and turn it backwards. Ven's just up ahead, Sora... do you know anything about how this would work?"

Sora shook his head. "Riku and Kairi kind of do when they had to dive into my heart to fix the pieces. But... I don't know how it works besides that the Power of Waking can fix hearts."

Aqua sighed. "This could make things complicated, I tried it two times and they were not guarantees. Tarnos's heart was damaged for so long I was only able to repair enough for him to function beyond... what could be comparable to a machine. Ana's was so torn by Nagash that she was busy being reforged...repaired, while I went to get the Heartstone. This might take a while if we don't know where to look and I don't want to end up hurting you by accident."

Jiminy sighed. "It's as delicate as open heart surgery," He chuckled at the pun as Sora didn't get it. "Open..." Aqua explained it. "He is talking the other kind of heart, he isn't far off."

They were up to the second floor and found a balcony overlooking the front door, stained glass, a side door, more décor of a grand land and to the back of the room, three thrones, with a particular boy sleeping in the center. The four went to have a closer look, Sora found it a little funny, the boy sleeping greatly resembled Roxas, straight down to the clothes, baring a shoulder pad on his left shoulder. Even after ten years, barred from time, the body stayed the same.

Aqua was teary eyed and rushed to the coma induced boys side. "Ven," She slowly embraced him. "I'm sorry it took so long."

She let go and tried to think about how she was going to get Ven's heart out of Sora's body and back to its owners. A muffled boom was heard from outside and a sinister voice was heard from behind. "That was a neat trick," Sora, Donald and Goofy turned to find Vanitas appeared and approaching. "No wonder no one could find him."

Sora, Donald and Goofy drew their weapons, Sora bringing out an odd mechanical keyblade that's blade tip looked like a face of a machine wearing a construction hat and the teeth looking like clamps. The spiky haired boy yelled. "Vanitas, get out of here!"

Aqua stood before the stairs to the throne in defense, with a cold hostile glare at the helmet fiend. "Why are you here?"

Vanitas answered with sarcasm. "Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt your touching reunion, but surely you won't begrudge me a moment with my brother?"

Aqua looked behind the stained glass to find chaos is outside and had her eyes back to Vanitas, she wanted to tell him to leave as Sora, Donald and Goofy charged after the dark fiend. Vanitas flickered in dark streams and appeared behind them, he snapped his fingers and caused a barrier to drop behind the trio. Blocking them out of the battle and leaving them before a faint distortion of purple taking form. Sora, Donald and Goofy saw the faint symbol of Slaanesh before them and felt something predatory was gazing upon them. Vanitas disappeared again, Aqua cautiously looked around, hearing a flicker behind her and turning around.

Finding Vanitas sitting on head of the throne, right above Ven. The sadistic, venom spewing demon placed his left hand under his chin. "So, Venty-Wenty wants to keep sleeping. What am I ever going to do with you?"

Aqua's keyblade glowed with ice and she yelled. "Get away from him!"

She leaped after him, Vanitas parried her with his own and taunted. "You better settle down there, "Master"."

Aqua flipped him off the throne and caused him to land by the barrier as Sora, Donald and Goofy were before a forming, large, hermaphrodite daemon that gracefully entered and looked down at them stoically. "So these are the three stray souls, far from home?" The deamon showed its teeth in a wide, sadistic smile. "Oh this will be entertaining."

Aqua gave a slight spin on landing and stood before Vanitas, seeing the daemon of Chaos without much surprise and waved her free hand, causing a barrier to form in front of Ventus, she spoke to Vanitas in a cold tone. "Of course you and you're master would come in a time like this. I'm ending you're sick little game."

The daemon was rather amused and swiped its crab like claws at Sora, Donald and Goofy, half focused on them and trying to claw at them with sinister hands. "Has this been repeated before? Oh what a dance to be."

PEW!

A blade swiped the daemon in the face, it looked upon a back flipping Sora that barked. "Hey, were over here!"

The daemon gave a cold glare. "You're going to wish you never done that."

In the barrier, Vanitas posed for battle as Aqua slowly approached with her guard up. Vanitas flipped to the right and fired a dark fire ball, Aqua flipped to the left, flung an ice ball at him and flipped to dodge another. She rushed after him and let loose a quick combo, finishing with a burst of light.

Aqua continued, felt her blade sink through an illusion and saw heard a snarl from above. "You wish!" SLAM! Aqua felt the impact and a spark of ice percing her. She flipped away from Vanitas's swings, let loose a couple fire balls to keep him away and healed herself. The fiend chuckled, took out a small knife and tossed it in the air, causing it to spin into a blade wheel that multiplied, letting them fly after Aqua, the keyblade master jumped out of the way and felt some of them cutting into her, Aqua gave off a glow of magical power. "Enough of this!"

Vanitas attempted to cast another sinister spell and felt a strong will stopping it, Aqua let loose a quick, sparkling combo, finishing it with a point black shot of magic. The blades rushed after her for their cuts and she focused her will against the spell, realizing some form of malicious sentience and gave off a pulse, reducing the blades to a single dagger that faded away. Vanitas growled and raised his keyblade up, causing the ground to darken and let loose clawing tendrils that rushed after Aqua.

Out of the barrier.

Sora, Donald and Goofy realized by the sharpness of the claws, just how lethal the deamon would be if any of the attacks connected. Goofy focused on protecting Donald and bashing when he could as Donald used a haste spell on Sora and fired fire balls at the daemon when he can. Sora slide to the barrier to dodge swipes of talon claws and flung himself to the daemon, hitting it in the face and watching it vanish in a dance. The daemon finished its spin and fired an arcane bolt at Sora, it gave a sinister glow and realized it wasn't focusing on it enough, it dashed to him and clawed him in the chest with its smaller talons, causing a jolt of pain as he countered with an upper cut and raised his keyblade in the air. The blade expanded, caused its teeth to split with a stream of electricity and formed a white door on its neck, it shrank down and Sora spun, causing it to look like a door on a stick, with clamps going loose and burst in light. Sora formed two mechanical claws attached to screw like gloves. His arms went into the claws and he gave a rather fierce smile, he clawed back at the daemon rather viciously and gave the daemon rather bitter memories. It jumped back with grace and tried to cast something, causing Sora's mind to shut down in an unnatural, lazy stupor, he drooled near sleepy, Donald squawked. "Not now!"

The daemon chuckled and rushed after him with impaling claws, Goofy rushed in front of Sora to block the blow, both were sent flying to a wall as Donald flung ice spears at the daemon, the fiend hissed and noticed Vanitas letting loose dark power, chuckling to the active duo. "How, pray tell, are you two even remotely capable without him?" Donald growled as Goofy readied his shield. "We got's something you don't!" The duck glowed his staff and fed icy power into it. "Team work!"

WOOSH!

A beam of ice shot at the daemon as Sora was recovering from the dream like stupor. "Wha-" He gasped as the daemon disappeared and reappeared above the two, he focused on the demon in shock and shot snake like projectiles at the daemon. He flew and drilled into the daemons chest, regaining an upper ground as the daemon tried to cast its odd spell again, Donald focused his own will power and unbound it, the daemon tilted its head left with a rather bewildered snicker. "How simple yet... sublime."

Outside of the Castle, right before Vanitas showed up.

Kairi folded her arms in a pout. "Come on, how are we going to work together when some of us use opposite elements? We need something that would work and that idea-" She cringed and was realizing. "Would over do something fatal."

Riku nodded to that. "Exactly, if you pressure the water, it would be like hitting them with a wrecking ball, if you charge it up, they won't be getting up when electricity gets you here." He pointed to his head. "And if you boil the water, you're cooking them alive at best and burning them away at worst."

Ana asked. "So ya got a better idea?"

Riku tapped his head as Ken noticed on a mountain to the far right and pulled his burning blade out, a flock of something coming at them in high speeds, ten grey wyvern like heartless. "We can think about that later, we got company!"

He aimed and fired at the wyverns, gunning three down as five flickers of dark appeared in front of them, large knight like heartless in purple armor and having shields with a snarling demonic face, complimenting that was ten wizard like heartless and five clacking soldiers from the shadows that dashed to Ken and Riku, the silver haired boy rushed after them as Mickey and Ana saw ten heavily armored, blue armored soldiers appearing out of nowhere along with ten blue armored space marines at the edges, having them surrounded.

The marines aimed at the party of five as the knights shields inhaled and the witches aimed their staves. Kairi yelped, gave a glow and stabbed the ground with her keyblade, causing a dome like barrier to form and block the various shots, the barrier wasn't lasting and Ana focused on the marines. "I'll keep the weird warriors busy. The rest of ya know which you need to hit?" Ken looked at the knights with shields. "Some one just needs to hit these guys in the back, no problem for me."

Kairi looked up to the witches as Mickey saw the wyverns coming close. The girl asked. "I'll deal with the fliers here. Riku, you're majesty, where did these come from?"

Riku noticed a far mountain with familiar scents and answered. "Our wise guys are over there. Mickey, do you think we can make it over there if we use those wyverns?" Mickey didn't know about that and Riku smiled overconfidently. "I'll lead."

The mouse found that reckless, the barrier neared its limit and he accepted. "It calls for that, can you fellas handle this?"

Ana grunted, glowed her wings and sparked her keyblade. "They brought war to this world, we are the storm!" BOOM! She flew out of the barrier and af the terminators, fighting against warriors of equal strength and letting lose a thunder cloud over the strange marines, lightning came and the barrier dimmed, Kairi silently signaled Riku and Mickey to find a good time to jump.

She flew after the wizards and let loose as Ken swiped his burning blade upward and let loose a wave of fire to distract the knights, jumping right into their face and seeing the shields deflecting the fire, the knights tried to shield bash, Ken jumped back and side ways to the right, quickly maneuvering with his guard in the front and side stepping to their backs as the heartless tried to turn around and had laser beams shooting through them. Riku and Mickey cut through sneaking soldiers and went as close to the edge, Riku held to Mickey's hand and focused on a distant mountain. Mickey knew what the boy was going to do and readied himself.

WOOSH!

Riku flowed from the edge to the mountain, landing by a ledge and seeing Mickey looking like he was flung from a roller coaster. "I need an estimate, how many of those wyverns can we clear out in one jump?"

Mickey looked to the right most mountain and the seven wyverns keeping into formation, giving off a focus of his own. "If we do... that to the one closest and jump to each one, we just need to make that final jump to another." Riku focused on the wyvern coming past the mountain. He and Mickey flew from the ledge to the wyvern, jumping on one and slaying it in an instant, they did the same to the seven in a synced unison and flew from one stream of light to another. They found a rather crumbled tower on a mountain next to another. Flowing to that mountain and finally to the last tower.

They entered and were greeted with snaring thorns rupturing from the ground and a barrage of blue bolts of power. Riku and Mickey nearly tripped from a mid glide attempt to avoid the thorns and the destructive bolts. Hearing a familiar witch snickering. "Well, well. We expected the guardians of this world to come flying by, but here we found a dweller of in between and the King."

Riku and Mickey looked ahead to find Maleficent by a wall and Ahriman on his disk, floating next to her. "You both are both wise to come rushing in to stop us, but you have also played right into our trap."

Maleficent tapped her staff and caused the outer wall of the arena to be consumed in green fire. "You fools really think you can defeat us?"

She spun her scepter and formed a circling mass of sparkling energy, giving off a mocking cackle as Ahriman added his own power into it and caused it to become unstable, she flung it at the two and watched it let loose a barrage of fire as it flew at the two, Riku cringed and ran to a wall as Mickey flung himself above the power and at Ahriman. Riku rushed after Maleficent to strike as Ahriman dodged and blocked Mickey's swing, the odd battle of magical combos begun.

Simultaneously.

Kairi swatted the ten mages firing various spells at her into a bundle, glowed in bright light and flung a bright star shaped flower at them, wiping them out with one swing and landing to find the large knights engulfed in a fire storm, freeing their hearts and leaving behind a boy keeping guard and noticing four figures of darkness appearing. Demonic looking, purple heartless with a heart shaped hole on their abdomens and straight swords, Ken focused on Cadia's Light and caused it to shift into an arm cannon, he aimed to the one to his left as Kairi turned and looked behind her. Ana dodged a variety of shots and felt pain from the bullets that made contact with her armor, melting it like wax, she sent several of the strange soldiers off the mountain and crackled in lightning, rushing at the survivors like bolts of lightning. Kairi focused on her keyblade and split it into two smaller swords as she asked the boy. "How fast can we turn them to pieces?" Ken's arm cannon glowed and he answered. "I say five seconds." One heartless on the duo's side flew down after them as the other threw their blade into the ground and flew into the ground as a ring of fire.

BLAM!

FFFZZZIP!

Ken blasted his foe into oblivion as Kairi flew to hers and sliced it in two, a ring of fire wandered to her and she back flipped as Ken slowly backed away, let the ring encircle him and jumped back, the demonic heartless burst out of the ground, leaving them to shots and slashes.

Ana knocked another marine off the ledge and looked down confused, she turned to the duo finishing off what seems to be the last of the heartless. Kairi let her swords revert back to a keyblade as Ken's arm cannon reverted back to what it was. The Stormcast was impressed and landed next to the two. "Neither of ya was kidding when ya said you picked up something new."

Kairi blew her bangs and was ready for more as Ken felt reignited and giggled. "I need to learn how to combine firestorm and tempest in sync with a set, someone will figure out I'm dropping THAT in a heartbeat."

Kairi felt a competitive spirit and asked. "Where did you learn those side steps?"

Ken answered and felt an odd chill. "Brr! A knight with a spear dodges like that all the time and I thought looks pretty cool since we all know my specialty staying out of peoples faces or hitting them where they are not looking."

Kairi hummed with a burning light in her heart. "We should talk to Master about what we are going to do when this is over."

Ken's chill felt worse and Kairi saw a flicker of darkness opening up from the edge leading down the mountain, she tensed as Ana readied for more battle, a figure approached from the opened corridor, a familiar tan man with white hair and a sinister looking keyblade. "So this is the band of students she picked? A Princess of Heart, a warrior from realms beyond... and a child that expunged a might beyond the stars."

Ken's excited mood turned to a stoic scowl as Ana gave a grey glow. "You are not welcome into there lands, begone!" Kairi agreed with that and had her keyblade ready. "We don't need this today, get lost."

Xehanort readied for battle and asked. "Or else what? Do you think I would allow you all to interfere with my plans again?" Kairi rolled her eyes and answered. "Like that would help, can we skip all the darkness talk and get straight to kicking you out?" Ken nearly broke his stoic scowl with his cheeks puffed as Ana laughed loudly. "Bwahahahaha!"

She readied for flight as Ken posed for a clear shot with an odd silence, Xehanort grunted and the trio were sent flying across the wall by a shadow demon bursting from the ground. Formation was broken and Ana rushed after the man like a bolt of lightning.

PEW!

Xehanort disappeared and reappeared, swinging at a less than prepared Kairi that had to back flip, Ken was harassed by the shadow demon, jumped back and side stepped. Kairi countered with a swing that was quickly parried as Ken focused both keyblades and fired a burning shot the Dark Seeker, the shadow demon rushed in the way to block the shot as Ana bull rushed Xehanort away from Kairi and caused her blade to form into a glaive, slashing after him and causing him to back flip. Kairi took a chance for a sucker punch as Ken flicked his burning keyblade to form an ember and flew to the left ledge, aiming both keyblades and nearly being rammed by the shadow demon, he stabbed the ledge, burst into flames, appeared back where he was and fired a shot at the man that realized he was fighting a bunch of dirty fighters. Xehanort shrugged off the pain, growled and pulsed a wave that pushed the melee fighters back, he and his keyblade glowed a dark red, disappeared and let his shadow demon ram Kairi and Ana across. The Stormcast noticed the man appearing in front of her and letting loose fast swings, the Stormcast parried and jumped back to dodge, she flew back to his person and swung down at him. He disappeared and reappeared in front of Kairi, he gave her next to no room to relax, she made a few frantic parries and stabbed the ground to let loose a flower pulsing in light as Ken focused on the teleporting man appearing above, jumped up for a cartwheel and formed a burning circle that became the sun. He caught Xehanort in the beam and rushed after him.

SWIPE!

The man was knocked away from the princess and the boy back jumped, Kairi breathed in, enveloped herself in water and notice the man appearing right behind Ken for an attack. Ken side stepped and let Kairi rush at him like a tidal wave, getting him wet and allowing Ana to make an electrical slam to him, forming a circuit that earned a fast zap.

The shadow demon appeared in front of Xehanort and blocked the glaives swing, Ken felt he had enough with the shadow demon and aimed above Xehanort. PEW! He fired and caused it to converge into an orb of fire, raining fire balls down and cause the man to move away from that, Kairi exhaled and used a healing spell for herself and her team. "I got an idea, Ken, do you know what you just did?"

Ken tilted his head to Kairi in silence with a casual smile that said, yes. The Stormcast asked the Princess. "I'm all ears, this villain isn't letting up."

Pew!

Xehanort teleported behind the three and scoffed. "You have no idea."

WOOSH!

A dark wind sent the three flying like rag dolls, Ana flipped and landed heavy as Kairi nearly lost her landing and Ken caught himself by the hands and performed a ground cartwheel. Ken whined and put his blades together. "I really wanted to give this guy the silent treatment, Ana, can you toss Kairi up as high as you can? I think I know what she is suggesting."

The Stormcast nodded as the shadow demon appeared with glowing red eyes and slammed its hands to the ground for a shock wave, Kairi glided fast to the other end as Ken back jumped near the castle doors, flipped his keyblades and flung them in the air. With a spin, the electrical light and fire became something like the sun. Kairi felt like her mind was ready and jumped onto Ana's shoulders, the stormcast hurled her to the make shift sun and aimed her keyblade to shoot out lightning that coiled around the orb. Kairi sprouted glowing golden wings and hovered above the orb, Xehanort appeared next to Ken and tried to attack, the boy jumped out of the way with a gust of air magic and was paying more attention to the holy concoction. His arms crossed like he was focusing onto them, Kairi tapped her keyblade onto the make shift sun and caused it to scatter into many tiny sun light orbs, the lightning split into them and the girl added feathers into the orbs, she sent them pelting down after Xehanort. Ken saw they were homing in on the foe and swiped his arms downward. "Bye!"

He caused his blades to spin back to him like boomerangs and caused Xehanort to dodge. Forcing the man to turn and realize what kind of power was about to bombard on him. The boy stabbed into the ground and burst into flames for a teleport back to his comrades, getting far away from the blast zone as Kairi free fall, Ana caught her and let her jump off to watch the blasts of light, electricity and fire pelt Xehanort in sheer destruction. They heard a scream of defiance and saw smoke and debris cloud the after math.

Kairi and Ken panted as Ana squinted her eyes and asked. "Did... we actually do it?"

Kairi shook her head as Ken counted down. "Be ready to move, in five, four, three, two-" WOOSH!

Purple chains snared the trio and lifted them high in the air, Xehanort blew the smoke away, greatly annoyed as Kairi corrected her rival and fellow student with a sharp yell. "You were off by two seconds."

She struggled with all her vigor as Ana tried to focus her power and found it wasn't going anywhere, Ken kicked wildly, the trio saw that indeed, Xehanort was singed. Ana barked loud. "You were toying with us the whole time?!"

The man gave a half hearted, if over the top laugh. "Ha, ha, ha! If I known you three would do that together, I would have done this sooner," He used the chains to thrash the trio and caused them to feel dizzy, Kairi tried to focus with in and felt her power being chained up, Xehanort taunted the second person that tried that. "Even when you're heart is pure of light, the chains of the dark will always keep it restraint. Did you really think you even kept us out of that Castle? Even now Aqua and Sora are given a little... surprise you met not long ago."

Kairi cringed as Ken had that mental image, Kairi thrashed again. "They're still going to kick that psycho in the rear, you're getting nothing from us!"

Ana tried to pull and roared. "Those four are stronger than anything you have up your sleeve. By the light and the thunder of Sigmar's hammer, we are ending your siege!"

Ken looked like he heard something and look down at his burning keyblade, then to the ground. "We...just need a little more time."

Xehanort had a taunt for him especially. "And you honestly think that a heart from a world so riddled with darkness, would be able to actually help you?" Ken felt that get under his skin and saw golden words on the ground, looking confused and used his wrists to ready something as Xehanort made it clear. "I could sense everything that Keyblade feeds off and you met someone that has seen everything I need to know. Everything you saw was nothing more than an illusion, nothing can help any of you now."

Ken blocked the man's words out and tossed the keyblade down to the words, he looked the man in the eyes with built up anger. "Then you know exactly what I think of you, all the garbage you talk about and why my mind isn't going to change."

The keyblade landed by the words and a fog of ashes formed, it sparked even hotter and a phantom of kindling formed in a golden light. Xehanort found the bold words nearly laughable. "How many times have you stared into the abyss and not take the hint? You cling to the fire and never wonder; why depend on something that has faded away once?"

Kairi saw more of a phantom coming and barked. "Would you shut up! No matter what messed up chaos people like you bring, we won't give up!"

Ana agreed with that. "It's why you and your cohorts will be hurled back into the Chaos you wrought, we won't give in."

A phantom looking barely there formed and stood from the ashes, one resembling a hooded knight that had a large sword on his right hand and a small dagger on his left, Ken's eyes light up and he cheered. "Come on Benedict, we need more time!"

The phantom gasped in shock, looked to Ken and back to Xehanort, he slowly aimed his long sword at him and used his crooked dagger for a pose that rested the dagger by his right arm, his cloak gave off a cloud of ashes and the man looked unimpressed. "You're nothing but a figment of false hope, called from beyond the void as a spirit that doesn't even know where he is."

Benedict laughed in a hoarse, sarcastic voice. "Ha...haven't heard that one before."

Kairi cringed and the bleak chances, looked up to the castle and saw signs of a great battle underway. "Come on, hurry up."

Benedict took an ember and put it in his body, lightning up in fire and giving Xehanort a more precise taunt. "I am but ashes unfit for kindling, I am he who seen the fading of the fire and he who gave that world it's long awaited rest. What could you do to me that hasn't been done already?"

The Seeker of Darkness was caught off guard by the will power and gave a sadistic smirk. "Do you dare seek that answer?"

With in the Castle.

Sora clawed and tore at the daemon that tried to dodge most of them and Goofy's shield with unnatural grace, the daemon glowed and opened its mouth to let loose supernatural sound, Donald and Goofy held their ears in place as Sora felt the inside of his mind twisting and caused his mechanical claws to drill into the daemon.

SLASH!

Sora felt sharp claws and one of the talons sink into him, he let himself fly back and felt a heal, the daemon jumped after him with bloodied annoyance and was blown back by the boy shooting his claws away and turned them into spinning cog like blades, they went to the boys hands and became attached by string and shrank to yo-yos, the daemon saw and laughed at him. "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! The child is reduced to playing with toys?"

Sora was annoyed, back flipped and flung the yo-yos at the daemon, slicing it with spinning blades and keeping his distance, the daemon tried to cast a slothful stupor upon him and felt Donald trying everything to keep the spell from going off, the daemon looked at him and Goofy with irritation and rushed after them, something tied itself to its legs and pulled it back to Sora, who barked. "Hey, I'm over here, you freak."

The daemon felt the blades and looked to be enjoying itself. "Fiesty little morsel, are you? Ah, ha, ha, ha, come minions, a feast awaits!"

PEW!

Ten daemonettes appeared and looked to be howling with mad hunger, Donald tossed a thunder cloud above them and gave the boy a chance to slice through the daemons, he shot the yo-yos out and caused them to take a form akin to giant clamps, if one of them had a blue hard hat and eye stalks, catching the daemonettes and the greater deamon and keeping them in place with a vacuum. He clamped his hands together like jaws, the yo-yo acted like it was chomping upon the daemons, spinning blades turned the lesser daemons into minced mists and the greater was chewed even more.

The yo-yos retracted and returned back to a keyblade, the daemon panted and was sluggish from injuries, it stood up and tried to cast as Sora focused on something with in and felt a familiar friend nearby. "Give me strength!"

Something appeared before the daemon, a fiery lion that roared and scorched it, Sora jumped on the lions back and let it rush at the daemon like a warrior king, smashing it across the arena and burning it away. Donald and Goofy watched the daemon give off a purple mist, the daemon cringed and tried to stop it as the lion let loose a burning roar and caused more of it to fade. "No, no, not yet."

RUSH!

The daemon was sent flying to a window and witnessed the lion jumping to the ceiling and igniting like a hot savanna sun, a heat wave incinerated the daemon and sent it screaming back into the hell it came from, Sora landed, saw his deed and cheered with Donald and Goofy, they turned to the barrier and saw a fierce battle continuing.

Simultaneously

Aqua jumped high to avoid the lashing, whip like tendrils as Vanitas taunted her. "What's the problem there? Think I was going to do the same old, same old?"

Aqua dived down after him and gave off a burst of fire, scorching the tendrils and carving after him in quick succession, Vanitas disappeared and tried to strike down at her, Aqua dodged and the fiend shot another fire ball, the Keyblade Master flipped out of the way and let loose at him once more, the fiend parried and sent her flipping back as the fire ball split into five and homed in at her, Aqua braced herself and burst in power, her body being consumed by her own fire, the fire took the form of a pheonix that gave a mighty caw, somersaulted and dived down into the floor, the darkened environment was incinerated by an inferno. Vanitas was flung to a barrier, he jumped forward and disappeared, giving off a pulse of chaotic energy and a disorienting aura. Aqua felt dizzy and in a nightmare like stance, finding Vanitas appearing from all corners, the fiend flung a barrage of slicing shards that went through her and gave her a feeling like her soul was being stabbed by sharp knives. She shook her head and gave off a burst of dark blue light mixed in with crystals, she spun in the air and fired crystal arrows of energy at the hallucinations, many dispatched and Vanitas was knocked back by the piercing crystal.

Aqua formed five masses and fired them down at him in more arrows. Her magic enveloped her body and took the form of a crystal, four winged, seemingly eyeless, aqua blue dragon, she took flight and gave off a roar. She fired a beam at Vanitas and forced him to roll right to dodge, crystals erupted in the beams trial and Aqua rushed the beam after the fiend, crystals sent him flying to the face of the dragon like form. The dragon opened a single black eye from her forehead and fired a rainbow eye beam at him, the fiend screamed in pain from a burning will of the soul, the dragon lost its form and Aqua fell out to a more clearer arena. She panted and her glow turned to pink, she taunted as Vanitas nearly fell on his knees. "You had enough yet?"

The psycho wasn't giving up on that, turned to the barrier protecting the sleeping Ven and snickered, Aqua wasn't going to let what ever scheme he had in mind happen and rushed after him, the two traded blows, Vanitas was shoved back and flung a fire ball, mixed with darkness, at the barrier mid fall.

Aqua saw the cracks in the barrier, realized what Vanitas was doing and jumped in the way as the psychopath readied another, she formed a reflective barrier in front of herself and took the next bolt, then another and another. Pushing her up against the wall, Vanitas launched after her and kicked her against it, she forced herself back and was getting worn down by the dirty fighting, she heard a fiery roar and a daemons scream and looked to find Sora, Donald and Goofy seeing her in a battle going against her favor.

On the other side, Sora slammed his fist against the barrier and screamed. "Aqua, come on!"

Thump!

Sora felt something in his chest beating hard, his vision became blurry and his breath lightened. He found himself with in a black void, hearing a voice familiar, yet different. "I...I have to wake up."

Sora recognized the voice and asked. "Yes, tell me what to do," The voice answered. "The Power of Waking," That Sora had no idea how to make it work. "But how? How am I suppose to use it?"

The voice gently encouraged. "It sleeps... until someone needs it. Call to it..." Sora felt something connecting, like it was something second nature. "I am calling... with all my heart." He appeared on a familiar, stained glass tower and aimed his keyblade down to the center, light shined and a keyhole formed, he let the light from his blade flow into the keyhole and caused a pulse.

The boy did a slow back flip with in the void and watched the image he always dream about glow in a connection, the keyhole swelled in light and birds of light fluttered out, causing the image peel away to another, of a boy he remembered more and more. One of a certain blonde spiky haired boy sleeping, with a black wing like keyblade positioned behind, in the stained glass was a cragged landscape with in a green circle, a keyhole formed at the image of Ventus's chest. Sora knew what to do and aimed his keyblade again, firing a beam at keyhole. It reacted and sparked in light, Ventus whispered. "Thank you, for always keeping me safe, Sora..."

The boy watched an orb of light fly out from the stained glass, out into the void, to its intended host. Sora felt his vision returning to reality and saw a bright light on the other end. Aqua was getting overwhelmed and Vanitas readied another brutal blow, he noticed a light shining behind his foe, shooting at the barrier and shattering through.

Hearing a voice in the light yelling out. "Aqua!"

A boy Vanitas know well of, flew out of the light. Ventus with his keyblade ready to strike, Vanitas parried and was looking at a boy determined to fight him back. The clash of blades caused a pulse of light to shatter the barrier and fly out of the castle, Ventus jumped back and was ready to defend an astonished Aqua as Sora, Donald and Goofy took the chance and ran back flipped high to get far away and decided it wasn't worth it anymore. "Three guardians is more than I care to face," A corridor opened as he thought of spite. "But now that my brother is awake..." Ventus gritted his teeth as Vanitas continued. "and that old man had the time to check out the freak show, I'm sure we are going to meet again very soon."

Vanitas disappeared in the darkness and closed the way, Ventus knew what was coming and turned around to find Aqua embracing him like a big sister would, the boy blushed and whined, trying to push away and feeling overwhelmed by the affection. "I'm awake, I'm awake, pl...please stop."

Aqua let go and looked teary eyed, Sora saw fragments of crystals and asked. "Aqua, are you alright?"

The woman turned to him and was sensing something leaving as she answered. "Yes, I had to get carried away, but I'm fine Sora."

Ven was a little shocked to recognize the boy with brown spiky hair and blue eyes, looking at him with a friendly, warm smile. He had a harsh flash back of Vanitas with his mask off, having black spiky hair, yellow eyes and a cruel smile of pure evil. Ventus forced the flash back out and asked. "Huh?! You're...Sora?"

The boy answered unaware of what was going on in Ven's head. "Yep. Hey, Ventus," He raised his hand and offered a handshake of friendship. Ventus was finding it near alien. "I...get it, you were my second chance." Sora was confused. "Huh?"

Ventus snapped out of his spacing out, dismissed a convoluted feeling and shook Sora's hand as he introduced himself. "Call me Ven."

Sora had that request to heart as Ven felt a hand rubbing his head, turning to an apologetic Aqua that wanted to start the reunion over. "Good morning Ven."

The awakened boy felt warm and greeted her back. "Good morning, Aqua."

The watching trio felt a long closure was had, Jiminy popped out of the pocket and reminded them. "I hate to break this apart, but there was something going on outside." The keyblade master agreed that it was a worrying aspect and wanted to see what was going on, hoping it wasn't a complete disaster outside.

During that battle.

Xehanort wasted no time rushing after the Ashen Phantom, Benedict rolled back and was nearly punched over the edge to the left by the shadow demon. He rolled to the right to avoid another attack and drank from a glowing flask to heal himself, Xehanort's right eye twitched in annoyance and he appeared to the knights left to attack, Benedict rolled and saw the man aim his keyblade and fired. The Ashened Phantom rolled to his right and slammed his great sword at him, Xehanort side stepped right to attack and Benedict rolled left, the Ashened Phantom countered with another and flipped after his foe. The captive trio were a bit surprised at the nimble moves, Xehanort attempted to push the knight back with darkness, Benedict stabbed the ground with his dagger, caused sparks to fly as he was being pushed back and swung his blade around. Xehanort teleported to the right side and readied his shadow demon, Benedict flipped a leap over the demon and was parried, the weight forced the man to retreat far away. Ana felt Benedict's sword style to be comparable to a wolf and yelled. "Come on, you can do better than that."

The knight kept a close watch on Xehanort and was in a constant guard. "This is the Farron Knight's pride and joy love. It and my spells are all I got," He balked at Xehanort. "Is that all? I seen pus scarier than you."

The shadow demons eyes glowed red from a silent command and tried to body slam the Phantom, Benedict rolled out of the way and made a reckless dash, unaware that the demon disappeared.

WOOSH!

He was given an uppercut from the shadows, then again and again, Xehanort jumped after the knight and brutally beat him down, sending him falling next to the fire, the man asked. "You were saying?"

Benedict landing on his back in a thud and quickly got up, putting his sword away and glowing his hands in fire and laughing at him. "Ha, ha, ha! Then I met an old king of demons," He hurled a swirling mass of fire, the shadow demon floated in front of its master and took the burns, the Ashen Phantom rolled to the left and formed a fire orb that shot fire balls at his foe, he tried again and forced the demon to block those, Xehanort fired at the Phantom that kept rolling and hurled two swirling masses of fire that scorched. Benedict took a blue flask and drank, looking energized. "The demons were laid up for a pyre, but someone saved their knowledge."

He pulled his weapons back as Xehanort looked ready to finish the knights endeavor. "All this power and you still failed to keep your world a light? Why did you even come here?"

Benedict kept guard and answered with nostalgia. "Voices called to the Dark, as I said... my world needed to be free from the perpetual Fire. The gods tampered with the course of nature, in fear of bastards like you. Now the Flame is free from their greedy hands and this cycle you started, is coming to an end, those who embrace the Abyss will only find the blades of the wolf that watches."

Kairi wanted to know who was talking to the Knight as Ken asked. "The Firekeeper really told you that?"

Benedict sighed. "That blessed angel was the voice that called, but another informed me well enough."

Xehanort realized who, gave a glare at Kairi and back to Benedict. "Enough of this," he bull rushed the knight and flipped him in the air. "Submit you ashen husk."

He flew up and beaten the knight with an inch of its life, Kairi felt something tingling down her neck and looked to the castle to find sparks of light, the seconds counted down as Benedict pulsed in lightning to push Xehanort away and landed near limp. A dark hand emerged from the ground the knight laid on and tighten in a grip, the man laughed maniacally as the knight was glassy eyed under his helmet, Xehanort growled annoyed. "Are you really this persistent? Why won't you just give up?"

Benedict weakly laughed and spat at his foe. "*Pfew!* Like you answered, you done nothing that hadn't already been done to me before."

A force of light pulse out of the castle, breaking the dark chains and letting the keybearers drop free.

Kairi swiped a flower of light at the dark hand to cause it to disintegrated, Benedict dropped free and Xehanort sensing something might have awakened. Ana helped the Phantom Knight up as Ken gave a healing green light to him. Benedict looked to them almost envious and watched Xehanort open a corridor. The Dark Seeker was annoyed and intrigued at the same time. "Hmph! So even a heart that slept in the dark would still have the strength to fight on? I think I seen enough, savor this moment, for in time... it will break."

Kairi rushed to attack as the man walked in the corridor and disappeared with it, the princess snarled with sharp teeth and turned around to find the Ashen Knight ready to fall. She gasped, broke out of her anger and helped him sit down by the fire. "Easy, easy." Benedict sat by the fire and felt himself fading away, content with himself as Kairi knelt with a smile. "Forget what he said, thank you for helping us and going on, regardless of what he threw at you."

Ken agreed and sat next to him, wanting to keep him company, Benedict laughed and had something to say to him. "You been giving the Firekeeper her wish and it looks like she returned the favor. Keep up the good work and keep doing what you are doing, it brings some happiness in these times."

The boy blushed warm. "Thanks, I... might have seen what was going on before I met you. I think I understand a little better of what you were talking about."

He gave the knight a hug of thanks, surprising him as Ana gave him a warriors salute. "We'll keep giving that happiness when we can, I hope you rest well friend."

Benedict didn't want to cry out loud and let his form fade. "...Yeah, I think I will for a while. It's a shame we can't propose a toast," He calmed down and wished them well. "Long may the Sun shine."

He disappeared and Ken felt his hold lessen, like he was holding to air, he had a relaxed smile and stood up to pull his keyblade, he turned to Kairi with an envious smile. "Tell Namine she is one of the most crafty girls I know. If she and the Firekeeper didn't pull that kind of thinking, who knows if Sora and Miss would have had the time to do... what they did in there before it was curtains for us."

Kairi felt an embarrassed person with in and pointed at him. "Did we have much of a choice when he showed up?"

Ana exhaled. "We had a line to hold and we... need to figure out how to bring him down."

Ken agreed and shivered. "Miss told you as well?"

The Stormcast nodded and wanted to answer Kairi's unspoken question. "Once the dust settles, she'll tell ya why beating that man isn't as straight forward as you think and why we need to think better before-"

Simultaneously.

Riku and Mickey dodged burning green meteors and doom bolts. Maleficent wasn't taking the blows so well and Ahriman flickered the veil of time around her, accelerating her recovery and letting her shoot down lightning bolts to keep the two constantly on the move. Ahriman sensed something and groaned. "This is going according to plan, but I hope he knows what I have to do to restore my rubrics and I hope he doesn't delay our siege any longer than it needs to."

Maleficent blew out green fire at Mickey as Riku floated and fired dark fire balls at Ahriman, hurting the sorcerer and giving him a reason to dedicate for close combat. "Don't threat, we are doing our part by luring them here."

Mickey jumped out of the way and had a tense glare to her. "This was all planned?"

Ahriman deflected the fire balls and used his disk to fly after Riku, swinging his staff at him as he let Maleficent answered with a storm blown above. "We only needed you two separated from the herd and we are not to let you leave now until we are finished with you."

Ahriman agreed with that and parried with Riku, flipping the teenager back with force of will. "One way or another," He dropped down a fire storm to compliment the rising fire. "To feel a whole, barren world change to something more vibrant in the blink of an eye. That is the kind of power someone like you could possess."

Riku chuckled to that. "Far more powerful than what you know."

Ahriman laughed back with him. "So many secrets of the universe to learn, just as you merely scratched the surface of the Warp, the knowledge of the Chaos gods and of universes beyond what you and even I could comprehend. But it seems anymore secrets of Castle Oblivion are lost to me forever more."

Riku split his keyblade into two swords looking like an angel wing and a demon wing as Mickey jumped over the fire and kept Maleficent occupied. "There are some things you're better off not knowing."

The teenager slashed at Ahriman and sensed something sparking from far away. "I be lying if I'd say I would miss it," Ahriman looked upon the thorns and gave a faint glance to Maleficent with a request. The witch teleported to the opposite side of the room and had the thorns grow, the Sorcerer focused and caused them to rapidly grow, scratching the two as the witch sensed a power becoming stronger, half disappointed. "It appears you're friends have gained a second wind?"

WOOSH!

Golden light dispatched the roots and fire and Ahriman turned. "And thus the siege has ended, right when things were becoming interesting." He opened a corridor and insisted to Maleficent. "Our roles are done, now lets see if he obtained any knowledge useful."

The Mistress of All Evil predicted difficult times and took the offer. "Let's."

She went in as Ahriman dismissed his disk and followed. "This was enlightening, we shall meet again." PEW! The corridor vanished as Riku and Mickey readied to jump back to the castle, hoping that the damage of leaving two inexperienced fighters with an experienced one wasn't the worst decision they made.

Woosh! Woosh! Woosh!

They reached back to find Ana warning Kairi about something, the three looked like they were beaten up pretty badly, Mickey yelled out. "Fellas, what happened?"

Kairi insisted she answered and frowned. "While you and Riku were dealing with who ever was summoning those things, you know who showed up and we had to buy all the time we could get."

Ana grumbled. "Even when we thought we were doing a number on him."

Ken turned to the Stormcast and dismissed his blades. "It looked like we were, but then we were getting dangerous to him and he stopped playing around. Ha." He sighed. "We got Namine and the Firekeeper to thank for getting us the time we needed before something pulsed out of the castle and got us out of the jam. But how did that happen?"

Kairi wondered and didn't hear a door open. "Did Master Aqua and Sora wake Ventus up?" She heard a teenage boy shout. "Kairi!"

She turned around to find Sora running to her worried, seeing what looked like a battle gone wrong, she and Riku noticed Donald and Goofy leading the way for Aqua and a particular boy that confirmed what he heard. Ven looked overwhelmed and felt he recognized the group. "...Hi."

Riku, Kairi and Ken saw the resemblance between him and Roxas to be completely uncanny and greeted him with respect, Mickey approached and readied to shake hands. "Good morning Ven, it's been a long time." The awakened boy agreed and shook hands with the mouse. "Good morning, your majesty."

He looked up to find the sun setting and burst into a laugh. "Eh...ha, ha, ha."

Aqua took a deep breath and was hesitate to announce the next part of the plan, Ana asked. "Lady Aqua, do we need to report this to the wizard in the tower? I'll keep watch and make sure nothing funny happens."

Aqua trusted that. "Make sure that no one besides us comes here. Strangers wouldn't know of this right now."

She gave Ven a moment to to greet the group as Kairi and Sora gave each other a hug of affection, the Princess asked. "Master, do you and Ven need a ride?"

Ven hummed as Aqua took the offer. "We do once we are ready to get going," She explained. "Ven, a lot has changed while the both of us were gone, including how we are going to travel between worlds," She pointed to a guarding Ana, Kairi and Ken. "This is Anatesis, Kairi and Kendry, my students. It looks like they, Riku and Mickey did an amazing job making sure no other surprises came."

Ana gave Ven a friendly salute as she was ready to summon Moonfang. "Nice to meet ya, sorry for all this to be sudden right and about."

A dracoth appeared and noticed the new arrival, Ana placed her hand on the dracoths shoulder and noticed Ven jumping back in shock. "Moonfang, we will greet each other proper once things settle in."

The dracoth growled content and disciplined, sitting down and waiting as Kairi apologized. "Once we settle this, we'll have more time to talk and get ready for what's next."

Ken gave a nod of respect to Ven. "Miss said a lot about you, it's nice to finally meet you."

He extended his cybernetic arm and Ven really wanted to know what transpired. "Ouch, what happened?" Ken answered bluntly. "Long story, but it doesn't hurt once they got the nerves in."

Ven hummed. "Huh, cool." The two shook hands as Riku asked. "We'll introduce ourselves again once we get to the tower. Welcome back Ven." Sora patted him on the back to greet the coming night. "It's great that you're here with us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author here, thank for reading this far in. This is going to be a long fic, but what do you think of this fic so far? Let me know in the reviews


	45. Good Morning Night Sky.

In a colorful town, Xion enjoyed a rather relaxing day of exploring and looked at a theme park from the view of a bench, Pluto smiled and wagged his tail as the Replica came with a purse full of munny. "Xion, it's time to get going, we been here all day."

Xion puffed her cheeks and stood up. "It's not even night yet Big Bro." The Replica understood that. "But if we don't get home before then, Dad will notice and he was pretty light on us than he could have been. We don't need it to happen again."

Xion agreed with that and lowered her self to Pluto's height. "We don't. Pluto, we need to get going, thank you for being my friend." Pluto woofed and licked her face, the Replica laughed about that, lowered himself to pet him like there was no hard feelings and was licked on the cheek, the teenagers petted the dog goodbye and the Replica waved. "We'll try to be back tomorrow."

The dog hoped so and dashed away to the castle, the teenagers found an ally way to sneak into and put on their black coats, the Replica opened a corridor and lead his sister in with him, Xion was disappointed about something. "Big Bro, we didn't get to find your buddies again. We were only gone for a few hours."

The Replica argued with his hand pinching air. "If what worked with Pluto would have even worked with them, then I would have no problems, but we were gone for over a day last time and we need to keep it low until they have bigger things to worry about than trying to keep us under control. This might also be that thing Ahriman wants from both of us, for us to be independent. Ironic, since doing that puts us deeper in his web. This trip is still something I reckoned I should report about since we did find something going on."

Xion growled. "But would he care about an amusement park?" They reached to the other side of a corridor as the Replica answered. "Absolutely not, but we need to follow orders." Xion had the smell of shellfish in her nose, she and the Replica saw Ztardon placing two bowels and a letter to a table. The Tzaangor turned around astonished and chirped. "Mmmhhhm. It was the feeding hour and Master sent me to deliver a message." The teenagers took their coats off and saw crayfish stew over rice, the shaman gave a nod and took his leave. "You should be please by this, Zizrok made much from five of the largest crayfish in the bayou."

The Tzaangor held back a cackle, went out the door and danced away clapping, cackling away as the Replica closed the door and found it suspicious, he smelled the meat, poked his serving with a fork and took a bite, finding nothing wrong taste wise and finding it quite flavorful. Xion realized what the Tzaangor meant and opened the letter to read it out loud as Shadey took the form of a dog and sniffed around. "That was his trick, he was talking about the food when the real thing we need to see is this." She read and took a bite, feeling most pleased after all the sweets. "*Gulp!* If you are reading this, then something has come to attention within my order that you need to be aware about. There was a scouting siege we launched half an hour ago and one of the highest authorities with in has found something that would be vital to his plan." The Replica read it with her and calculated as his adopted sister kept speaking. "Because of this, he is one of the most dangerous for the two of you, I am not meaning a danger to my plans, which you should be aware they exist by now."

The Replica cringed and looked at his ward, thinking he needed to have it refreshed. "He wants us to have a close eye on what might be vital to these wackos and make sure they are ours?" He considered that a tall order as Xion asked. "Ours as is... like how you found Shadey and how he is with us?"

The Replica nodded. "Precisely and this is Ahriman's test, to make sure this is something... or someone, that is with us. Not him."

Xion read more. "It would be advised to cease further use of the castle beyond this room, unless you wish to make contact with me. By now, one of you has full access to the Corridors of Darkness to use at your leisure and until further notice, it is advise you use those to reach the outside world. Find friends to call your own, any tools and skills you can acquire, you may need them in the future. PS: Xion, if you are reading, give this to the Replica and have him read the PSS. If it is you, Replica, read the PSS."

She gave it to the Replica and read the PSS. "PSS. Burn this letter, immediately."

The Replica crumbled the paper into a ball and burned it with a fire spell. He tossed it into a bin and went to dinner, mostly undisturbed. A polite knock was heard and the Replica sensed who was behind it. "My warding spell isn't going to block you, Ahriman. Come in."

The door opened and Ahriman entered, he made sure the door was closed and he smelled burnt paper. "In order to make any of that convincing, you need to find a report of anything current, anything I could remotely find useful, even if it is just giving you an excuse to go out there for longer periods of time. That way, I can dilute it to what they" He pointed his thumb out the door. "would need and want to hear. For example-" He spun his hand and qued Xion and the Replica to say something, the girl answered. "We found an amusement park opening up in a town by a castle in a couple days. Someone important might go check it out and we can use that as a chance to know something?"

Ahriman hummed in approval. "And that will be your" He used his free hand and used his fingers to quote. "mission," he stopped quoting. "While you get about doing what your really trying to do." Xion and the Replica smiled at the Sorcerer's humor, the boy promised. "Oh, if we find something important you need to know, that will actually happen. Siege didn't go so well?"

Ahriman answered to that. "It was dangerous enough that it would have crushed who we were invading if they were as incompetent as most of the Imperium, a Chaos Warband or Orks, but the intention was for... him, to scout a candidate for the cause. Despite how that candidate told him that he wasn't interested, he is still determined to find a way, if to spite one of my enemies. If you find him, you would know precisely what to do."

Xion wasn't saying it as her brother answered with a concerned frown. "There isn't any good reason why someone should force another into making a choice their heart wouldn't even think about. That's the whole reason you are... having us constantly think for ourselves. You're having us actually chose things, even if we don't know the bigger picture."

The Sorcerer patted him on the shoulder proudly. "If that candidates fate is to be with the Darkness, then it would be by his own strength. But you understand what you have to do to assure the possibility benefits you."

Xion does. "We have to make sure he is safe, even from you." She felt the words hurtful as Ahriman agreed with her. "The sooner you speak truth, the less painful it becomes when you hear it again." He readied to leave. "I believe I disturbed you enough. Did you have an enjoyable time out there?"

Xion nodded. "I made friends with a dog." The Replica nodded. "Besides the amusement park, drawing you know who, there doesn't seem to be tactical reason for me to be danger for going to that world. The amusement park could be my excuse to get current on the other connected worlds if... he gets drawn there. It could be a good day for Xion and some freedom for me. Thank you for warning us."

Ahriman appreciated that and opened the door. "You're welcome, the Tzaangor may seem odd as servants, but their creative minds and attention to detail even compared to most civilized people, are accurate and to the point. You consider them and they will consider you. Enjoy your evening."

He walked out, closed the door and left the two to their rather satisfying dinner, the Replica swallowed and had a lesson marked down. "This was how they were able to do more for us besides seasoned fish and clams. You reap what you sow, Xion, the work out there is pretty minimal, but we might get something nice soon. You said that bistro in Twilight Town has pretty good food?"

Xion nodded. "The crab bisque is to die for." She liked the crayfish. "But this is pretty good. I should go see what's the secret of that Bistro besides that we need munny." The Replica proposed to the plan. "We can make that happen."

In the Mysterious Tower.

Yen Sid had his hands put together and listened to a summary of what transpired, starting with Sora's explanation about where Ven's heart has been, how he came to know that and a possible guess of a particular mystery. "Ven being in the corner of my heart must have been why my nobody looked like him."

The many listening felt their brains short circuiting as Riku guessed. "It... might be why, but none of us know anything about psychotherapy." He patted his half confused friend on the shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll take your word for it."

Yen Sid took a deep breath. "It is the only explanation for that phenomenon that connects to the mystery in any way." Ven scratched his head around it. "It... kind of makes sense, but is now a good time to be talking about?" Yen Sid hand waved the request. "Because of how urgent events have been, we will debate on this for another time. Aqua, what has transpired in that castle?"

The keyblade master readied to answer as Ken approached with his burning blade in hand. "The castle had four visitors before I came. The first two were Garland, one that was from the present that used the power of the crystals to become a demon. The other was himself after traveling back in time with that power, rescuing himself and guiding his past self along. Had things... not happen as they did, he would have used the castle to slow me down at every turn, thankfully he didn't need it."

Ken laughed nervously. "I don't know if that was a good thing. That Castle makes illusions from what a heart seen and felt, me and the Firekeeper were the other two that went into the castle and I brought in a Keyblade that holds the heart of that world we talked about, that hearts memories took over when I was halfway through the first floor."

Yen Sid nearly placed his right hand on his own face upon hearing something that reckless as Aqua explained the rest. "I caught up with him at the third floor and since Garland was messing with the reflective power, we only had one way to get to him. Up through the memories of that world and of a Knight that became apart of that world's heart."

She placed a card of a knight sitting by the bonfire, Ken's nervous smile lessened. "He... Jambert, helped us reach to the top of the castle, even through some of the scariest things about the world some of us might know about."

Riku asked. "Like the Abyss, Master Aqua... what about it made you say you never want to go back in there again?"

The Keyblade Master inhaled and exhaled through her nostrils. "At first, it is when the three of us had to jump into the Abyss to fight Four Kings responsible for a town falling to Darkness and being sealed by a flood. There was absolutely nothing down in the deepest dark but those four, not even the sky or ground and when we tried to charge after the four, it felt like we were running into place until they decide to come to us."

Mickey understood how that could be terrifying. "There wasn't even any perception to depth and those four were one with the Dark?"

Aqua nodded. "And they were more than capable of sucking out your soul if they get their hands on you. That was when we met a memory of a toothy serpent that taught them that power in the first place and he was the only thing in there that told us about what was going on in that world."

Ven folded his arms and guessed. "But he sounds like someone who lied through his teeth?" Aqua agreed with that. "Or is leading us along by telling things we need to hear and what he wants us to hear. Jambert never met that serpent and instead met another that lead him on a journey to something that didn't save the world like he was told. All it did was gave him a purpose to try and do something about it. The second time we dealt with the Abyss is when I saw how... similar it is." She placed a card of a heroic knight with a wolf. "A hero, that tried to fight the Abyss, was swallowed up and we had to put him down as well as fight the source in his stead. That same serpent who taught the Four Kings about the dark, taught the people of a town about the Abyss and the magic that comes from that. Very dark magic that comes from with in."

Ken explained the feeling with a chill. "They are made from emotions and from exactly what you expect, you want to hurt people with this. They dug up someone that should have been kept sleeping and drove it crazy, who in turn turned the people in the town into crazy monsters."

Riku felt a head ache and finished that explanation. "They reaped what they sowed and if you had anything to say about the Dark, they are no longer pleasant." The teacher and student shook their heads and Aqua answered, looking to Mickey with a confession intended. "The Dark, is a part of nearly everyone and when someone toys with it, disaster happens and that is when we need to stop it from going wild. It's better off left alone."

Yen Sid agreed with that. "Less something like the Heartless that nearly consumed all worlds, happen again."

Ken finished the summary with a sniffle. "Or... someone tries doing questionable and outrageous things to keep the Dark away... and just make it worse. Jambert, Solaire and even this knight we never met," Aqua put the two cards down as Ken continued. "They gave up everything for nothing. Once we saw Jambert link the Fire with that Warrior of Sunlight, we thought was going back to normal, it was the last floor and Garland was waiting for us. All you heard about him happened and he kicked our butts badly, he is immune to most magic, has a lot of magic and if he is going on his word, we got three days and three nights after today to be ready for him." Aqua rubbed her student on the back. "It would have been much worse had the Castle not throw one last surprise at him, one more figment to shake him off. A knight from Ken's memories, Benedict." She felt a hint of anger. "I... wished Benedict left as soon as he came instead of staying around. That's when things got out of control and we saw the memory of that worlds end."

Ken took out one more card and gently placed it, it showed the ashes, the flowers, the eclipsed sky and the Soul of Cinder. Ven and Sora looked at the Knight and to the knight by the bonfire and of the one one the throne, seeing similarities as Kairi asked. "You two had to fight that thing and it's too obvious who this was."

Ken kept himself under control. "Me and Benedict had to fight it. Miss got blocked out and she had to watch it all." He exhaled and stepped away. "Jambert was pretty fun and because of him, I got a bit more heat to pack." He checked his phone to remember some things as Aqua put the cards away. "It wasn't all grim, we learned some magic that has been a help and could be one for the rest of us. Then we got out of the castle and the rest was history."

Mickey nodded. "That was when Xehanort launched an attack and tried to get most of us separated, Riku and I had to fight Maleficent and Ahriman to keep them from sending more heartless and...space marines. Aqua, Sora, Donald and Goofy had another encounter with Vanitas."

Aqua spun his finger to the details. "He kept Sora and the others out of the fight and busy with a greater daemon, while he tried everything to get me to slip up." Ven felt his blood heating with anger. "And that was when I had to wake up. I couldn't let that happen." Goofy tensed and asked. "That was when the barrier broke, gwarsh."

Kairi agreed with the vision of an odd power. "And with what ever Ven did, got us out of the snare Xehanort had me, Ken and Ana in. Namine and the Firekeeper helped buy us time." Ken listened in with his eyes dried. "They summoned Benedict from beyond this life as a phantom and he went after that creep. Now what are we going to do?"

Aqua wanted to get to that point. "Garland can't be ignored anymore, Yen Sid. We, Donald and Merlin know much about magic, but Garland's whole being is made of the magic we know. We need that power taken from him if we are to stand a chance, we need to dispel all of that. We also need to know where Garland is going to hit us from."

Yen Sid wondered about that. "The elements themselves could be trivial, Merlin would know about Time Magic and even Donald would unbind that with sheer will, all of them together would be so condensed that we need a force that can destabilize it. Is there a force in the worlds that could contend with such power?"

The group didn't think so, Aqua had a memory of a black stone a Kharadon Navigator had and regretted. "If we had a way to ask for help from the realms... there would have been one person that holds something that powerful. Darn it."

Sora gasped and asked. "Aqua, you don't mean finding a way back into the Realms Ana was from?"

Aqua wished she meant that. "We have no way of getting there, no way of asking someone from that side and the only other person might have the power is out of the question, for obvious reasons." Ven moaned about that. "So what are we going to do?" The keyblade master guessed. "I... don't know, there might be someone who would know what we need to look for and... make it, but none of us know how to reverse engineer magic."

Ken asked. "You mean Wanda? Do... you want me to ask her and Merlin for help?" Aqua appreciated that. "Ask her what she knows and tell a few people close to you about what has happened so they don't worry about you being gone. Then give Merlin a visit."

Riku asked astonished. "Are you saying we should invite people over to that world already?" Mickey felt it would make some sense. "After how she had the world she worked on blow up, she needs something to work towards again. But that might be taking advantage over that."

Aqua agreed with him. "Exactly and we need to know if she is okay with just making a post and what we need to know what she would want." Ken understood and asked. "She was going to make herself mayor of Traverse because she and her Freeguild were the only ones using it."

Riku folded his arms to the harsh reality. "And what we are suggesting is nowhere near as grand as that. But it's better than nothing." He asked. "What are we suppose to do? Three days isn't that much time and that Organization coming together isn't going to wait while we deal with that."

Yen Sid agreed and advised. "After today, they would transpire even more to undo us. If you are to travel, it should not be alone." The group agreed that it wasn't a negative to travel in a group, Aqua had one more thing to talk about, something Yen Sid, Mickey, Ana and even Ken know of. "And since me and Ven are here, we might have a chance to save Terra." She confessed to the unknowing group. "A decade ago, before all this happened. Xehanort tricked Terra down a path that would lead to his heart becoming vulnerable to Darkness... vulnerable to him. That man took over his heart and body, the man you see today is a vessel and the worst part is Terra is still in there trying to fight him. Maybe with both Ven and I, we can reach out to Terra and get him to push Xehanort out, so the next time you see him, know of that."

Ven gasped. "He has Terra trapped in there?!" He gave a determined stare. "Oh, we will save him, no matter what. I made a promise to Terra that I'll be there for him, when he needs me."

Sora, Kairi, Riku, Donald and Goofy nearly jumped back from the revelation, looked at the wizard and mouse who knew of that, then at Aqua and to Ken waving. "I was told that when we were going up the castle and I asked why stopping you know who isn't going to be as easy as." He snapped his finger and caused fire to flicker as to let Kairi know. "Not that we were holding back, guy's pretty tough and I don't think he took kindly to what we had to say to him."

The Princess agreed with that. "He really didn't. That's why we need to be more ready, Master... what did you learn in those memories?"

Aqua scratched her head and smiled nervously. "Most of what Ken said, but I used the crystal magic to match in battle... and I went to extremes on Vanitas when I wanted to use that... one spell." She calmed down. "Not that he didn't deserve it. Kairi, Ken, tonight you get ready and pack your bags if you haven't traveled light."

Kairi gasped and asked. "You mean-" Aqua does. "That world will be where you two and Ana will learn more now we won't have anyone getting hurt by accident."

Kairi and Ken gave an in sync bow and the boy with fire asked. "May I get started now? This...this might take a while."

Yen Sid allowed it. "Do not dawdle we have another crisis nearing if Garland is as powerful as you and Aqua claim." Ken saluted and dismissed his keyblade. "I'll be at Radiant Garden and I'll spam if something goes wrong, I'll be with Ana in the morning."

He went out the door with the group wishing him luck. Yen Sid asked the rest of them. "We will make use of that knowledge on the morrow. Good luck and may your hearts guide the way."

Mickey asked Goofy, Donald and Jiminy. "Come on fellahs, we need to put together a log." Goofy and Donald realized they were going back home as Jiminy jumped off to Goofy's shoulder. "I'll call Chip and Dale over to get the gear for the others. This is one big project."

The four gave a farewell and left as Sora and Riku look like they had nothing to do, Kairi asked the boys. "We should talk to Olette, Pence and Hayner. These are going to be a long three days, none of us planned for any of this and we need to keep calm."

Riku agreed with that as Sora asked Aqua and Ven. "What about you two?" The two looked to each other and Aqua answered. "We just went into that after going through so much, we need to talk about this alone. You're welcome to visit us at the castle when you are ready, we'll find a way there."

The trio agreed with that as Sora and Ven looked to each other like there was a lot they wanted to talk about. The recently awakened boy promised. "We can hang out and talk tomorrow, we have a lot to catch up on." Sora took that offer. "We'll be at the islands until we get some clues." He and Ven smiled, fist bump each other and went their separate ways.

In a few moments, Ven and Aqua gave their goodbye to the optimistic wizard and left the tower. At a set of stairs leading out of the tower, they took the time to look into the sky, Ven relaxed from all the chaos that ensued. "The stars here are so beautiful, I noticed that when we arrived."

Aqua agreed with him. "They are." Ven found it a little overwhelming. "We gone on without this for so long, it's like... forever." Aqua asked him. "It's almost like you been dreaming this? I know that feeling, ha...ha, sorry that I brought up the realms."

Ven sat down and guessed. "They are weird compared to all this, even when it felt like you were out of a nightmare, it felt like a dream that never ended. I remembered dreaming a lot. About you and Terra. Of Sora and his friends too, I think. And there were more people I didn't recognize... even those from places beyond the worlds we seen." He wiped his eyes and remembered more. "It's like... I've been part of some big adventure and I've been just watching it all at the same time."

Aqua sat next to him and looked at the stars with him. "So many places that seem unreal. Pretty soon... things will be back to normal, we just need to keep going."

Ven agreed, chuckled and took out a pendent looking like a green, star like flower, he brought it up to the sky. "And once we get Terra back, we'll share some stories with him." Aqua giggled, took out her own matching charm and raised it up in the air, despite the kind of handling its been through, it glistened with the night sky. "Yeah." The two looked up to the sky with hope of a brighter day.

With in the Castle that Never Was.

With in a hall, Xehanort finished explaining to Archaon what happened. "Thus begins another." The Everchosen advised to him. "A heart that stubborn isn't worth the trouble unless we can blast his sanity with in the flames of Chaos. Consider that for when we are near our completion, Vanitas and Qrikzith has done well to give an assessment of Aqua and Sora's power." Xehanort agreed with that. "What ever she found in that worlds memories has escalated our problems. I'll send Vanitas to task in regards to the weaker links once we see the end result of the Horned King's endeavors." He opened the door and Archaon sensed something coming. "I'll have my own venture soon, for we need more bodies."

The two entered and found Maleficent and Ahriman watch the Horned King pull from a dark void, a figure that smelled burnt and used. Splat! Klank! A darkened, burnt knight fell before the sorcerers, Maleficent looked down at it and saw red cloth. "...It has been in this state for far too long. Send it back." The Horned King raised a finger and pointed. "Watch, for it holds what we seek."

They were willing to keep patient, the knights body twitched, moved and animated on its own, looking slightly limp and almost vegetable like, Xehanort sensed what was in the knight. "This ones heart is hollow, what makes him of any use to us?"

The knight turned its head to him on hearing the word hollow and reached his side to get something, a black steel katana, it dashed after him and was rushed against a wall by a suddenly appearing Vanitas, the knight fell on the floor and pushed itself up to fight, the Horned King answered with a cruel laugh. "For he was great warrior and still remembers how to fight. He was like cinder in the dark and will be drawn towards life, like a fly to rot."

Ahriman looked interested as he sensed the knights mind and looked at a rather grand sword on his back and various trinkets for research. "There is something in there clinging on to his humanity, if none of you see a use for him, then he would be a good compare and contrast to my Rubrics." He snapped his fingers and through a door, a lightning damaged rubric marine and a just as damaged terminator walked through, awaiting orders, he readied to order and felt dark tendrils holding his arms back.

Xehanort glared at the Sorcerer. "I think not, you held enough power as it is and we do not need one of us tipping the balance. You can have his trinkets, he doesn't seem to know how to use them anymore." Ahriman exhaled, relaxed and let a Tzaangor skitter in, he ordered. "Zorgaoz, bring anything looking of value off this knight to my quarters, but keep him armed."

The Tzaangor giggled with greed and scampered, Vanitas took a step back and let the beastmen pillage. "What are going to do with the rest of this rotting carcass?"

Zorgaoz plucked a chime that has a figure of a cloaked maiden, a small staff of bones and the most grand, a great sword with a green glowing blade, flickering like the moon. The beastman laughed and dashed out as Archaon smiled maliciously at Vanitas. "Even a rotting corpse could be put to use, since you have turned the tide over Aqua before Ven became an issue, you can redeem yourself and put this to work along with the others."

The black helmet fiend looked down at the body with contempt. "Seriously? What good is he?"

Archaon pointed and ordered in a harsh tone. "He is absolutely worthless baring fodder, but you will take this waste of skin and make something of him." Vanitas felt the gaze and begrudgingly accepted. "Gee, I wonder what this cursed soul has done to be stuck with me."

The knight tried to push the fiend off, he was stomped into the ground as the fiend asked. "Aw, you didn't like being called Cursed? Well this existence is a curse your going to have to bare until I'm done with you." He had a nickname that Ahriman predicted and closed his eyes in pain. "Bearer of the Curse."

Maleficent rolled her eyes to that. "How original." Ahriman agreed with that. "That won't get old." He chose to ignore the cruelty and asked Archaon. "We are going to need more beyond the heartless, unversed and the rubrics if we are to strike a blow more fatal than that scouting siege. Are you certain of going back into the realms?"

The Everchosen nodded. "I have ways to traverse back and forth and my Varanguard are siege enders. Thanqoul would also be of better service if he replenished his numbers, the powers of Chaos see the veil between the realms as thin as cloth. What of your plans?"

Ahriman answered to that. "I need to conduct my research and I already had scouts eager to report to me of anything current in the major worlds. That world being reawaken would be my source of knowledge, providing I can reach it. That kind of obstacle has not stopped me before."

Xehanort watched the Horned King go back to his ritual and turned to leave. "Hmph, you have managed to achieve the impossible before, you will inform us what you find when you obtain it."

The Sorcerer vowed and let the two leave back to the upper chambers and finding Vanitas teleporting to ask. "That pathetic Curse Bearer doesn't even know where to go, you don't trust that Sorcerer for anything after all he pulls."

Xehanort relaxed and answered stoically. "I seen his kind before, if we allowed him to have that hollowed knight, it would be one more tool for him to use against us. Like the other two under his care, there is no way he is keeping them isolated in that small room."

Archaon chuckled amused. "Only a complete fool would trust a piece of Tzeentch's game, but even he has his uses for the end game."

That was agreeable as Vanitas had his own little plan. "He is going to regret everything, I'll see if the Curse Bearer could even fight before going to the back up plan for the blunders of light." He disappeared and left the two, the Everchosen took his leave. "I will discuss with the Varanguard of this, you devise a way to keep to keep the Guardians of Light from interfering anymore."

Xehanort was left by himself and felt his right hand twitching a clench, he asked himself. "What has transpired in the darkness, now that the Four Chaos has taken root?"

In Radiant Garden.

Ken asked Wanda in astonished confusion as the two were in a library with a studying Ienzo. "A voidstone orb?! What do you mean we can't remake that?" Wanda answered with her arms folded. "Kendry, that's a Kharadon secret and it makes any spell null and void. It could remove some of the power Garland has, but with that much magic, it won't be enough."

Ienzo guessed by the description. "But we need to find what is holding it all together, Merlin could help us with finding that, but that would take longer than three days." The boy pouted. "Ah man, so Wanda... any idea of how we can get to the Realms from here?"

The general shook her head. "That Heartstone sounds like it is made from pure Realm Stone that is used for Realm gates." She had one idea. "But we can start with someone who has a way to open in between places and is from the Realms themselves. Ken, we need to find Lady Ana, she is our best chance in getting over and finding the Duradin who holds that orb."

Ienzo saw a smile of convenience on Ken's face and asked. "Well, what else has happened that could help Miss Wanda?" Ken answered. "Oh... nothing much, besides that world Miss Aqua unlocked that might make this more than getting her around." He asked the general. "Miss Wanda, do you have anything for tomorrow morning? Because you need to pack lightly and come alone, this won't be like what you tried to make of yourself with Traverse, but it will do."

Wanda's eyes sparked and she asked. "You are looking for a Thane for an outpost town?"

Ken blinked as Ienzo advised to her. "You could go with him and find out." The general pointed to him with a spark of life. "I earned my rank as a General and I want to see people prosper from my own hands. This town doesn't need me or my men, but that world might." Ken listened and answered with an optimistic tone. "It just something you all can do, you tried to help all of us before and this is meant to help you back. Do you mind coming with me? I got one more person I want to talk to and I don't want to be out alone." Wanda took the offer. "Of course I will, lad."

She had a fierce smile to Ienzo and promised. "I'll be back regardless of how things go, but expect more politics." The man counted on that and chuckled. "Just don't let any of that Thane or Mayor plans go to your head. You only tried to take that position because there was no one else in Traverse and we know what happens to inexperienced tyrants." Wanda nodded. "They end up stepping down by the people or someone better suited for the job. By Sigmar as my witness, I won't let that power corrupt my heart, I know my duty to my men and they are the back bone of Order."

She and Ienzo gave each other a bow of respect, the general followed the boy out to the streets of a repairing town, Ken explained more. "There isn't much of a town in this world, you might have to have things built and Miss calls the shots, what's a Thane?" Wanda answered. "It's someone given a piece of land by nobility. It's a good position to be in and that book reading boy has a point, I take to entitlement way too much. I'm wasn't asked by you out of pure pity, it is because I have a chance at a duty and it is because of what I boast that I'm considered being invited."

Ken felt it was more than enough reasons. "That's not why we picked you, it's why you were able to last this long." They reached Merlin's house and went in at the setting of the sun, finding the wizard conveniently casting a life spell on a potted that had a dead plant and caused it to sprout.

Merlin noticed and greeted the two. "Good evening young Kendry, good evening Miss Wanda."

Ken greeted him back. "Hey, a bit happened when I left the other day and I came to ask you about something important." Merlin answered with hindsight. "The worlds are endangered by a powerful foe and you seek a power beyond your understanding to vanquish him? This is a serious matter that would put you in jeopardy again."

Ken agreed with that. "Especially if it is the same places Wanda came from." The General gave a respectful bow to the wizard. "You have aided me and my men before and we need your help yet again. Because of what the knight Garland became, we seek to reach beyond the possible. He has attuned himself with so much magic that we need the power to remove some of it just to stand a chance."

Merlin adjusted his glasses. "Oh dear, did he drew the power of so many schools?" Ken listed them. "Earth, fire, wind, water, ice, life, magnetism, gravity, time and reflection. Just... about all of them, trying to hit him wouldn't work so well either, if we can weaken that, we might be able to beat him when he shows up again."

Merlin almost dropped his glasses. "Th...there is so much magic used, but..." He tried to remember something. "But..." He asked. "How was he able to bind that magic?" Ken answered and thought of it. "Crystals... that's... the thread?" Merlin remembered on hearing the description. "Ah and if we can dispel the magic of the crystal, it would lessen the magic into a less refined form. But how are we to get close enough to do it?"

Wanda answered that. "You don't, but that can be the magic we can dispel.." She thought as Ken asked the wizard. "I think with so many crystals used, we still need a strong anti magic to get rid of it, do you know of that? It could save us a trip."

The wizard shook his head. "Goodness no, but you know of someone who does?" Ken scratched his head. "I know someone who knows someone, but that's what we were afraid of. Tomorrow I got a trip to make, do you want to come?"

Merlin sat to his chair and felt a little ashamed that his guests weren't getting much of a welcome. "My boy, this is important. But I'll gladly discuss these matters over some tea. I presume this was a request from Miss Aqua?"

The boy nodded. "You are correct, sorry to bug you in this hour." Merlin didn't mind. "You haven't, have a good rest."

Ken turned and wished Merlin good night as Wanda gave her parting. "You too." With them out, they went to a familiar house and Ken smiled wide to the General. "Thank you for helping me get home. Sorry that you had to hear all that."

Wanda didn't mind as the boy knocked. "If Garland wants to throw the worlds out of harmony, we're not going to let him. I'll be waiting at the gate of the town come morrow." Kendry's mother opened the door to watched as the boy said his good night. "I'll see you there."

He turned to his mother and went in, Wanda left with purpose in the heart and the boy closed the door. Ken's mother hugged him and greeted him. "Welcome back home Ken, I only heard the last part, how were your travels?"

Ken answered and sat on a chair to calm down. "Not much but there was an adventure in a castle I didn't know of. We need to talk, it's about what happened with Miss Aqua." The woman saw the smile and guessed. "She found one of her friends and you made a breakthrough?" Ken answered with more cheer. "That and more, we found-"

At Twilight Town by the train tower.

Kairi finished explaining to Olette about something as Hayner looked like his mind was blown by knowledge as Pence was drawn into the story, Sora and Riku kept quiet as Olette asked. "So now you got a whole training ground to yourself and everything. Wow."

Pence asked Sora. "I know what you meant when you were talking about a subconscious, was Ven hiding in your super ego?"

The spiky haired boy asked. "Super...what?" Pence sat up and answered. "The superego, it's three parts in your head. The ego is what you do in the open and the choices you make, the superego is what you might think about before doing them and then there is the id, what you would do if the superego doesn't slow it down."

Hayner didn't want to talk about psychology and complained. "Come on, we got a couple more weeks before school, my head already hurts." Pence thanked his friend. "Like that."

Hayner puffed his cheeks and pouted as Olette giggled, Riku felt the darker part of the talk come into play. "The Id is the most dangerous part of your head... of your heart. Never listen to it." Hayner got it as Sora felt his brain grow an inch. "Oh, I see what the Id is."

Kairi hoped so. "I need to get you and Riku come school books," Sora and Riku cringed, the silver haired boy almost whined. "Oh come on, me and Sora were busy... we didn't have time." Kairi smirked. "We got time now." She showed Olette a map. "Now that Ven is awake and we been through a lot. I thought, before we go off to fight another bad guy; that we should try something special to celebrate. I found this map while adventuring, do you know someone who made these markings?"

Olette gasped and shook her head. "I don't, but Mr. Duck does."

"Ah, ha! So this is what you lads are doing?"

Olette, Hayner and Pence tensed and turned to find Scrooge Mcduck coming from his bistro, looking ready for treasure hunting. Hayner insisted. "Mr. Duck, you got the wrong idea, we just got to talking about that."

Scrooge believed that. "Oh, I know. You three don't travel nearly enough to have gotten it on your own. But it is one of seven mysteries me and Little Chef have been looking at for a while."

He took out three maps, one of a particular city that has the mark of a cheery, one of a frozen mountain with the mark of grapes and one of grassy hills with the mark of an orange, Kairi pointed to them and showed her own. "That's it, Mr. Duck, what do you know of them?"

Scrooge answered. "They are all treasure maps lassie, but they are no ordinary maps. Little Chef thinks they can lead to fresh fruits, not too common in these er parts. Since I'm busy managing the bistro and the movie studio, I just didn't have the time." He looked to the teenagers that are not really able to defend themselves with worry. "And it is too dangerous for you three to wander off, even if one of you has a bat full of nails."

Olette smiled aggressively. "One of us needs to use a real weapon in these times. But we know it's not enough."

Kairi had an idea as Sora and Riku realized something. "I can go explore those for you if you want Mr. Duck, if these are fruits, then this could be part of a... surprise I want to do."

Scrooge saw the fire in Kairi's eyes and encouraged, aiming his cane at the setting sun. "Ya got a sense of adventure in your heart lass! Go follow it and ya might have a job you can do for me!"

Kairi promised that she would and rolled her map up. "I'll do it before morning, it's just a trip back to a world I been to." She asked Sora and Riku. "Do you have any objections?"

Sora certainly doesn't and gave a dorky smile as Riku had a hint of mischief. "We're not stopping you."

Kairi put her map away and asked Olette. "I'll be back soon once I find this treasure, do you and the boys mind waiting a little longer?"

Olette didn't. "It depends on how late it's going to be, but it doesn't sound long at all." Kairi giggled as Sora promised. "We'll be waiting for you at the island, good luck." The princess appreciated that as Riku asked the business duck. "Hey Scrooge, I heard you were a world traveler, but how did you get a knack for treasure hunting?"

Scrooge answered like it was a fond memory. "Because I been a treasure hunter for most of me life. Now the spark of curiosity, that's a treasure few would appreciate." Sora and Riku agreed with that as Kairi gave her goodbyes and took off. "I'll stay safe, thank you for telling me." The duo were left to finish their small talk before they head to the islands for the night.

At the Land of Departure.

Aqua looked awkwardly at a silver, grand looking gummie ship as Ven waved goodbye. "Thanks for the ride." The ship flew up to the sky without a word and Ven asked. "That ship was nice enough to show up on its own when we needed it and tell us where it was from."

Aqua had a question on her mind as the castle doors opened and let Ana and Moonfang out. The Stormcast looked to the two as Moonfang took its chance, barked and charged, Ven fell on his rear in shock of seeing the horse sized dragon run that fast, the dragon reached to the two and lowered its head to have a smell at him as Ana let it happened and approached. "Welcome back Lady Aqua," She watched the dracoth finish smelling and let it help Ven up as she addressed him. "Welcome Ven, Aqua told me all about ya." She placed her free hand on her chest in a salute. "I'm honored to see that you are finally awake. I'm Anatesis, a Stormcast Eternal of the Hollowed Knights, the Hammer of Sigmar and probably one of the weirdest things you have seen all day."

Ven half agreed with the last statement. "Are you really from another world?"

Ana relaxed and corrected him. "I'm from somewhere much bigger than that, but ya know what we meant by another realm. Azyr, Ghyran, Ghur, Chamon, Aqshy, Shyish, Ulgu and Hysh." Aqua explained what they were. "Those realms are made from the magic those places use frequently. The celestial storms, life, beasts, metal, fire, death, shadows and light. They are the strange places I brought up."

Ven imagined it and felt his mind was blown. "Wow, I've heard that because of you and the...the...Seraphon, Aqua was able to finally get out of the Realm of Darkness." He shook the Stormcast's hand. "Thank you."

Ana blushed under her helmet and shook back. "Thank you lad, but your friend was still the one who did most of the work. I wonder if the Seraphon know about what's going on."

Aqua sighed. "They might, but that Slann is too cosmic that he has his own problems on the other side, the Realm of Darkness is the only way he could come over on his own and none of us know what Garland is even going to do."

Ven sighed and asked with a gloomy frown. "So we might as well think we're on our own?"

Ana sighed back. "The Slann and the Seraphon they command have to bind themselves to the order of the universe, if they were able to help us again, they would have by now." Ven guessed why it wasn't going to be easy. "The only other way they have to come is through the Heartstone and I heard that thing is sealed away by your friends so no one can misuse it."

Ana nodded and felt a head ache coming. "That's what we last heard, if that Slann is hearing us, he won't be able to convince Arreia to just hand it over without a good reason and that reason doesn't exist yet. This is why they are our allies, everything the Slann does is well calculated and is meant to lead to moments like you and Aqua being here despite how the Forces of Chaos try to muck it up."

Aqua agreed with that and finished. "But it is meant to maintain the order of the universe, rather than anything personal. The Slann told me that much, so if you expect the Seraphon to be much more cold blooded than you would be comfortable around, you wouldn't be wrong."

Ven felt enlightened to that. "But that doesn't mean they aren't trying." He had a more mischievous smile and asked Aqua. "So you finally got some students?"

The keyblade master was near tired. "Ten years late, but its better then than never. The three are mostly self taught and I had to work with making sure they learned something before rushing in to try and wake you up, I didn't know how or where to look until our friends gathered up the clues."

Ven didn't mind and patted Aqua on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, I wasn't going anywhere."

Ana laughed at the quick forgiveness. "Oh, ha, ha. That was the biggest puzzle we had to solve and it was more bizarre than Fyreslayers." She and Moonfang turned to the gate of the castle as Aqua felt a little guilt fell off and finished explaining. "Ana has fought before in battle before her hammer was turned into a keyblade, she needs to learn how to mix both of those weapons together and I heard she was doing that."

Ven had a faint memory of the Stormcast fighting vigorously and without restraint. "How did that happen?" Aqua took a deep breath as Ana answered. "Nagash happened and Lady Aqua had to put together my heart for Sigmar to reforge my armored hide. Don't ever talk about Nagash."

Aqua was quick to explain who Nagash is. "He's a heartless monster that would only bring misery upon us all. He was the reason it took me even longer getting out of the Realms." Ven felt the anger and asked. "Okay, okay, we won't talk about him. Now, what about the two stdents?"

Aqua blushed like a proud teacher. "Kairi and Kendry. Kairi gotten a keyblade some time ago and has done tremendously in using the power of her heart in battle, has good judgement and needs the skills to support that power, she still has a ways to go. It's Kendry... or Ken, who had to work back from the start, on his own he took so many short cuts that only worked in a pinch and gotten himself beaten up when he confronts another keyblade wielder or when he fought the leader of Chaos worshiping space marines... had his arm shot off. He is the only one that is susceptible to Darkness and is the biggest handful because his first instinct when something evil comes, is to shoot first." She had credit to give. "But he is pretty nimble and quick in thinking."

Ven felt a shiver. "He's the reason this place gotten weird and I know he gets called out a lot because of one of his keyblades."

Aqua turned to him and listed a few episodes. "He has two, one use to be a laser gun and it is what he would normally use when he has the chance. A weapon like that became something more attuned to his heart and he doesn't normally miss. The other one, the keyblade from that world, uses darkness for fuel and burns it bright, that's why nearly every evil person you and I know about tend to always target him with words or laugh at him."

Ven knew one of the people Aqua was talking about. "They see him as a punching bag. Kairi is in a lot of danger too for another reason."

Aqua nodded as they went up the stairs and through a door to living quarters. "That's one of the reasons why I'm having them come here as soon as they can. What do you think?"

Ven approved of that. "Ha, it's going to be fun being under this roof again. I got to see how far everyone came."

Moonfang laughed back as Ana turned with mutual humor. "You gotta catch up, coma or not, you hadn't been in a hearty fight in a long time."

Aqua wasn't defending him from that and Ven whined. "Oh, come on. What was I suppose to do?"

Ana answered back. "If Merlin comes knocking tomorrow, we'll ask him for help when we can in helping us fight familiar foes. If you ask me, you'll last a day before you get back into shape." Aqua counted the kind of foes she dealt with. "Unlike the unversed, most of what Ana talks about would kill the two of us in an instant if some of their attacks connect once and if they don't, it will hurt. Squigs, Ogors, the Deepkin that Ana's Stormcasts are allies with, it's a big list."

Ven asked asked astound. "Deepkin?"

Ana counted six rooms and answered. "The Idoneth Deepkin, kind of like how I called the Seraphon our allies rather than friends. While the Seraphon wish to maintain the natural order and would help us for that common reason, the Deepkin are sea elves with fading souls that need to raid and steal souls from others to survive. It's grim, but they have no other choice."

Ventus was spooked and found pity in the story. "What happened to make them like that?"

Ana shrugged. "We don't know. When we do have to work with them, we let them go after Chaos Warbands, the Forces of Destruction or any necromancer working for Nagash and go for our own objectives. I'm not proud of that myself and we fight against those who were not willing to back away from our own."

Aqua and Ven understood that, the Keyblade Master wanted to end the subject. "That's why the Deepkin are good for training, if we make illusions like them, we will keep ourselves in shape against something that fast. Ven, I'm going to show Sora, Riku and the others some tricks I found while exploring that worlds memories, be ready when they come back, because one of them is helpful to pick up."

Ven raised an eyebrow. "What does it do?"

Aqua turned away, focused and pressed her hands close, causing an orb of energy to form and expand in front of her, she pushed and shot it away, she watched it pulse from afar. "It emits force, that could be helpful."

Ven agreed with that and asked. "Cool. Do you want me to help make room?"

Aqua remembered the details. "The three rooms to the right will need to be cleared out and that won't take less than an hour, Ana, you'll have first pick since your here first." The Stormcast felt that was fair as she and the keyblade veterans continued a rather quiet evening.

In Monsteropolis, at an office.

Kairi was in her monster form as Sulley greeted her and filled in paperwork. "Sure, I don't mind you looking around for anything you mighta missed. Watch out for Roz, Mike and I had to tell her what happened when Randall caused problems."

Kairi buzzed her wings in disappointment as Mike opened the door and entered. "I assure you, Miss Number 1. That problem is going to be taken cared of lickety split." He closed the door and told Sulley everything in quick speeds. "She knows we're clear, but there is a case of an unidentified crown wearing bananas at the door vault. It isn't going away and none of us can move it. What are we going to do?"

Kairi drew out her keyblade and answered. "I'll get to the bottom of this, I found something that is a clue of where it is and came when I can."

She showed the map and Mike pointed and clicked. "Got ya. Come on its over the rails. Roz will be out of our hair shortly, Sulley, good luck with the paperwork." Sulley squinted his eyes at a fine print and wished them luck. "Good luck to you too."

Mike and Kairi went to an elevator down to a laugh station at closing hours, Mike explained what happened as he swiped a card. "Those guys that helped us with the fire are the CDA, the Child Detection Agency. Even when we switched to laughs, we're still working out there where children can sneak in if we are not careful and that caused a whole buncha problems. Roz was undercover as a paperwork lady here and she is the CDA's 001 agent. Ha, ha, oh I knew this would happen." Kairi watched a purple and orange door slide from the rail and receive a clamp as she asked. "After how they saw the heartless, unversed and even chaos daemons, they were going to find out? Especially when the work sounds a bit dangerous for the kids your trying to make laugh."

The doors were lowered, she took the purple door as Mike took the orange, the green monster sighed. "Ha* After that destruction, we knew Roz was going to come for inspection and Sulley's finishing up. Now, how does that thing have anything to do with a map?"

The doors were raised and they went across the rail to a rather uneventful trip as Kairi answered confused. "That... thing wanted to be found? This is weird."

They went to the platform, door hopped and found a yellow and green door to use for the trip, going to the next platform and door hopped to a vault, Kairi read her map and saw a brown line on a marker and marking a left. She did just that and found a crown with a whipped cream like tuft on the bottom, on top of the crown was a bunch of three bananas.

She and Mike approached the odd crown, the Princess tapped it with her blade and saw it wiggle and spin.

BLOOP!

A large mound of custard, with dark caramel hair, spun out of the ground. Having a heartless emblem that made Kairi ready for battle, yellow glowing eyes beneath the caramel and odd sparkles. The sparkles scattered and five smaller blobs appeared, all with an identical crown and looking at the heartless that Mike recognized. "You mean to tell me we have to deal with killer flan now?"

Kairi almost laughed at the odd danger as the Flantastic Heartless looked at her like it challenged her to a game, it involved beating the flans minions. The minions waddled in random directions as the larger flan waddled to her, the Princess rushed after one, took it out in one blow and went to another, more appeared in double the number as Mike tried to hit one. Kairi realized she needed to do damage to the area and dodged the waddling Flan monster that tried to jump on her with its maw, she rolled out of the way as the monster engulfed Mike by accident. Mike panicked with in and Kairi was ready to attack, the monster spit Mike out and left him covered in drippings of flan. It focused on her, the princess raised her blade in the air and called lightning to clear most of them out, realizing what she had to do and nimbly avoided the Flantastic Heartless as she spent a minute and a half juggling between melee and lightning. Mike looked on confused, was it really a life or death situation, or a game? Kairi raised her blade in the air and caused beams of lightning to fall, obliterating the flan minions and caused a spark of light to circle in, causing the Flantastic Heartless to nearly break in a dance, the girl felt her hair standing and her mind expanding. The Flan tossed three bananas at Kairi and tossed a single one at Mike, the banana bopped Mike on the top of his head and left a green monster unimpressed. The Flan spun down and disappeared in sparkling light and Kairi asked. "What... just happened?"

Mike answered and picked up his banana "Hmm, I'd say a Code 025. Random, nonsensical and bizarre." Kairi put her bunch in a bag and asked. "A friend of mine... may need to hear this. At least the... thing is gone for now." Mike agreed and had a head ache. "Good grief, I can already think that we're making this up."

Ten minutes later.

Kairi and Mike were in the work station, meeting a yellow, elderly, slug like monster with standing up white hair, glasses and a yellow vest that was labeled CDA 001. The slug asked with a semi grouchy, if never changing tone. "Are you making this up?"

Mike nervously answered. "W...well, we're not... but, heh... it's an intsy tinsy bit crazy." Roz found that assuring and looked to Kairi with the same tone she spoke to Mike. "You're telling the truth. Every time the Heartless show up, someone like you comes along to deal with it. If that Flan ever returns, you will be back to send it to where it came from, it's always the same."

Kairi was a bit astonished and asked. "You, know about them?" Roz folded her arms back to her back. "I've been seeing that ever since the Great Door Malfunction of 09. You, Wazowski, Sullivan and your friends did a good thing today when you drove the darkness out. We don't need that ere."

Kairi felt honored despite the tone not changing. "Well... thank you." Roz focused on Mike. "You're free to go Kairi. Wazowski, I need to talk to Sullivan about what is really going on and we are not talking about the paperwork on the damages."

Mike was confused as Kairi realized the CDA agent might know the fuller scope of the other worlds, the monster waved his goodbyes. "O...kay. Thanks for the help Kairi, we wouldn't have gotten the Flan out of here without ya."

Kairi waved back. "Good luck getting out of this one. It's nice to see you doing well."

At Destiny Islands.

Sora and Riku found odd claw marks by a curved tree they normally sit on. Sora folded his arms curious. "Huh, is... there a cat here?"

Riku squinted his eyes at the depth. "No cat I'd ever seen makes something that deep and how would a cat get here in the first place?"

Sora blinked and remembered. "Uh... that cat likes water?"

Riku closed his left eye at the humor. "Sora, I think we saw a raft in the back of the island. Cats are smart, but not that smart." The spiky haired boy remembered one particular. "You made your point, but I made friends with the smartest panther around."

They heard a tropical beat and felt relaxed, Riku changed the subject and asked. "You solved one of the biggest mysteries yet. You're proud of yourself?" Sora was and sat by the base of the tree. "For over ten years, I kept Ven safe with me... ha...now I got him back home. Now this leaves one more that needs to come back."

Riku knew who and looked up to a sparkling night sky. "We'll save Terra as well, I know we can." A wide, optimistic smile formed and Sora cheered. "We will, if Terra really is still in there, we'll help him fight off Xehanort."

Riku cheered back and smelled something odd, he heard something splash in the water and tried to relax, he and Sora had a text from Kairi.

At the evening of Twilight Town.

Kairi had a picture of three maps sent and typed an mischievous emoji to compliment it. "I found three maps for us to read in the morning. I'll tell you about the treasures soon."

She sent it as Scrooge encouraged. "You earned them, but watch out for any more maps like these on your travels. There has to be more Flans like the banana one, so be careful when ya look."

Kairi promised the duck. "Me and my friends will be on the look out Mr. Duck."

She wanted to go into the bistro and deliver the bananas as Hayner and Pence tried to stop her, grunting silently as Scrooge knew what the teenagers knew, Kairi felt a slight holding in place, stopped and turned to the boys. "Is... there something wrong?"

Olette nodded and mimicked a chef cooking something, shaking her head and shaking her right hand flat, Kairi silently asked and mimicked a delivery and a desire to look around. Scrooge warned the girl. "It's getting to closing and it's an odd day, so Little Chef might whip up a thank you. But I wouldn't go in the kitchen if you're not ready."

Hayner looked at the time and cringed, signaling a three and a zero. Kairi wasn't scared of curiosity. "Who else knows of this mystery?"

Olette answered and was prepared for her friend's bewilderment. "Ken made that mistake and he took the vow of silence. He got himself into trouble again from wandering off and I don't want you to make the same mistake."

Kairi felt she figured it out. "The Chef does things a little special than I thought and if I go to look, I'll figure it out first hand. Since this isn't a secret Ken was regretting figuring out, it should be safe."

Scrooge hummed and wished her luck. "Best to ya lass."

Kairi went into a relaxing, lit restaurant that had a shade from the night outside. She went to the kitchen with bananas and found to her surprise, a dark grey rat with a pink nose, pink paws and a pink tail, almost ready to set his supplies away for the night, the rodent heard a door close and looked to find Kairi. He almost dropped a large whisk and the girl guessed as she placed the bananas down and smiled impressed. "So you are the Little Chef? I found these from treasure hunting and I thought you might put them to good use, do you want help putting these away."

The Little Chef had a better idea and Kairi was nearly feeling peckish, she asked as she saw the spark of inspiration. "Or, we could use one of them and make the last dish for the night? I can help if you want."

The Little Chef appreciated that and requested that Kairi kept her arms still, he scurried to the top of her head and she felt her hair being tugged, her body moved to flour, eggs, butter, honey and a few other ingredients for the bananas, understanding what they were for and felt she was coming in sync. She looked up to the Little Chef and giggled. "Show me what to do and I'll make it. Tee, hee, hee!"

In a grey bed room filled with books.

Xion, the Replica and even the shady beast gave each other their good nights and rested. The girl having exciting thoughts of another day out in the colorful world, her mind went into a void of silence and she lost perception of time. She felt an odd chill and opened her eyes, finding the room darker than she remembered. She felt a raspy whisper calling to her from beyond the door, got up and opened it, finding an indifferent world much different from what she was use to, despite being familiar. She saw a white, queen like dress, leave the lobby and followed, going to a hallway and finding Ztardon having a talk with Pete, the cat cringed. "Uhg. Her nastiness can sure give a cold shoulder, but that's none of our problems." Ztardon agreed and looked to yonder. "It is with blessings that we had the choice of masters. To not be the Undead."

Pete folded his arms and shivered. "I... don't know, she was about to be done with that mess and instead we're getting a little freaked out."

Xion approached and asked. "What are you talking about? Is... there someone new?" Ztardon and Pete didn't hear her or see her, Ztardon cawed. "The Master has plans for even the odd scepter of bone, the Undead was something... and that knowledge will be among the many."

Pete chuckled to that. "It's a shame he isn't letting any of us go near it, but what can ya do."

Xion realized something was wrong and found an odd path of mist down a left most path, the trial lead to a well kept library that was guarded by rubric marines that seem like still statues, unaware that she exists. By their right was a large door, she saw a blonde queen walk through the door and followed. "Hey! Get out, this isn't you're place."

She opened the door and found a room mixing a few things, on the shelf were a collection of sinister looking tombs, a simple bed, a journal with a pen and a board with odd items and categorized; a grand, green, moon lit sword, a staff of bones with an upward animal skull and finally, one that the queen was fond of, a chime with the image of a robed woman. Xion's vision became misty as the queen turned around and shifted to a figure that made the girl realize she delved too far, a black skeleton in a black, bone like dress, the gown had a collection of skeletons reaching out and in the figures right hand was a black scythe.

She spoke in a deep whisper. "Brave soul of in between, born from a memory and molded for the darkness. Thou wishes to exist whole?" Xion wanted to turn back and scream, she felt her breath slowing and was drawn to the chime, her mind screamed not to go near, yet her heart tugged her, the figure asked. "Yes. The power to endure this dark world, oh lowly shard, to become adored... the splendor of tranquility." Xion felt her left hand reaching for the chime as the voice did not change in tone. "With thy power, thou will be free from thy curse."

Xion muttered in want. "I...want to be...normal." She grabbed the chime and felt herself waking up from her bed, wanting to yell and finding herself paralyzed, hallucinating imagery of elegant specters. Shadey stirred in its canine like form and nuzzled to her shoulder, shaking her out of the nightmare and finding herself gripping to something, she panicked and rolled off her mattress, landing on the floor and hearing something land with her, in her hand. She checked and found that same chime from the dream. She panicked and looked around, finding a drawer that would do, open it and put it under her black coat, whispering to the shadow frantically. "I...just need to give this back and explain everything, ha, ha." She shivered and laid on her mattress, feeling scared of what was going on.

At Destiny Islands.

Sora and Riku looked at a rather appetizing picture of a souffle that was complimented by vanilla ice cream and heard someone coming. Kairi approached with her hands behind her hips and watched the moon lit shore with them. "I helped Little Chef add something new to the menu and I got a job when supplies are getting low." She showed the boys a map leading to an orange. "Scrooge gave me the rest of these maps, I think I can figure out the worlds these are marking."

She pointed to a marker, squigglys down a particular path and to the right. "That marker is somewhere important, while the squiggly's look like they are covering something. I know which world this one is from." She warned them. "What the map doesn't show you is what the fruits really are, some big odd heartless that looks like flan guards them and will only give them away if you play with them."

Sora felt that was familiar. "And the game is going to be different. Did it... try to attack you in a... weird way?"

Kairi shook her head. "Mike got spit out after he was caught and was given a banana for all the trouble. You met something like that?"

Sora smiled nervously and expected ridicule. "Well... I had met heartless like that a while ago, white mushrooms that want something from me before going away and giving me things. Then while me, Goofy and Donald were looking for Riku, we found thirteen weird black mushrooms that act... familiar."

Riku quickly put the long answer short. "Yes, we know you found something wacky, I think I know the white mushrooms you talk about. Those are pretty passive for heartless. The darker ones however... they're like all the others." He asked Kairi. "If you meet another Flan and it doesn't attack you, then they are a case like the white mushrooms, harmless and if you play their games, you'll normally get something worthwhile. If that's going to be a side project, we... could help if there is a world we been to... any map seems odd?"

Kairi had one to give, one of a city and a cherry in a corner, Sora and Riku knew of world that has a city like that, the spiky haired boy said it. "Is that Thebes?"

Kairi asked with her head tilted. "That's somewhere you been?"

Riku nodded. "It's a city near Olympus Colosseum, a world Sora's been to already. This could be worth exploring again if we don't get any leads as to how to stop Garland."

Kairi let the boys take the map and sat by the tree. "This would be something we'll do when Master Aqua and the others are busy, but tomorrow we need to be bright and early. So don't be a bunch of sleepy heads."

She felt comfortable at home and looked at the night sky with her friends, Sora blushed embarrassed. "Alright, I'll try."


	46. The key to a gateway

During a morning in Radiant Garden, Ken was out as early as the sun's tip rose over the mountain. He promised his mother as he held a bag of keepsakes. "I'll tell Miss that you want to talk to her, don't count on her coming soon." His mother wished him luck with a wide smile. "You're in good hands and this is just my instincts wanting to let her know what's going on. Keep doing good out there."

Ken gave a knights salute and left home to the front gate, finding Wanda ordering her men. "I'll be back in an hour, but let Stalwing know she can't come and give her the usual. If things go well, we could finally have a place to call our own again." A rank and file sighed. "Thank Sigmar, we haven't gotten anything to do, even fighting those Orruks would have been better than doing nothing." He ordered the rest. "You know the routine, march!"

The rank and file marched into the town as Ken approached and asked Wanda. "You're early too?" The general nodded and smiled sweetly. "The first to rise and the last to fall, that's a motto." Ken felt a grim undertone and explained. "Because of that world being awakened... literally yesterday, it may take a while before you and the others can get there conveniently. What's the Freeguild anyways?"

Wanda coughed and started from the beginning. "A Freeguild is but a part of an army that defend Sigmar's cities, along side close allies that live closely under his protection. Races of all types are welcomed; Aelves, Duradin and of course, humanity. I could go on about each part, but they are different from each city and it could take hours if ya want to know about them all."

Ken was interested in knowing and noticed Merlin coming with a bag. "Morning, Hildetand is waiting for us once we are ready." Merlin nearly forgotten and asked. "Before we go for our rounds, where exactly are we going?" Ken looked around to make sure no one was listening and whispered. "It was a home for Miss Aqua until things happened that caused her to seal it away and turn it into an odd grassland with an odd castle. I made the biggest mistake of wandering there, thinking it was new, I did nothing but cause a colossal mess that needed to be fixed when I brought Firekeeper's Wish in there and caused the castle to act weird with memories of-"

At the Land of Departure, by the front of the castle.

Aqua had her hands at her hips and advised against something Ventus wanted to do with the odd gummi ship. "Ven, you been awake all night and it's way too early for you to go out by yourself."

Ven, pouted. "Come on, I want to make sure those three don't oversleep." He yawned as Ana practiced against some dummies in the background, thunder woke him back up, Aqua sighed and allowed it. "The islands are close by... fine, but don't stay there too long."

The ship opened its door and gave off a stalwart air, something Ven found inviting as he promised. "I'll be back in less than an hour.

" He and Aqua nodded, the boy went in for his trip and the ship closed its door and slowly ascended, certainly a gummi ship built by someone who had battles in mind. She heard a faint, familiar voice and turned around to find mists. "It became dangerous at nearly every turn and then Miss caught me red handed after fighting a big-" The mist cleared, Ken tried to finish up as Wanda looked around and realized what Merlin did. "Kendry," The boy realized that and turned. "...Wow." He finished up. "Anyways, we had to climb the castle that was here and put up with that while we kicked Garland out. That plan didn't quite work, but he is out and all this happened."

Merlin found it informative. "To remember what was, is a sign that the keyblade's heart endured and found them dear, even in spite of the hardships. I need to discuss our discovery with your tutor and think of a way to ultilize it."

Ken felt Aqua was right behind him and calmly turned as Wanda looked to the vast, mountainous world, mixing in wonder with realism. "Good morning Miss Aqua. We thought of how we can stop Garland and power him down so we can actually fight him, it's a thread we got to pull."

He gave a bow of respect and stood out of the way as he noticed Ana on a ledge bellow, fighting through dummies, Aqua asked the wizard. "What did you find that can help us defeat Garland?"

Merlin answered as Ken found a road down and left Wanda to survey more. "Garland bounded his magics in crystals and has bounded himself to a crystal to contain that power, if we can weaken the power of the crystal... we can weaken Garland."

Wanda broke out of her observation and explained. "Lady Aqua, the problem with the crystal is how much of it was used, it would take the mightiest wizards known to achieve that... or a stone you talked about. The voidstone orb, that Kharadon have, might be our chance, but the way from here to there is left behind over there."

Merlin feared the worst part. "No one has ever considered a magic to take away magic, but this makes it more possible." Aqua agreed and focused to conjure a crystal containing a glow. "They are a font towards amplified power, but would it be enough?" Flap!

Ana flew to the top of the mountain with Ken holding on to her right hand, the Stormcast landed and apologized. "Sorry for that, I had to keep my skills sharp."

Ken let go and landed as he asked. "Miss, you, Ven and Ana were talking about going over and asking for help, but we are going up against a wall."

Aqua agreed with that. "We're in quite a pickle, knowing the dangers from the realms, we could... try opening a way if we have a few things, but this is like... throwing many things at that wall."

Ana folded her arms and tapped a finger. "We got two ways and both aren't something that can be figured out in three days. They are something that would take months, if we are lucky. Lady Aqua, I know how potent the void stone is, no matter how strong the spell is, the stone would stop it and it is a maligned spells worst nightmare. But only a Kharadon can use it. You know of one?"

Aqua nodded. "Halvek, the navigator of the United Airlords, do... you know of them?" Ana gasped. "That company from Barak Zilfin, oh I know of them. They make trade posts all over Chamon and Aqshy and would transport goods and people all across those places for what you expect. They can be trusted, but that leads to another problem... making a way that can get to there specifically. If we aren't careful, it would lead us into a ghoul nest or worse."

Aqua cringed. "None of us want that, but now we can focus on not making any mistakes."

Merlin thought it over. "Hmm, its more doable to have a sure way of solving this predicament and minimize the risks then it is to have a possible solution with no risks. It would require some work with the materials, but we can open a way close enough to Halvek that the only danger is with in the city."

Aqua and Ana looked to each other with a plan, the keyblade master and Stormcast gave a respectful bow to Merlin. Ana spoke. "Thank you for your wisdom, once the others come back, we will get to putting all this together."

Aqua agreed. "If you would wait for another hour, we will begin. You are welcome here at any time."

Merlin appreciated that and looked at the architecture as Ana focused on Wanda. "General Wanda, what do you think of this place?"

The General smiled wide like it was everything she could want. "If you are offering me and my Freeguild a chance to prove ourselves and help protect this world, then there is no greater honor." She gave a bow to Aqua as a sign of obedience, the keyblade master gave respectful gesture of appreciation as Wanda asked. "But making a way here would take a while and we would just overwhelm this castle with all of us, the demigryphs and Stalwing. We are going to have to build from the valley bellow and find a way to make use of the mountains as flight posts without making it just me. If this Garland launches a siege across the worlds, Radiant Garden is going to need us there compared to this place needing us."

Aqua, Ana and Ken groaned in disappointment, the boy spoke. "It would be a third one in a row and Garland definitely has the power to do that. But thank you for considering it."

Anatesis agreed and saluted Wanda with respect. "Thinking about others before yourself is how you lasted long as a General." The General blushed and kept surveying. "It's how we survive the war against Chaos. But once Garland isn't a constant problem, we'll be coming here lickity split." She was back in her fantasy vision. "Lady Aqua, what is down in the valley?"

Aqua answered with fond memories. "Forest and water, are you and your men use to those kinds of places?"

Wanda nodded. "Mostly jungles, but it's almost the same thing. Lady Ana, have you told Aqua about terms... might have heard before?"

Ana knew a few as Aqua blinked in ignorance. "The Freeguild has high ranking officials be it nobility or other wise, Counts, Earls, Barons or in another word, Thanes. Or outside of the city and in realms like Ghur, we have chieftain. Those out of nobility would try to prove themselves worthy of that title through deeds, those self made would know more about what goes in out in the realms and how to lead to victory."

The keyblade master felt she understood and asked. "That's what Wanda was wanting this whole time? To have a town of her own that she can defend?"

The General answered calmly. "I was that close to that, but you know what happened. The military is my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything, as long as it is a city in the unknown lands and enough for the capitals to depend on, it be a good long life for me and my men for generations."

Aqua, Ken and Merlin were a little surprised as Anatesis patted Wanda on the shoulder. "That it be, this wouldn't be that city, but it's a start when the Forces of Chaos are gone and we can get back home."

Wanda blushed, smiled and shifted her eyes to Ana. "Me and my men will serve till the end."

Aqua felt the vigor in the generals heart. "It's a lot of responsibility you're putting on yourself, but every bit helps." She asked Ken. "Once we have a plan in motion, I'll start today's lesson, go practice what you learned, it's going to be another one about using magic. Ven is getting Kairi and the others right now."

The student nodded and went down the path. "It's always when someone gets to my face that I have problems, I'll go work on solving that." He took out Cadia's Light and gave off a spark of fire as Merlin felt the power. "Goodness gracious, he's determined."

At Destiny Islands.

Sora and Riku looked with in tree houses as Kairi checked every tree and bush, something was missing. "Where did it go?"

Sora went to look under a dock and answered. "Kairi, you never lose that charm, who took it?"

Riku gasped and answered. "It's what ever made those claw marks on the tree yesterday. Little thief."

Bonk!

Riku had a coconut tossed at his head, looked up a large tree and heard mischievous giggling. "So that's where he is."

Sora noticed something in the water under the dock, buried in wet sand, a sheathed, long, thin sword, he pulled it out and felt it covered in mud, Kairi looked at it and scratched her head. "What's that doing here?"

Sora pulled the blade out of the sheath and found a bewitching shine of metal. He felt an odd pride and sense of honor, calling him to battle, he put the blade back in the sheath and turned to his friends. "Come on, let's go search that tree, he won't get down from that easily."

They heard foot steps pressing against the sand looked to find Ven nearly lost, realizing the island hasn't changed, Sora cheered. "Morning Ven, something important to us got stolen and we were busy looking for it."

Kairi blushed nervously and asked. "Master Aqua didn't sent you here because we were late, did she?"

Ven flinched. "N..No, a lot of us oversleep. That's why." Riku had a small glance to Sora and explained as he was ready to run up the tree. "That wasn't our problem and our thief is up there."

The silver haired teenager jumped on a bark and ran up, Sora followed behind and left Kairi to jump from branch to branch, leaving Ven to have to follow. At the top, surrounded by tree branches, was an unusual creature, a blue fur koala like animal, squinting his black eyes at Riku and keeping guard of a pinkish white, flower like charm that had a small smile like face. Growling at him. "Nada!"

Sora caught up and recognized the creature. "You again?" He saw the charm and lowered himself. "Come on, that's not yours and you know it, give it back."

Riku turned and asked. "You know him?" Sora nodded. "That's Stitch, we were told he disappeared from Hollow Bastion, remember?" He saw Stitch giving a wide, mischievous smile, like Sora coming was planned, the boy asked. "Did you steal that knowing we would come up here?"

Stitch babbled an alien language and nodded. Leap! Kairi reached the top and saw her charm, she yelled and wanted to chase after the alien. "Hey, that's mine, give it back." Stitch waved the charm and tossed it at her, Kairi caught it and had her cheeks puffed at the alien that giggled to her, Sora asked Stitch. "People were worried about you after the town got attacked pretty badly, how did you get here?"

The alien scurried to a branch and crawled underneath, showing how he sneaked around, Riku asked. "You sneaked under someones ship, left when you had the chance then used that raft to sail here? I'll buy that."

Flip! Ventus was the last to reach the top, flipping on his legs and catching the alien off guard. Ven saw a blue furry alien, that he recognized, scurry to him and jumped on him. "Ven!"

Bop!

Ven was knocked on his back, laughing at the reunion and was being licked on the face. "Ha. Hey, hey, stop that." He gently pushed Stitch off, the alien cackled. "Ven! Fren!" Ventus sat up and nodded to an old friend that hasn't aged a day. "Yeah, me and Aqua are back. Why did you come here?"

Stitch blinked, looked over the edge to see the shore and tilted his head side back and forth to the rhythm of the shore. He asked. "Terra?"

Ven cringed, shook his head and answered. "Terra is in trouble and we are trying to save him next."

Stitch's ears lowered and he whimpered Ven understood that and asked. "I came to do a wake up call, but... do you want to come with us? Aqua is waiting for us to get started with today."

Stitch hummed and crawled on to Ven's shoulder, answering a yes as the native trio were ready to jump down, Sora thanked Ven for the help. "How did you two know each other?"

Ven answered. "It's a bit complicated, I'll answer that when we get back." He noticed the odd katana. "Where did you get that?"

Sora wondered about the blade. "I found it on the shore... but where did it come from?"

Riku wanted to know that himself as his legs bent. "We should bring that with us, can't leave this around." He jumped off, Sora followed and Kairi put her charm away to accept the weird. "Thanks for the help, this was a long morning." Ven yawned as Kairi jumped off, he made sure Stitch was ready and jumped off.

In a grey room.

The Replica asked, worried for his adopted sister's sake. "You didn't sleep at all last night and you think it is a good idea to go out there and try to give Ahriman that thing back?" Xion put on her black coat and held the chime firmly. "The.. woman in the dream was creepy and we don't want Ahriman to be angry at us for stealing his things."

The Replica agreed with that and got his own coat. "Shadey, follow her. I don't want her getting into trouble." The canine shifted into shadows and hid in Xion's, the Replica had the door opened. "That doesn't happen. Put it back and we can laugh this off at the arcade."

Xion hummed and went out with Shadey, the girl went the path she went to before, found three Tzaangor with odd shards of treasures running past her, she felt she was in luck that the riskier guards might be busy, she went to the library to find a Rubric standing guard and turning its head towards her. The girl hid behind the door and away from guard armed with a gun and Shadey looked at the closed door, he slithered and tapped Xion on the shoulder, resembling her own shadow and extending a hand to help her with something. The girl found it creepy, yet took the offer, she was gently tugged into her own shadow and realized she is invisible and used it to her advantage to sneak into the familiar room. She and Shadey emerged, mission nearing accomplishment, she had her chime in hand and was ready to put it back along with the others. Shadey shifted to a humanoid form and tabbed Xion on the shoulder, she found a data log laying in convenience.

She shook her head and didn't want to snoop around, she had the chime in place and turned ready to go, she looked at the log in curiosity and decided to look, asking Shadey to keep quiet. She pressed a button that showed events that transpired, that of research, the most current was the one she pressed at. Seeing the words come up. "Day Seven: Each and every time I see that masked demon, my temptation to remove him from existence becomes even stronger. He couldn't find a willing target for his cruelty, so he took it out on the Specimen, I would have called, Hollow. Despite how Hollow proved himself against the Unversed with his katana, that demon still keeps him locked away in a prison cell like one would an animal. Hollow's trinkets and sword seem to contain an unknown trace of power and I presumed the demon stole the chime I confiscated in my attempt to learn from Hollow. This is not the case, if I could find the chime and deliver it and the misshapen staff of bones back to Hollow, perhaps it will trigger a reaction that would stir him from his state and show them that he is worth something."

Xion's eye lids dropped and she pressed the data log of three items. The first was of the sword. "Specimen: Moonlight Greatsword: A work of art that uses the power of moonlight to carve at foes from afar. It has to have an oddity with in to make it do that and it is not from a daemon, but what?"

The second was of the chime. "Specimen: Praying Chime: A trinket that has a constant, dark aura with in. Further tests are required to unlock its true nature and see if it contains something sinister." The third was of the staff. "Specimen: Bone Staff: I don't know how Hollow acquired this, but it this fetish is just cobbled together bones and string, yet despite the simplicity, it seems to be a catalyst for spells of some kind. What kind of place did Hollow come from and how he ended up in the Realm of Darkness is a mystery to unravel."

Xion slowly put the log down and turned it off, she approached the dark chime and took it along with the bone staff. "This isn't right, these belong to Hollow." She looked teary eyed and felt her vision shifting to a keyhole, showing her shifts and turns across the vast castle, leading to a still knight, barely keeping a grip on his katana, she snapped out of it and Shadey offered to help her, the girl thought. "Maybe Ahriman won't get mad if I do this for him." She let the creature bring her into the shadows, they sneaked away unseen and to the visioned path, ready to set things right.

At the Land of Departure.

Ana watched Ken wrap a dummy around a whip of fire and slam it to his back side, he jumped forward, spun, fired down upon the dummy with his gun and for further insult to injury, he inhaled and breathed out toxic mist. He casually walked away from the dummy, pretending it was a dead foe and moving on to the second one as he asked. "I learned that one from watching Jambert use a spell called fire whip, where it is blowing out fire from your hand and using it to whip it all over the poor target. I focused something more physical and used it literally like a whip."

Ana hummed. "I see, going near you would be a mistake." The boy smiled summoned Firekeeper's Wish and calmly struck the dummy in a pattern like an infernal twister, finishing the combo with a jump back and an idea burning in his head. "...No, timing is everything. Ana, you seen me use firestorm... how fast could you escape if... say... I rushed after you right there to use it."

Ana signaled Ken to try. "Pretend that you're using it on me. If you can use it fast enough, it will stop me from trying to stop that." The boy nodded, charged after Ana and mimic the pose, the Stormcast side stepped to the right with her hammer like keyblade and lightly tapped him as Aqua arrived to watch students practicing with each other. Ken felt the tap and he guessed. "That will be the moment I get sent flying off the mountain with enough voltage flowing through me that it would kill a Rancor in seconds, let alone me in half a millisecond. Firestorm is slower, but it's an opening if I can use it right, fire tempest... that's a finisher."

Ana nodded and answered indifferently. "I don't know what a Rancor is, but if it is a big ol monster that's tough to take down, that would be you if you try using it on someone who sees it coming and can stop it."

Aqua agreed with that. "And if they know that is what you are doing, they won't let you cast it unless they don't mind the fire." Ken sighed. "And if they know my default of shooting them, I'll be back to problem number one since they'll know what I use air magic for. I probably need to know how stop works one of these days. Hey Miss, Ana said that psycho was using an Endless Spell on you to get an edge over you. What are those?"

Aqua wasn't too sure as the Stormcast answered. "I know a little about endless spells, even if our plan for going into the realms would work, those things are rare and they are magic with a will of their own. It takes a skilled wizard to bind and control them."

The teacher had an idea and asked. "But the magic you're allies use, what do have to say about them?"

Ana shrugged as she noticed someone arrived. "They are more doable, ya already know of fire and that isn't what you're asking for. Ulgu and Shyish are out of the question, Hysh is good in a blind, Ghyran is good for protecting your self, Azyr is good ol lightin, Ghur is handy if you need to go wild and Chamon is handy against anyone in heavy armor or weapons." Ken had interest in one particular as he and the older duo heard an alien like blabber and a name shout. "Aqua!"

She turned around and was knocked on her back by a blue koala like alien, Ken and Ana were surprised and looked ahead to find Sora, Kairi, Riku and a drowsy Ven watching. The alien tried to lick at Aqua's face as Ven tried to pull him off. "C'mon Stitch, knock it off."

Stitch pouted like a toddler and let go as Kairi apologized. "Sorry for being late... again, Stitch took something important to me and we spent the morning trying to look for him." Aqua gasped and gave Stitch a half crossed scowl, the alien felt judged and looked to Kairi with his fingers pressing together. "Sorry." Kairi forgave the alien. "That's better." She asked her teacher. "Were you starting the lesson before we came?"

Aqua shook her head and realized she might have sounded like she was. "We weren't, but someone is trying to think of using foreign magic in case he is ever in a place where neither range or fire will help him. The magic from the Realms Ana is from. I had a talk with Merlin about what we need to do to stop Garland and we may need to go there to ask for help from someone I know that has an anti magic orb, if to dispel the crystal keeping all that power together. We might be able to put together a way to get over there, but we need to be precise to where the gate way will take us."

Namine stepped out of Kairi, startled nearly everyone and asked. "Like the places you been to? I can help with that if you can make the gate way." Riku asked Namine. "By using Aqua's memories so that way, we will end up where we want to go?" The blonde girl nodded as Aqua thanked her. "That's precisely what we need, but could we do it in three days?" That was what Namine worried about and frowned with her hands behind her back. "We... could, but we don't know how to mix all this incredible power together. Something... or someone, tried this before and it made a distortion into reality, if this goes wrong, we would be the ones causing a warp rift to open up."

Riku agreed with that as Sora mentally blocked out the disaster. "And we don't need more Chaos Daemons going loose. Ana, do you know how to contain that power so we can control it?"

The Stormcast nodded. "I asked Arreia that question a long time ago, if we can make a Realmgate out of special stones, we could open it and cross over. But what kind of stones do we have that could work?"

Ven and Aqua remembered something, the keyblade master answered. "The Star Shards. But a jump this big would need more like it to work, there is one person that knows of them." Riku answered that. "King Mickey."

Sora folded his arms and asked. "So... you just need us to wait for more instructions?"

Aqua answered with a chuckle. "I wouldn't say you just need to wait, but let me get this lesson done before I pass along a few things me and Ken found." She ordered Ventus. "Ven, you been up all night, thank you for helping them... but go get some sleep. Stitch is our friend, he can stay here with us if he wants," she asked Stitch strictly. "But Stitch, no destruction, you're our guest."

Stitch acted innocently with his hands placed together like an angel. "Stitch promise!"

Most of the group weren't so sure about that as Ven picked Stitch up and looked drowsy. "*Yawn* I'll make sure he doesn't cause trouble, I'll see you in the afternoon."

He took his leave to the castle and Namine had a long look at him. "We were right about him." She turned and went to sit by a corner as Sora showed an odd katana to Aqua. "We're going to have Merlin check this odd thing out and wait for his majesty to get here. Thank you for the help." He and Riku looked to each other and left.

Kairi asked her teacher as the lesson was nearing its beginning. "So what was really happening here? Ken and Ana were talking about something when you came to them."

Ken yelped and apologized. "I'm sorry for causing that big misunderstanding. I came here earlier than expected because Merlin poofed me and Wanda here, I was practicing my new bag of tricks while waiting for you and want to learn how to use-" He took a deep breath and walked far away as Aqua helped with the answer. "Kairi, this is what he was talking about, when should you strike if someone ever tries to do-" Ken ignited his hands and leaned in a pose, causing pillars of flame to burst, Aqua finished. "That?"

Kairi answered surely. "When I see him glow his hands and before it goes off. Any later, and I'm barbeque." Ken turned and agreed like a respectful rival. "Exactly, anyone else who sees something like that coming will stop me in an instant. I need to figure out when to time that perfectly so I won't be stopped and then finish them off with fire tempest. This is my biggest learning curve yet and Miss had a good point, it will be completely moot once I run into someone who would only be tickled by the flame."

Ana nodded. "And since most of us have wide options for magic with our attacks, we started talking about beyond what the worlds could teach us."

Kairi relaxed from the pressure she brought on herself. "There isn't a lot that goes together with his style. I got to practice a little with my lightning last night while treasure hunting, I might have over done it." Aqua doubted that and had her students step aside. "That magic could help you win your fights if know how far the limit is." She shot ice spells at the dummy and charged at it to perform a quick combo, she fired again and was building up to a finisher, Kairi felt it was familiar and watched her teacher fire again. Aqua back flipped, aimed her blue keyblade and fired a ball of ice that made contact and erupt as a glacier like spike, Kairi gasped and realized what she learned the previous night. "Master, may I show what I did?"

Aqua was surprised by her and went to the group. "You done a Grand Magic finisher?" Kairi wondered that and shot down lightning at the dummy, building up for combo for another and quickly built up, she aimed her blade to the sky and caused massive bolts of lightning to strike down, Ken fell on his feet from feeling the rumble and Ana watched light close into a circle. The Stormcast clapped to her. "That's one of the mightiest bolts I seen in the worlds, well done!"

The boy clapped with envy as Aqua spoke her pride at her student. "I guess you did." Kairi gave a graceful bow and asked. "I learned this while dealing with some...Flan heartless. Now, what did I hear about Endless Spells?"

Ana answered that as Ken got up. "Powerful spells that take form into its own life and are some of the most dangerous spells you will find. While not all of them are likely to kill you, the predatory spells will turn on you in a heart beat and the worst part is the only way to get rid of them is for a wizard to unbind that form. They came up ever since the Necroquake caused the undead to stir in an outbreak."

Aqua heard the words necro and undead, her cheerful mood turned slightly sour and her tone matched. "Meaning a certain lich ruined everything? How many times has Nagash done things like this?"

Ana had no idea. "It's been a tale I read about, Lady Aqua... he does nothing but boil your blood."

Aqua agreed with that and dropped it. "He is one of the biggest causes of the Realms problems and we haven't heard from his only agent in a while. When we have a way to go into the Realms, I think Nagash would still be in pieces and we don't a reason to go to Shyish to taunt him."

Ken was relieved about that. "He hates us after we stopped his plans and would try to kill us the first chance he gets. Changing back to the subject, those endless spells sound a lot like the summons we use, if they are more dangerous. But some of the magic sound pretty cool, I think I know what I can do with the spell of Metal."

Kairi guessed. "Bend another persons weapon so that would be useless while you take advantage of that." Ana had an even better idea. "Or transmute it and a persons armor into something heavier and useless. But the winds of Chamon are nowhere near here, we are going to have to bind some of it before we can try."

Ken pouted at that. "So the next best thing to keep something away from me while I shoot them to kingdom come is to learn about stop."

Kairi whistled. "That's a rare spell." Aqua agreed to that and warned Ken. "And one that is easy to abuse. If you can freeze time, you can control the outcome of most battles, but it doesn't always work for long, especially against those with a strong will. Are you ready to learn that?"

Ken joked about abusing the temporal power. "It's their fault for bringing a sword to a gun fight and if they think they can beat a gun, that will remind them." Aqua snapped her fingers for his attention. "And it is a way for you to use in conjunction with that other spell you want to master. It's a boring way, but anything helps these days."

Ken understood, he and Kairi gave a bow and were ready to learn as Ana asked the teacher. "How do you even use a spell like that? I get using lightning, fire, ice and water... but time?"

Aqua agreed with how complicated it is. "It takes a lot of power because it isn't like the others, that's why the most we get from it is stopping time and how long it will last. You see-"

At the Castle That Never Was.

Xion nearly whimpered at the fearsome sight of the patrolling Varanguard, their burning red eyes and their unsightly steeds search not for intruders to slay, but for playthings to torture and devour. Their dreadful aura gave her an instinct to avoid them at all cost, even when in the shadows. She sneaked past them and found a stair way leading down into a white void, into a dungeon. They reached the bottom and void a black sphere with bars, floating in mid space, keeping guard was a chained, horned, dark creature. Xion and Shadey crawled out of the shadow and readied to confront the creature, it looked upon them and shot dark beams. Xion rolled out of the way to dodge as Shadey leaped high and pounded it into the ground with many, tendril like claws, the girl realized there wasn't much of a point fighting the creature of darkness when she has her own doing the work for her, she looked in the cage as Shadey pounced on the chained creature and tore into it, the creatures arms broke free and it summoned a hammer to swing at the eldritch creature that vanished and reappeared above it as a mighty red eyed gryphon. Xion saw a battered knight clinging to a blacksteel katana with his right hand and banging his left hand against his helmet, like there was something of his he barely remembers. Shadey tore at the chained, hammered creature, took a hammer to its face and stabbed it in the chest with its beak, the lower half of the chained creature broke free and its hammer took a fuller shape.

Shadey flew back, landed and took the form of a fierce tiger, it gave a thunderous roar and clawed as Xion saw a keyhole form at the cell door, aimed her blade and fired a beam, causing the cell door to click and slide open, Hollow heard it and looked at her, he stood up and held his blacksteel katana with both hands. Xion gestured that she didn't want to fight and took out the dark chime and scepter of bone. "Are these yours?" Hollow gasped, almost dropped his katana and stared at them, particularly to the chime. "Nas...Nas..." In the back ground, Shadey dealt another mighty blow to the chained creature, removing all its bindings and watching the creatures hammer ignite, the dark creature back flipped and charged shape into a floating shark. He shot like a torpedo at the guard, it opened its maw to show rows of razor sharp teeth and bit into it. Xion introduced herself. "I'm Xion and the one... eating the guard, is Shadey."

She gave the two items to Hollow, the knight sheathed his katana and took them like they were close treasures. He looked to her and asked. "X...X...Xion? Xion."

The girl nodded and extended her hand. "Come on, Hollow, we need to get out of here. They shouldn't be treating you like this." That name caused Hollow to step back, the knight wanted to yell something at her and violently shook his head, Xion cringed and apologized. "Okay, that's not really your name and you hate that. It was the only name I found, I'm sorry for calling you that." The knight almost fell on his rear and gave a cough, becoming something like, crying, Xion's eyes watered and she gave the knight a hug. "I'm sorry." Shadey finished with the guard and sensed something, it dissolved its body into dark tendrils and flowed into the cage, taking on a humanoid form, it tapped Xion on the shoulder to warn her something.

Hollow realized who was coming and spoke. "Xion...run. Get... away."

Xion let go and didn't wish to leave him behind. Hollow looked at her and took his chime, he gave off a holy glow and rubbed it on his blade, giving it a holy glow that made Xion's hair stand. The girl was surprised and asked. "That's... light? Are you showing me this?" Hollow knelt and glowed, disappearing and reappearing to the corner of the cell, Shadey disappeared in Xion's shadow and felt it convenient. She promised him. "I'll be back to get you out of here. Just wait until I get the chance again." She knelt and glowed, disappearing in a flash of light, Hollow made a rush to close the cell and banged his head against it to make himself look like a mindless creature.

A corridor opened, Vanitas walked out to see the damage and growled. "What..." He glared to the knight banging his head against the cell and caused dark chains to form behind the knight. "Would have fooled me if you didn't... somehow, killed that guard. You worn down husk."

The knight held to his chime as the chains rushed to him and pulsed in holy power, blowing the cell door away and send it flying at Vanitas, the psycho dodged that and watched the knight switch to a bone staff and give off a dark glow. Flinging a barrage of dark orbs at him and hurting him, Vanitas was in disbelief and waved his hand in a counter, forming a yellow and black cage and dropping it down on the knight, he formed a barrier and felt that was enough, he looked at the trinkets and asked. "Now who gave you that?" He shrugged and summoned two chained creatures. "Like that will help you now, how about you stay put like a good little Curse Bearer while I go... interrogate some birds."

He disappeared and left the Undead+ to sit in its cage and look at its chime. "Nas...Nas...Nas..." He gasped like something in his mind came to life. "Nash...an...dra." His grip tighten on the chime, like it was an old foe, he looked out of the case and hissed. "Child...of...Dark."

In the grey room.

The Replica tapped his foot and was ready to go search when a spark of light shined, Xion appeared with tears dripping and kneeling. The Replica helped her up and calmed her down. "Xion, what happened, did you give the chime back?" The girl nodded. "I... read a log Ahriman was making, saying of its owner. That chimed belonged to a knight... that... someone is keeping locked away and treating him like he's garbage. I... couldn't let that happen."

The Replica nearly screamed. "Xion, you know it's a suicidal idea to take from Ahriman and go that deep in this castle."

Xion stomped her foot and shouted at him. "They weren't his to begin with!" The Replica stepped back and Xion repeated herself. "They weren't his to begin with and Ahriman was going to try to give the chime and a bone staff back to him anyways. So... I did it for him."

The Replica went stoic and asked. "Is this really true?" Xion nodded. "He compared the person holding the knight prisoner to a demon and nowhere in the log did Ahriman say anything about wanting to give the knights sword back. So I kept away from that." The Replica folded his arms and knew who Xion was talking about. "Demon?" He ordered the creature in the shadows. "Shadey, find the Tzaangor and protect them. If Vanitas so helps as threaten them, you are to teach him a lesson... but don't do anything lethal. I don't want Ahriman getting into more trouble than he is."

Shadey revealed its red eyes and slithered past the door, leaving the Replica and a tired Xion alone, the adopted brother asked. "I wouldn't have bought that if you didn't tell me about the sword, I guess that thing is the most interesting thing Ahriman... confiscated and if he was the one who took the knight, he might have treated him like a discovery project. But that wouldn't have upset the both of us as much." He turned and opened a corridor. "Come on, this place isn't helping you. Once Ahriman knows where we stand, he won't be mad."

At the lower side of the Castle.

Ztardon cawed, snarled and glowed with psychic power as he stood in between a battered Tzaangor and Vanitas, the shaman cawed. "Master has done no such thing! He observes the horned ones ritual, as he has all day."

Vanitas blew in the air and was ready to beat the shaman up yet again. "As if, do you think anyone trusts him? How about you step aside like the minion you are, you're all just a dime a dozen." Ztardon refused and radiated in blue glamour, blinding Vanitas and sucker punching him with his staff, the helmet fiend disappeared and appeared above the shaman, ready to strike. POUNCE! A creature of tendrils and shadows pounced on Vanitas and knocked him away, it sank into Ztardon's shadow and caught the Tzaangor by surprise, Vanitas landed with a burning fury and flung a fire ball at the shaman. PEW!

A Rubric terminator appeared in front of Ztardon and took the fire ball, standing still and looking like nothing happened, a door opened to let Ahriman and Pete out. The Sorcerer finished advising to him. "What ever the guardians are up to, it's clear she and the Horned King are too busy to be out there. They are planning something and they need to be stopped in every turn now that there is another in their ranks."

Pete saw a vicious sprawl and opened a corridor. "Y...Yeah, I'll go see if I can't rough em up and take care of another problem, latters." He left as Ahriman gave a slow stare at Vanitas. "What is your excuse for doing this again?" Vanitas laughed at him. "You're still playing dumb after all that?"

The Sorcerer asked him. "Could... you elaborate? I was busy sharing my knowledge of the chime with the Mistress of All Evil when I sensed you attacking my minions... again." Vanitas readied to attack as flickers manifested, Xehanort appeared with his keyblade ready, he asked. "Or you both will tell me what is going on. What is the meaning of this insubordination?"

Vanitas answered with a louder laugh. "Ha! Dusty over there is once again, trying to get in the way of my fun, he gave Cursy down at the cell some of his stuff, that chime and staff." Ahriman gasped and snarled. "I did no such thing," Vanitas snarled back. "Oh, then how was he able to learn how to use them and fight back with light and darkness?"

The Sorcerer stood his ground and had something mocking to say as Xehanort asked Vanitas. "He... uses the powers of light and darkness?"

He turned to Ahriman with bewilderment, the sorcerer agreed with the feeling. "Subject: Hollow, isn't as worthless as the lot of you thought. But I still had no hand in this, this isn't the first time an anomaly appeared, caused a disruption in this band and someone had to investigate."

Xehanort hummed. "You are saying that a chaos daemon of Tzeentch is at fault?" Ahriman hummed back. "With how close to the Warp invested Darkness we are, it's possible for a daemon to appear and reappear in this castle and it would be like one of Tzeentch to undermine us all. Especially me."

Xehanort agreed with that as Vanitas yelled. "Oh, come on! He's lying through his teeth." Xehanort turned to Vanitas with an order. "That's enough. If he went anywhere close to the Varanguard, unannounced, they would have tore him to pieces. A daemon has little reason to care for its life, as it goes back to the twisting Chaos when it is slain." He placed his right hand under his chin. "Even with the knights heart as hollow as it is, it still holds a spark of light and darkness. With in a vast... nothing."

Ahriman was impressed by the knowledge. "There is more to his things, the chime and sword hold a presence with in and I'll have you know, the chime was missing by this morning." Xehanort hummed about that. "So the daemon found that more enticing for the game and because it is Tzeentch, it sensed a strong, magical property in the staff of bones."

He ordered Vanitas. "Test Hollow's power, the chime and staff hide his secrets." The masked fiend grumbled and walked away. "Fine, I'll do that once he calms down." With him gone, Ahriman gave a nod and asked. "Would that be all?" Xehanort nodded. "For now, this gave more benefits than... hindrances. You can return to your studies. Archaon is attempting to focus a contact with his summoners for our reinforcements. Be prepared if you seek more for yourself."

Ahriman took the recommendation to heart, healed the battered Tzaangor and guided them out with him. He had the rank and file go about his chores and talked to Ztardon through a telepathic glow. "There was more to the truth than meets the eye and it is just as believable as the lie I formed."

The Tzaangor nodded and followed his master to the warded bed room of the young ones. With none in sight, Ztardon closed the door and Ahriman asked the shadow. "Come on out, I'll pretend that what was discussed was truth. For it did help elevate Subject: Hollow's status like I was going to personally see to."

The shadow opened red eyes and slithered out, Ahriman hummed and had it step out of Ztardon's shadow. "I don't know how the chime ended up in those two's hands, but they came back to seize the staff and deliver it back to the knight, with all the dangers that were. Impressive. You have done well for them, me and I'll even give extra credit for sending you to defend Ztardon and his herd. I will, have a word with those two when they come back. They are not going to be punished."

Shadey believed that as Ztardon scratched himself and kept his distance. "But Master, do they believe that?"

Ahriman laughed lightly. "They know this Castle became a dark and cruel place, much like a Warband I predicted that this organization would become. With many striving for their own ideal of power and ready to trample the weak, they had heard and seen it. Thus, they seek solace and plan far from my eyes for the fate of Hollow. They are strong in heart and yearn for more than survival, they will seek to confront me on the manner once they stop being afraid... I can imagine the look on their faces when they see that their gambit paid of."

He went to the door to open it, leaving the room unchanged safe for the beast of shadows. "Come, let us see what Archaon has to offer us from the realms." Ztardon nodded and followed. "Yes master, what awaits us from that side of the coin?"

At the Land of Departure.

Kairi confronted Ana over a training session and focused her will into a spell as the Stormcast was in mid flight for a false swipe, the princess raised her keyblade in the air and shouted. "Stop!" PEW!

Ana stilled in her flight and Kairi walked close to her, in a few seconds Ana moved and was astonished by where Kairi was at. Ken clapped and approached. "It's all about really wanting something to stay still."

Aqua nodded. "And converting it into a power. Now you try." Kairi walked away as Ken raised his gun like keyblade and yelled. "Stop!"

PEW!

Ana was frozen in time once more and Ken side jumped to his left, skiding to Ana's side as the Stormcast quickly forced herself out of the temporal still and looked around, finding Ken smiling proudly with his pose for firestorm performed. "Boom!"

The Stormcast's heart skipped a beat and she sweated. "It's not a lot of time, but those seconds sure can count." She raised her blade in the air and yell. "HALT!" Pew!

Ken was astonished and froze in place, the Stormcast quickly circled around him, the boy started to move, he looked around and flipped on his rear to find the Stormcast behind him. Screaming in shock and back flipping, Ana dismissed her keyblade and folded her arms. "Relax lad, this is all just testing out a spell that's harmless on its own."

Ken dismissed his blades and yelled. "When you appear and reappear right behind me, I get jumpy." He and Ana approached a proud teacher, Aqua relaxed her arms and spoke. "There are ways to make that spell stronger and freeze more opponents in place for longer. You all done well." She heard footsteps coming and four people greeting someone loudly, calling it a break. "That's Mickey and the others, we'll talk about Grand Magic and how to use that once we are done discussing things."

Kairi sweated and wanted to follow as Ana nodded. "Let's see what we have in store." She asked the boy of the trio. "Ya want to hear this?"

Ken cracked his knuckles and nodded. "This is pretty important and could involve us." He snapped his fingers and asked his teacher. "Miss, there is a message I been meaning to give once we were on class break. It's from my mom."

Aqua gasped and asked. "Is there something she wants to talk to me about?"

Ken nodded. "Totally, but it isn't even close to the most important thing. It's kind of a thank you. Me and her had a talk last night." Aqua took interest and had that on her to do list, she and her students went to the front of the castle to find Sora, Riku, Wanda and Merlin talking away with Mickey, Goofy, Donald and Jiminy.

The King was astonished by what Merlin said. "We might have a way to get to the Realms?" Merlin adjusted his glasses and answered. "It's only a theory, but we were informed that you hold a special piece of gummi block that would allow you to travel between worlds?"

Mickey gasped, smiled and nodded. "The Star Shard? You're correct about that, I had it put away after I started having the gummi ship built. A block that large could do the trick."

The three young listeners smiled wide, Riku asked. "But would it be able to help us by itself? The Realms sound pretty big and we need it to get to one particular spot."

Mickey answered eager. "It won't, but that is what we are going to do. Making a jump that big would require a lot of gummi blocks." Wanda laughed to that. "That's what me and some of my engineers could help with if we get the material, to think that we are going to make a Realmgate."

Sora knew where to find the mentioned blocks and looked up to the sky. "We should get started soon, those are found in between worlds, right?" Donald tapped his foot and asked. "Did you forget that they were?" Sora puffed his cheeks. "It's been a while since we had to do that, give me a break guys." Goofy chuckled. "Hi-yuck, this ought to be fun." Riku hummed to that. "We don't got anything else better to do, how much do we need to get?"

Ana stepped forward and answered. "A Realmgate normally has a round door, so we ought to get enough to make it fit more than one of us at a time."

Wanda stepped back to the castle and placed her fingers together to make a vertical rectangle. "It depends on how big the blocks are and-" She caught Mickey, Goofy and Donald in the rectangle. "Who is going over there." She caught Ana and Aqua in it next, the size comparison was a minor complication. "Since the Kharadron would know how urgent this is, it should be big enough to fit a Stormcast through."

Jiminy sighed. "We're going to have to go back to town and show it to Chip and Dale."

Wanda undid her rectangle and asked. "Do you mind if me and Ana come along for this venture? They would need to know what I'm envisioning for the gate."

Jiminy and Mickey didn't as Aqua approved. "You can start that right after I finish the lessons for the day, we were about finished." Riku guessed who is doing who. "Me, Sora, Goofy and Donald would be fetching the blocks. Wanda, Chip and Dale would be on the assembly team while Kairi and the others get to learning?"

Aqua took authority and answered. "Hey, were not just going to let you all do the work. We can find ways to help." Kairi agreed with that. "I'll stay here so Namine can help us open the way."

Ken had his own duty. "And I'll make sure no one tries anything funny that would mess this all up."

Wanda whistled to that. "You know that means you have to follow us to the town once the lesson's done? It isn't just staying in this world ya know."

Ken realized what he said, smiled with Ana and gave a knights salute. "I do now, anything to help." Merlin laughed with a hint of pride. "Ha! I say, my boy, you should pay heed to what you agree with. For it might lead to that calling once more." Ken promised him. "Everyone else in the know is here, so an extra set of eyes and muscle with Ana is needed if someone sees his Majesty going in and out of town and thinks that something is up."

Sora smiled to him. "You're going to love seeing the town... if they are going to let you explore." Riku saw the blonde boy was expecting a lecture as Kairi spoke in her rivals defense. "If it is important, he doesn't wander off without a good reason."

Ken recalled the two incidents. "And if I didn't wander, something bad really would have happened. I'll listen to orders." Riku nodded to that. "It's a pretty big responsibility," He tapped him on his left shoulder. "Don't sweat it."

Ana grunted to Ken for his choice of duty as Aqua asked her students. "Ken, Ana, we need to see if you know how to use the combo finisher before I wrap this up and let you go. Kairi, you need to hear it as well."

The trio understood and followed her as Sora finished his own recount of events. "We found a strange katana in the water and Ven helped put it away for now, it's... strange."

Merlin agreed with that. "It has a bewitching shine to it, it would be advised not to toy around with that sword. Who knows what ill it would do."

Down at the target dummies.

Ana asked Aqua. "We need to combo our magic and finish it as one massive spell?" The teacher nodded. "Precisely, I don't know where Kairi practiced that, but it's a sure way to get an edge in battle. Ken, you try first." The boy saluted, summoned his gun like blade and raised it in the air to form a twister, he used it to jump high and fired at a dummy, he nearly landed and formed another tornado to fly past the dummy, flung an explosive orb of energy and used another tornado to fling himself back to the group, he cheered a taunt. "And ya all go woosh!" The wind turned and formed into a massive tornado that had four smaller, if still large, twisters accompanying it. He was caught by surprise and watched the destruction he caused. "Okay, a little too much woosh."

The twisters faded and Ana flew after the intact dummy, bashing it upward and flinging it to the sky at the mercy of thunderbolts. At the third one, she slammed her hammer to the ground as the dummy landed, causing a lightning bolt, much like Kairi's, to strike down at the dummy and shower the training ground.

The mortals had their hair standing and they gave a round of applause. Aqua had her hands at her hips. "Very good, all of you. You need to repeat the spell three times and once you do, let them have it."

Kairi understood as Ana approached. "Imagine what we can do with the elements at that power." She had the idea of combos in her mind and giggled with a wide smile as Aqua theorized. "Similar results, but it helps to have options. It goes without saying, but the longer you can keep the combo, the stronger the finisher can become." She concluded the lessons for the day. "Class is dismissed. Ken, Kairi. Me, Ven and Ana have a surprise waiting for you by the end of the day, I hope you're excited for it."

Kairi had a guess what it was, gasped and tried to keep it to herself as Ken and Ana left for their duty, the boy realized it and kept quiet as he asked Ana. "Bryn should know where I went off to and will be waiting for us. You and Wanda will like her."

The Stormcast looked forward to it and marched. "We got a mystery to ask about one gummi ship that helped Aqua and Ven get ere, do you know a silver ship floating around?"

Ken gasped and hummed. "I wondered what happened to that ship. It isn't really a good time to talk about it, but it belonged to a certain hero that is kind of like you. You know who."

Ana realized and understood. "Ah, Hofneil's ship. It needs a place to call home before something bad happens to it."

Kairi agreed with that and asked as her tone dimmed. "Could you give Sora and Riku the word and try to look for it while you are out there?"

Ana promised she would as Ken dismissed his keyblade and followed her, Kairi felt depressed as Aqua noticed and asked. "You still missed them?"

The girl nodded. "They are some of the bravest hearts I seen and we still wish they were here." She sniffled and was given a comforting hug, calming her down and seeing her teacher regretting never getting to meet the heroes that came and pass. "It's okay to still cry." Kairi wiped her eyes and looked down to the vast valley bellow. "I'll be fine, thank you. Master, is there anything down there?

" Aqua tried to remember and looked down the valley with her student. "There isn't much besides forest and streams. Terra, Ven and I use to explore down there in off times.." She felt an odd melancholy and asked Kairi. "Do you want to talk about the hearts that came before? They showed up when the whole mess with Chaos started." The girl nodded. "They haven't came from the most pleasant places in the worlds." She remembered strongly. "A whole life of war can darken anyone. It all started when-"

In a colorful town.

The Replica was kept a watchful guard of Xion as she tried to rest under a tree with in a park. She looked distraught in her sleep and turned. "Wha...zzz...why are you...still." She shivered as the Replica tried to meditate, finding his predicament annoying and the girl's troubling. "Xion, what were you thinking?" He looked at the sun and planned. "It's near noon and those two are busy with themselves. If we just act calm, they won't notice anything odd and she'll be well enough... hopefully."

He rubbed the girls shoulders gently, calming her anxiety, her facing looking half determined, like she was confronting her dark nightmare. "You're pretty brave, keep getting some rest."

He focused on his free hand and placed it on the ground, causing the plants to bend to his will, he twiddled his fingers and caused flowers to curl into a vine. "Hmm... if we are going to be doing this more often, I need to think what he won't think of using."

At the Castle with in the town.

Ken, Ana and Wanda were astound by the garden as Mickey welcomed them. "Well, here we are." Jiminy climbed out of the mouses pocket. "The Star Piece should be in the library." Wanda was captivated by the simple, yet effective architecture. "Wholesome."

Chip and Dale scurried to the castle like hedge, Chip greeted the arrival. "Heya, you're highness. Heya everyone." Dale waved to the guests. "Hiya." Ana kept a watchful stance as Wanda greeted them. "Hello Chip, hello Dale. Sorry for coming unannounced, but I need your help to make a schematic for a Realmgate. With that, Sora and the others will know what pieces they should collect."

Dale nodded to that as Chip lead the way. "This sounds like a big project. Never thought to build something like that out of the blocks before."

Ana answered why. "Because a Realmgate is incredibly dangerous if we rush construction and the trip into the eight realms is a simple retrieval mission. I wouldn't dare speak of the dangers over there."

Mickey agreed with that and instructed the chipmunks. "That's why we gotta make sure everything goes right and we know that the best way across the worlds is a good gummi ship. This is a similar idea." He asked Ana and Ken. "Once I get the Star Piece, someone needs to keep watch from in the castle while we figure out how we are going to build the gate, the other should have a look around the town in case something odd happens again."

Ken gasped as Ana smiled and obeyed. "Me and Kendry will talk about that when we can." She and the boy followed the group into the castle proper, through a hall way and into the library, finding a familiar looking queen with a blue, star shape stone that had a missing edge on its right.

The star had a green glow of energy circling around a central green star, the Queen offered it to her husband. "Mickey, I went looking as soon as we got the call, we must make every second count."

Mickey blushed, folded his arms behind him and twiddled his right foot. "A...a...th...thank you Minnie." The Queen giggled and gave him the stone, complimented with a kiss on the cheek. "All you have to do is ask."

She looked at the new arrivals giving a bow of respect, Wanda was among the most grateful. "Thank you for thinking ahead, your highness. That made things easier for us."

Chip went to get a piece of paper as Dale went to find a pen, Minnie looked like she was honored to meet the General, approached and wanted to shake hands. "I've heard so much about you, you have done much for Radiant Garden and the neighboring worlds."

Wanda slowly stood up and folded her arms with a smile. "Thank you, but I can't take all the credit. If it wasn't for your husband, me and my men would have been knee deep in Skaven and Grots." She looked at Ken and Ana for another. "If it wasn't for so many, we wouldn't have made it as far. Now I...we, ask you all for help yet again."

Jiminy jumped onto a table and asked. "Do you have an idea of what the Realmgate needs to be?"

Wanda looked at the two sided door and used her hands to capture Ana and Ken in a makeshift picture, feeling like she saw enough. "If we include Ana, just the height and width of that door should be an estimate. We're not going to a full scale war, so just a couple of us would be needed to cross over. Can we build it?"

The chipmunks answered as one. "Yes we can!" Mickey and Minnie over saw the beginning of a conversation as Ana let them know. "One of us will be guarding the library door, there is two of you in here that can give any villain a whopping if they come snooping around."

Ken agreed with that. "If the Cornerstone doesn't keep them out. I heard Minnie could hold her own, if they get past one of us... they will be in for a rude surprise."

Ana agreed and went out with the boy, she summoned her hammer like keyblade, placed its tip on the ground and posed like a statue. "I'll keep guard while they organize the ideal gate, you go on out of the castle and be you," Ken gave a bow to Ana. "Thank you, I won't forget that this is a job and I'll be back if I find something." He relaxed and took off. "I'll be back in an hour, every hour, until they make our schematic." He turned to his patrol, with him and the Stormcast giving each other a gesture of respect.

Ken went back to the garden and to a gate going out, making his step out into a world unknown to him, a rather vibrant town of odd animal like people going about their day. He spent ten minutes patrolling and whistled. "Wow, this place is pretty full." He found no sign of heartless, unversed, chaos daemon or any dastardly villains, save for five, shady, dog like people simply having a family reunion. He squinted his eyes and deemed it just an ordeal with in the world, he went west of the town to find a wide amusement part opening in a couple days. Smiling wider and completing his circle to a park, finding two people under a tree with an orange, Dupmic played around with plants using a force of will and Xion relaxing in her sleep with the orange dog curled up. He approached and waved, Dupmic looked up and stopped his practice to wave back, the blonde boy gave a warm smile. "Hey, I haven't seen you since yesterday. How did things go with your Dad?" The hooded teenager answered with a light voice. "Fine, but we had to get out of there while he was busy with work today. Xion had a bad night."

Ken gasped and looked at the sleeping girl, looking tranquil. "What happened?" Dupmic answered. "She had a very bad nightmare and refused to go back to sleep. It took her a while to become this calm." Ken sighed, summoned Firekeeper's Wish and planted it near, far enough to not set the tree on fire and close enough to give warmth and light, he asked Dupmic. "I came here for business and I needed to check on something. Would you mind telling me about the theme park?"

The teenager did so gladly. "It's that time of year for the reopening of Disney Land and people are lining up to go. I just about gotten enough munny for me and my sister to get going and I want to make this a surprise for her. You're going?"

Ken gasped, looked back, was in thought and snickered to a plan. "Oh... I am and someone ought to know about this. Ha, ha." He explained. "There's these two friends of mine that really like each other, like... really like each other. If they know about this, they would make this a date in a heart beat."

He pretended to toot a boat horn and caused Dupmic to laugh. "Bwahahaha! What's their problem? They can't spit it out?"

Ken whistled pervertedly and pointed his thumb to himself. "Cupid isn't making his mark, so that's why I'm doing his job." He felt peckish and asked. "I'm going to finish my patrol and text the info to my friend. When is Xion going to wake up? I want to treat you two to something and the fire might ruin it if I bring it now."

Dupmic shrugged as Xion looked more at peace from the light of the fire. "I'll let you know when you come back here, thanks for the help."

Ken gave a small salute and went to his patrol, Xion mumbled something in her sleep and Dupmic kept a close watch. "Just keep sleeping, you're finally having some rest."

During the beginning of an afternoon.

Ven was having a bizarre dream of being in a flowery jungle and before a mummified masked toad on a stone throne, meditating with an armored samurai. The toad asked with a croak. "They disturbed something that should never have been disturbed. Child from an endless sleep, you held the fate of a King of Ashes. Will you help him remember?"

The boy looked upon the two even more confused, the samurai looked asked him with a humble request. "He was a noble warrior who went down the path of a king, he should have his rest. When you learn of him, will you give him that?"

Ven felt that was understandable and nodded. "I have to try, who are you two?" The samurai was humored and stood up. "Alonne." He gave a respectful nod to the toad and boy and walked away in a cloud of white petals.

The toad answered. "I am among those you call the Slann. You and your kin seek to come over to the Realms for aid against another anarchic force, an opportune timing." Ven felt something crawling on him and waking up as he asked. "But why the wraps? Are you the one who helped Aqua and Ana escape?" The toad responded near stoically. "I am one as ancient as the world that became the realms. I am not him, I am Kroak. Now awaken Ventus, find the mysteries you long seek." The boy felt something licking his face and awoke to see a maw with many sharp teeth and a wet tongue, Ven nearly yelped and tried to push away the culprit, Stitch.

The furry alien giggled as Ven got up in a well decorated bed room he remembered, one untouched by time. He felt weirded out by the dream and got up, seeing it was the afternoon. "*Yawn!* Stitch, don't do that again." He lead out. "Come on, let's get up and see what's going on."

Stitch followed him to a secured lounge, with what is expected from a lounge save for a weapon rack with the strange katana, Ven asked. "Where do you think this sword came from?" Stitch had no idea, crawled near it and smelled it, growling and backing away from it, the boy agreed with the instinct. "I think there is something strange about this sword myself, it doesn't just... show up out of nowhere." He asked Stitch. "But we can't leave it laying around, someone else might have took it and caused trouble..." He snapped his fingers. "its... Alonne's sword. But... who is that guy?"

The alien was confused as Ven smiled to him. "That's what we need to figure out. Let's get out of here, I'll show you around." Stitch smiled to that, the two went out of the castle and found Sora and Riku getting into a sword fight. Sora shooting out emitted force as Riku dodged with a right jump and charged at him with his keyblade glowing in glistening, purple light. Sora parried and was pushed back by the magic glow, he jumped high and shot a trio of fire balls in a combo, Riku dodged the first two and was struck by the third as the spikey haired boy aimed and fired a large fire ball. Riku jumped to the left and watched an inferno rise from the balls impact, flames scattered and singed the silver haired boy, he and Sora stopped fighting and shook hands to call it a lesson learned. Kairi finished reading a text out loud. "I finished my first round of patrol. The King's world has an amusement park opening up in a couple days."

Aqua hummed about that. "That's interesting, they let him keep an eye on the town?" Kairi guessed so. "He is allowed to because he knows how a town can go from peaceful to...that, in a second." She went to the boys and cheered. "Good work guys." Sora and Riku were a bit interested in the news, the silver haired boy asked. "A theme park? With all this going on? Is it really a good idea to care about that?"

Sora smiled silly. "Come on, it'll be fun." Kairi agreed with that. "Come on Riku, don't be a party pooper." Riku grumbled. "I'm just saying, with all that is going on, the last thing we need to do is goof off."

Aqua agreed with that and suggested. "But if we can't stop that, we might as well make sure no one tries to endanger people." She winked. "Besides, we could use a breather." The silver haired teenager found it reasonable. "Fair enough." Sora noticed Ven and Stitch and waved hello. "Hey!" The other three noticed as Ven felt he was awake enough. "Hey, it sounds like things are working out faster than we expected." Aqua sat on a ledge and explained. "We're waiting until Mickey and the others come back with the idea of the Realmgate, did you sleep well?" Ven nodded. "I'm going to try and stay up until the end of the day. Aqua, we talked about the Slann before... what else do you know of them?"

The other teenagers wished to know as Aqua folded her arms. "Not much, but they and the Seraphon are pretty special. The Seraphon are made from constellations and memories, while the Slann are the ones powerful enough to make them among other things, it's pretty impressive how they can make the stars move. Two of them showed up to help me and the Stormcasts when we tried to stop... you know. The same one that helped me and another that was more powerful than he is. There are three kinds of Seraphon you need to know, the smarter of them... the Skinks that are also known for being the smallest. The Saurus that are what you think about when I... call them dinosaurs in armor... and their calvary that are... dinosaurs. Why did you ask about the Slann?"

Ven found it hard to explain and answered. "Just... because of all the weird things going on. Stitch and I want to check the valley," Aqua pointed over to the road going down. "None of us are stopping you," Ven smiled like an eager little brother and asked the others. "Sora, Riku, Kairi, do you want me to show you around?" The Destiny Trio looked at Aqua, who was comfortable with letting them look, they nodded to Ven and followed him down the mountain, leaving the keyblade master to wonder where Ven got the question from. "...Are they that powerful as mages?"

At Disney Castle.

Ken finished up his report to Ana. "Besides two teenagers taking a summer day, there isn't a whole lot besides these five odd people I found one moment and disappeared in another. They kind of looked like dogs."

The Stormcast cringed. "A guard warned me about them, the Beagle Boys are trouble, but they are not our trouble. They are burglars at heart." Ken summarized them. "And they are smart enough to not cause the kind of stuff we are watching for. Anything else I need to know?"

The Stormcast had one and heard a debate. "Me and Wanda have gotten so use to seeing a Realmgate that figuring out where the center piece of this project will go hadn't crossed our minds. They are probably figuring out where the Star Piece should go and what kind of blocks would work with that. I'll give it another half an hour before they come to conclusions and decide. Go back to your patrol and make sure those lads are doing well."

Ken nodded. "Yes Ma'am!" He turned and went to his usual round, finding nothing besides a short line of people and an ice cream cart that is managed by a horse person.

Ken took out his munny pouch and waited, he felt his left hand glowing in fire and focused, summoning his burning keyblade back and dismissing it, knowing he is near something that melts easily. "Sorry about that." He heard a whisper in his heart. "She is awakening, Wielder of the Flame. Is this thy idea of a peace offering?" Ken blushed. "Enough so she knows I'm here for a chat. You want something?" The Firekeeper with in answered. "No, but I thank thee for the thought."

The line became shorter and the boy noticed some ice cream pops, two sparkling blue and a one with caramel and nuts, looking like cracked earth. He was next and the horse asked in a southern voice. "What can I get you, sonny?" Ken looked at the sparkling blues and nutty caramel. "I'll have two fizz's and a rockin crunch please." He had the munny presented and the vendor agreed, giving the boy the three wrapped ice cream bars. "Thank you." With that purchased, he thanked the vendor back and hurried to the park, finding Dupmic nearly relaxed and Xion slowly waking up. The blonde boy approached the hooded boy first, giving him the blue pop. "I'm back and I got enough time for a chat."

Dupmic took the pop and unwrapped to feel the cold. "Cool, I think she is waking up." Ken noticed Xion yawning and opening her eyes, she saw him and gasped as he offered the pop. "Rested well enough?"

Xion snickered and answered as she took the pop. "I am, thank you. What's up today?" Ken took his pop and unwrapped it as Xion unwrapped hers. "Nothing too interesting besides the amusement park opening up. What made you come out here for a nap?"

The girl licked and tasted soda as she answered. "I got scared and I didn't want to upset Dad while he is busy." She felt calm and confident as she continued. "I had another nightmare that was like the nightmare that scared me here. It was about a dark... thing, with a scythe, I fought back against her and fell into the darkness. Then I saw fire and a strange person saying hello, we talked, he said I should face the trials ahead of me. Before I asked more, the dream ended and I found myself being warmed by something and hearing a strange song."

Ken cringed and tasted his pop. "You met the same thing in your nightmares twice in a row? That can't be good." Dupmic agreed with that. "After the things that go around here and others, those kind of nightmares don't sound like a coincidence. I think we need to know where this is coming from."

Ken chuckled and noticed the orange dog looking worried for Xion. "I think I know where the warmth and song came from. My bad, I used one of my keyblades as a bonfire for you." The girl blushed and blabbered. "Ken, stop doing things like that. It's weird." The blonde boy blinked and blushed. "It... kind of is. I... thought I try to help."

Dupmic enjoyed the ice cream and assured him. "You were, but people would get mixed messages. Face the trials ahead, that... would be an idea."

Ken felt the two talking odd and asked. "Is... there something going on at home? You can talk to me about it?" Xion answered calmly. "We have an apartment and we have to share the building with some scary people and Dad has to deal with that while we stay protected in the apartment. He lets us go in and out, when ever we want, doing what ever we want but he isn't the kind of person you would want to anger. That's why we were scared to go face him."

Ken believed that as Dupmic explained. "He tried to help Xion with her condition and make things bearable for her, then took her in along with me. That's the other reason why we are a bit... jumpy on dealing with him." The blonde boy scratched his head. "So he is trying, but the world you two live in sounds pretty awful. I seen a world go down the river and when I saw things get pretty bad... I wanted to go home."

Dupmic had a feeling of terror as Xion asked. "Why didn't you?" Ken answered with memories of the Abyss. "Because a town gotten so bad that it was teeming with Darkness, me, my teacher and a local knight had to undo the seal of water and jump down into the Abyss. That and this other time was when I saw just how bad things can get when someone messes around with Darkness and the place becomes nothing but. You need to talk to your Dad about moving," Dupmic hid his doubts and pretended to agree. "We should before hell breaks loose. Did you learn any new tricks?"

Ken nodded. "I'm not showing it off since we are eating ice cream and it's all about fire... and two flavors of poison breath." The teenagers agreed that it would be careless and went to enjoy the ice cream with the boy, enjoying a short, afternoon get together as Pluto realized he isn't getting anything and pouted.

Half an hour later.

Chip pointed to a base bellow the drawing of a door way and asked. "Then why don't we put it there?"

Wanda felt it made some sense and placed her hands on the table. "If we put it at the top like some of you suggested, it would have been a good way for artillery to shoot it off the face of the earth and the other points are too awkward. All we need to do is fit this with stairs."

Mickey agreed with that. "That could mean we have to redraw this again." Wanda apologized for her argument. "The doors perfect, but that's the biggest problem."

Another piece of paper was laid out, Dale copied the door and thought about it, gasping and drawing a spiral stair way as a platform as Chip took the previous schematic and put it in the reject pile along with the others. The stair way was like a wide rock with a star shaped hole in the middle, Mickey hummed as Minnie felt about where the idea is going. "I'm not sure if the stair way is needed, but that would be wide enough so no one would try to shoot it so easily." Wanda agreed with that. "From ere, I think most of them would jump, but what about someone that is a poor jumper?"

Minnie found that agreeable as Jiminy criticized. "The star is going to have to be deep or someone is going to steal it." Chip had that part written down. "That's part of the idea." Wanda nodded and envisioned a gate of flowing, radiant, green power as Mickey had a similar vision. "We know just the blocks to make it work. This is a lot to gather up, but we can do it we others spend a day doing it. We will have it being built by the next."

Wanda chuckled to that. "And we got half of one left over." She looked upon Chip and Dale with appreciation. "You're engineers know their craft."

The chipmunks finished putting in the details and looked upon the drawing, seeing a potential master piece, Dale was drawn in as Chip turned to the General. "Thanks." Mickey was ready to take the schematic and asked. "Now we need to clean this up." Minnie looked at the pile of rejected schematics as the door opened, Ana let Kendry walk in. The boy was astonished by the amount. "Wow, you guys had to be precise."

Wanda thought of a plan and asked the royalty. "We can't have anyone finding these in the trash, can we?" Minnie shook her head. "Only a cruel heart and someone who knows what this is would use the knowledge to stop it."

Ken guessed and helped clean up the mess. "Nothing fire won't fix, these will be back at base and considered gone." Minnie appreciated that. "Thank you, we can't risk this getting worse." The boy made sure the paper was gathered and placed in his baggage as Ana asked. "You're majesty, we have an idea for this project?"

Mickey nodded and answered. "I'll catch up with Chip and Dale with what we need to put the pieces together and we can talk about this together. Thanks for the help."

Wanda, Ana and Ken nodded in respect, the General advised. "You're welcome, don't be with that schematic for too long. We'll let the others know to be ready." She turned to the Stormcast guiding out and Ken who was secure with the evidence, the keyblade duo gave appreciation and left with the General.

Ana exhaled. "Phew! How was it in there? That was a big pile." Wanda had a perfectionist's mind and answered. "Oh they have a lot of good ideas, but we are having an imminent war and one mistake will cost us everything. We both had disagreements."

Ken asked the General. "And after this, we can't afford to goof off anymore? Do you need some help with your men? It looks like you might be coming over for a while."

Wanda thought of it. "We need to oversee this until the end." She asked the boy. "What you do depends on your tutors wishes, but I need Stalwing in order to keep a strict patrol in those lands. My men can do without for a couple days." Ken asked. "Should we go get her first and fly back? I'll keep the... secret hidden while you go do it." Wanda smiled and answered with her duty in mind. "We'll need this done and over with, I won't be gone for a few minutes."

In an alley way in town.

The Replica and Xion were in their black coats, mentally prepared to face what they consider shelter. The Replica opened a corridor and guided his sister through, with in, Xion felt guilty about something. "That was an awful lot of truth stretching we had to do."

The Replica agreed with that. "And that last bit was a flat out lie. If he knows the truth... it would be the end of that friendship, let me do the talking and Ahriman won't go nuts on you."

Xion took a deep breath and saw the light at the end of the tunnel, the two jumped out and into their room, going in a routine of getting out of their uniform. A door opened and let Ztardon in, having an inspection and a rather confused look on his face, like he was questioning their decisions, he opened his beak and let out a squawk. "You returned?! The Master needs to know of this." He raised a finger and advised. "Don't move, I will ask him to come."

He closed the door and left the teenagers trembling, with Shadey keeping himself hidden in the shadows, in a few moments, Ztardon returned with Ahriman behind him, the two psychics sensed the emotion, Ahriman closed the door behind him and coughed deeply. "Let me start with what you did wrong. You conspired to take my research material, unannounced and gave them to Specimen: Hollow." Xion yelled. "They were his in the first and he isn't a research subject!"

She gasped and covered her mouth as Ahriman continued. "How the Chime was stolen by you two first and then why you came back later to steal the Bone Staff? That was a bold, if reckless move due to you unnecessarily doubling the risk of being caught by my... less than merciful Rubrics."

The Replica growled and stood up. "I didn't, but how did I wake up with that Chime is... just.. crazy. So yeah, I went back to try and put it back, until I read up about what you were up to." Ahriman kept his tone unchanging, not hiding his disapproval. "And how did an outside force come in here through the ward is questionable... unless the force came through a place the ward wouldn't work. Since neither of you have been exposed to the Warp or conduct with it nearly as much, that removes one suspect. The mind is a place that far reaches these walls."

He raised a finger. "But, the two of you orchestrated this near flawlessly, by having Shadey assist you in some way, to bypass my defenses as well as the guards another that rules over most of this castle has set up. Fought your way through a certain demon's forces and gave... the Undead Knight, two of his possessions, allowing him to truly unlock his potential and regain some of his humanity. He fought back against that demon and most certainly will try that again. Then you foresaw the consequences and sent Shadey to deal with the matter of who would be the target of that demon's sadism. That was clever thinking and someone reaps the benefits."

He relaxed and patted the Replica on the shoulder. "Well done, you learn well." The boy was left speechless and stared awkwardly, Ztardon realized. "You... fabricated some of the truth?" The Replica took his sunglasses off and his light green eyes looked away embarrassed. "I... had Shadey helped the person that... really did most of that and I gave that person the order to put the Chime back."

Xion nodded sheepishly. "I... went to help the Knight once I snooped around." Ahriman blinked and his gaze went to the girl. "...Well, this was a group effort." He told the Replica with a proud tone. "Bold of you to try and take the fall." He rubbed Xion's hair in affection and caused the nervous girl to feel embarrassed. "And bold of you to rebel like that for the sake of someone you don't even know. Now could either of you explain how either of you stole the chime in your sleep?"

He let go waiting as Xion recalled the events of her dream, causing both Ahriman and Ztardon to worry, the Replica insisted. "I just need to refresh the ward so that doesn't happen again and make it stronger. This thing doesn't sound like a daemon that we know of."

Ahriman agreed with that. "Because the entity was tied with the Chime and wanted Xion to take it. Presume it is like a daemon and see that it doesn't happen again by focusing stronger on the spell."

He turned to Shadey and asked. "Is this satisfactory?" The creature looked content and Ahriman guessed. "It is." He and Ztardon readied to leave, the Sorcerer advised the two. "The demon is certainly onto the fact that someone gave the Knight the will and power, he has very likely prepared the prison for when someone tries that again. Plan before you go do something like that again... and keep away from the Moonlight Sword, that will be something I will give to the Undead Knight when I decide. Do I make myself clear?"

The astonished teenagers nodded obediently, the Sorcerer opened the door and looked back to them. "Good, now think about the scope of what you done and be well for the rest of the day. Ztardon, come, we have something to theory craft."

The Tzaangor nodded and giggled. "Yes, sorcery without limit at your reach." The two left and the Replica had the mental memories of people he would allow in the room, causing a bright golden glow to flicker and blend. The teenage boy took a comic book and sat on his chair with a relief. "Wooooah. I almost lost my pants."

Xion agreed and leaned her back against the wall. "But what are we going to do for the Knight? If Ahriman is telling us the truth, we won't be able to help the Knight. I promised him that I would do that." The Replica flipped open a comic book about Spiderman and agreed. "Leave the planning to me and we'll get him out tomorrow. How were you able to do it?"

Xion answered and looked at Shadey. "He ate the guard while I unlocked the cage. That demon probably has a lot more than what Shadey can handle, so we have to learn to fight." She gasped as the Replica guessed. "Our friend is just a student of someone, but he can pass along a few tips. If he offers to help, refuse, because this isn't worth him getting killed."

Xion agreed with that. "The knights guarding my friend, look like they would eat us if they find us snopping there." She found a book she was familiar with seeing and picked it up to ease her mind as the Replica was becoming amused by the comic and escaped into a fantasy world.

At the Land of Departure.

Sora, Riku and Kairi finished imagining the various pass times as Ventus showed them a lake being fed by a waterfall next to a grove of trees. "And this is one of the lakes we used during the summer." SPLASH!

A fish jumped out of the water and splashed water at Ven's face, Stitch growled at the fish, snarled and yelled, causing the fish to swim to the water fall and jump upstream, Stitch felt he was taunted and dared not go in the water. Sora hummed and asked. "What's the matter? Afraid of water?"

Stitch muttered in disappointment. "Can't swim." The fish jumping up the water fall was more of a taunt, Donald folded his arms and tapped his foot, in a bad mood as Goofy noticed something flying from the Castle on the mountain to the north west, something large and with feathers. "Is that Stalwing?" The group looked up to find a gryphon diving after the fish and giving a mighty caw, using her talons to seize the fish mid jump. It spun and turned back to the castle as Riku looked to find smoke. "Their back, what's going on up there?"

Kairi looked up, squinted her eyes and found they couldn't see anything from bellow. "They... found what they were looking for, but there is a catch?" The party of seven looked at each other confused, Ven lead back to the mountain and up the road to the castle, finding Aqua, Ana and Merlin watching Wanda lecture a gryphon that looked down at the fish. "Stalwing, you know we can't just go around doing what ever we want. We got rules to follow." The gryphon lowered her head like a child being lectured as the group noticed Ken observing a fire pit with papers.

Many things that made absolutely no sense, Donald asked Aqua. "They came back? But what are they doing?"

Ana turned around and answered. "The construction of the Realmgate needs to be taken seriously, so for the next couple days, we all need to be at our peak. Wanda had to pick up Stalwing and that girl wasn't happy with being in a narrow ship. She flew off to calm down while the lad over there had all the schematics that didn't make the cut."

Ken heard and turned around. "We had to get rid of these before some dumpster diver figures out what we are doing." The group realized how that could have lead to more disaster and Kairi whistled. "*Phew!* Good point."

Aqua agreed and let the group know. "Mickey should be here soon and we can get started on the construction."

Stitch noticed the gryphon taking a lecture and Wanda asking. "Now you can have the fish."

Stalwing pecked the fish, flung it high in the air and swallowed it whole, the alien crawled to the gryphon that noticed him and looked just as confused, knowing they weren't native to the world, Ana had an idea to help Stitch become informed as Mickey, Chip, Dale and Jiminy appeared from behind. The mouse pushing construction equipment as the chipmunks had the schematic carried. Aqua advised. "Wait until the fire's done with the others. We don't want that burning up as well."

Jiminy saw the fire slowly dying down, Stitch and Stalwing chatting and counted down. "It should be done right around," Ken saw faint traces of cinders and used air magic to blow them off the mountain. "Now."

He went near the castle and stood guard, the group that had no knowledge of the details of constructing such an eldritch gate stood aside and left Aqua, Merlin, Mickey, the Chipmunks, Wanda and Ana to discuss, leaving Jiminy to explain to the others what was going on. As he went to the details, the chipmunks unrolled and showed the gate with the spiraled stone. "After some consideration, we needed to make sure the Star Shard is in an inconspicuous place while it is used as the source to open a way."

Merlin looked at the socket and notes on depth. "If it blends with the rest of the rock, no one will notice a thing from afar, someone would have to get a closer look. You have my vow of silence over this matter."

Wanda sighed and approved of the insightful wisdom. "That is the plan and I heard the blocks we need are not far or hard to get, we just need a lot and they need to be in a precise shape."

Mickey agreed with that. "They need to act like a circuit, the ones that have a line with in are what we need. We then need to help the Shard open the way, Aqua, Ana, our keyblades will do just the trick while Merlin makes sure what we are doing is working."

Ana felt someone tugging behind her and helped someone on her right shoulder, Namine meekly asking. "And then someone has to use the memory of where Aqua had been to make the destination a certainty."

Chip and Dale gave Sora and Riku a list of parts needed, Goofy and Donald were taken aback by large number as Sora asked. "This sounds easy, this might take a while." Riku agreed with that and asked the construction team. "Do you need us to get going right now?"

Ana looked to him and answered. "We got two and a half days before Garland makes his move. I'd say you ought to get as much of the bulk as you can and save the shapes for tomorrow."

Sora, Donald and Goofy looked to each other and to Riku, the silver haired teenager felt three with experience and turned to ask. "You done this before?"

Donald and Goofy nodded, the shield bearer answered. "We done this many times when the paths started to get dangerous." Donald had his own. "There are a lot of heartless in between, that's where we find the blocks." The details made sense and Riku stretched. "And where we are going to get most of the fun out of this."

Wanda heard and had an order for Kairi, Ven, Ken and Stitch. "That leaves the rest of us, you know what to do?"

Kairi nodded and looked to Sora and Riku in a wish for luck. "We're here in case someone finds out and tries to ruin this."

Ken didn't mind it that much. "We need to be here anyways," Ven puffed his cheeks. "Ah man," Aqua heard that and turned to her friend. "Ven, I know you only seen Yen Sid after you woken up, but it's a little important you catch up before going into another world."

Ven agreed with that and tried not to pout. "I know," Aqua chimed to make him feel better. "I didn't learn anything new while I was in the Realm of Darkness, so you're only behind by a couple weeks."

Ana counted a few things Ven needed to catch up on. "She learned two spells while traveling the realms and bunch of spells from a memory, then Sora picked up a few skills to pass around. Some ya already know and probably use, others... we'll see that once you recovered enough."

Ven folded his arms and agreed with that. "Aqua had only been back for a week. I'll catch up soon." He asked the Keyblade Master. "What did you teach so far?"

Aqua listed a few. "Learning what battle styles we use, Formchange, Shot Locks, the elements and the recent one of Grand Magic. I think there is one they should learn tomorrow that you need to know as well."

Ven wondered what and felt it was at the tip of his tongue as Sora asked. "Me and the others got to get going and fetch the blocks, there... is something I kind of wanted to do for a while." He gave a nervous smile like a little brother would. "Would you think about it until we get back?"

Riku and Kairi knew what the question was and let Ven answer. "Sure, after everything, we can't pay you back enough." Sora perked up to that. "Great!"

He, Donald and Goofy waved goodbye in unison. "We'll be back." They walked off as Riku smiled to something he looked forward to. "You might want to think about that." He laughed it off and left. "We're out of here, we'll see you in a couple hours."

With him gone, Kairi stood by the castle's door as Namine walked back into her other half. Ken made a risky, air boosted jump to the roof of the castle, landing with stable footing and perched with a watchful eye, leaving Ven with the lower grounds and for him to ask Stitch. "I guess we know where to be, do you want to help?"

The alien finished his conversation and waved goodbye to the Gryphon. "Aloha." He followed Ven and left Aqua and Mickey to pick a spot suitable for the Realm Gate, the right most corner of the main platform. Chip and Dale marked the spot with dirt as Jiminy readied to write a log. "I'll see we covered all the steps, this could take a while."


	47. What it takes!

In the lanes between, two gummi ships sailed across many asteroids and shot at the many living ships. They left behind blocks that the ships opened up hatches and took in. With in a red one that spun with joy, Sora looked at the count down for the blue, rock like blocks with what resembles circuits. "Whoot! We got half left." A screen appeared to show Riku with an estimate on the square looking blocks and blocks that looked like small rectangles. "Half of the blocks needed to make the rock and stairs, but we need to find those that work for the interior." He pressed a button and looked to something as Donald took the visual que and pressed a button, squawking at a map of a clutter of satellites to their upper right. "What's this doing here?"

Riku tapped his head and answered as he had his hand at the communication button. "We seen those around here all the time, we might find more blocks in there now that we got the chance." He pressed the button, disconnected and sailed his blue ship to the station, Sora took the challenge and followed behind, the satellites looked like they connected somewhere and they found something in the distant, most upward satellite, looking for something. A silver ship that seemed to be looking for something and turned left, the ship gave a shine to the two approaching and looked like it was on a constant guard.

Sora recognized the ship with a crestfallen feeling. "What's Hofneil's ship doing here?"

Goofy wondered. "Is this the one that flew Ven and Aqua home? Is it acting on it's own?" Sora sighed and have the ship approach. "How did it do that?" He remembered a term used and asked confused. "There... really is a machine spirit?" He hummed confused as the ship stopped, the screen opened up to show Riku just as conflicted. "You think there is something funny going on with this... guy here?"

BEEP!

Riku was caught off guard by a beep from his ship, knowing there was a connection that Sora guessed. "It's the machine spirit... or it's heart. But why is it out here?" Sora saw his ship shine a curious light, the silver ship flickered a light back and simply sailed above the station for a higher view, Riku placed his hand under his chin. "He knows his crew wasn't coming back, so why go through the trouble of staying away from us?"

Blip! Blip! Blip! The passengers of both ships saw various blips coming from behind and turned, the silver ship shined its guns as the two ships saw something flying at them from the darkness, nine dark, mechanical, bat like demons that have a heartless emblem that was in the center of an eight pointed star.

PEW!

A piercing beam of light blew four of them into scrap, Sora and Riku had their ships separate and avoided pouncing and talons, they fired back to blow four up and left a sole survivor at the mercy of a missile of energy. BOOM!

The silver ship shined a small beam across the station and noticed something. Sora, Donald and Goofy Riku looked at a screen that flared up, showing a long ship of a pattern they recognized. Riku barked. "Why is the Black Legion still here?"

They had a screen fizzle and show a record, of a moment when the fleet of the Black Crusade was pulled back to where they came from by glowing keyholes, some of the ships pulled against the keyholes and opened distorting rifts, flying through in an attempt to escape, some of them succeeded. Sora, Donald and Goofy were the first to realize what the ship was really doing and nearly dropped their lower jaws, the spikey haired boy asked. "He... was making sure they don't stay here?" Riku nodded and saw Donald and Goofy refusing to answer how, he did it in their stead and saw a ship in the distance flying close and letting something out. "In the way the Imperium would do it. Sora, we know these Chaos Space Marines are beyond hope, they worship Darkness like a bunch of fanatics and seek to destroy everything we care about. Iron Snake over here was cleaning up so we didn't have to. Let's see that he finishes the job."

Sora agreed and saw twenty, bat like daemon engines appear from the void, spewing flames and trying to swarm the ship, he had the ship roll away from them and fired as Riku had his ship fired straight beams at the horde, blowing twelve away together and leaving the Iron Snake to bombard the eight. The ship took sail towards the Chaos Ship, Riku turned the communications off and had his ship follow, Sora took a deep breath and blocked out the fact that he was delving into warfare. The Chaos Cruiser faced side ways and fired upon the three ships, the ships dodged beams and missiles that burst and took the form of fiery bats upon missing, Donald and Goofy focused and had the ship shoot the bats away.

Flicker! Flicker! Their target scanner blinked in a malfunctioning discord and a screen opened, showing a Chaos Space Marine in black armor and a yellow and black cloak. His helmet was a skull with tubes and his eyes glowed red. "Anomaly, what are you doing so far from home?"

The marine looked like he was multi tasking as the trio felt too scared to speak, Sora slowly glared and asked. "Didn't you wack jobs get it by now? We don't want you here, why don't you get lost?"

The marine revealed a serpent like, mechanical tendril and pressed its beak at the screen. "And deny the Dark gods a foot hold on this miserable galaxy? Among one of your ships is one without a master and belonging to the corpse worshiping Imperium, how did that hollow fate came to be? Did the Emperor's lap dogs really blind you into thinking they were heroes?" Sora went to ignoring the Marine and pressed a button rapidly, causing the ship to fire wildly.

The ship dodged and the Marine asked. "Did that made you angry?" Sora pressed another, firing a large missile of light and hitting the cruiser in its guns, the Marine concluded. "That made you angry. Remember this, for I am Skygar the Daemon Binder and we are your doom!" The Marine turned off the screen and Sora watched Riku's ship firing at the nozzle, something dropped from the Chaos Cruiser, a winged drake of black fire, it flew bellow and rushed after Riku's ship, revealing more of a combination of a cybernetic dragon and a jet fire. The blue gummie ship spun out of the way and the dragon tried to pursue, the Iron Snake launched a missile at the drakes maw and caused it to shriek. It fired bright laser beams at the nose of the cruiser and caused it to rupture, it gave off a dark glow and the drake flew at the masterless gummi ship, pouncing on it and burning it with breath, Sora and Riku's ships fired the drake off and watched it opened a dark corridor and flew in as the Chaos Cruiser broke apart in dark energy and imploded. Leaving behind debris to drift in the vastness of space, the singed Iron Snake scanned and showed a statistic through a screen, no traces of its occupants were remaining. Another screen opened, showing a shaken Riku that had an answer. "That maniac escaped with that... thing. We need to get this big guy to come with us and warn the others. Donald, Goofy, is Sora okay?"

The two looked at a near stoic Sora keeping a building anxiety under control, the boy took a deep breath and answered. "That wacko bothered me, that's all."

Riku took a deep breath back and decided on something. "His words cut pretty deep, but we'll get rid of him. Come on, we got enough blocks."

At the Land of Departure.

Kairi listened to the plan the Realmgate Counsile thought of as she sipped some tea. "Some of our friends at Radiant Garden and Twilight Town got the warning, but I don't think the islands has anyone who can really fight."

Merlin asked respectfully. "But is that everyone who can fight for if Garland attempts to attack the worlds?" Ken over heard and answered as he stood on top of the castle as he finished his cup. "If you are talking about Hayner, Pence and Olette, they will spread the word... but not the people that can kick some butt. Miss Aqua, should I go tomorrow and talk to some buddies of mine?"

Kairi knew who Ken was talking about and questioned if it was wise as Aqua looked to the Stormcast Eternal and the General. "What do you think Ana? Wanda?"

The General know a couple the boy talks about. "If they can help when Garland tries to attack another world, I'm open to allies." She looked up to Ken with an order. "But don't tell them where we are under any circumstances. Do you understand?"

The boy saluted and noticed something descending from the sky, squinting his eyes. "I know what to say, incoming ship."

Aqua looked and recognized the ship. "Well hello again. Thanks for the heads up." The ship landed and had a rest, showing signs of battle. Sora, Donald, Goofy and Riku rushed from the road bellow with a report, Mickey asked. "Settle down, what happened?"

Sora, Donald and Goofy caught their breath as Riku answered. "We have a Chaos Space Marine that's still on the loose." Ken cringed and was outraged. "I thought I kicked them out! Who is it?" Riku watched the boy jump off and answered. "A weirdo with mechanical tentacles that was on a ship that tried hiding in the warp when home was calling. Exactly like how Ahriman escaped."

He looked to the Iron Snake. "And this was why this gummie ship never came back home, he was hunting them down so we wouldn't have to." Aqua took a deep breath and saw Ventus and Stitch following with confusion, she looked at the ship with dark intentions. "Doing the grim work for us and the lunatic got away?"

Sora nodded. "We can't let him do what he wants, it took us so long to find Zagor that he... done things before we took him down." Mickey agreed with that as Ventus looked like he had a chill in his spine. "Terrible things, do you know what this Marine can do?"

Riku had a guess. "He is a mechanic and he had a lot of machines that look like a combination of the Heartless and the Daemon Engines, he has warfare on the mind." He patted Sora on the shoulder. "We can take him down once we think of a plan." He asked Ken. "Do you think you can kick him out like you did to the rest of the Black Legion?"

The blonde boy nodded and gasped to an idea. "I got to try, hey Miss... do you think I can help open up the way to the Realms? I opened a one way trip twice already."

Aqua considered that as Ana asked with disapproval. "Do you know exactly where you sent them besides the other realm?" Kairi answered for the boy that realized the major flaw. "Nope, none of us do and I think both were space fleets and an army we wanted gone."

The blonde boy with the cybernetic arm snapped his fingers as Kairi gave credit where it was due. "But this was an idea that worked back then," Ken turned back to the castle and asked Riku. "When are we going to get going?"

The silver haired teenager answered unusually chipper. "Tomorrow once we figure out what is in that neck of the lanes." The boy with the cybernetic arm cheered. "Great." He jumped back on the castle as Ana had a few questions to ask and warned the group. "We better find that Chaos worshiping freak soon, a world is going to be in great danger if we delay."

The gummi harvesting quartet agreed to that, a light sparked and a rather vast collection of the requested blocks appeared, Chip and Dale whistled to the amount and Sora calmed down. "We'll get the next half once this is taken cared of."

Merlin knew he seen Sora's odd behavior before and Ven asked the younger boy. "Do you want to talk about this?"

Sora turned around to find Ven looking concerned and answered. "I don't, but it might be better to show you one day." He smiled in an attempt to change the subject. "When we get the chance, I... want to see how you fight." The goofy expression met an astonished, but just as silly, smile. "Heh, you're on."

Aqua rolled her eyes at the sillyness and asked her own group. "I'll have the blocks stored until we get enough, anything recommended?" The chipmunks had some requests, Chip answered. "They are pretty important, so the place needs to be extra tight." Aqua knows just the place. "And somewhere no one will look. Now for the other thing, we have the blueprint and an idea to make this work, which of you is staying and which of you is heading back when the day is over?"

Merlin answered that. "I can get myself back home Madam, but thank you for the offer." Mickey had to answer why he had to leave at the end of the day. "I need to keep the Star Shard safe and help look for that Chaos Space Marine."

Jiminy sighed and looked to Sora, Donald, Goofy and Riku. "And there is another place we need to look before leaving it behind." Riku agreed with that. "Radiant Garden can never really stay safe. But the people there can fight, Twilight Town... if Exrirsa is like her whole self... would stop this marine with extreme prejudice."

Goofy promised Jiminy. "We'll get to looking soon." Donald agreed with that. "We need to find the places he would try to attack." Wanda looked at her perching Gryphon and answered. "We can fend for ourselves out here. It's good exercise for Stalwing and ya need extra eyes." Chip looked at the battered gummi ship and looked to Dale in an agreement. "This gummi ship needs to be tuned up before he can go back out there." Dale nodded. "It had to be lonely out there for him too."

It left Ven asking Kairi and Ken. "That's another staying. Hey, Kairi, Ken... we got a surprise for you once the day is over."

The Princess kept her manners and asked. "Is it why Master asked us to pack our stuff?"

Ven nodded as Stitch tilted and hummed at the obvious surprise, Aqua knew the students were trying to keep their minds from figuring it out trying hard not to spoil it for them.

At Radiant Garden, towards the end of the day.

Leon and Cloud leaned against a training arena and finished up a conversation of unimportance, the spikey haired man stoically looked across the canyon. "Yeah, I want to fight that Stormcast and see what she can do." Leon noticed a certain trio approaching "Sora, Donald and Goofy are back."

Cloud hummed and nearly smiled, greeting them with a shrug. Sora looked back suspiciously and greeted the two. "Hey Leon, hey Cloud. What's new?"

Leon answered that. "Things have been getting more quiet ever since we took care of the Orruk problem. They don't expect a thing and turned that virtual world into a fight club. What brought you to town?"

Sora answered with his hands behind his head. "Nothing much, but we found something out there that we need to warn you about. A Chaos Space Marine is still on the loose, he escaped before we finished kicking his mechanical butt."

Leon tensed at the potential emergency. "And he got away when you reminded him why he wasn't welcome? We didn't find anything like that here. But if we do, we'll let you know."

Cloud agreed with that and his mood lessened to a still. "How did he get away?" Goofy answered that. "He and his machines used a corridor when the ship got blown to smithereens by a gummi ship."

Leon found that weird. "That silver one that never has a pilot? We talked about this to the guys at the castle and we all had an idea that makes sense." Donald guessed. "It's how a machine spirit is like a heart?" Leon nodded. "And how that gummie ship was made for one purpose."

Cloud folded his arms and finished the rest. "But what is it going to do once that purpose is done? Where is that heart going to go?"

That was something Sora was worried and crestfallen about. "We helped him get somewhere safe. But he is going to take off again and make sure there isn't anymore problems out there."

Leon sighed. "If he wasn't doing that already." He lead the three to where he last saw the rest of the committee. "Anything else?"

Sora pouted. "I have to keep that a secret, but you heard what Ken had to warn you about? Merlin is back here until we can get started, Riku wanted to talk to him alone." Leon nodded. "That's something we can handle. What were you three doing out in the lanes in the first place?"

Goofy chuckled to that. "We were getting gummi blocks." Cloud took interest and followed. "Oh? You seen some of the places out there?"

Simultaneously at Merlin's House.

Merlin prepared some tea and understood what Riku was saying. "Devious, but they will fear for the worst if you journey to confront Skygar alone."

The teenager agreed with that. "With the time Skygar had to get out of that ship, he is by himself and his machines. If he is as dangerous as every other Chaos Space Marine, I don't know if Sora can handle it again."

He went stoic as Merlin agreed with him. "That is why you are trying to bear the burden by yourself? You don't have to bear it alone."

Riku waited patiently and asked. "If Skygar finds another world, there is no guarantee it would be able to fight back. Is it a good idea to waste time like that? Or should I give it everything I got at the moment?"

Merlin wondered. "Riku, don't ever doubt others, always reach out if you can. But it is true that we all must act when the time comes."

The teenager nodded and sat down to think about his plan. "I will, if Sora and the others ask, tell them that I'll try to call them if I get in trouble. Thanks for hearing me out."

The tea pot whistled and Merlin went to get it. "I wouldn't say this is a secret I would keep if they ask, but you are doing this for your friends."

Riku nodded at the important part and was having an imagination of what one of his is going through. "Now that the other world is available, I think Kairi is going to be using that more often. I wonder how she is going to surprise us again."

At the Land of Departure.

Kairi looked at a well kept bed room that awaited her own personal touches, her eyes glistened as Aqua explained. "We knew you, Ken and Ana are going to be training here, so we thought to make it easier for the two of you." She felt Kairi's astonishment and a student trying to think of the words to say as Ken was showed another room by Ven. The pyromancer with the cybernetic arm turned to the older boy and to Aqua, smiling wide as unaware of Stitch looking wearily at the arm. Kairi nearly turned blue and breathed, she gave a grateful bow. "Thank you Master Aqua, thank you Ven."

She slowly went in her room and put a bag down as Ken walked into his and noticed a pan fit for an arm. "Everything was thought out." He put his own bag down and Aqua was caught off guard by Kairi rushing out to hug her, Ven watched the warming sight and turned to find Ken with his brown jacket off and wearing a sleeveless purple top, the male student thanked Ven and Aqua. "I like it, it's everything I need to make into a slice of home. Thank you."

Ven was even more astonished by the cybernetic and Stitch cringed. "Yeouch." The spikey haired boy asked Stitch with a firm tone. "Could we please not talk about it." Ken knew it was about his arm and didn't mind. "A week ago, we fought things that needed to hit us once to do that. It takes a while to get use to it, but it's like getting dressed."

Kairi let go and asked. "Doesn't it get uncomfortable sometimes?" Ken nodded. "I can take it off and click it back in, but every time my nerves connect to the artificial ones... you ever want to know what it is like to be a machine getting plugged in? It's like that."

Kairi sighed and asked. "As long as we are here, we can hang out and prepare for the next day? What is there to do?" Aqua answered. "Not much here," Kairi didn't mind and was still grateful. "But we can find something to do. Master, Ven, I wanted to ask... what does your armor do?"

The teacher remembered and answered. "I knew you would ask that after finding it for me." She and Ven looked to each other with a smile and pressed their left shoulder pad. Giving off a quick glow, armor materialized around their bodies, Ven's was in mostly grey armor that had light gold and red highlights and Aqua's was in light grey and black armor. The students were greatly impressed as Aqua answered. "It's like most, but its light and can protect you from darkness and the vacuum of the lanes if we put a helmet on."

Kairi and Ken smiled to each other, the Princess felt she seen Ven's armor before as the one armed boy admitted it. "That sounds a lot more helpful than that Silver Knight armor I took."

Kairi asked. "From that keyblades memories?" Ken nodded in acceptance. "And it's gone forever. It disappeared when we went to a memory of Jambert's travel through time." He asked. "What now Miss? It's going to take a while to break things in."

Aqua agreed and drew out the black and white keyblade along side with her blue and grey keyblade. "Once Garland isn't a problem anymore, we are going to get ourselves ready to deal with Xehanort and Archaon. They are not going to wait around, Ven and I might be able to reach to Terra if we get Xehanort in a corner." She showed the black and white keyblade. "Kairi, Ken; this keyblade was Master Eraqus's. Me and Ven's teacher before he..." She felt her blood heating up and Ven felt it was mutual. "You... know."

The students heard enough as Stitch stopped playing around, Kairi asked her teacher. "So you are going to try and use both you're master's blade and your own? This is the fourth time someone is going to go around with two of them." Aqua exhaled and drew her second one into her left hand. "But not a lot of us do that." Ken understood why. "You're a righty or a lefty, never both."

Kairi felt it was a valid point. "It's why you don't use Firekeeper's Wish for the offense. I don't see Sora duel wield often, but I know someone who does." Ven asked without thinking. "Roxas?"

Kairi and Ken were a little astonished, the princess answered. "Ex...actly. I guess with your heart being in Sora's, you might have known about him?"

Ven realized what he said, jumped back and yelped. "Aaahk!" He knew Kairi was accurate and Aqua shook him at the shoulder. "Ven, calm down. It is freaky, but you probably spent the most time seeing the things Sora had seen. This is why you need to recover for a couple days before we go save Terra."

Ven looked like he was mentally adjusting to reality and understood. "That... I need to be careful if I find more familiar people I don't know about." Ken patted Ven on the other shoulder with his fleshy hand and tried to cheer him up. "Some buddies of mind kind of went through something similar. They went through something called a gap where they forget everything that happened then and when they woke up... then started talking funny."

Kairi cringed as her fellow student and rival turned to her. "It gets scary when they remember doing things they don't want to remember."

The Princess agreed with that. "Or with Ven, when he goes somewhere or meets someone Sora has... it would feel like he was in another world."

Ven nodded and agreed back as he and Aqua let their armor fade. "It's exactly like that." The students noticed Anatesis with a variety of boxes and a warning of caution to Ken. "Lad, you need to talk to Brynhildr about what she should and shouldn't do when you're not using her. She flew off to Twilight Town to ask something from a certain lass."

Moonfang followed the Stormcast and gave Kairi a letter from Olette, the smell of food got to the four as Kairi read it and smiled in good will. "It was nice of both of them to surprise us." Ana agreed with that as Moonfang and Stitch had a growling match. "Bryn told Olette everything she needs to know while the lass went to the Bistro, that's another thing we should do tomorrow before lessons." Aqua chuckled and agreed. "Shop for food." Ana grunted. "Wanda has hers, Stalwing and mine waiting while we got something for the wee one." Stitch noticed the doggie bag strapped on Ana's left hip, Moonfang stopped him and requested he wait as the Stormcast lead. "Come on, let's get to the lounge. Each one has a name written on it. I think you'll like it."

During an early morning at Radiant Garden.

Riku quickly sneaked out before sun rise and out of the town. In a flash of light, he was in his gummi ship and having it sail into the cosmic void, retracing his steps and going back to the cluttered satellites, shooting any heartless ships along the way for some gummi blocks resembling stairs. He noticed a faint flash of light, his ship readied its guns as the pilot saw a familiar green ship, the boy and his own ship felt a disapproving shine and Riku pressed a couple buttons, activating a screen to see a spear on a panel, a face of three horizontal slits looked directly at the screen. Riku asked. "Bryn, you don't see him often, but Sora can't handle another Chaos attack like this again. We could beat Skygar, but for all we know, we could be fighting another nutjob. If I can do this for him, we can get back to our day, finish getting gummi blocks and get to watching the impossible happen."

The screen like face turned its slit like eyes into circles that had horizontal lines, the ship turned and beeped, the boy asked. "You found where Skygar might be in?"

Bryn gave a smile, the face flickered lights resembling blocks falling into a pattern, much like a game, it looked like a door way to something, like she was insisting on something. Riku almost laughed and pressed a few buttons. "I have a list of blocks we need, you can help get some and let Sora know I'll be fine while I take care of this."

The blocks flickered back to a smiling face, wide teeth and eyes lids curled upward.

BLIP!

A small bar was seen, downloading a list, Bryn looked like she gasped in astonishment and flashed to a determined smile. Riku warned her. "You could be able to handle some Heartless on your own, but without a pilot, you might not be able to react as fast. Avoid fights that might be hard for you and don't delay too long, if Ken has a habit of waking up early, he will know you're gone."

The face relaxed and Riku turned the screen off, he felt an odd aura of respect and had his ship follow Bryn, to a world that looked like a high tech city with a red edged bridge as a land mark. It definitely looked like a world his quarry would hide in, Riku readied to dive into the world. "Thanks Bryn."

A light shined as he jumped in head first, finding himself in a metropolitan bridge with red rails and a super structure that looked eastern. He had a rather selfish plan in the back of his mind as he saw the technological potential. "Sora wouldn't stop talking about this."

He tried to go for his gummi phone and saw a variety of cars scattered, he heard a maniacal bellow. POOF! He looked ahead to find black smoke and four robotic, round, heartless with blade like wings, firing into the mist that had a blue mist with in, he readied to charge and was nearly knocked off his feet by a teenage girl in a suit that looked to be part yellow biker at the top and feet and black, skin tight suit at her abdomen and legs. The boy ducked and looked back to watch the girl skid across the road, landing on her left side, yellow, wheel like throwing weapons dropped off, the girl was out cold and Riku heard a boy from above shouting with worry. "Go Go! Are you okay?"

Riku turned behind and saw a red, jet like, humanoid robot flying over his head and to the knocked out girl, riding on top of the robot was a boy in a similar suit, it was purple, had thick black gloves. The boy jumped off and crouched to check on what was clearly a squad mate. "Go Go?!" He stood up and asked the robot. "Baymax!"

The robot looked at Go Go and scanned with a medical report. "Go Go's suit has shielded her from a major injury, but the blow she sustained to her head has caused a mild concussion. We should take caution and not move her until we can fully stabilize her head." The strange boy heard more chaos from behind and tried to keep calm. "Got it."

Riku took the chance and asked. "Need any help?"

The robot and boy turned to find a teenager with silver hair, the robot waved. "Hello. I am Baymax, you're personal healthcare companion."

Riku whistled at the slick, high tech body and heard more destruction, realizing he nearly forgot of the chaos and drew out his keyblade to confront it, the boy in the helmet asked. "Wait, who are you?"

Riku gave the boy a glance, finding hints of black hair, brown eyes and a dorky smile. He answered. "The names Riku." The boy and robot looked to each other with a confirmation of trust, the boy approached and knew there wasn't a whole lot of time. "Name's Hiro, you... mind helping us fight these things?" Hiro explained. "Our team is called Big Hero 6."

Riku counted Hiro, Baymax and the unconscious Go Go and answered. "Needed to do it anyways. Ha, what's the plan?"

Baymax had a recommendation. "To prevent further injury, someone has to stay behind and watch Go Go while the others quarrel with the unidentified criminals." Hiro cringed nervously and asked his robot. "Baymax, go help Riku while I make sure nothing happens to Go Go."

Riku appreciated and arrogantly went to confront the Heartless. "He fights as well? This will be way too easy."

He and Baymax went across the bridge to find the four of the odd, mechanical flying heartless were more of an eight. Swarming all over a blonde, teenage woman in a pink helmet and red dress, using a purse to bring out odd blue orbs. She tossed the orbs as the heartless fired at her, the balls turned into mist and expanded into a large mass of blue goop. Five of the heartless dived down and shifted their aerial bodies into something resembling vehicles as the other three were snared in goop and tried to push through the five heartless shot at the woman and Baymax jumped in front of her to guard her from the shots, Riku focused on the five, hovered and fired dark fire balls from his keyblade, scorching three away and leaving two to be quickly combo'd. The three heartless pulled out of the goop and the woman took a golden orb and tossed it at them, hoping for luck to be on her side.

BOOP!

A flash of yellow light and grey smoke blinded the three heartless and the woman backed away to have a breather as Baymax aimed his right hand, clenched it in a fist and fired. Riku dived into the smoke and finished them off, he tried to proceed deeper in the road and saw more Heartless appearing, grey turrets with a dark cat like head in a glass dome. They rapid fired and the boy saw a rocket being launched, he looked beneath and saw a blue marker, he rolled to a car and hid as the woman slid to the car with him and taking another golden orb. "Thanks for the save, Fred and Wasabi are far ahead trying to fight some..." Riku saw the woman with light green eyes and being half confused, he insisted. "Now isn't the time, is it big and freaky?"

The woman nodded and had her orb ready as Baymax readied to approach two of the turrets. "It might have been how these things... showed up out of nowhere. If we take it out, they might go away."

Riku hated to give bad news. "I'm the only one who can take care of these heartless, that smoke bomb was pretty handy, you're going to do it again?"

The woman nodded and tossed it at the turrets, blinding them and giving Riku the chance to slide to the next car, he fired bolts of light from his keyblade, dispatching them and sliding behind another, seeing three turrets with their guns aimed for him, Baymax flew over and slammed his fists at the turrets for a distraction, Riku slid again and fired at the turrets, he caught an image of a dark skin man in a green suit much like the people he met, using plasma like blades to cut into a frightening bipedal, fleshy, war machine that had a mighty left fist equipped with a flamethrower and a maw like cannon for a right arm, behind the machine was a blue monster breathing fire on its back. Riku stuttered and was shot by a missile, forcing himself to form change his keyblade into two swords and focus. He rushed at two turrets behind another car and carved, the woman followed and asked. "You seen that thing before?"

Riku nodded and counted five turrets. "That's a Helbrute,"

The woman's sense of optimism evaporated on hearing the name. "Hel...oh that's not good. They need to get out of there."

Riku agreed with that, jumped from behind the car and dived into the turrets, making short work with slashes of light and darkness, the Helbrute was stabbed in its fist like arm by the plasma wielding man and tossed him to the blue monster. It gave a deranged laughter and aimed its cannon at them, the blue monster yelped and breathed fire at the Helbrutes face. The monster tugged his friend by the arm and sprinted to the visible group. "This is a Code: Doom, this is a Code: Doom!"

The Helbrute swiped the residue fire from its face and turned, it roared and charged at the two with its arm cannon glowing blue. "I AM THAT DOOM, MAGGOTS!"

Baymax took flight and swoop down to pick up the running heroes, he flew over a shot of super heated plasma and somersaulted back to the blonde woman. PEW! BOOM!

The plasma made contact with the ground and burned through two cars, causing them to explode, Baymax placed the two down. The mysterious blonde woman asked her blue suited friend. "Fred, this isn't a Code: Doom. Are you and Wasabi hurt?"

Wasabi cringed and readied to fight again. "No, but there isn't a lot that can hurt this guy from far away." He looked to find the Helbrute pushing through the fire. "If we can cut off that arm, we can get close enough to stop it. So, Honey Lemon, what do you have?"

Honey Lemon saw something on top of a right most rail, a strange man in a red, web like costume that had blue high lights and a black spider emblem on his chest. The Helbrute tried to aim his hand at the four. PEW! The spider like man aimed his right hand and posed it like spider fangs, a large stream of web shot out from the man's wrists and made contact with the arm, stopping it from moving.

The Helbrute looked at the spider like man in a distraction and tried to pull at him as Wasabi took the chance and rushed at the Helbrute's arm, extending plasma like wrists blades and slicing.

SLASH!

The Helbrute felt the blade and wailed in pain as his arm fell off from the cut, Riku combined his swords together and formed it into a feathery winged sword that had a glow of a sun rise, he caved into the Helbrutes sarcophagus and saw a busted, black, Chaos Space Marine helmet that hid a pale skin, a striking red eye and a mouth with foam. It yelled incoherent gibberish as a blue orb was tossed at it's gun like arm and clogged it in blue goop. Wasabi jumped back as Riku back flipped, they watched the Helbrutes plasma cannon explode Fred breathed fire at the Helbrutes damaged chest and caused it's armor to melt, Baymax rushed for a punch, cracked the chest open and flew back to let the group see a suit of futuristic, black armor that had mechanical tendrils burrowed into it. Riku aimed his glowing keyblade with an odd light and fired a beam that rushed through the monster and caused it to be enveloped in twilight as it short circuited and explode, leaving two stubby legs and a bioflesh arm behind. Riku's sword returned to a keyblade and he panted as Honey Lemon looked to the spider like man and waved. "Thanks for the help."

The spider like man gave a small salute and jumped down. "Just dropped in when I saw this nutjob attacking people." He introduced himself. "I'm your friendly neighbor hood Spiderman. Anything else going on?"

Baymax turned back with a monotone answer. "Hiro was left behind to look after Go Go as she recovers from her concussion. Would you assist us in escorting them to safety?" Spider Man didn't see why not as Fred recognized him and was near spasmic. "Woah, we're crossing over."

At the Land of Departure during a sunrise.

Ken had a list made and finished a conversation with Ana and Moonfang. "And Bryn is missing. She... is never far away when I need her." He looked at the silver gummi ship. "But I think he told me she'll be fine and is out doing good for someone. A lot of people are sleepy heads this morning."

Ana shrugged. "They might be, but until we get those blocks, nothing is going to get done anyways besides training."

Moonfang grunted and barked to Ken in a request that he relaxes, the boy agreed with that. "We get a lot done and being early made Kairi assumed the worst when her schedule was thrown out the window and we talked about magic when she got here."

Ana looked up a mountain and advised. "There is nothing wrong with being early to rise, but one action makes a difference. You know what you are going to have to do if Bryn doesn't come back before Kairi gets out ere."

Ken didn't mind. "Ask her if I can hitch a ride and help out, we're both sharing the job anyways."

Click!

The castle door opened and Kairi walked out with a case of bed hair. She looked drowsy in the eyes and asked. "Good morning Ana, good morning Moonfang, good morning Ken. Is Bryn really missing?"

She stretched to get the grouchyness out and Ken answered. "Yep, do you mind if we share a ship for the groceries?" Kairi took a deep breath and smiled to him. "I don't, nearly everyone is sleeping in late and this will be our chance to get the good stuff." She gave a nod to Ana and Moonfang, who nodded to her back. "We'll be back in an hour, tell Master Aqua where we are." Ana grunted to her. "May your venture be safe."

The teenagers walked away to begin their journey and were enveloped in light, finding themselves in a gummie ship with a purple interior. Ken whistled to the taste. "Matching."

He sat on the passenger seat as Kairi took command of the hull and felt a shy presence, she assured her ship. "Voyage, I know him. Let's get to Twilight Town."

The ship moved and she asked Ken. "What did you put on the list?" The boy answered without hesitation. "Essentials for cooking since anyone can get into it if they try, the food groups and some chips to top it off. You're is the same?"

Kairi nodded. "It might be different from yours, but together this will last us the week."

She asked rather chipper. "Thank you for passing along the info about the amusement park. Are you thinking of bringing someone with you?" Ken had an idea of who. "Totally and you?"

Kairi blushed. "My friends need some time off. Riku told me what-" She laughed. "what you did the other day. Ha, ha, ha."

The boy took a deep breath. "What goes on isn't my business. But for you and Sora, this is totally a date." Kairi squinted her eyes at him like he was a rowdy younger brother. "I want it to go well, but I never been to something like it before. I should go check it out when I can."

Ken nearly giggled and approved. "It's something new and it could be a chance to last forever. I'll go ask Olette if she is cool with coming and then give my buddies a heads up while shopping."

Kairi approved back and saw some lights blink like a feminine giggle, she asked. "I think I know a way to change up my magic, what if... I combine two together? Like water and lightning? Or water and ice?"

Ken felt a chill and answered. "Pretty dangerous... for them. Stop's handy, but I should also learn how to do the firestorm combo without it... just in case." He tapped his cheek and Kairi asked. "You're thinking of something new?"

Ken nodded and asked. "There is an element I rarely see people do, one that could really, really, really go well with the fire. From the depths of the..." Kairi gasped and imagined volcanoes. "Kendry, that's... genius. But you might summon a volcano by accident."

Ken felt the criticism and explained. "I got the idea from some of the pyromancy spells me and Miss saw, fire magic so hot, it can melt stone and that makes lava. That magic... unfortunately, goes by the name of Chaos Fire, so I want to avoid that and see if I can't go with the next best thing."

Kairi gasped. "Chaos?!" Ken nodded. "And what me and Miss saw is a lot like what we are dealing with. People that turned into monsters, misery, the shebang. If I can control earth magic and mix it in with fire, I might be able to make lava magic instead. What do you think?"

The Princess wasn't too sure and tapped her cranium. "It's still pretty dangerous, the heat needed to turn rocks into lava can go above the thousand... in Kelvin. You should talk to Master Aqua when you get the chance... but what would happen if you use the earth magic with Cadia's Light?"

Ken felt genius and answered. "Explosions happen. But I need to know where to start."

Kairi realized what she done and laughed louder. "Ha, ha, ha! We need to keep this up." She saw the world Twilight Town is in at a distance and signaled. "We'll be in town soon. Thank you for some ideas." Ken snickered. "I got it from what you were talking about. I ought to thank you."

In a garage in a grand city.

The Team of Big Hero 6, Riku and Spider Man looked at a news article about their escapades from a computer. Exaggerated words, undermining what they actually done and leaving Spider Man disappointed. "Sheesh, they never bother telling you the whole story these days."

A conscious Go Go agreed with the mysterious masked super hero. "This isn't cool." Honey Lemon sighed. "People liked spectacle, not truth."

She, Go Go and Wasabi wanted to look away from the news, the man in green agreed with the debate. "Yeah, who needs quality reporting when you can make stuff up." Hiro was out of his uniform and in casual wear typical of a teenage boy as he turned the article off and knew his friends were walking away from the sight.

Fred was still in his costume and asked. "Didn't they see how awesome we were?! Sure, those things landed a couple of good hits, but we had chem-balls, and laser hands, and fire breathing!"

Riku finishing looking at Baymax out of his armor and answered as he looked away from a wide, white, humanoid robot. "That might have stopped mattering to them when the heartless were overwhelming you all and when you shouted a Code: Doom against that Helbrute, even if that thing would have killed you instantly if any of his attacks connected."

Spider Man agreed with that. "I think I know what Doom meant, but it wasn't a good choice of words to use when fighting super villains."

Go Go was suspicious about Spider Man and asked. "But where did they come from?" Wasabi asked back. "Well, why don't we ask the guys... who actually stopped them?"

Spider Man looked at Riku and asked. "What were they?"

Honey Lemon felt an odd feeling in her senses and asked the boy at the computer. "Hiro, you didn't introduce us to Spider Man after he and Riku helped us."

Hiro realized he didn't. "Oh, right." He and his group group of friends lined up as he introduced. "Well, uh, this is...the gang!"

He started with the girl in the mobile, biker like outfit, Riku looked at more details of black hair that had purple streaks, she had brown eyes and a casual expression. "That's Go Go." Go Go hummed as Hiro introduced Wasabi. "He's Wasabi." The man greeted Spider Man. "How ya doing?" Hiro went to Honey Lemon. "And that's Honey Lemon." The woman with long blonde hair greeted back. "Hello there."

Hiro went to Fred and saw the teenager in the three eyed, blue, reptilian, cephalopod like monster suit approaching the two, he introduced himself. "I'm Fred. Don't be alarmed." He unfolded the top of the costumes head and revealed a teenage boy with dark blonde hair and a green beanie. "This is not my real body!"

Spider Man realized that the kids were using their real names as Riku asked. "You use that costume to fight like a small kaiju? Cool."

Hiro introduced Riku and Spider Man. "Those two are, Riku and..." Riku sensed confusion as Spider Man answered. "I'm... just-" Go Go sighed and insisted. "Come on, none of us are going to tell anyone your real name."

Spider Man sighed and readied to undo his mask. "Alright, but out there, you kids need to keep your identity a secret." He pulled the mask off to show a brown haired man with brown eyes. "Names Peter Parker."

Baymax looked at Peter and seemed to be scanning him. "Oh my." Hiro turned to Baymax and asked. "Baymax, what's wrong?" Baymax had a analysis ready on Peter's biology. "I detected some levels of radiation with in Peter Parker's blood, muscle tissue and bone marrow. The suspected cause seems to be, spider venom."

Peter blushed embarrassed. "Hey, that's none of your business." He confessed. "I was bitten by a radioactive spider during a field trip in high school." Go Go blew a bubble and popped it in shock as Fred laughed it off. "Ha, I knew you were the real deal."

Riku asked Peter. "How did you end up in this city in the first place?" Spider Man put his mask back on and answered. "Me and a guy called Wolverine were dragged into another crazy episode by a merc with a mouth, Deadpool."

Big Hero 6 were a little confused and Riku asked. "Deadpool? How did he-" Peter answered. "It happened after he kidnapped Wolverine for a tea party and in Wade's own words. A monster from his closet opened a door and tossed in a door to a closet, which lead to another closet that lead him to the... Muppets. He went on a spree of opening closets to places I didn't know existed, Wolverine got trapped behind one closet while me and Wade ended up in this city. If you see a guy in a red and black suit, holding two katanas and guns, that's him."

Riku placed his left hand on his hip. "And he sounds completely insane, you're trying to find him so he'll stop doing that?"

Spider Man nodded. "That's what the news paper won't tell you. What are you doing in this city? You know a lot about the heartless compared to these kids." Riku answered back. "Kind of like you, I was looking for a crook that is a complete maniac. His name is Skygar, he has high tech equipment and is able to create monsters like that Helbrute, I think he is somewhere in this city or is close by. If he isn't stopped, something terrible is going to happen."

Hiro swallowed nervously and as Go Go asked. "And the Heartless? Tell us how you managed to take them down?"

Riku answered that. "The Heartless are something else, though the crook is able to use them with something called Chaos Daemons to make more weapons. The Heartless are drawn to the darkness in people's hearts."

Fred knew where the tale is going. "Ooh, now we're talking! Order verses Chaos. Light verses Darkness. Classic conflict!" Wasabi was annoyed and asked. "Would you calm down Fred. This is serious." Honey Lemon agreed. "Very serious. We don't have anyway to fight them and if Skygar is out there, he could have more things like the Helbrute and he would try using the Heartless too."

Go Go asked with pent up frustration. "Wait. So we're between a rock and a hard place with these guys?" Baymax answered that. "With our current skill set, my analysis places our chances at 0.1111-" Hiro knew Baymax was going to be repeating and stopped him. "Yup, we get it Baymax."

Riku offered a lending hand. "I could take care of the Heartless while you all figure out where Skygar would go to." He asked Spider Man. "What do you think Peter? Will all of us be able to find him and Wade before they turn the city inside out?"

Peter felt it was a sound idea. "Wade isn't the kind of guy that would pull what this Skygar wacko is capable of. But... he could get himself in trouble with the Heartless if I don't find him."

He and Riku readied to leave, Hiro gasped, closed his eyes in thought and opened them, he stopped them. "Wait." The duo stopped and Hiro insisted. "We're coming too." Riku and Peter turned, the silver haired teenager insisted. "It's fine, we can handle the Heartless and Wade."

Hiro shook his head. "Mmhmm. We have to help. My brother would have." The rest of the group agreed with that and Peter sighed with worry. Wasabi asked Hiro. "Great, buuut... don't we need a plan?" Fred suggested. "We train up as we go along! When heroes are brought low-" He flipped his costumes hood back on. "they get new powers." He turned to the group and folded his arms in an x. "It's shugyo time!"

Go Go wasn't too impressed. "Did you read that in Geek's Quarterly?"

Hiro insisted. "Fred's actually not wrong." He turned to Riku and Peter. "I may actually have an idea."

In half an hour, Hiro made a set of black vizers that had blue highlights and gave them to the two foreigners. Riku read out loud. "AR device?"

Hiro nodded. "Yeah. Cool, huh? It creates a CG overlay that augments your vision that augments your vision." Peter looked at his red and blue AR device, ready to explain a particular power he had that made its use redundant as Hiro explained. "While you wear it, this device sees everything you do and logs it."

Peter smiled under his mask. "So that way you kids can learn from us while you investigate safely?

" Riku put his vizer on. "Otherwise, you wouldn't need it?" Peter nodded. "Web slinging isn't my only power, I have a 6th sense that tingles when danger is about to happen." Riku guessed what it was and chuckled. "Ha, you have a kind of spider sense as well?"

Peter kept quiet and Riku realized that was the exact name, he put his vizer on. Hiro stepped out of their way and Riku saw a shadow like heartless squirming. Riku tensed and drew out his keyblade on instinct as Peter answered. "Like how they are not tingling now because that thing isn't real."

Riku saw traces of virtual holograms and relaxed, giving a complement to Hiro. "Wow, cool." He adjusted a button and saw a scanner picking up faint blips, Hiro appreciated the compliment. "Thanks, but the map data only covers San Fransokyo. I need to expand that."

Honey Lemon explained what the two were to do. "Riku, Peter, all you got to do is fight as you normally would and search high and low." Go Go nodded. "We'll put a tracer on your movements so we can-" Fred hopped around and chanted. "Shugyo, shugyo, shugyo!"

Go Go sighed. "So we can shugyo." Peter asked Riku. "Are you used to fighting in cities before?"

The silver haired teenager answered with a smile. "I have, but they are nothing like this one." He pointed to Peter. "You fought in these kinds of cities before? I could use the training."

Spider Man offered to lead out. "Just try to keep up while we find the highest building in the city, we can see everything from there."

Baymax asked. "I could learn by installing new combat data." Hiro asked the robot with a chipper mood. "Hey, Baymax, let's just let them help out. I'll have the data added later."

Peter looked forward to that. "That's going to be cool. We'll get ahead while you go in costume, you got to keep your secret identity a secret."

Hiro understood and pressed a button to raise the garage door, Riku and Peter slide under. The silver haired teenager expected Peter to sling himself a head start, aimed and shot a web at a ledge on top of a building to the right, he used it to swing higher and higher, Riku focused on stop posts and flowed to each one.

At Twilight Town.

Kairi and Ken looked upon a market place with nearly everything on their list. Ken went to buy the fruits and vegetables on the list as Kairi went for the various breads and cheeses, splitting up to do their own shopping style. Kairi noticed a familiar trio arriving with their own plans, she waved and gotten Pence and Hayner's attention as Olette was completely unaware and wandered into the produce stands. The boys approached and saw the chipper confidence, Kairi spoke. "Morning, you saw this coming when Hildetand showed up?"

Hayner whistled to that mystery. "The living gummi ship. Olette told us all about it, how does it happen in the first place?"

Pence guessed and looked at a piece of paper. "That's some a.i." Kairi felt that was a good guess. "If it was just that, none of the other ships would be coming to life like they have been. Magi caused Bryn to go completely out of control when he sneaked into her after she was built and... tried talking to her machine spirit."

Hayner wondered that and snapped his fingers. "He... woke her up?" Kairi figured so. "He did and went about it the wrong way, it... has to be like being born. Bryn and Olette gave me and the others time to do this and make sure it isn't an issue again. That's why we're here."

Pence asked and noticed Olette striking a conversation with Kendry. "That sounds like something the guys at Radiant Garden talk about. How much is on the list?"

Kairi took a basket and went to getting the dairy. "It would have been rolling to the ground if it wasn't for the gummi phone. That's why me and Ken are doing this together."

She noticed what was happening and went to shopping. "A good rival always keeps you on your toes." Pence agreed with that and looked away as Hayner noticed Ken reaching to get something and Olette gasping.

Simultaneously.

Ken went to his bag and held to a basket of fruits using his fleshy arm. "Because I went to that trip, I found out about a theme park opening up at the King's town tomorrow and I thought to ask you."

Olette's suspicions were confirmed and the boy took out two passes. "Do you want to come?"

Olette blushed and flustered out of control. "I...we were going there to buy passes after we do some shopping." She accepted. "Of course I will."

Ken gave Olette the pass and went to picking vegetables. "You're friends still got a day and a half, I'd still say they better hurry, but this might have helped them out since one of you got a pass for free." He stuck his tongue out and Olette burst laughing. "We were saving up for a trip to the beach, but this was a better idea that came up."

She waved to Pence and Hayner to shout. "I got a free pass to Disney Land! We can definitely afford to go now!"

The boys were astonished as Kairi looked to Olette and winked for good luck, Olette took her chance and asked. "Ken, we'll meet at the park, it's a trains away for me. Don't treat it like it is a date until I say so, got it?"

Ken vowed and found a healthy yellow squash. "Shoot, but I hear ya." He asked. "I don't want to drop this, but can I still find that group in the town? I need to give them a heads up about something important going on."

Olette answered that. "Same place they've always been, but they been having trouble in getting this one guy to take most of this seriously. Isa is trying to get it through the guys head, but that is all I know before I almost got caught snooping."

Ken cringed and found a bunch of scallions. "What are they even doing anyways? Someone's got to stop that before the drama gets worse." Olette agreed with that. "You're seem to know them, but be careful."

She helped herself to some scallions and went back to the subject. "Do you think you can stay awake all night tomorrow?"

Ken took the dare. "At the end of a trip to an amusement park. … I wonder what it'll look like." He raised and eyebrow and went for lettuce as Olette wondered herself. "Could we talk about that if you get the chance today? I heard from Kairi that the two of you are busy learning about the Keyblade."

Ken answered without much of a thought. "If I can, I might end up getting myself deep underground if I talk about earth magic and Miss thinks its a good idea for me to try learning it."

Olette was taken aback. "Earth magic?" She understood why. "Not a lot of people use it and the last Keyblade user I know is in the air most of the time." Ken felt it was a good point. "That might be why he and no one else use it. But if you don't see things for yourself, you won't learn what you can do with it."

At the other side of the market.

Hayner and Pence smiled to the good luck as they and Kairi noticed Olette and Ken talking about something deeper. The Princess realized. "How did they started talking about something more serious?" She shrugged and continued her grocery escapades. "We need to talk to Master Aqua about using more advanced magic and mixing them together. Charged up water, water that freezes, something I been thinking about doing with cura... Ken ended up talking about making lava magic and that is the one I'm a little worried about."

Hayner has no idea what the major danger is as Pence cringed. "That can burn you before you get anywhere near it." Kairi expected two outcomes. "Either Master Aqua says no to the idea, or this becomes a major project for Ken to learn without getting people hurt."

Hayner whistled. "Wow, where did he get that idea from?" Kairi answered and packed enough breads and dairy for her to progress to a stall with meats. "From seeing fire hot enough to melt rocks." She checked her gummi phone and looked more confident. "We are making pretty good time. Is there anything you three were doing?"

The boys nodded and Pence answered with a dorky smile. "If you heard, we changed up a plan to go to the beach until we heard of this."

At San Fransokyo

Riku found a particularly high building Peter slung himself to and flow jumped to a window, running up and catching up with Spider Man. Peter was impressed by the quick foot work and felt it was high enough for him to look around the vast city. He sensed something and jumped to the center of the roof to dodge a heartless minotaur appearing out of nowhere and trying to punch him into the ground. The silver haired teenager flipped to the top, drew out his keyblade and whipped out a purple glow. "This again?"

Three more minotaurs appeared, two tried to rush after Riku as two tried to rush Peter, the teenager saw an antenna pole, jumped and flow to it to dodge and spin as Peter flipped and snared the minotaurs in web, Riku rushed at two of the closest and unleashed a quick combo to dispatch them, the remaining two tried to break out and were kicked down by Peter for an easy stun, giving Riku the chance to finish them off and break a sweat. Peter relaxed and watched the city from bellow. "The heartless don't stop coming, do they?"

Riku shook his head. "As long as there are particularly dark hearts out there in the city, they would appear out of nowhere." He and Peter looked down to find particular traces of super heroes fighting and running from fights, with Baymax in his red jet armor flying over and Hiro on his back, keeping watch. Peter wondered. "How did a bunch of kids get wrapped up in this kind of responsibility?"

Riku shrugged and used his viser to see many blips, some clusters of purple while others of unimportance. "They found a calling somewhere and they took it."

Peter pitied them. "It's where it came from I'm worried about, something happened to Hiro's older brother and that is why he took it upon himself to be a super hero." Riku found that oddly specific and asked. "It takes a super hero who's been through something similar to... think about it that way?"

Peter felt a tingling of danger and looked around as Riku sensed a dark shadow over him, he looked above to find a corridor opening up and burning in dark fire, Peter felt the heat and aimed for a lower building. "We'll talk later, hold on."

PEW!

He swooped Riku off the ground and jumped.

CRASH!

RWAAAAAAARK!

The two barely avoided a meteor of dark fire roaring out of the corridor, Riku on instinct held on and saw traces of flame and metal, seeing glowing red eyes in the smoke, staring down upon him and Peter like they were nothing more than prey. The sky darkening to red and black, the smoke didn't even cleared out as the Heldrake jumped and took flight after them in alarmingly fast speeds, its maw ignited and it readied to breath.

PEW!

Peter web slung to the right and turned his head to see a black fire ball shoot out and made contact with a building, a torrent of dark fire burst on impact and rained down upon the screaming city folk. The Heldrake flew closer with its claws spinning like blenders and opened its maw.

POW!

A red robot flew down at its face, fist first, and sent it falling towards the street. It nearly landed on its back and used its jet like rear to fly back into the sky, Riku and Peter noticed Baymax flying by them, with Hiro looking back and to two things, a fire being tossed a bomb of cooling mist and not going out, along with the dark red sky having hints of bat like creatures flying down.

The teenage boy realized how quickly things escalated and had communications from his whole squad. "Did you see how fast that thing is?"

"Something isn't right about this fire."

"Oh no, this is a Cosmic Horror Story."

Hiro heard a cut off screaming of a girl and knew it was Wasabi, the boy ordered. "Help the civilians get to safety and meet up with me at these coordinates."

He pressed a button as a swarm of forty five bat like deamons rained down from the sky, the Heldrake noticed something and flew away from the party of four to cause destruction elsewhere. Baymax and Peter landed with their ward, Riku jumped off and was ready to fight as the robot tilted his head. "Hostile entities, unknown, are these the Chaos Daemons you mentioned?"

Riku gave off a purple glow and answered. "Yes and there is a ton of them. These, you and your friends can fight, but you need to be careful."

Hiro sent a message to his friends with instructions. "Don't hold back guys." He asked his robot. "Baymax, are you ready?"

Baymax aimed his fists in the air and shot them at the winged daemons, punching four and causing them to vanish in an instant. Peter liked the idea and shot web at the daemons, causing eight of them to be snared and free fall to the ground in a scream as Riku focused on them, hovered and aimed Way to Dawn like a gun, firing a barrage of fire balls and obliterating five. The daemons looked in a panic and eight vanished, Peter and Riku back flipped as Baymax flew backwards. The eight webbed daemons crashed and faded away as the twenty strong daemon horde flew to the ground and turned straight after them, surprisingly, the daemon horde were rather simply to overwhelm, with Peter and Baymax's quick punches, Riku's skill with the keyblade and Hiro guiding his robot, the twenty were reduced to five that faded back into the warp. Hiro and Riku were suspicious, the silver haired teenager asked. "They were pathetic, wasn't this a little too ea-"

BLIP!

BLIP!

Riku and Hiro's vizer sensed something coming as Peter's senses tingled even stronger, at a building to their right, something seemed to be crawling on top of it. Baymax flew far back as Riku jumped to a building window and Peter jumped to a light post far away.

To Riku's horror, a mechanical beast he was familiar with, it had the body of a black armored Maulerfiend, thick arms and legs climbing the building like it was a tree, to the veterans shock, the Maulerfiend had shoulder mounted gatling guns. It looked at the four and jumped like an ape, it roared and let loose a maw of hellfire, shooting a fire ball at Baymax, who flew above to dodge it. The Siegefiend looked at Riku and Peter with hatred and aimed its hands at them, the palms had vertical maws open and shoot out mechanical like tongues at them, Riku jumped out of the way of his and flung at the daemon engines mechanical back as Peter jumped off the light post. The tongues pierced the building and wrapped around the post, dragging out a printed and desk and dragging the post off its stand, straight into the maws.

CRUNCH! The gatling guns aimed for Baymax and spun, the robot flew above the fiend to avoid the gun fire, Riku slashed at the fiends metal hide to no avail and Baymax punched it on its hunched back as Peter shot a web on the fiends left hand, attached it to the street and jumped to the other side.

Peter shot at the other hand and had the fiend pinned, it pulled against it, was hit in the tail by an orange ball full of light yellow liquid, causing the tail to melt, a yellow disk was flung at the metal and forced the metal to shatter and open like a wound. The Siegefiend used its hands to gnaw through the web as Riku jumped to the wound and glowed in moon light, he saw the wound closing in mechanical sinew and yelled.

SLASH! HACK!

He let loose in slashes of light and caused the Siegefiend to roar in pain, it tore the web apart and spun, sending Riku flying to the building, the boy caught himself and the fiend saw a rightfully frightened Honey Lemon readying another ball and an irritated Go Go that caught her disk and was ready to make a rude gesture with a middle finger. "Come on, you freak show. Try and catch us." The Siegefiend smiled sadistically and had his gattling cannons aimed at them, Honey Lemon tossed the orb down and caused a white fog to form, blocking its view and confusing it. SLAM! Baymax flew up and dropped down on the fiends head, smashing it clean off and leaving a stump burning in fire as the robot landing in front of the machine. Hiro watched fiend raised its fists in the air, pressed them together and readied to smash at both him and his robot.

SWOOSH! A lance of purple light pierced the Siegefiend's shoulder and bursted out the other side, the daemon engine gave off a sparkle of purple light, its flame bursting against a power forcing itself within and the body spasmed out of control, Hiro realized what was happening and hid behind Baymax's.

BOOM! The daemon engine exploded in purple light, its body parts scattering into thousands of pieces and the demonic flesh turning to dust, hints of runes fading away and leaving behind simple scrap metal.

Baymax took the point blank shrapnel and blinked like nothing happened save for scratches on his armor. He finished an estimate. "This isn't like the Helbrute from earlier. 33% Of its structure was machine. 33% Was of organic material and 34% is unknown yet suspected to be like the winged chaos daemons."

Hiro wasn't amused by that estimate as Riku dropped from a building and Peter looked to the darkened sky in suspecting more danger, the mechanic asked. "And why do I not want to know about what the organic parts were?"

He noticed the smoke fading away along with Honey Lemon and Go Go going out of hiding from an alley way. The two heard distant explosions and the sounds of cars letting loose a combined alarm that sounded more like wails of agony, Honey Lemon felt disturbed and reported. "Most of the city is evacuating underground, but if we are dealing with more than just robots, we're still in a lot of trouble."

Go Go cringed to that. "Coming from you, this is going to get worse if we don't stop who ever is controlling these things."

Hiro saw distortions and saw eight mechanical winged daemons with yellow eyes and a emblem looking like a mixture of the heartless emblem and a symbol of an eight pointed star. The eight daemons looked upon the three teenagers and Baymax, gave a combined shriek and sprinted to them in high speeds.

SQUIRT!

A wall of spider web shot in their way and caught the eight like flies, Peter sweated and asked Hiro. "We need to find Wasabi and Fred before these things do. Can you do it?"

The boy on the robot pressed a button and assured. "I'm on it."

He watched the cyber daemons push against the web and try to break free. "We need to make sure these are gone before they break loose, otherwise they'll show up again later." Riku's glow exhausted and he was ready carve into more daemons. "These things are big in numbers, but they're not bright."

Go Go agreed to that and had her disks ready. "These things started disappearing once I kicked four of them into a dumpster. They were a distraction anyways."

Hiro picked up two blimps and was relieved. "Wasabi, Fred, we're heading your way to the south district, how are you holding up?"

Fred was stuttering confused as Wasabi gave a much clearer answer. "We just whooped three of those monsters after we heard the alarms in the central district to the east. We might have found who Peter was talking about."

Hiro blinked and asked. "Deadpool? Is he... a part of this?"

Fred answered completely dumbfounded. "He's... about come up with a revenge story against them, a wacky one. You need to see this."

Hiro hesitated and promised. "We... need to group up anyways, stay safe."

Beep. He, Baymax and Honey Lemon watched Riku and Go Go smash the bound daemon engines to pieces, Peter saw the confused face and asked. "They found Wade doing his usual hijinks?"

Hiro nodded. "And apparently he might help us. Is... there more about him we need to know?"

Peter had a better tip. "I... can't make any sense of what goes on in his head. We should get to them before Wade creeps them out."

Sometime before the attack.

In a taco shop, a man in a red, skin tight suit was casually looking at a menu, the white mask eyes looked at a particular thing on the menu. "Ooh. You got steak tacos. Make that to go, I'm in a hurry and put as much of the chunky salsa on it as you can." The confused, hispanic merchant got to work. "Bien viniendo!"

The strange mercenary waited and heard a rather immature sounding voice in his head. "Too bad Logan isn't here, he would have liked this."

A more mature, disapproving voice responded. "Maybe you shouldn't have blown the door up after shoving him through."

The mercenary agreed with both voices. "The X-men are going to be pissed."

Rumble!

The merchant finished frying up a taco shell and sensed the rumbling, he looked outside and had a fear for his immortal soul, hurrying in putting juicy cuts of steak and the workings as the mercenary turned around and found nothing out of the ordinary. Tink! Tink! Tink! BZZZAP! The lights of the building flickered and an unsightly, six legged, mechanical monster rushed through to the left of the outer street, with slight signs of someone riding on its back.

Thud! Ding! The mercenary turned back to find a scrumptious looking steak taco on a paper in a red basket, the merchant was nearly whimpering. "Todo hecho señor. ¿Puedo irme ya?"

The mercenary's fingers wiggled in delight and he went to get something. "Hold it, you forgot one thi-" The merchant saw fire and masses of people running to the right, he panicked and dashed to the back door like a desperate animal, screaming for his life. The mercenary grumbled annoyed. "What's his problem?"

The immature voice asked. "Maybe he left the oven on?"

The mature voice answered. "Or maybe because he is seeing what's going on out there. Should we really be doing this?"

The mercenary looked at the menu and estimated the price. "Relax, he'll find out what he forgot, eh... huh?"

He took two bills, pressed a button on the cash register, put the bills in the opened register, closed it and put two quarters in a tip jar. He took the basket and walked out to find the black red sky, the screaming of people and hints that the supernatural was going on, the mercenary pulled part of his mask up and the mature voice in his head insisted. "We really should be finding out what's causing this, Wade." The immature voice whined. "Come on, we hadn't had a good taco in days." The mercenary whispered. "And I know a good taco when I see one."

He smelled the spices of the steak and nearly drooled. "And when I smell one. Oh, ho, ho, ho this isn't any two dollar street taco." Crunch! He took a deep bite and his eyes under his mask dilated, he was hearing the music of a fiesta and seeing a golden sun wearing a sombrero, playing maracas. He dropped the cradle of a basket and was enjoying every taste, nearly blind to the anomaly in his fantasy vision, a black winged demon that rushed at him and knocked the taco off his hand, snapping him out of his fantasy and into reality as he was swiped in the air by the demon, the taco landed back in the basket.

The mercenary gasped drew a katana with his right hand and felt it was bitten deep into by another demon, two more flew under him and tried to rip at his legs, the mercenary pulled out a machine gun and aimed at the demon biting into him. "Oh you did not just take me from taco land!"

He aimed over his shoulder and at the demons neck. BANG! BANG! BANG!

One demon was shot to pieces, the mercenary took his katana and sliced the demon in front of him in two, causing the demons bellow to feel the extra weight and fall, the mercenary found an awkward, painful landing coming and focused on slicing the demon on his right and shooting the demon on his left. He straighten his legs, landed rather neatly than expected and saw two more demons flying down to the taco shop, one of which was heading towards the taco basket, the other towards the mercenary. The mercenary shot at the demon and watched the bullet fly through it, he sliced it for a killing blow and watched in horror as the other demon picked the battered, yet intact taco.

The demon smiled sadistically at the mercenary, like it knows the personal value of the two dollar food item, it opened its mouth and the mercenary tried to shoot it, a bullet came out and went through the demon.

Click! Click!

The gun was out of bullets, the mercenary charged. "Don't you dare!" Crunch!

The demon put the whole taco in its mouth and crunched down into it, salsa dripped from its fanged, triumphant smiling maw. The mercenary felt an unusual fury and slashed through the demon, causing it to give a cackle in the mist, the merc panted and kept guard as the immature voice in his head yelled. "Nooooo! We were eating that!" The mature voice sarcastically responded. "A tragedy. Now can we focus on saving this city?" The mercenary agreed and answered in a faux heroic tone as he looked at the taco shop. "And keep this locally owned gate to heaven open. Nothing can possibly ruin this da-"

SCREE!

The mercenary turned to find a red eyed creature in black smoke flying past him and shooting a black fire ball at him, the mercenary dodged to the right and readied to pull out a missile launcher. BOOM! The fire ball landed and washed over the taco shop in an inferno and caused it to break down, the mercenary turned to watch, dropped his weapon and fell on knees yelling . "NOOOOOOOOOOOO! YOU MANIACS! YOU BLEW IT UP!"

THUD! WOOSH! SLASH! He noticed a young man and someone in a monster suit fighting against the mechanical, winged demons and went back to mourning the taco shops destruction. The mature voice in his head sounded concerned. "Now in this day and age, this REALLY is a tragedy." The immature voice asked. "We're never having those tacos again?" The mature voice answered. "It's more than that, if the Taco Guy was running a business by himself, he isn't getting any of this back." The mercenary whimpered. "No more Taco Guy?"

The mature voice answered boldly. "He is no longer a Taco Guy, now he is just a Jobless Guy."

The mercenary remembered the small details of a man riding a mechanical monster and realized. "And the ass hole riding that mecha shoggoth is behind all of this?" He got up and felt the voices fading away, getting his weapons ready for a fight as he asked the two heroes finishing a conversation with someone. "These monsters ruined the sacred steak tacos, who wants to avenge them?"

Thud!

The mercenary heard someone arriving and recognized a super hero with a spider like theme, the Spider Man thanked the two heroes that didn't get the chance to say something. "Thanks for finding him Wasabi, was Fred on the mark?"

Wasabi looked at the friend in a monster costume confused. "It... might make sense, we heard this place opened up a month ago."

Fred sniffled in sympathy for the mercenary. "This place made good tacos. Why?"

Spider Man looked at the mercenary with a question. "And this is going to be the whole city if we don't stop that Skygar wacko and his daemons. Are you with us Wade?"

The mercenary nodded. "Totally, let Ol' Deadpool do this a pro bono and we'll call it even?" Spider Man shook his head. "We wouldn't have been here if it wasn't for you. But we'll call it a truce."

CRASH!

Three of the cyber demons were punched into the ground by a red robot that had a teenage boy in a purple super hero out fit. Two cyber demons in the air were sliced in half by a teenager with silver hair and an odd sword, Wade realized something as the teenager landed, he looked up, noticed something and complained. "Forty seven? Come on."

The group looked up to find no such number of demons as two teenage girls caught up from behind, the more nimble looking in yellow, saw the fire of the taco shop and was crossed. "And we heard a lot of good about this." The silver haired teenager looked Deadpool in the eyes and asked. "Come on guys, this isn't about a bunch of tacos. Deadpool... do you know where this Skygar guy or some of his monsters went?"

Deadpool wasn't giving up on his self centered goal and pointed to the west. "Nah it isn't. How about we start getting to know each other since some wannabe comedian thought this would be my introduction into relevancy."

The boy on the robot got up and asked. "What are you even talking about?" Deadpool shrugged and tried to lead the way. "Eh, doesn't matter."

Spider Man was having a head ache and aimed his web at a building. "Come on, any second we waist means this city will start looking more like Doru's backyard." PEW! Spider Man shot a web string and started swinging as the group followed, Deadpool tried catching up and saw more flying demons appearing, he readied his weapons for a fight.

At Twilight Town.

Kairi and Ken were holding a significant amount of grocery bags as they gave a morning goodbye to Hayner, Pence and Olette. The girl of the town's trio whispered. "Come on, we need to hurry before the passes get sold out."

The boys agreed and left for the train station, leaving the key bearers to take their leave to town, towards where a suspected gang was operating at. Kairi took her chance and congratulated Ken. "I knew she was going to say yes, why did you do it?"

The boy had two reasons in particular. "I wanted to make it up to her after letting her down over the take a picture of a different world thing and she is cute and swell." He blushed in embarrassment. "But I'm not suppose to treat this as a date. What a morning."

Kairi agreed with that. "But then you stopped talking about that and about something else, what was it?"

Ken answered and noticed something hiding by a building towards a familiar hang out. "How rare is earth magic and why its rare. We got trouble now."

Kairi wondered and saw Pete, stalking people for a nefarious goal. "I wonder that trouble is." She asked the unaware Pete. "What are you doing?"

The villain answered without much thought as lightning and flowers scattered. "Heh, heh, heh. I sent some of my lackies to see if these punks are as tough as I heard they were. Turn's out they use to be part of this big bad Organization that been causing trouble and they are up to making it again."

Ken tilted his head like it was semi new information. "Some of us knew these people knew each other and I seen them call each other pretty odd names. So you're attacking them because they are planning something?"

Pete answered the boy. "And they been pretty tough as nobodies, which means their heartless would be perfect minions for me. While they do what I say, their other half would be back to causing trouble and that's good news for Maleficent and me."

He pointed and caused a sound of a dark ripple to be heard as Ken and Kairi looked at each other, silently asking who would carry the cold groceries and who would kick Pete out of the town. Kairi offered to hold the burden in silence, the boy looked to Pete and gasped at a sudden figure that appeared behind him. A black haired woman with a rather muscular physic, in a black tank top that was complimented by long, white military jeans, her left arm and right arm glowed in sunlight. Kairi noticed her rivals shock and looked to find the sudden woman, gasping as she recognized her. "Resira?!"

Pete cringed, realized something was wrong and turned around, in a flash of light, he was held up by the collar by the armorless Adeptas Sororitas. Who stoically answered the girl. "Silly children, you know first hand what befell her and why I am but a hollow vessel." Her gaze focused on Pete. "And you, seek to inflict that fate upon them? To disrupt a rebuilding order? How is your Mistress of All Evil going to have the message?" Her eyes gave an odd holy, fearsome glow. "That you're kind are not welcome in this town?"

Kairi cringed and wanted to stop a potential murder. "Resir...Exrirsa, stop. You'll scare the whole town if you do this!"

Exrirsa looked at Kairi and a speechless Kendry with as Pete stuttered. "N..Now, let's not... do anything so rash, this...this town hasn't had problems in a long while compared to mos-" Lift. He felt himself elevated from the ground and saw Exrirsa hovered, uncaring of his excuses, the nobody asked the key bearers. "I am sigil of Emperor's watchful eye. The town, learned to reject the temptations of Chaos and through that, peace is maintained. This one is guilty of trying to return disorder," Ken agreed with that. "And he deserves what's going to happen to him soon if his threat on turning those guys into heartless and nobodies is true. But does the town deserve to be scared of you?"

Exrirsa thought of it and tightened her grip. "The town needs to be reminded of what will happen to those like this vile creature. With out that, they will fear the Great Enemy every day or worse, falter and join them when the temptation becomes strong."

Kairi sighed and asked. "But what will happen if the town fears you?" That question caused the Nobody to quickly answer. "You would come to strike me down? What of this?" Light flashed, the teenagers's vision quickly gave way to Exrirsa and Pete disappearing, they looked around and found the Nobody appearing high in mid air with Pete kicking and pleading. "Wha...I thought you said you wasn't going to do this?"

Exrirsa looked to a sea in the vast distance. "I vowed that I will not have the town fear me. I did not say I won't have the town be fearful for those like you. If you manage to escape the ocean with your life, you are to forever leave this town, for this will not happen again."

An astonished, electrical blonde woman finished off a heartless and asked. "Hold it, you're not going to-" She realized what and laughed. "Go far or go home!"

A pink haired man found that ridiculous and sighed. "Well, it's certainly a better way to make a point across." A stoic blue haired man gave an unforgiving glare to Pete. "Get it over with already, it's about time we finally met."

Pete whimpered and realized what Exrirsa was going to do. "This is going to sting." The Nobody spun with a glow and whispered. "Oh it will," She radiated and gave a mighty hurl as Pete tried to wiggle free, throwing him past the towns borders and into the sea, far away from sight and leaving the five astonished by the length. The teenagers approached the Nobody that floated down and let her glowing arm and leg fade, she looked tired out and meek, she went to a wall and let herself slide down a wall to the ground. Kairi took a deep breath and smiled to the Nobody. "Exrirsa, thank you."

The Adeptas Sororitas sighed and pointed to the groceries. "You don't have time to waist regarding those."

The teenagers were in agreement and went about their next quick priority, Kairi turning to face the three bystanders and Ken saying hello to the two keyblade wielders. "Hey Elrena, hey Lauriam. Sorry to make this awkward, but I came to drop a warning about something big going on, that you and the others need to know about. I'll be back later to talk about another thing I been hearing about."

Elrena swallowed in fear of the Nobody and asked. "That warning is about another crook trying something and he might attack these worlds?" Ken gasped and asked. "How did you know?" Lauriam chuckled and showed off a pink gummi phone. "Kendry, did you not already told someone about this a couple days ago? That someone told us shortly after you left with Wanda." Ken realized who. "Ienzo? He... is the one in charge of this gang?"

The blue haired man answered with a relaxed smile. "In a way, he is. He, Even, Aeleus and Dilan monitor Radiant Garden in case it's gets raided.. again. We are trying to make sure this town doesn't suffer any vandalism like that." He looked at the still nobody with a shiver. "Even if the rumors about the other group is proven true."

He introduced himself. "I'm Isa... and you must be this Kendry the others spoken about."

Ken gave a nod to them. "I am, where did Dorlu and Medy go off to?"

Isa took a deep breath as Elrena dismissed her blade and folded her arms in frustration. "They are trying to get this idiot to join and take the load off these peoples heads. Lea, really doesn't get the full picture of what is happening and Garland became that something."

She turned to Exrirsa and demanded. "And we don't need you forcing him and tempting him to back stab us again!"

The Adeptas Sororitas gave a hollow, amused laughter. "He chose to be a conscript, how eager he would be is now in all of your hands."

Lauriam agreed with that and explained to Ken and Kairi. "While one of you would know exactly what we are talking about, it is this reason why we haven't forced him in yet."

The Princess rolled her eyes and asked. "And why none of us are obligated to help you?"

Elrena gasped and smiled vigorously. "He'll get it through his head that Garland is as dangerous as he is made out to be. But we want to actually be prepared." Isa agreed with that. "And you two have better things to do now." The teenagers agreed, Ken asked. "Anything about Lea I need to know about?"

Isa answered bluntly. "He has a mouth and he uses fire chakrams. That's all you need to know,"

Ken gasped. "Fire? Hot headed?" Isa guessed what the boy had planned. "And you wouldn't be any better than if we used Exrirsa."

Ken agreed with that. "Oh... I got something planned alright, a challenge that might show him he isn't the biggest pyromancer in town." He kept himself restrained. "And if I'm not handling cold groceries, I might show a good example. Tell him that a blonde, one armed kid challenges him to a Burn Off, this afternoon!"

Kairi cringed and warned her rival. "Ken, that's a bad idea." Isa found the name ridiculous and agreed. "You're going to get yourselves burned."

Exrirsa had another detail to put in. "And what if the fire goes out of control?"

Elrena, Lauriam and Kairi realized the solutions to that problem. Lauriam answered. "Medy... controls water."

The Princess hesitated and asked. "I... use water a lot. We're going to need it."

She, Exrirsa and Isa sighed in disappointment as Ken cringed. "There... isn't an excuse to stop this now I gave a challenge like that? Is there?"

Elrena shook her head. "Nope, if you back off now after boasting that, you're going to make yourself a laughing stock and since we can control the wild fire, Lea would think we are too chicken to not let this happen. Did you at least came up with new moves?"

Ken nodded as Kairi promised the four. "You would be surprised what one of them is. Although, I don't see a point to using it in a burn off." The boy explained. "It isn't fire breath, but it's lethal for another reason. I... guess we'll see you in the afternoon."

The four felt a little anxious at what they agreed with, Lauriam sighed and waved. "I suppose so, enjoy the rest of your day."

The teenagers gave a similar wish and turned to a corner of the town, disappearing into the gummi ship and placing the groceries in a corner that Kairi had chilled with blizzard. The Princess took a deep breath and asked her rival. "You'll show Lea that he needs to take things seriously, but was that really a good idea?"

Ken relaxed and answered. "If he... knows he isn't the biggest thing in town, he'll listen. I thought using a similar element might work... ha, ha." Kairi agreed with that. "It would work, but it isn't a responsible way to use fire. I guess this is better than nothing."

The boy agreed back. "We won't have to worry so much about Twilight Town, especially not after how Resira gave Pete that message. The nerve of that guy." Kairi cheered to lighten the mood. "He'll feel that in the morning. Now let's get back to Master and the others!"

At the suburban's Sans Fransokyo

Deadpool asked the group following a trail of malfunctioning cars, street lights and monitors. "Big Hero 6?" He asked the silver haired teenager cutting through the last of a four fiend pack of cyber demons. "Riku?" He realized the scoop of his situation. "Sheesh this is a odder stack than a pool of pancakes."

Fred agreed with that as Baymax slowly scanned the area and picked up an anomaly by a particular gate to an institute. "But is this stack too odd to not work?"

Wade shook his head and had a childish smile under his mask. "Nah, me and Spidey fit in tighter here than latex." Peter placed his hand over his face. "We get it, can we lay off those jokes before someone hears them" Wade's immaturity became worse. "Oh? Was I being too subtle? Spidey, buddy, think of the children here?"

Tap!

Wade felt a rather harsh tap from a wheel and turned to find Go Go annoyed and crossed. "Not here, not now, not ever."

Baymax saw more of an anomaly and alerted the group with a monotone. "Oh no." Hiro wanted to know what Baymax found as Peter sensed a danger ahead, across the street and climbing above the institute's front building. The boy on the robot cringed and realized. "That's where Skygar headed to?" The rest of the group had a closer look and realized where they were going, Riku looked at a burned down sign and asked Big Hero 6. "This is the school you go to?"

Honey Lemon was having the full realization of what the villain desires as more of the crawling creature was revealed. "San Fransokyo Institute of Technology."

Riku guessed more and looked at the rather high tech gear the group has. "It's where you made your gear, where Baymax was made and... it means-" His eyes widened with a realization of terror, he looked at the creature perching at the gate, a black armored defiler. "He is just going to make more dangerous war machines if he gets his claws on this."

Spider Man and Baymax saw a gun twitching and giving off a flash, an explosive round was shot and the robot warned in a monotone. "A cannon is shot at us. I'd suggest we take cover."

Honey Lemon understood, tapped her purse and caused a pink orb to form as she and the group saw the round falling to them at alarming speed. She tossed the orb upward and caused a wide pink barrier to form right as the cannon landed.

BOOM!

Cars were sent flying and the barrier rumbled, yet it stood, another cannon shot along with autocannon bullets, it was clear the barrier wasn't going to last for long as it cracked. Riku tried to focus on the defiler and gave an eerie glow, smiling in overconfidence and hovering above the ground, he rushed to the breaking barrier and disappeared with a purple glow, he reappeared behind the defiler and fired a barrage of fire balls at the back of the daemon engine. "Hey, you overgrown toaster! Over here."

The defiler spun its upper body and found the silver haired teenager aiming his keyblade over a chained engine, the defiler roared and tried to crush him with its right claw. PEW! Riku disappeared and stood on top of the daemon engines head, the machine used its left claw to try and force him off and spun its power scourge, the teenager jumped high and aimed once more, his keyblade formed a bright beam and fired at the lock.

Click!

It unlocked and caused chaotic energy to let loose, something leaked out from the engine.

BOOM!

The defiler was shot in the back by a missile launcher and caused it to spin back as Riku was snared in a web and was yanked out of danger. It saw the group of Big Hero 6 making a rush to the institutes gate, Deadpool with a smoking missile launcher and Spider Man pulling Riku towards him, the engine burst with built up anger and the machine went limp. A red mist flew out of the defiler chasis and materialized into a large, black, bloodletter, a Herald of Khorne.

It vanished and flickered before the five teenagers and robot, snarling and glowing a blue maw. "Those...worthless furies, couldn't even slow you whelps down?"

Wasabi nearly yelped to the much more demonic looking creature as Go Go guessed. "You're boss was on a budget or something and cut corners?"

The demon stared at her and was too furious to laugh. "My... master, saw them as a means to make Cyber Shriekers, by melding fury, heartless and engine as one... but a fury in armor is still a fury."

He promised the six as he allowed Riku, Peter and Wade to approach. "But I will still honor that pact. It is time I show you what you're really up against." He raised his blade in the air and gave a ungodly howl, causing the veil of reality to weaken and for an icor of black goop to ooze, blue eyes glowed in a veil of darkness, twenty black bloodletters encircled the group in an surprisingly organized fashion. Riku felt an odd chill down his neck, something was off about the daemons even by their nature, the Herald snorted. "One of you, knows who is the Master of the Dark Realm by now. Chaos, has bent that reality as it will this ones." He swiped his sword for a battle stance and fixated on Riku. "Slay them all, but leave the keybearer's skull to me!"

The daemons snarled like a pack of rabid beasts and sprinted. The Herald pounced at Riku and forced him into a mid air battle. Fred shot a wall of fire on the rear flank as Honey Lemon tossed a white orb to form a wall of ice, three bloodletters burned away as two were frozen in place and vanished, Go Go used the opening to circle around five of the daemons at the left and tossed yellow disks at them, two disappeared and three focused on her for a frenzied charge. BANG! BANG! BANG!

Deadpool duel wielded pistols and shot two of the three in the head for a quick kill, leaving Go Go to crouch to dodge the demons swings. Spider Man lowered himself and flung low at the right, disrupting two of them and beating them up as the remaining eight had their blades burn in hellfire and swung.

STAB!

Wasabi glowed his plasma blades and carved three in a panic against the super natural, leaving Baymax to circle around and catch the remaining five mid flight, took the blunt of the burning blades, tossed them far away and shot his fists at two. Riku dodged the herald's blade and countered in a combo, unceremoniously cutting it in two and sending it back into the dark realm that spawned it. Baymax finished the three disoriented bloodletters off with a quick slam and ended that ambush, leaving five of the teenagers nearly exhausted, Hiro asked. "What... was that thing talking about?"

Riku kept his guard up and let him lead into the institute. "The forces behind this Chaos mixed in with the stuff the Heartless thrived in, whether it wanted to or not, but it looks like some of them were adapting and they would become more in control. There is a lot I'm not telling, but Skygar... the Black Legion, they had invasions like this planned out and it took everything me and friends of mine had to drive most of them off."

Go Go had a sharp scowl. "And the news never reports this. One guy was able to cause all this?"

Riku nodded as Peter summed up the villain. "A lunatic, a warmonger and a terrorist, how are we going to take him down?"

He sensed something as the group were at the opened gate, he tried to warn them as Riku answered grimly. "Someone like Skygar, isn't going to go quietly. Hiro, Honey, Go Go, Wasabi, Fred... leave the dirty work to-" Wade was tired of listening readied something beyond reckless. "Times up, let's do this!" He leaped ahead of the group with his katanas ready, shouting loudly. "WAAAAAADE WILLLLLSON!"

The group cringed as Baymax looked around to find a hulking, humanoid mass of flesh and guns at their right and another at the left, he addressed what was about to happen to Deadpool in a monotone. "Oh no." The monstrosities looked at the reckless mercenary laughing maniacally and shooting at them to little effect, annoying them to where they aimed and roared. "OBLITERATE!"

The group watched the guns fire and rend Deadpool with bullet holes, forcing the Wasabi, Fred and Riku to take on the obliterator to the left as Go Go, Honey and Peter went to the obliterator to the right. Baymax rushed at the right most obliterator and punched it at the shoulder, the fiend was caught in a mixture of web and smoke as he was pelted by disks. The left most obliterator was bathed in fire and carved by plasma blades as it saw Riku rush at it and let loose quick swings. The obliterator tried to punch him and missed, seeing a faint glow of purple light and was stabbed in the back. A burst of purple light caused it to spasm and fire wildly, another caused it to fall over dead and disolve against the odd light. The remaining obliterator was well distracted, Riku pulled out of the dead monstrocity and he aimed his blade in the air, he hovered and rushed through the obliterator. He appeared on another side and caused the melee fighters to jump back and watch Riku slash all over the chaotic mass of flesh, the obliterator tried to pull against the web binding it and was completely helpless as blow after blow wore it down. Riku appeared in front of it and speared through it, landing behind him and whispering. "Obliterate this."

BOOM! The obliterator was engulfed in bright, orange light and gave a death wail, it fell on its back with its flesh dissolving in light.

With that danger averted, Baymax turned to a bleeding Deadpool and saw the bullet holes closing. "Wade Wilson, are you certain that you're healing factor would allow you to regenerate any wound, no matter how it damages your organs?"

Deadpool looked up and was gritting his teeth. "E..Er...I'm sure, ha, ha! It's sure is swell to know... ha, none of these edgelords can kill me."

Hiro wasn't amused. "Yeah, but how fast can you heal? It... looks like they can still hurt you."

The merc agreed and slowly got up. "Like I told you when we were getting here, I can heal just about anything faster than you can sweat. That was part of the plan as soon as Spider Man's spider senses tingled."

He looked dizzy as Peter was less than pleased. "Yeah, thanks."

The group saw a building of glass giving off flickers of multi colored light, Riku read the sign. "Ito Ishioka... Robotics Lab?!" The forming shock made Hiro sweat. "Oh no. Come on, guys, we got to stop this." The massive party agreed and made the charge into the robotics lab.

At the Land of Departure.

Ken and Kairi finished putting the groceries in storage and waited at the lounge, proud of themselves at the task they accomplished. The Princess looked at her gummi phone and found the time a convenience as she sat at the left of a table. "Even after all this, we're back early. Ken, should you ask her first, or should I?"

Ken was being amused by Stitch drinking coffee and answered as he sat to the right of the table. "You started the idea, you'll ask. Then I'll go for the one we've been talking about."

Click!

Anatesis entered and let the sibling like duo know. "Wanda has your report about Twilight Town and about what that band is trying to do to help." Moonfang followed her in and had a watch over Stitch as the Stormcast sat by the opposite side of the table, Kairi took a deep breath. "They are trying to help us, I'll give them this much. But Ken got himself in a deep one to make sure they eventually work things out among themselves."

Ana grunted and placed her hands together. "By challenging this Lea scoundrel to a... Burn Off. That's what's been bothering you?"

Kairi shook her head and smiled to Ken. "No, Ken would smoke Lea like a match. The problem is Lea... or Axel, a while ago he lead me to Twilight Town... and tried to kidnap me for some reason that involved putting Sora in danger. Then when I got away from him... Isa... or Saix, caught me and locked me up, just to bait Sora into doing what Organization XIII wants him to do. Then I figured out a couple days ago that those guys were the reason Namine became the reason Sora and Riku didn't come back. Even if most of the guys from the Organization regained their hearts, even if they feel bad about what they done and try to change, it's hard to forgive them after how they hurt my friends."

She took a deep breath. "But if they at least try and make good on what they are trying to do now and help people, I think I will."

Ana and Ken gave Kairi a round of applause, the Stormcast confessed. "It's hard to forgive someone if their evil caused wounds to cut that deeply, ya don't have to do it... but all it takes is listening to that bit of goodness telling them that what they done was wrong and that could change the world for the better."

Ken agreed with that. "We're here to stop people from causing harm to the worlds and be hard on those that are going to become worse or are never going to change no matter what."

The trio exhaled and Ana asked the teenagers. "So what is this you're saying about learning new magics?"

Kairi cleared her throat as Aqua entered, the teacher looked hopeful that she didn't created a disaster and approached the table to say something. "That was a quite a selection, this will last us a couple weeks before we need to do it again. Nice work."

She sat by the table and Kairi asked. "Master, I been thinking about the idea of using magic along with our usual styles with the keyblade, what if we tried mixing more of the magics together. Like charged water or freezing water?"

Aqua thought of it. "That would hurt, but against the forces of Darkness, it is exactly what we need. It's... kind of a shame today's lesson is something a little different, but that's what an afternoon is for."

Kairi and Ken took in some relief, the boy asked. "Then... you won't be bothered if I ask about earth magic and mixing it with fire to make lava magic?"

Aqua gasped, wanted to disapprove and thought of another idea. She stood up, formed her grey and blue keyblade and gently aimed the tip at the table, forming a small fire that felt rather warm. "Kendry, put your hand as close to the flame as possible and don't use any fire resisting spells."

The students looked confused, Ken moved his fleshy hand close, the heat became more tense to where it nearly became burning, he stopped and Aqua felt her point was made. "You stopped... why?" Ken answered bluntly. "If I go any closer, I'll burn myself."

The teacher pointed to the fire. "Exactly, what you're feeling is the heat coming from the fire. It's cozy from here, but any closer to the source will hurt you."

She snapped her fingers and caused the magically made fire to disappear. "Did someone tell you about how hot it can get from lava?"

Ken pointed his left thumb. "Kairi did... the heat coming from lava would be like this if I touched that fire?" Aqua shook her head. "Oh, it is much hotter than that. If you try using lava magic, you would risk that heat burning everything around it, yourself included. It was an idea that sounded creative on paper, but it's too dangerous."

Ken agreed with that and let go of his disappointment. "So Kairi was right about that. Shoot." He realized something. "Hey, if that's true, why didn't we get cooked at that memory of Izalith?"

Kairi looked like she was having a whisper and nodded. "I'll tell them, Namine." She answered. "Because it was an illusion mimicking lava to where it won't hurt you unless you step in it. It's like if... you went into a memory deep in the ocean and can breath water."

Ken and Aqua looked rather enlightened, the Keyblade Master continued. "But when you and Jambert tried to fight that... things roots, it was giving off a heat that has to be like from lava if not close to it. Now about the other magic." She had a more hopeful smile. "Earth magic... Quake and Stone, that's doable. I don't use it... but I know how it is done."

Kairi asked with a little interest. "Why isn't it used often?"

Aqua shrugged. "Anyone who thinks earth magic useless because someone can jump over it is going to be poorly mistaken when the rock is hurled at them. That could still take a while to learn and it is even harder to master."

Ana gasped and asked. "But when you do, do you know what can go well with the earth magic? Metal."

The three agreed with that, Aqua asked. "Not just the magic from those realms, but things that can be found in the earth itself. It sounds pretty advance, but it would go well with it. Ken, do you think that would be a better project?"

The boy nodded confidently. "It's a lot safer than lava and we know metal heats up. Ha!"

Aqua agreed with that. "There isn't any way you would give up learning something new. Now, todays lesson is a trick you three should know in case you need it, you might have seen me, Sora and Riku do it a few times and it's handy when you can't fly as high. We'll get started at noon, okay?" The three wondered and were eager, Kairi remembered something and asked. "That's fine, Master... this has nothing to do with the lessons, but tomorrow there is something coming that you and Ven should know. At the King's town there is a-"

At San Fransokyo's Institute.

The group of nine entered the robotics lab and listened to various electronic voices giving off a eldritch chant, Fred felt a shiver. "He is having the computers invoke a ritual, spooky."

Hiro agreed with that as he noticed more machines going out of control, twitching like they were in pain. "I... think, I can stop this hack, I just need to get to my lab and boot something up."

He turned to Baymax and asked. "Baymax, I need a hand in case this goes a bit screwy." The robot agreed without hesitation. "Coming Hiro." The boy asked the rest. "Could you keep guard in case something tries coming back here?" Most nodded and kept watch as Deadpool casually answered. "You mean you want us to send these diablos packing back to hell?"

He had his guns ready as Hiro hesitated. "Y...eeees. I think things like the furies and bloodletters aren't really living and neither were most of the engines."

Riku agreed back. "Besides the obliterator and the helbrute that was having another problem with being in a living death. Hurry and shut this stuff off before it finishes."

Hiro nodded, Baymax lead the way through malfunctioning machines and chants that slowly became more understandable. "Great Chaos gods, we beseech you, tear the fabric of this reality and bring this world to ruin." In less than a minute, the two made it to a lab with an circular window, a computer screen had an image of a green glowing, black robed, cyborg like man, giving praise to his sinister patrons. "We call upon your favored champion, the First Prince, to bless the stars with his shadows once more."

Hiro wished to put an end to the maddening ritual and took out a chip to place in a socket on the computer box. "Fred wasn't joking." A small screen appeared to load something, Hiro had a confident smile and turned to Baymax. "That should stop the virus, right... around-"

The robot spoke in monotone astonishment. "Oh no. Hiro, I would suggest against looking at the screen." Hiro looked at the screen and found the odd cyborg stopped his chanting and approached the downloading screen in a frantic attempt to stop it, the screen disappeared and the cultist realized something came to undermine a plan. The teenage boy was more disturbed in a realization. "He uploaded actual people into this?"

The cultist glared at him, he showed a single, cyclops like eye and answered. "Through technology beyond space and time, our minds traversed into a simple chip and into a place far beyond your pitiful weapons. Do you hear it?"

Hiro and Baymax heard a continuous chant, the teenager confidently answered and took out a game controller. "Oh, we hear it, this was anti virus program I was working on in case we had to deal with a hacker getting into multiple computers around here... again. I call it... Digi Bot. I think I can help him deal with you."

The cultist's visor flickered and he was punched in the face by a collection of pixels that took the form of a hand sized, black, vaguely humanoid, robot with triangle like ears, legs and arms, it had a red, maniacal face and it shifted to a confident green smirk. Hiro looked half impressed and bored as he used his controller to take control and explained. "If he can boot you out, I can try out its replication protocol and send those copies to the rest of the facility. Shutting you're buddies out and stopping this. Have you ever been into a bot fight?"

The cultist appeared behind Digi Bot and showed two mechanical tendrils with a green, tube like gun at the tips and brought out a green glowing glaive, he caused the screen to flash in red 0's and 1's and swiped Digi Bot, cleaving it in two and firing disintegrating beams at the bits. Hiro pushed a button and caused Digi Bot to regenerate with black pixels and spark in red. "No, but nice tech. Those don't look like what I'd thought you use." Digi Bot's face turned maniacal and Hiro used a few button commands to have it sneak on the cultist and worm its way to the mechanical tendrils, dismantling the green glowing guns and sending the cultist in a near blind rage.

Baymax noticed a noise to his right and saw a robot similar to Digi Bot emerging under flickering lights, having a yellow smiling face that turned back wards into a red maniacal face. "Oh no!"

The cultist laughed in spite as the robot leaped at Hiro, who took a deep breath and let Baymax block the robot. "Just keep Mega Bot busy for a little longer, I just about had this wacko beaten."

The cultist looked astonished and was punched in the vizer by Digi Bot, the anti virus bots face turned into a glowing green and Hiro had it knock the glaive out of the cultists hands. Baymax reached and tried to hold Mega Bot in place, being punched, kicked and taking the punishment as he kept it distracted, Hiro pressed two buttons on the side of the controller and caused Digi Bot to shoot out a blue beam at the cultist, causing him to vanish in dark pixels. The boy took out a USB port and plugged it into the computer, he pressed a few buttons and caused the pixels to be loaded in the USB port. With one malevolent A.I gone, he pressed an input command and caused Digi Bot to flicker a blue light, the light sparked, flew and turned into multiple, smaller versions of itself that flickered away.

He relaxed and watched Mega Bot try and fail to do significant damage to Bayamax in its crazed state. "That port will store the data of those guys once the Digi Bots boot them from the system. That will get them out of Mega Bot right... about-" Mega Bot went limp. "now."

He put Mega Bot away as Baymax looked out the window to find the black and red sky becoming like the void. Hiro noticed, tapped his foot impatiently and heard chaos out of the room. "I hope this stops the worst of Skygar's plans. Just... hold on."

Simultaneously.

The group heard a chanting ring in their minds. "We call upon your favored champion, the First Prince, to bless the galaxy with his shadows once more. To extinguish the Age of Light and bring upon an Age of Chaos!"

The black and red sky quickly became a simply black, the light of the outside world drained into a pitch black void as the cult like chanting turned into a collective hymn. Black smoke creep in the room and they saw faint, red eyes in the shadows. Fred signaled Wasabi, Go Go and Honey to back up as Spiderman felt his spider senses going out of control and back flipped, Deadpool felt his common sense tingling and backed away, with Riku having his keyblade ready. The red eyes sprinted against the glass window and mechanical, blade like limbs glistened.

CRACK! SHATTER!

Glass flew and an unsightly creature emerged from the smoke, a mechanical, insect like lizard with a mechanical tail, a gun that resembles a heldrakes tongue mounted on its back and a maw that had multiple talon like mandibles and a syringe like tongue. It was ridden by a cloaked Chaos Space Marine with three mechanical tendrils, one holding onto the trigger of the gun and the others swaying, the space marine held a chain saw like spear and had it thrust forward as the steed charged at Riku, the teenager back flipped and dodged the rather long thrust. Go Go and Honey Lemon were the first to feel the presence of a fierce foe and rushed to the left as Fred and Wasabi went to the right. Peter shot a web at the ceiling and climbed high for a swing at the Chaos Lord that focused on him as Wade took his missile launcher and yelled. "Fire in the hole!"

PEW!

A missile shot at Skygar, he reared a harness and had his steed rear up to take the missile shot, its hide distorted against reality and ignored the damage, Spiderman swung down and was swatted back by a snake like tendril.

He looked at the other four teenagers and adjusted his baleflamer towards the two looking less prepared, Fred and Wasabi. Fred shot a flamethrower to distract the Chaos Lord as Wasabi made a sprint to the helstakers rear, tricking the Chaos Lord into fire upon the teenager in the kaiju costume.

WOOSH! PEW! TINK!

The Chaos Lord was hit in the back of the head with a yellow disk and a blue orb was flung in front of the flamethrower, bursting into a dampening mist that lessened the fire, the Chaos Lord noticed that Fred wasn't harmed in the slightest. The helstalker swiped its tail at Wasabi as Wade noticed exhaust pipes at the machines rear, giggling like an immature child and going for another plan. Riku sprinted at the Chaos Lord and struck a couple times, Skygar snapped his free tendril at him and had his spear like tendril lunge at him. Riku dodged that and watched the Chaos Lord swing his glaive side ways, he cringed and blocked with his keyblade.

WOOSH!

He was sent flying off, the Chaos Lord laughed, entertained by the attempt. "This was your attempt to thwart my seven part plan? Noble, yet pointless."

Spiderman climbed up the wall for a nimble strike. "Seven, is this when you tell us everything, thinking you'll kill us afterwards?"

The Chaos Lord shook his head. "No." Spiderman flung himself for a kick at the helstalkers head, disorienting it and letting Peter jump on to fight the marine in close combat, the Chaos Lord answered. "I plan to slaughter you all when you listen to the final step. Step 1. Prepare the ritual to open the dark rift before arriving upon this planet."

He coiled his tendrils around Peter's legs and counted the next step. "Step 2. Have my remaining forces sow terror, discord, destruction and agony through out the city if to power the ritual."

Peter jumped to dodge and Skygar leaned back to dodge another yellow disk, he looked at Go Go and Honey Lemon, who had an expression of horrific realization. Go Go cursed. "Damn it, that's what the cars were for?! How were you able to do that?"

Riku cringed and guessed as he jumped high. "By... torturing their machine spirits?!"

Skygar aimed his baleflamer upward at Riku and taunted. "You fools were so concerned about sparing the flesh bags from this massacre that you never considered the concept. Oh how you regret that now."

WOOSH! Warpfire shot out, Riku disappeared and reappeared to Skygar's right, sucker punching him and trying to avoid the helstalkers claws as Skygar spoke. "Step 3: Install my minions upon a place of significant technology and have them inact the final rites. Even if you destroy one computer, you will not be able to disable them all." He felt the chime dim and chanted. "First Prince of Chaos, you're time is nigh. Bring glory to the Dark gods."

The group felt a rippling and the Chaos Lord finished. "Step 3.5: Finish that, should someone manage to dispatch the minions." Riku felt the title familiar and had a vision of a large black daemon with a sword of shadows, he jumped back as the helstalker felt a burning pain at its tail.

SLASH!

Wasabi cut its tail off and caused the fiend to howl, Honey Lemon tossed a blue orb that covered the two in adhesive goop, Skygar looked annoyed and used his free tendril to blow heated air at the goop, causing it to go brittle as Deadpool took his chance and jumped on the Helstalkers rear, taking out five grenades and giggling. "Yeah Octavius, did you really built this thing with exhausts on its butt?"

Skygar's spear like tendril impaled Wade through the chest as his answer, Deadpool coughed blood and shoved the grenades deep in the exhausts, giving the onlookers a mental implication they didn't need to imagine. BOOM!

The engine burst and the helstalker fell over in agony as Spider Man took his chance and kicked Skygar off his steed and unfortunately, out of the brittle goop. Fred breathed fire at the helstalkers face and gave the super heroes a thumbs up.

Thud!

Something landed on the roof, Riku looked up and saw a Heldrake that broke apart the glass ceiling and shot fire at him, the teenager dodged the soul burning fire as Skygar shook his head and readied for combat on foot. "Step 4: Have my brother, Argrim, come in case you fools render Komnak as good as dead."

He used his two clamping tendrils to yank the baleflamer off of the helstalker that gave a final hiss at him, he tossed Deadpool at Go Go and Honey Lemon. Skygar and the heldrake shot balefire at Peter and Riku, the two were in a frantic struggle to avoid certain death and watched the lab catch fire.

WOOSH! PUNCH! Skygar was punched in the stomach by a fast moving Baymax that had an irritated Hiro on his back. The Chaos Lord was pushed back and landed on his feet to skid.

POOF!

Two balls of dampening mists covered the Chaos Lord's baleflamer and rendered it less that optimal, Wasabi went after him with his plasma blades and tried to cut at the tendrils, the Chaos Lord jumped to the right and used the baleflamer as a throwing shield as the heldrake looked down at Honey Lemon and finding Go Go trying to move a limp Deadpool out of danger. It glowed its mouth for another breath of fire as a web circled around it and forced it closed, Skygar felt a presence near and sprinted to the dead helstalker, Fred attempted to stop him with a wall of fire and watched the Chaos Lord push through the flame. Baymax rushed after the Chaos Lord that used his chain saw spear to force him into taking caution, Skygar spoke of his next step. "Step 5: Improvise and delay you long enough for my patron to arrive and engulf this planet in the Warp."

Riku pressed his left hand on his chest and felt something coming as Skygar used his mechatendrils to carefully extract a large, dripping syringe from the helstalkers maw. PEW!

In a glow of twilight, a giant spider appeared and rushed after the Chaos Lord, Baymax stepped back as Hiro noticed Deadpool sitting up to ready a missile launcher at the Heldrake rubbing its webbed maw against broken glass. The boy felt a spark of brilliance and ordered. "Baymax, you see the glass under that drakes torso?"

The robot looked at what Deadpool was trying to do. "If it is removed, he could have a more accurate shot." The merc responded with a grunted, rather serious tone. "That's...ha! The idea!"

The heldrake listened to that and blew its jet engines to try and take flight. PEW! Peter shot more web at the drakes wings as Honey Lemon tossed as many adhesive containing chem balls as she could at the drakes talons, trapping it in a prison and causing it to thrash in a panic. Skygar used his glaive to slash at the spiders head and kicked it back as Baymax aimed his fists at the glass under the heldrakes chest. PEW! The fists shot out and punched the glass, cracking it open as Skygar took his chance and hurled the syringe at Baymax, Hiro didn't want to know what the liquid content was and used his gloves to cause the syringe to fly off course and onto a wall.

Something in his subconscious felt relieved the needle didn't make its mark as Skygar gave credit where it was due. "If you known what that would have done to your little machine, you would have tried that sooner."

He grabbed Baymax with his mecha tendrils and tossed the duo aside as Riku fired a barrage of oddly, moon light glowing fire balls, Skygar jumped back and made a frantic rush to Deadpool, spear first. "As for you. Would you just die already?!"

Wade had a better plan and aimed as his cheerful voice became rather menacing, like one would expect from a hardened mercenary. "Step 6: Blow your freak show in the chest."

WOOSH!

He fired the missile and nimbly jumped out of the way of the spear, Skygar cringed as his visors gave a flashing yellow flicker. BOOM!

The heldrake gave a muffled shriek of pain as the hull on its under side had a hole blown open. Go Go looked up and gasped in shock, seeing a vaguely humanoid body with in the engines chest, curled up in something like a fetal position and surrounded by flesh like wires, the rest looked up and saw the rather shocking reveal, Riku sensed a burning hatred gazed upon him and the band of heroes as Skygar looked up and twitched.

Distracted long enough for the summoned spider to rush at him and bite deep into him, thrashing him around and flinging him to the center, the spider disappeared as Peter readied to tie the villain up. "You're Chaos is over Skygar, just... give it up."

The Chaos Lord kept his ground and was hellbent on making a last stand. "We...we'll never surrender, we will not stop until the heart of this galaxy belongs to the Dark gods!"

Ooze dripped from parts of his armor as the wires of the heldrake descended down in a rapid speed to take in the Chaos Lord, Fred knew what was happening and backed away. "Oh no. This is when he merges with the monster and tries one last ditch effort to kill us, this is... pretty terrifying."

The Chaos Lord was grabbed by the tendrils and he gave a spiteful laugh as the sound of distorted whispers filled the room. "Step 7: Ascende and embrace eternity!" He laughed in triumph as reality was coming undone, Riku felt he was in a corner as his heart and keyblade gave a glow of morning light, something called to him and he looked up at the Heldrake blocking the ceiling, he aimed upward in an odd calming and focused as the Chaos Lord reached the top and realized something was happening. Looking on in horror as the Heldrake's head and pilot looked down, the engine and Chaos Lord saw flickers of light shine from above, the drake lifted its head and saw a keyhole of morning light pierce the darkness.

It thrashed against its bindings and the Chaos Lord twitch and broke into a more crazed laughter, bellowing a fanatical prayer in a series of 0's and 1's as the tendrils surrounded his body. The band of Big Hero 6 noticed something in their chest giving off a glow of light and a determined feeling to protect the world filled their minds, Peter noticed his own glow and noticed the collective glow going to the tip of Riku's keyblade. Deadpool looked to be the only one left out and took out a bag of potato chips from somewhere and wanted to watch, giving an unhinged laughter. "Oh, ho, ho, ho! Light these assholes up fellas."

Riku felt that bit of encouragement and fired a beam of morning light at the Chaos Lord and the heldrakes core, sending the engine flying high in the sky as their bodies tried to block the beam, the drake burned from the inside out and made one last effort to shoot down its own fire, ripping the web off and inhaled, its maw glowed in the odd light and it gave a hellish shriek as it burst into countless pieces, the beam reached the keyhole and caused a ripple, resonating with the world being shrouded in chaotic darkness. Flicker! Flicker! WOOSH!

Something in the institute caused a pulse of light that washed over the earth as the keyhole in the sky gave its own pulse, dispelling the chaos and causing the helstaker corpse to burn away into simple scrap metal. Riku had a guess what that light was as Hiro asked confused. "What...what did you do?"

The silver haired teenager tapped his forehead and asked. "Something very important to this city is using the boost of light we gave to push back this darkness."

HOWL!

A nightmarish howl ring in the groups ears and faded away, Riku continued. "And Skygar's master along with it. I don't think this will be the end of this cities problems, but I think we did it, we stopped the Black Legion."

PULSE!

Another combined pulse of light washed over the world and seemingly brought the light of day back, there was still monumental amounts of destruction, yet the chaotic panic was repelled. Riku checked his phone for the time and smiled. "They won't know a thing." The band of heroes felt the calming and wanted to sit down, yet there was a few things that needed to be resolved.


	48. Lifting a Curse

At Radiant Garden, a waking up Sora was looking high and low for someone as Goofy and Donald found a occurrence to be most suspicious. The teenage boy yelled to the waking town. "Riku?! Where did you go?" There was no response save for confused bystanders, Sora cursed his luck. "How come I always oversleep in a time like this?"

Donald looked up at the building Sora was standing on and answered. "I don't know." Goofy chuckled. "Well we're still pretty early. You think he was up to something yesterday?"

Sora and Donald noticed a light bulb shine in a lamp post, the duck answered. "Merlin ought to know." The boy agreed with that and jumped over the other side of the building, Donald and Goofy yelped in shock and followed around, finding Sora running towards where Merlin's house is and catching up to the opened door. Donald grumbled, folded his arms and tapped his foot as Sora smiled nervously in an apology. The trio entered and found Merlin minding his own business and looking at a portrait of a gorgeous town and a similar portrait of a town in ruin, the wizard turned around like he was expecting the trio and greeted them jolly. "Good morning gentlemen."

Goofy greeted back. "Mornin Merlin, what are you doing?"

The wizard answered with a pondering thought. "This is but another piece of our restoration project for this world that we need to unlock one day. What brings you here?"

Sora folded his arms and had his hands behind his head as he asked. "You and Riku talked about something and he disappeared. Was... he up to something?"

Merlin tapped his forehead and remembered with astonishment. "Oh goodness! Yes he was and I was to tell you for when you come. Sora, you know the threat of Chaos is not something to take lightly, it has taken a toll upon you and fighting a Chaos Space Marine again would have opened old wounds. That was why Riku took it upon himself to search for this villain and stop his plans."

Sora jolted more awake in worry as Donald agreed with the wizard. "What ever Skygar is up to would be a disaster for all of us." Bleep! Bleep! Sora heard a text from his gummi phone and looked both relieved and annoyed, it was from Riku, asking something that caused Sora to puff his cheeks. "Did you finally wake up and ask Merlin?"

He texted back. "Ha, ha, did you go off to take care of Skygar before he causes more trouble?" He waited for a couple seconds and was given a text back. "Just did it with the help of some new friends you need to meet one day, and a mercenary with an inflated ego. Bryn is helping us gather some blocks and was keeping her own watch, you're going to knock me silly for this?"

Sora contemplated it, shook his head and texted back. "No, but we need to hurry before it gets late. Did you find something important?"

He showed the text to Merlin, Donald and Goofy, letting them know all was well. Riku texted. "Nothing... that urgent, but there were two people that shouldn't be in this world that helped out. One was a wannabe world traveler, the other tried to stop him. I'll meet you at the satellites and be back to work soon. I need to tell the others what I saw."

Sora counted on that and texted. "Okay, glad that you and that world is safe now." He had a more relaxed smile as Merlin asked. "What ever Riku has done, has lifted a great burden from you three?"

Sora nodded. "He tried to leave us out of it and scared us once we found out, but maybe that was for the best." He looked forward to a pleasant day as Merlin routed for him. "Ata boy. Now, don't we have something to see finished?" The trio nodded and Donald lead the way out to answer. "We got to get the blocks for the realm gate, thank you for telling us."

At the gates of the institute.

Hiro asked Riku with a bit of disappointment. "You have to go right now?"

The keybearer nodded and gave Hiro his viser. "For now, but this-" He pointed to a city that had a nasty assault. "can't just be fixed in a single day."

Hiro agreed with that as Baymax looked concerned for Deadpool's condition. "Alright, I'll have the data the AR recorded stored and... we can try shugyo again. Ha." Go Go and Spiderman looked at each other and started looking at the dangerous member of the group, scratching himself unaware, the teenage girl had another thing to be concerned about. "Now we need to know just where Spiderman and Deadpool came from so we can get them back home."

Deadpool flinched. "Huuuuh?!" Wasabi agreed with that and knew Deadpool was a main catalyst for more unusual events in the city. "I don't think Spiderman would mind us helping each other, but Wade's the reason the two of them are in this mess in the first place."

Honey Lemon nodded and asked Deadpool. "We... kind of need to take you into custody, you're not the kind of person we should let loose."

Baymax flickered an image of a body filled with tumors. "Wade Wilson, you are unwell, my scanners detected, multiple, cancerous tumors and further abnormalities from your healing factor."

Deadpool backed away as Fred warned his friends. "This is a bad idea, you can't keep a man this wild in one place for long." The mercenary agreed with him. "Hey, a man as loco as me got to eat. Come on, we stopped that freak show, worlds all sun shine, all's good and happy... right?"

Spiderman wished that was the case. "Yeah and we probably wouldn't have gotten that far with out you. But... you're a mercenary, as long as you get paid enough... you'll be back to killing people and in a time like this... we can't have that. We need to find Wolverine, set things right and go home."

Deadpool clenched his fists and pouted like a child. "And I thought we had something special," He posed over dramatically. "I lost my heart over you guys and-" He flinched and pointed over the yonder. "Oh my God, more Darkness!"

Riku gasped and turned around, the rest of the group turned to look, seeing only shadows of buildings and broken cars, it was definitely darkness, but not the kind they expected. They realized they been had and turned to find Deadpool scuttling away like a crab and making an odd noise, getting far away to where he tossed a box with the image of a virtual moogle and yelled. "Get me back to the shed Kupo." He spun elegantly and weirded out the group, laughing completely unhinged. "This isn't the last you'll read of me! Ha, ha, ha, ha!"

Blink!

Both Deadpool and the box vanished, the group of Big Hero 6 was completely dumbfounded as Peter took a deep breath and put his right hand over his face. "Damn it Wade." Baymax readied to download something as Hiro advised to his robot. "No, we'll get him eventually."

Riku hoped so and promised. "I don't think he's planning to get far and I think you guys got enough data from me and Spiderman to get by with the heartless, I'll be back with some friends so you can shugyo proper." Hiro counted on it, he and Bayamx offered a fist bump goodbye, Riku took the offer and fist bump with them, Hiro raised the fist he used up in the air with dorky style, Baymax raised his up and wiggled his fingers, giving off a mono tone. "la, la, la, la!"

Riku found it silly and gave a more mellow goodbye to the rest of the group, asking Spiderman. "Do you mind... coming with me until I can get out of here? I want to talk."

Peter didn't mind and promised the group. "If you need me, I'll be a web swing away." The two gotten far away, Riku asked Peter. "That door didn't take you and Wade to another city, it took you two and Wolverine into another world. By the sound of it, Wade tricked Logan into a whole different world... knowing he would try to ruin his idea of fun."

Spiderman sighed and looked homesick. "And until we find that door back or know how to get back, we're stuck? Just great." Riku guessed by the tone. "You have a lot of responsibilities in your own world and it sounds like you're not the only super hero there."

Peter shook his head. "No, I'm... just your friendly neighborhood Spiderman." Riku felt sympathy and promised him. "When me and my friends get the time, we'll help you get back home and we'll try to get Wade to understand that he doesn't belong here. If not, he'll be dragged back." Peter nearly laughed. "Ha, good luck with him." He promised back. "I know the Heartless are a pretty big deal and until those kids learn how to take them on, they could use a hand. I'll make sure they and the city stay safe until you get back."

Riku took a deep breath and showed Spiderman his keyblade. "It isn't because they can't fight, but because this is the only way they can take down a Heartless for good. As long as there is someone in this city succumbing to the Darkness, the Heartless will just keep coming. I think with Skygar gone, the Heartless will ease up for a couple of days."

Spiderman felt a little upbeat and saw a high tower to watch on. "Something tells me that someone doesn't have to use the Darkness to get their attention, but it's nothing I can't handle." He readied to shoot web and gave Riku a gesture of goodbye. "Later!" Peter swung high and left Riku to go into an alley way and let light flicker, taking him into a gummi ship that seemed to be shaking from terror.

Riku agreed with his ship. "Things escalated from zero to...Code Doom, in the span of minutes. Let's get back to the satellites before Sora comes around."

The ship turned and flew under order, going to the collection of satellites and finding Brynhildr and a certain gummi ship shooting a fleet of heartless ships and collecting various blocks. Brynhildr flashed a yellow light and turned to the coming gummi ship, she shinned green and a Riku's screen lit up, showing a pouty Sora asking like a typical child. "You went off to do this without us? Bryn was getting blocks all by herself."

Riku tried to answer in a mature tone. "Sora, the stuff with Skygar was escalating and I'm more glad you didn't come." He pressed a button and asked the pilotless ship. "Bryn, how much did you get?"

A second screen shined with a percentage of blocks needed, one reached to 100% while others were half way there. Goofy joined the conversation as Sora was thinking about something. "She was busy, I think we can finish this in another hour."

Sora agreed with that and asked with a rivals smile. "You want to see who won't finish these off first?" Riku gave that smile back. "You're on!"

At a canyon in the Land of Departure.

Kairi, Ana and Ken were lead to a dead end that had a ledge above jumping distance, which lead to another ledge that was even higher and to another ledge higher than that. Kairi asked as Aqua looked ready to jump. "Master Aqua, what are we doing?"

The teacher answered by rushing to the wall, jumped on it with her feet and running up over the ledge, flipping her handing and turning around. "We're free running, you three have seen this done before, but I think it's time you learn how to do it yourselves."

Ana looked confused and asked. "Lady Aqua, with all due respect, not many of us need this. Kairi can double jump a great distance, Kendry has his air magic and I have wings."

Aqua asked back with a lecture like tone. "But those have limits and can only get you so far until you end up in a place where none of those can help you." Ken remembered one incident and agreed. "We were going up against a tall wall this one time and my air magic almost reached a limit."

Kairi cringed and imagined the peril. "If it were any higher, you have been falling all the way back down. Ana, someone might think the obvious with your wings and try to stop those from working. What will happen to you then?"

The Stormcast knew she was in bulky armor, had her glowing wings power down and have them fold down her back. "I won't be nearly as nimble as the lot of you." She looked up and asked. "How are suppose to do this?" Aqua was glad Ana asked. "You need to focus on why you are running up the wall, this is a flowmotion and they all require some kind of want."

The Stormcast had one in mind. "How about I come up there and tell ya why this is still silly." Aqua had a smirk taunting her friend and readied to run to the wall behind her. "Who said the lesson was about running over this wall?"

She made her run and Ana realized what the real challenge was, she and the teenagers watched Aqua run up against the taller wall, Kairi answered as her teacher reached to the top of the second wall. "No one," She squinted her eyes at the wall behind Aqua, leading out of the canyon. "The lesson is about running over that one."

Ken whistled at the length. "The other two are just there to get us ready and when she figures out we are coming for her, she is going to run up that one. So... which one of us is going to try it first?"

Ana answered with a bold rush. "I'm gonna overcome this one no matter how many times I fall. I climbed the Summit of Gravities Bane, I can do this." She jumped and placed her feet on the wall, running two steps and falling down on her back. The boy of the group felt the mental image of a red x and a harsh buzz as he readied for his turn. "I think it is the foot work. Maybe if-" He made a more nimble dash and kicked himself up the wall, taking four steps and falling."

Kairi had a mental image of two red x's and felt her mind buzzing, she shook her head and gasped. "No... it wasn't about getting a head jump," She rushed to the wall and pressed her feet against it and treated it like she was running a steep turn, she nearly lost her balance and caught herself against the ledge, she pulled herself up and realized someone bellow watched that. Tap! Tap! Ken ran up and landed, looking dizzy in the head, Kairi slowly got up and panted. "This... this is harder than we thought."

Ken agreed with that and asked. "You ever had to make a sharp turn? It's like that except your making a turn... up." He turned back and shouted to Ana trying again. "Just act like you're running like normal."

Kairi whipped sweat off her forehead and looked up to find Aqua giving her and Ken a thumbs up, the Princess was ready to take the challenge as the ground rumbled, LEAP!

THUD!

Ana ran up the ledge bellow her comrades and flipped, jumping far and landing ahead of them. The Stormcast noticed Aqua running up the higher wall and puffed her cheeks. "Grr! She's enjoying this." She gave a rallying question. "Are we going to let her taunt us?"

Kairi sparked in determination and answered. "No, we will not!" She sprinted to the higher wall, more focused than before, running up with little to no hindrances, she made the jump on top and heard two more following behind her. Ken reached her and looked back down with a sweat, he turned to Kairi and looked nervous as Ana reached the top and didn't stop on her charge to the third and final wall. The teenagers noticed Aqua reaching the top and Ana running up, Kairi advised to Ken. "What ever you do, don't ever look back down."

The rival agreed and felt his blood circulating. "No distractions are going to cloud us. Come on!" The two rushed to the wall and ran up, ignoring how high they have to reach.

In a few moments, Ana reached the top first and met a giggling Aqua that readied to say congratulations, Kairi and Ken followed the Stormcasts and were greeted with. "Well done, why is it that every time I see you three debate it feels... right."

Kairi had her hands at her hips and wondered. "Why is that?" Ken shrugged as Ana answered. "Because we are working together to learn and do the impossible." The Stormcast squinted her eyes at Aqua and gave a confident smile. "Someone had to give us a reason to meld the ideas together and that unites your hearts."

Aqua smiled back as Kairi realized. "We...can free run now?" Aqua nodded and hummed. "You can and traveling is just one use of flowmotion. You all need to be nimble if you are to attack the enemy and avoid getting hit back ten times harder in return. That is the next lesson when we have the time to do it."

Ken asked more curious. "Or when Merlin gets here and helps set that... thing up so we can fight those kinds of enemies better. With the heartless, there is a ton of them, but they are pretty easy to handle because we are on the move, but when we fight something faster and smarter, that's when this comes in handy."

PHEEEEEEEW! The four heard a distant sound of a horn and knew someone arrived, Aqua answered her student. "When he has the time, until the Realmgate is set up, we're having to put that on hold. With what is going on, we can only do so much at once."

Ken agreed with that as Ana reactivated her wings and thanked Aqua. "And if we can learn that motion, we would learn many more. I'll see what Wanda caught in her eye, it's important if she blows the horn."

The ground walkers let the Stormcast fly off Kairi asked her teacher and her fellow student. "That... combination I was thinking about is mixing light with cura, something that will heal you and stop those trying to hurt us. Should I try it?"

Aqua answered without hesitation. "That's... an interesting combination, but it sounds like it will work."

Ken agreed with that. "Light, life. Light gives the plants life, which gives us life." Aqua agreed back and encouraged Kairi. "It's a rare element, but go for it. We need to combine what we learn in sync and I think we can try that while we wait." She took a deep breath and asked Kendry. "Do you know how to make earth magic work?"

The boy nodded to that. "Focus your mind on the ground and with that, have the world help you."

Aqua corrected him. "It's more that you draw fragments of the world to your will. But you're close, depending on where you are, it's a boon that is yours to take."

Kairi imagined where it would help. "Like down in that canyon, I wouldn't want to have rocks falling on me while dealing with something else."

Ken pouted. "Oh come on, if you turn a jungle into a light show, no evil thing is going to leave in one piece." He looked a little intimidated as Aqua wanted the potential argument to stop. "We'll talk more about that after we finish with the morning. Let's get back to the castle."

At the Castle.

Sora, Goofy, Donald and Riku watched Chip and Dale count for every gummi block as Wanda watched Stitch tear apart a make shift obstacle course. "By Sigmar, what could be driving such destructive instincts?" Sora answered interested. "I don't know, but I think Ven and Aqua might know where this came from."

Riku noticed Bryn and the silver gummi ship watching the chipmunks cross off the list and shrugged. "That's not really important now, Bryn was busy."

Chip crossed one more thing off the list, letting Dale share the news. "Lookee here, that's the last gummi block we need to get started." He and Chip gave a unified. "Thanks guys." The four traveling fighters looked at Brynhildr with gratitude, Goofy waved. "Thanks Bryn." The gummi ship gave a bright pink glow and caused the other to give a serious sounding beep, Donald noticed a drowsy teenager exiting the castle, Ventus was rubbing his eyes and asked with a yawn as he noticed the collection of gummi blocks. "Wha...haaa. What time is it?" Donald answered with his arms folded. "It's still morning, you're getting better." Sora greeted Ven. "Good morning, how did you sleep?" The boy tried recalling. "I... had a weird dream about an armored wizard and odd... things."

He tapped his head and noticed Ana landing, he smiled at the convenience and saw the Stormcast being half impressed by the haul. "Wow, is this all the blocks we need?" Chip nodded as Dale took a schematic out of the silver gummi ship and Wanda following with tools. "Yep, now we need to get started."

Riku explained. "It is a little complicated, but after yesterday, I went to take care of something on my own and Bryn helped me out with that something and more. This is much more thought and consideration than an A.I should have any right to feel, but then I found another machine that isn't much different. Maybe they were on to something about what a machine spirit even is. Ven, can you make out what those things were?"

Ven tapped his head and raised a finger to three. "One... was a disk with odd symbols... carrying the wizard as he summoned cogs. Then a smaller wizard summoned dragon flies to bring dead soldiers back to life."

Ana cringed and sighed. "That must have came from all the talk about the kinds of magic out in the realms. Those are some Endless Spells Arreia told me about. A Dais Arcanum, Chronomatic Cogs and an Emerald Lifeswarm. Those wizards must have been a Lord Arcanum and a Battle mage from Ghyran. Lad, we need to get them out of our head before this turns into an obsession. The Endless Spells are very dangerous."

Ven agreed with that as a Gryphon flew from the land bellow with three people riding on top; Aqua, Kairi and Ken. Stalwing landed and gave a mighty squawk, letting Aqua get off with her students looking at the blocks and getting off themselves. The three waved Ven a good morning as Riku took a deep breath. "We found enough, but while trying to clean up a mess, I found out that someone out there got struck in a world and I want to talk about that before we forget." Sora asked. "Finally, it's going to be a while before the King comes here to check how we are doing, what did you find?"

In the Castle That Never Was.

The Replica hid in the shadows with Shadey and slithered into a cell that had two, large, chained, dark creatures keeping guard and watching an unexpected battle, a knight in battered, burnt armor and a katana stood his ground against an annoyed Vanitas. The fiend snarled. "You'd think you can actually fight back and get out of here? You're nothing but a cursed, hopeless sack of rotten meat."

The knight growled and used a chime to give his katana a glow of golden, electrical light, he switched to his staff of bone, Vanitas looked even more irritated and shot a dark fire ball, the knight raised his staff and waved it, distorting the space around himself, the fire ball made impact and deflected it back to the fiend. PEW!

Vanitas stilled, the fire ball went through him, the knight looked up to find Vanitas readying a slam down, the knight rolled to the left, dodge the attack and ice pulse and slashed back at him with the glowing katana, a jolt of electrical light coursed through Vanitas and left him stunned. The knight slashed again, and again, he rolled back and avoided a counter slash, the knight took out a chime and kneeled, waving it around and causing a dark ring to form around him, pushing Vanitas to the limit of his patience.

WOOSH!

A pillar of dark energy erupted and knocked him off his feet, the knight cursed with a raspy tone and kept his katana glowing with light, approaching Vanitas and was ready for the killing blow. "Go...back...to the Abyss, Child of the Dark."

Vanitas listened and laughed at him. SWOOSH!

A collection of purple chains shot from the shadows surrounding the knight and snarred him in place, forcing him on his knees, the knight gave off a pulse of force, causing the chains to ripple and tighten even more, the fiend slowly walked up and approached, his free hand clenching and causing a chain around the hand holding onto the chime. "The Abyss? Where did you think we pulled your carcass from?"

The knight felt a burning pressure and refused to let go, the pain becoming worse, the knight looked up at Vanitas with a determined, yet hateful glare. The fiend looked at the chime and asked. "Where did you get that piece of junk in the first place?"

The knight refused to answer and held onto the Chime of His Wants. SLASH! A spinning blade shot from the shadows and carved into his hand, then another. The Replica kept Shadey firmly in place with a mental command. "No, I think we seen enough. We need a plan or we won't be able to help this guy." Shadey obeyed, took a piece of itself out and dragged the Replica out of the prison ward, they heard a faint sound of a crack from behind and felt grim in the heart.

Going back to the lounge and finding Xion in her black coat. She had a sparing match with Ztardon and pushing him back with a keyblade glowing in sunlight. The two sneak into the grey room and Xion noticed, she pouted and gave a respectful nod to Ztardon. "My brother is back, thanks for the practice."

The Tzaangor gave a nod of respect back and turned to leave. "You need more experience, yet the boon holds potential. Master would be most pleased." Xion hoped so and let the golden light fade from her keyblade, she went into the room and closed the door behind her, finding the Replica feeling helpless and a Shadey missing a left arm, she gasped and asked her brother in a black coat. "What happened?"

The Replica realized a misunderstanding happened and answered. "Oh, nothing that happened to Shadey, he did that as part of an... experiment of mine, since he is pretty... odd, I wanted to see if he was able to make a short cut straight into the prison hold. He thought he might pull something when we use a corridor to get back. You're right about how that knight is being treated, it's... hard to watch. What's worse is what ever you did for the knight, gave him that hope to fight back, while I don't doubt Shadey would handle those guards, Vanitas would recognize me and I think he would recognize our... aid. Did you find another coat?"

Xion nodded and went to a drawer. "Ahriman had a spare that he was studying, he probably wanted to know how a black coat protects someone from the darkness."

She took out a black coat and asked. "If we pull this off, we need to find another place to go. We won't be safe staying anymore." The Replica agreed and asked. "What gave it away? The fact Ahriman can't keep protecting us, his minions and himself from the kind of people here?" Xion nodded. "And maybe because he is wanting us to break free from him. We need to learn why, because that sounds too good to be true." The Replica shrugged and was ready to open a corridor. "And it actually is true, but it is all part of that plan of his. It's way too confusing and uncomfortable, but if we do this, we are giving him that wish he wanted." He asked his sister. "Once we go past the corridor, there is no coming back here. We get the kid to come help us, we get out with the knight and never look back. If there is anything you want to take with you, now is a good time."

Xion looked at the books and asked. "I don't have anything here, but what about you? These are your books." The Replica nearly laughed and open the corridor. "No, they were all stolen by Ahriman's goons. Even if they were a good selection, if I brought them with me, I'll get into trouble when I go to Twilight Town. We're ready?"

Xion nodded and took a bag as Shadey disappeared into her shadow, she gave a confident, charming smile. "Lead the way."

The Replica did so, all the way to Twilight Town, on arriving, he asked his adopted sister. "Now lets blend in and wait, he'll have to show up soon." Xion agreed and took her coat off. "Why would you think he will be here today?"

The Replica readied to take his coat off. "It's just that, he sticks with usual places and this is one of them. If he asks, we are telling him that we found the knight in big trouble near our apartment, we followed the knight and found him in a cell getting abused. We need to keep this half truth alive until we can make it more believable." Xion sighed and readied her keyblade like one would a great sword, the blade being over her shoulder. "He does and that's kind of what happened, it's why we had to get out of there." She stared at the world out of the shadows, looking more stoic. "Please have a reason to come."

At the Land of Departure, by the front of the castle.

Sora asked Riku in confusion. "So there are three more people out there? What is Deadpool up to?" Riku wagged a finger and warned him. "Don't ever ask that, the guy's insane. But with how he and Spiderman are, the world they came from isn't too different from what the three of us saved." He asked Sora and Kairi. "Big Hero 6 needs to know how to battle Heartless and once we have the chance, we should go back and finish what was started. They aren't going to keep things under control forever and if this First Prince of Chaos is who we remember, they need all the help they can get."

Sora agreed with that. "If that Daemon was responsible for it, we need to get to that soon." Kairi agreed as well. "If not, trouble like Skygar will happen again." Goofy and Donald noticed Mickey arriving and looking at a construction in aw, the two stood firm and addressed him. "You're majesty!"

Sora gasped and stood firm, despite Riku insisting it wasn't necessary, the silver haired teenager greeted him. "We're finished on our end, Mickey. Now what?"

The mouse showed the Star Piece and answered. "Nothing right now. Once the Realmgate is built, we need to talk about who is going over there. Nice job getting what we needed."

Bryn beeped a your welcome as Wanda asked Ana. "So construction is underway, shall we divide who gets what duty?"

The Stormcast nodded and self volunteered. "Wanda and I will make sure this goes uninterrupted from the construction, all the way to when we get the thing activated." Mickey volunteered. "I'll stay here until this is finished." Aqua appreciated that. "And I know what I need to do."

Goofy raised his hand. "Donald and I will help Wanda and Ana keep an eye out." Donald sighed and agreed. "You can count on us."

With guard duty assigned, Wanda took a look at the teenagers and counted. "Three from the islands, one from the town and the sleeping-" She squinted her eyes and counted a bored Stitch. "Sora, Riku, Kairi... you're better off out there for the next couple days than cooped up here."

She pointed at Riku. "If it wasn't for one of ya, a whole world would have been swallowed up by the Forces of Chaos and I bet that they would try something when they know most of us are ere." The trio from the islands heard the order and gave a firm salute the general ordered Ken. "Kendry, you are to make sure our allies get themselves in line. As ridiculous as this Burn Off is."

The boy with the mechanical arm nodded as Wanda looked to Aqua, with one more to be ordered, the Keyblade Master agreed and asked Ventus. "Ven, it's been two days and you need a change in scenery. I think your a day away from recovering and getting back to a schedule, think you can manage that?"

The boy that sleeps a lot nodded firmly. "I think I can. But... where first?"

Sora had a dorky smile for him. "Well... how about we go see this Burn Off? It sounds like it's going to get fun."

Ken flustered from flattery as Kairi warned the boys. "If one sided. The whole point is showing off who can burn the brightest and for the longest. Sora, Riku, Ven... there is something I want to talk about since we will be close to where the amusement park is, once the Burn Off is done... we can go check it out for ourselves."

Sora and Riku had a spark of interest as Ken readied to leave. "I'll go ahead, tomorrow is going to be pretty fun." Kairi agreed with that. "And we will still be ready early."

Aqua knew of the amusement park and wished the group the best of luck. "Go get those passes early before something happens, it would stink if none of us get a break from this."

Ven rubbed his right arm and agreed. "It... would." He picked up Stitch and asked. "We should get going, we got half a day left." He laughed nervously and Sora offered to drive. "A lot changed since you were sleeping, try not to get too weirded out."

At Twilight Town's beach.

Isa tried once more to ask an over confident man that had red spikey hair. "Lea, this could still be avoided if you take some heed to what we are trying to say. The worlds are one moment away from falling into Chaos if any of these lunatics are allowed the chance, we need everyone."

Lea blew at the air and folded his arms. "And I got the feeling that wouldn't get us anywhere but a city of head aches." Isa stared and wanted to say something, disregarded it and asked. "Have that feeling memorized, like it or not, you need to stop pretending you don't remember."

Lea sparked a frustrating feeling. "I told, you, I don't remember." Isa didn't even bother laughing. "That's what we all said to ourselves, but one of us didn't have that luxury. Why is it that you avoid Laurim and Elrena like you do? If you truly don't know them... there isn't any logical reason for you to do that. If you do, then you would know why you three would never get along."

He noticed a blonde boy out of a brown jacket and revealing a purple, sleeveless shirt, complimented by a right arm replaced with a prosthetic and gave a small smile. "But if you won't take this seriously, maybe you need a reminder that things don't revolve around us. Regardless if he can back up his bravado." The boy heard that and gave a firm stare like he heard a gun fire. "I wouldn't be bragging if I couldn't do it."

Lea looked at the boy like he was doing something ridiculous and shrugged. "Oh really? Someone's already fired up." He introduced himself. "Names Lea, commit it to memory kid."

The boy did so and drew out two keyblades, the one on the metallic hand looked more like a gun, the one on the fleshy hand was of burning metal, igniting brightly, he introduced himself. "I will, names Ken." He asked the burning keyblade. "I'm going to use you as a marker, if you don't calm down, people are going to think I cheated."

The burning keyblade's fire dimmed down, the boy placed it firmly in the sands and walked far away, Isa understood exactly what the boy meant. "That... would have lead to a misunderstanding and Dorlu wouldn't let you hear the end of it." He discussed the rules as he noticed various people coming to watch. "This Burn Off is simple enough, use your best fire moves and see which one burns brightest, we have people watching, so have some restraint."

He walked off and attempted to keep the audience at a safe distance, Lea hummed to that. "They are taking this way too seriously." He nearly laughed. "This is going to be one-" Ken stopped him and nearly went stoic. "Don't, say it. We kind of playing with fire and they want to see if we end up getting burned or not." He sparked in fire and walked closest to the right of the shore, he flipped his gun like keyblade and gave an overconfident smile as Lea walked to the left and stretched his arms side ways, two disks ignited in his hands, two spike, metal and red chakrams, he gave an arrogant smile back. "Let's step this up."

He tossed one in the air and caused it to spray into a twister of fire, Ken formed a fiery whip from his fleshy hand and used it to slap the twister back, letting loose a crackling spark, Lea caught it and spun another. "Ha! Someone has an attitude."

Ken agreed with that and aimed his gun like keyblade into the sky as the whip disappeared. "You think that was a spark, watch this." He fired a fiery beam in the air and focused, causing it to condense into an orb of fire that rain down fire balls, like a parody of the sun. Ken snapped his fingers to an idea and concentrated, causing the fire balls to stop, fire beams shot out in their place and caused the beach to heat up. Lea shook his head and tossed his second disk at the orb, letting it sink in as he readied to snap his fingers, the fire orb destabilize and sparked out of control.

BOOM!

The orb blew up and the chakram took its place, it ignited itself into a spinning fire orb, Ken clapped amused and ignited both of his hands, he flipped in the air and flung his keyblade under the orb. He landed with a particular pose and caused the keyblades surroundings to erupt in a fire storm. Pillars made contact with the fire orb and caused it to dissipate. Leaving behind a chakram that fell to the ground, Lea bobbed his head. "That's the best you got?"

Ken shook his head. "Nah, but this is still the part where you top that?" Lea laughed to that. "Ha, don't you know it." BOOM!

The chakram burst like a mine and caused the two participants to be in an arena of fire, Ken felt his feet burning and stepped around frantically as he realized the sand was burning. "Hot, hot, hot."

He formed a fiery tornado around himself and used it to fling himself in the air, he formed three tornadoes and caused them to suck up the fire, Lea jumped in the middle and caused the fire in the tornadoes to expand into pillars of flame that broke against the binding, taunting all the more. "Feeding air into it, that's a great idea."

Ken agreed with that and called his keyblade to him, he gave off a spin that caused the sky to twist in wind and suck up the fire, he caused the sky to turn bright and readied a similar pose from before. "But air makes it burn more and this is what I need for this!" He landed like a storm and caused large pillars of flame to shoot down, the fiery arena broke away from the excessive flames that rushed against the beach, the crowd backed away, nearly in a panic against what was comparable to the mental image of Armageddon. Ken and Lea realized the pillars were taking a long time dying down, the spiky haired man looked on dumbfounded, like he wished to make a joke and couldn't think of one, the boy asked. "I over did it, did I?"

Lea saw faint hints of the fire dying and answered. "Well... at least you won." They heard the song of a guitar and water erupting from the outer arena, pelting the fire as streams of water rushed from the beach to cool down the inferno. Ken felt a sweat and explained. "This was over the top, but over a week ago, me and some friends of mine were dealing with those who pulled off even worse than this and it escalated into an all out war. Now we have another psycho that sounds like he would cause all of it to happen again, I think that might be what the gang is trying to talk to you about."

Lea was rather surprised. "Really?"

Ken nodded as the pillars died down. "If you weren't taking it seriously, do you got a reason to do it now?"

The man snickered. "How about I hear it from them instead of from their buddy. I know where they are."

Ken shrugged and heard people gasping, he looked on to find the beach with patches of glowing red glass, speechless. They heard the sound of a whistle and looked to the direction to find Medy trying to call them out. "You guys said you were going to do a burn off, not a Ragnarok."

Ken called his burning keyblade back and apologized. "I amped up fire tempest way too much, sorry about that." Medy sighed and went to clapping for him, followed by many. "It... earned you this." He asked Lea. "So now are you going to hear us out?"

The man was about to answer as a particular girl called to someone. "Wow Ken, wow." Ken turned to find Kairi, Sora, Riku and Ven trying to keep a curious Stitch far away from the glowing glass, the girl looked nearly speechless as Ven recognized Lea, sparking a familiar memory in the man.

Ven approached and had a dorky smile. "Well, long time no see Lea, how did you end up here?"

The man remembered an identical boy from childhood and gasped. "Ventus?! You look like you didn't age a day." Medy looked at Ventus, flinched and looked on confused as the boy holding the odd blue dog answered. "It's a long story, that nearly went atomic."

Lea agreed with that. "Our bad." Medy awkwardly tapped Lea's shoulder. "Isa is at the usual place, we... should get this over with."

The spiky haired man caused his chakrams to disappear in fire and wanted to follow. "We should." He gave a smile to the other two teenagers, Sora looked confused as Riku looked like he wanted to say something, the man realized more was going on and simply waved. "Eh.. I'll see you around."

Ventus waved back and wished the two the best of luck. "Maybe we can talk at a better time. See you later."

The two left and the crowd cleared, Ventus realized most of the others were conflicted in the manner as Kairi congratulated Ken. "We'll talk about that later. Congratulations on winning," Riku joked about that as Ken mentally cooled down. "Yeah, and that came at a price, you got people scared of a firestorm."

A girl in hearing distance corrected him. "Not really." The six turned and found Olette looking impressed, she asked Ken. "Do you mind coming with me, me and the guys need to know what kind of fire power that was and where it came from."

The boy with the cybernetic blushed and nodded. "I will." Riku conceded and let Ken go off. "Just... don't do that again unless we are far away from town."

Ken promised he wouldn't and followed Olette, leaving the party of five. Sora asked Ventus. "How did you and Lea know each other? I expected that to have gone a little different."

Ven wondered why as Kairi wanted to show the four something. "It's pretty interesting, shall we check the... thing out?" The boys nodded and followed her to the train station.

In a bench at a sand lot.

Xion shook her head and looked terrified as the Replica spoke. "If he pulls that off again in there, we will be in and out of that place in half an hour."

Xion agreed with that. "The sooner he is out of danger, the better." The Replica sighed and noticed four people. "If he keeps a rep sheet like that, it isn't going to matter. But it will really mess up the order if they have another thorn in their side. Ha."

Xion looked to find Ken with Olette, Hayner and Pence, listening to what the one armed boy had to say as he looked at his burning keyblade. "I gotten so use to this things fire that I started using fire magic more, even when I have it called away and knowing about pyromancy doesn't help."

Hayner laughed to that and patted Ken on the back. "Or it does. Did you see yourself back hand that twister."

Ken flared up as Pence agreed. "We knew that the beach would have been perfect, but we didn't think you and Lea would cause so much heat that the sand would have melted."

Olette wanted to remember that. "I never thought we are going to try to sneak into the beach and collect glass, someone might get cut if no one picks them up." She giggled, much to Ken's embarrassment, the boy went back to the subject. "There is more to it than just that, but I think the rest of that pryomancy is lost forever. There is another kind that I'm not going to use and my attempt to substitute was turned down due to Miss giving a pretty good point in what kind of heat I'll let loose on you all if I tried it."

Xion raised an eyebrow as Olette sighed. "I hate to say I saw that coming. We were feeling the fire, even as far away as we were. I hate to imagine what lava would have done." Pence cringed. "He would have made a volcano erupt on the beach, that close to town."

Ken shook his head as Hayner spoke for him. "Nope!" The boy with the cybernetic agreed. "Even if I was able to learn that in a short time, I'm glad Miss showed me why no was her answer." He had a story to tell. "Chaos fire, a fire that could melt stone, it came from someone trying to mess with nature. She, her family and a whole civilization paid the price. That name... is the last thing people want to hear."

Olette agreed with that. "Me and the guys want to go to Radiant Garden and see something in the afternoon. I think its time we gave them our respect." Hayner sighed. "We...owe them that much for trying to keep us all out of trouble."

He, Olette and Pence looked up the clock tower, the boy in the dog t-shirt asked. "But how are we going to let Resira know we are trying to thank her?"

Olette thought of something and asked. "Maybe, we should try something thoughtful?" Ken nearly broke into an outburst. "After everything she and the others did, I want to know why she isn't letting anyone help her back... we...need to know."

Olette asked. "Should we talk with Kairi and the others when we can?" Ken nodded. "Exrirsa doesn't come around unless there is someone trying to cause trouble, but the way she acts isn't healthy." Pence agreed with that. "But until we can help her, we need to be careful."

Hayner wanted to change the subject and asked Ken. "Do you know what you and Olette are going to be doing tomorrow night?" The one armed boy shook his head. "Nope, but I want to be surprised." Olette closed her right eye and asked. "It's... going to be a lot for one night. I hope your teacher is okay with you and Kairi being there for that long."

Ken blinked. "She... seemed okay with it. But... I'll get a second take on that."

Olette winked to him. "Do that, and you'll have no complaints from me."

Ken blushed again and was giggled at as Hayner pulled a pamphlet from his pocket. "We'll meet up at the train station after the guys finish their visit. Don't... go wandering near that gang until the heat dies down."

He chuckled to his own pun as Pence agreed. "If it was pretty important, we don't need to see more drama." Olette waved to Ken. "We'll see you again soon." The boy waved back and parted ways, left alone and space out, he noticed the Replica and Xion pretending that they didn't hear anything, he approached and greeted them. "Sup? You... saw the Burn Off?"

The Replica nodded. "Never do something that stupid again. But... yeah." Xion let go of her jealousy and asked. "That's... why we need you to help us with something. We saw someone in our apartment complex get taken away somewhere by some very bad people and we followed into a creepy place filled with monsters. We need power like that if we are to rescue him."

Ken answered, not suspicious at all. "Who is he?" Xion answered more worried. "A knight... ha. That's the first time that youth rescues one from peril." Ken almost laughed. "It isn't, so how are we going to do it?"

The Replica stepped up and signaled to him. "Follow us, we have a plan that is incredibly suspicious, can go wrong with one slip up and will get us all killed or worse. We need you to fit into something just so this doesn't become your problem." Ken fell for the audacity and dismissed his keyblades. "Not the first time I went to somewhere like that. Ha, ha, ha." Xion cringed and followed. "But... it should be over quickly."

At Disney Town.

The boys were nearly drawn in by the appeal of the amusement park as Kairi looked upon four passes and cheered. "Phew! It's good that we got them when we did, the line was getting long."

Stitch pouted in jealousy and Sora spoke of the rules he saw. "Sorry, but pets aren't allowed. Even Pluto wasn't allowed a pass."

Stitch looked at a grumbling orange dog bickering in jealousy and blabbered something to get his attention, Pluto looked back with a whimper and saw the alien waving to him like he understood what he was feeling. He wandered to Pluto and talked a conversation, Riku shook his head and asked. "At least they aren't venting alone. Ven, you knew that guy?"

Ven chose to ignore Stitch and Pluto's ranting as he answered. "I met Lea and Isa when they were small, what happened?"

Riku took a deep breath and answered. "Sometime later, they lost their hearts to darkness and their nobodies, Axel and Saix, gave us nothing but trouble."

Sora and Kairi agreed with that, the brown haired boy explained. "Axel was best friends with Roxas and I kind of expected Lea to... be asking something else about you." Ven guessed what it was. "You expected him to mistake me for Roxas? That would have been weird, does... every one of those guys recognize me as him?"

Sora guessed so. "Roxas was apart of Organization XIII, if they seen him as nobodies, they might think you were him until you say something."

Ven folded his arms and felt tempted to ask something. "I need to talk to those guys and ask what's up," Riku warned him. "They are up to something, but I don't feel nearly as much vile. Kairi, you said Exrirsa is with them now?"

The Princess nodded. "Or she is keeping them in a close watch, they're scared of her."

The silver haired teenager took interest. "Someone needs to check and see what's going on with her. Without a heart, Exrirsa is acting in a brain length that... isn't human. The Imperium is a dark place to live in and she had a lot of issues, how are we going to talk to her?"

Ven and Sora looked around for a quick solution, finding an ice cream cart and sparking a mutual idea, they asked at once. "How about we talk it over some ice cream?"

They nearly jumped, Riku wanted to disapprove and stopped himself as Kairi approved. "That... might work, I know there is an ice cream cart back at Twilight Town. If she and the other nobodies know we aren't trying to be a threat, will they listen?"

Riku hesitated as Sora answered. "Their nobodies, I don't think it will work exactly as we want it to. But...we got to try," The silver haired teenager sighed. "Fine, but be prepared for the worst." They looked at Stitch and Pluto pouting together, making an excuse to spend time thinking of their words for confronting the nobody.

At Twilight Town's Alley.

Ken looked at the Replica and Xion putting on black coats and looked at the one given to him. "You... weren't joking about how dangerous this can get. I seen some crook wearing this."

The Replica hid his annoyance and asked. "It's needed so the Corridor doesn't hurt you, are you having second thoughts now?" Ken shook his head and went to put in the coat. "No, just... the last time I jumped into the Dark... eek."

He shivered as Xion asked. "Eek?" Ken pulled his zipper up and hid in his hood. "It was pretty gross before we got to the edge of the Abyss, with in was absolutely nothing... besides four soul sucking monsters."

The Replica took the boys word for it and promised him. "We're not going through that, but if we are fast, they will have more reasons to be scared of us. Would you keep a secret?"

Ken opened his mouth as the Replica continued. "Good. Shadey, say hello to our new friend."

Ken felt something moving in Xion's shadow, it had red eyes and a body of shadows, it blinked at Ken, took the form of a dog with a missing arm and oozed to a wall. The boy with one arm waved to him with confusion. "H...Hello. What... is he doing?"

The Replica answered confidently. "While a corridor is unpredictable until we get a route, and doing it in the place we are going is suicidal, Shadey left a piece of himself behind in the shadows that I'm using it as the focus, we'll be exactly where we want to be."

A Corridor of Darkness opened and the Replica readied to charge in, Ken shook his head and charged in with Xion, with in the uncomfortable darkness, the girl explained what they were heading to. "The cell is being guarded by two tough looking monsters, Shadey would take care of one of them, easily, while the three of us focus on the other one. We should have them down as fast as we can. Dupmic, what should we do to keep more guards from coming?"

The Replica had one plan. "I know a warding spell, but it's going to be so out of wack that it might not hold for long unless we have the place in a confined space."

Ken gasped and asked. "I can surround the place in fog and we can use that." The Replica hummed and asked. "That still won't hold back the one person we're scared of, but it would give us the time we need. If Xion and I get into one of the guards face, would you shoot it until it stops moving?"

Ken answered proudly. "Shooting, hitting and running are my big specialties. You can count on me for that." Woosh!

A door way leading to a white room is seen, the trio jumped out and found two monsters guarding a black cell. They were bound in chains and in a strange, black aura, their eyes glowed a wispy white and they rustled. Ken formed Fire Keeper's Wish and focused its power in ashes as the Replica had a mental image of only himself, Xion, Shadey and Ken.

WOOSH! PEW!

A fog blocked the exit and it glistened a strange yellow color, Shadey regenerated his arm and noticed a cell giving off a black mist. The creature took the shape of a tiger and rushed after the monster to the right, the Replica drew out his glowing, feather like sword as Xion drew out her keyblade and caused it to spark as Ken aimed at the left monster.

Shadey dashed to the right monster and saw it shoot out laser beams as Xion and the Replica rushed to the left and saw it spin in fire. Ken focused his burning blade and caused his friends to glow in an orange aura, letting them know. "This should keep you from burning up."

He pressed both keyblades together and fired at the monsters head, the automatic beam caused the monster to recoil and be left exposed to a flurry of attacks, the monster spun into the ground as the monster on the right had its upper torso torn, causing the cage to fall limp. Rumble! Rumble! BURST! Ken jumped back and dodged an armored monster drilling up and shot a more intense beam of heated energy, melting the upper torso away and causing the cage underneath to fall. The cages slowly came apart with a black and white glow, something odd was happening, the Replica warned the group. "Were... these things infected by something?"

Xion nodded. "If they were healthy, they would have dropped the armor when they got hit like that, instead of this."

Thud!

The cages became undone and two odd creatures emerged, the one near the teenagers was a masculine knight in black, heavy armor, with a large shield and sword, his face had white, sorrowful eyes. The one near Shadey was a feminine knight in a white, dress like armor, wielding a smaller set of weapons, her face had black, sorrowful eyes.

The two knights radiated a circle of dark power, forcing the teenagers to fall back and watch the two knights jump side to side. The circles pulsed in geysers of dark power and knocked Shadey away, the black knight took a defensive position over the watchful white knight, waiting for the four to make a mistake. The Replica focused and aimed his hand, Ken blinked and watched the two knight be knocked back by an unseen force, the Replica rushed at the more fragile white knight that flew further as Xion rushed to the shaken black knight. She swung, missed and was countered by a swing of the sword.

PEW!

The black knight was shot in the head by automatic fire and used its shield to block the laser, Xion landed on her knees and looked up to find a laser beam adjusted higher up, condensing into a fire ball that rained down laser beams at the knight. Ken took it as his chance to use a healing spell on Xion, revitalizing her, the knight jumped to the left and used its shield to block the beams, giving the girl the chance to rush behind it and let loose rather aggressive attacks. The white knight was clawed by Shadey and back flipped, leaving behind a geyser of blue energy, Shadey vanished and reappeared next to the knight as the Replica rolled ahead.

WOOSH!

The geyser erupted and shot bolts of energy at the two, forcing them to keep moving as the knight took an opportunistic strike at the Replica. The Replica aimed his hand again and sent the knight flying high, giving Shadey the chance to pounce and tear at it. The black knight landed, growled and tossed its shield at Ken. It held its great sword with both hands and caused it to glow in lightning, Ken side stepped to the right and aimed for its head as Xion pounced at the knights abdomen, the knight swung at her. The girl rolled to her left and struck the knight as a burning beam scorched the knight's upper half, both the Cell Defender and the Cell Watcher fell limp in a thud together and dissolved in an abyssal glow.

With the guards gone; Xion, the Replica and Shadey looked at the cell door giving off a shroud of a black fog that pooled a small set of stairs. The Replica took the lead and asked. "Something isn't right here, what has that punk done?"

Xion shrugged as Shadey shivered in fear, the girl petted the eldritch tiger and answered. "I don't know, but we need to stop it and rescue that knight. The darkness in there feels... strong."

Ken agreed with that and placed the tip of his burning blade on the ground as he kept Cadia's Light in aim. "And I think I know the kind of punk you're talking about, I saw some chains with similar eyes. You guys go on while I make sure he doesn't follow you."

Xion gasped and heeded against it. "Ken, if you do know, then you know why he would try to kill you if he sees you." Ken took a deep breath and looked to the three like he didn't care. "Since I outsmarted him once and kind of made a name for myself, he would try it anyways when he had the chance. He's going to learn that I'm not some spineless puntz for him to kick around. Good luck guys, keep yourselves safe."

Xion clenched her hand holding her keyblade as the Replica had his own advise to Ken. "You keep yourself safe. Once we get what we came for, Shadey is going to come and get you out, whether you are ready or not. Stay strong." Shadey sank into the Replica's shadow and followed him to the black fog, Xion hesitated and followed. "...Good luck."

The three went through the fog and on the other side, felt themselves falling down somewhere. Into a stone gazebo in a strange, cold, cave, they saw something even more odd and a feeling of wrongness, everything was in grey. Xion sensed something ahead and slowly walked, she asked her brother. "Please tell me you meant what you said."

The Replica answered with a heated promise. "I do, Ken's been around a lot of people who know that punk and seen and heard more than he needs to know. He wants to make a point across." Their journey in the odd cave lead to a hut with that had a warrior in leather armor, looking down at something broken in his hands, a chime, the warrior looked ahead to the two, showing a face underneath a helmet, one with a dirty, red beard, pale, deathly skin and grey eyes. An unsettling, depressing sight, the Replica closed his eyes, understood what happened and approached, he unfolded his hoods and took off his sunglasses. "I seen enough, that chime was yours and that bully took it out on that when you wouldn't be his punching bag anymore." Xion, undid her hood and approached, letting the warrior know she recognized him, the warrior looked to be in pain, his grey eyes watered and sparked in urgency, his mouth tried to say a warning.

"Be...behind you."

The two turned to find black mist passing through them, they found themselves on the edge of a keep. Before them was a large floating knight in armor, having a massive shield on his right hand, a large sword on his left and a collection of weapons on his back. A horizontal slit on his helmet glowed, like a hunter sent to pursue. Xion and the Replica looked behind themselves to find a simple ruined fortress, stuck in a perpetual grey, they were confused as Shadey rushed from the shadow to parry a knight that didn't hesitate to strike. The Pursuer blocked the creature with his shield and slashed at him with a blade of darkness, the Replica sighed and used his shadow to fire bolts of power at the Pursuer's own shadow, pushing it back and leaving it to be clawed from behind by Shadey, Xion rushed to the Pursuer's right flank and swipe upward, giving off the sound of a lightning bolt. The Pursuer evaporated in dark mist and swallowed the three up, the three found themselves in the ruins of a prison.

Chains dangled down and they heard an inhuman roar, coming from an old woman in a metal mask, a straight jacket and in wooden hand cuffs, she carried a sword and approached the three in alarming speeds. She swung at the three in an aggressive manner, Xion and the Replica jumped back as Shadey circled behind the prisoner and clawed at her. The prisoner back flipped behind him and swung, Xion and the Replica rushed at the prisoner to defend their eldritch friend and struck her down with aggression. Black mist engulfed them again, they found themselves in a curved hall way with narrow corridors. They heard the sound of horses ahead of them, the Replica noticed broken skeletons reanimating as Xion noticed a robed necromancer trying to command them from a safe corner, she rushed after the necromancer for a swift kill as Shadey looked ahead, grabbed the Replica and rushed to another corridor, the boy had the sight of a two headed, skeletal horse, driving a massive wooden chariot that was design to run people over. A spike nearly got him in the back and he popped his head out to see the chariot run off in the circular hall. "...That thing is going to come back. How are we going to-"

He saw a lever at a wall in the hall way and a gate meant to go down, he smiled arrogantly and went to pull it. Seeing the chariot coming back as he grabbed and tugged. CLICK!

The gate came down at the chariot and caused it to crash, the horse fell to its side as the chariot shattered into countless pieces, the horse tried to get up and was attacked by Xion.

Black smoke puffed and the three found themselves in a keep half buried in lava, a winged demon emerged from the lava and approached. Looking half molten and furious, the Replica aimed his sword and shot bolts of misty ice, pelting the demon that pushed through as Xion raised her keyblade and caused lightning to strike, the demon snarled and breathed fire down upon the three. Shadey found a corner to the right and growled to the duo, having them follow it to safety. The demon charged its right hand with fire and aimed at the three, forcing them to move close to the edge to dodge a super heated beam. Shadey took a more humanoid form and pounced at the demons chest, clawing a large chunk out and causing the black mist to return.

They found themselves in a cave filled with giant spiders, one tried to pounce on Xion and had its fangs ready to pierce her skull, she rolled to the left and found herself surrounded, she flexed and pulsed in light and lightning, sending the spiders flying to the cave wall. The Replica looked up to find a skeleton of a dragon, webs and a giant spider screaming at them. The spider charged and spit seething venom at Xion, the girl rolled to the left and was being cornered as the boy rushed to the spiders head and stabbed deep with in. The spider ram its head at a wall and forced the Replica off as Shadey slipped underneath, appeared behind, saw a second spider head and took the form of a sloth bear. Swiping and clawing, irritating the other head and causing it to fire a beam of energy at the odd siblings, they rushed behind and saw the second head, attacking as one and causing the black mist to appear.

They found themselves in a cave with a burning pit, odd statues and a mound of moaning bodies melded into one, blob like being that wielded a butchers cleaver on its right hand and wore a cage like helmet. Xion shook her head at the Rotten blob and stabbed the ground with her keyblade, causing a pillar of lightning to erupt, the Rotten held its chest with its left hand and vomit up oil at the three, Xion back flipped as the Replica jumped high, raised his sword in the air and hovered, he rushed to a wall, disappeared and reappeared to slice through the Rotten. It wobbled and burst in mist, taking the three to a high point of a raining castle. A silver knight with a mirror shield on his right hand and a sword on his left approached, he charged his sword with lightning and pointed at the three.

ZAP!

The trio felt lightning like beams shot at them. Knocking them to the ground, the Replica was the first to get up, felt nearly exhausted and stood up, the knight approached him and tried to bash him with his shield, the Replica rolled to the left and fired shadow bolts, staggering the knight and giving Xion and Shadey tried to get up. The knight placed his mirror like shield towards them and showed an odd reflection, a smaller knight with a fur cloak. Banging at the mirror to try and escape, crack! Crack! SMASH! The knight broke free and drew a halberd with his right hand. He looked upon the three in a disoriented daze and shook his head, he used his left hand to hit himself in the head, like he was trying to wake up, the glass looking knight approached the nimble Replica, charged his sword and thrust forward, sending out several orbs of lightning at his direction. The smaller knight rushed at the glass looking knight with the halberd in hand and thrust. STAB! The glass looking knight looked down to his chest to find a weapon sticking out, he and the other knight disappeared in black mist and enveloped the trio.

Sending them into the depths of a crypt to find a hall with a large knight wielding large a bell like club. The knight glowed a dark aura and chimed its bell, he knelt and shot a barrage of dark orbs, Xion gritted her teeth, rolled past the orbs and thrust herself to the knights neck as the Replica and Shadey dodged the orbs and watched the girl attack with absolute aggression. Causing another burst of black mist to surround them, they appeared in a keep and were before a stone giant that had a sword on his right hand, the giant looked like a regal king and had a hole where a face should have been. Xion back flipped as Shadey focused and took the form of a massive wyvern with bulky arms, the giant approached the eldritch creature and impaled Shadey. The eldritch creature roared to its face and violently beaten the giant, the group felt a grey distortion take hold and found themselves in a cave, with a naked stone giant having a pillar wedged through his stomach, many swords on his back and a left arm that was torn off and being used as a club, Shadey looked to be cringing, flew above to dodge the club swing and slammed down at the giant, causing the whole place to erupt in black mist.

The trio found themselves before an ashen kiln with color returned, Xion felt she recognized the place and saw a familiar knight in beaten up armor that had red cloth. He sat before the kiln, banging his fists against his own head and looking down upon a broken chime. She approached with her eyes bursting. "There you are!"

She rushed to him as Shadey melted into a humanoid form, looking completely exhausted, the Replica felt something wasn't right and looked behind him to find a white fog. The knight looked up and recognized the girl, looking fearful for her life, Xion extended her hand and asked. "Come on, we're getting you out of here."

The knight hesitated and muttered. "Nas...Nashandra...Nashandra." He starred back down to the chime and caused Xion to feel a grim aura, a raspy voice echo'd from behind. "Brave constructs." The Replica saw something emerge from the mist, a woman like, skeletal creature in a black dress that had skeletons for a gown, he slowed his breathing as Shadey distorted in shock.

Xion turned around to see the entity and realize. "You're...Nashandra." The entity slithered closer to the girl and knight in her answer, giving a tone that was neither spiteful or vengeful, yet cold and calculating. "And no matter how many times you slay me, I will find myself here."

She looked at the knight and raised up her scythe with her right hand and gently caressed it with a finger from her left. "Noble heart, burned down by Flame and drowned by Dark, why do you go on?"

Xion felt disturbed and kept her guard, unaware of something emerging from her own shadow. "Flame? Dark? What are you talking about?"

Nashandra looked upon her and had her attention to the Replica. "The fate of the Undead who became a Monarch," She whispered to the knight holding his hands over his ears. "You once again proven yourself to me, to endure the cycle once more and ascend as strong as you were. You have suffered enough, rest and let me take care of everything."

Xion saw cryptic, corpse like, eyeless, heartless leap out from her shadow and try to reach for her, forcing her to jump back and go to the Replica's side. They and Shadey felt like they were being watched from all sides, leaving Nashandra to reach for the knight and be repulsed by a glittering light, the entity stilled. "So you hold on to hope?" She turned to the trio being surrounded by the odd, husk like heartless. "You broken from the shackles of control, yet you will never be free from the strings of fate." She asked with a beckoning like tone. "Come, return to the Dark." She raised her hands to the air. "Be one, with the Dark."

The horde of heartless shambled forward, the Replica swallowed and raised his sword in the air feeling a chaotic desperation in his heart letting loose pink fire. Xion flung to the approaching horde and tried striking down as many as possible. Shadey struck the heartless with many tendrils and was worn down, overwhelmed. The trio realizing what Nashandra plotted, the entity used her free hand and formed three orbs of darkness, draining away the trios will power, fears of being bard from society, being forever alone, losing ones self, being discarded, took its place. Xion and the Replica were the first to have their legs shake in weakness, Shadey fell and looked to be panting, Nashandra aimed her hand at the trio for a finishing blow and felt a slash at her back.

She turned around to the knight bringing out a black steel katana and readied her scythe. "You show a strong will my King, but it will not matter for you or them in the end."

SWIPE!

She slashed down, the knight rolled behind to the left of her her, took out a bone staff and fired a barrage of arrows of blue light, Nashandra swiped down at him, the knight rolled right and shot a mass of magical energy, pelting her and causing the dark orbs to disappear, they surrounded the knight that formed a circle in front of himself and caused four beams of magic to carve into Nashandra. She placed her glowing hand close to her chest and caused the knight to roll back and caused a focus of will to pour into the bone staff, shooting a massive bolt of energy at Nashandra and broke into four bolts that rushed into her. She stepped back as the knight put his staff away and glowed a hand with fire. Giving off a dark aura as he grunted. "Return, Child of the Dark!"

WOOSH!

An outcry of an dark inferno engulfed Nashandra and caused her to break down, the orbs flickered away and the shambling heartless stopped, falling limp like a collection of corpses. Nashandra was confined into a dark flicker of a soul and the knight reached for it, keeping it close to his person and watching two teenagers and an eldritch creature of shadows fall exhausted.

He approached the three and gave them odd, white stones. He asked them. "C...crush them, please." The trio did so and felt a part of them revitalize, Shadey opened a corridor of Darkness and slithered in as a collection of tendrils as the Replica felt what the creature had planned. "We have a friend out there that was keeping that bully from coming here as well. Shadey is going to fetch him for us while we get out of here. Are you ready?"

The knight looked past the fogged gate and had a different plan in mind, approaching for some vengeance and was stopped by a quick Xion. "No, our friend is going to be fine, it isn't worth the payback." The knight stopped and looked like he wanted to say something, yet doesn't know what, Xion held him by his hand and asked. "Let it go, please?" The knight took a deep breath and let Xion guide him through the corridor, out of the nightmare and hopefully to somewhere more peaceful.

Out of the cell, before the three had a series of battles.

Ken saw the fog over the way out ripple in darkness and kept silent as he aimed and pulled his burning blade out of the ground. He felt a woman whisper to him. "Is thou certain of this?"

Ken nodded and whispered back. "It's about time he reaps what he sows." A dark wind blew out of the fog and Ken felt a presence behind him, he jumped forward and spun to fire at a certain fiend in black and red that swung, shooting him in the chest and sending him back flipping, Vanitas was rather astonished by the dark shroud and the fact the intruder was prepared for him. "What do we have here? A runt decided to come visit us? Do you have a death wish?"

Ken fired above Vanitas and condensed the beam into an orb that fired beams down at him, Vanitas disappeared and reappeared above the one armed boy that jumped left, the fiend rushed at him and the boy side stepped and flipped. He placed his keyblades together and swiped it for an uppercut, scratching the ground and letting loose a slice of fire, Vanitas felt that and took out a dagger. "Silent eh? Well, let's see if my little friends can fix that!"

He flung it at the boy that shot himself in the air with a fiery tornado, the dagger glowed and split into many spinning blades. They flew after him as Vanitas followed with a barrage of dark fire balls, Ken flew higher and raised his keyblades to the ceiling, engulfing himself in a fiery storm that's size was enormous.

Tornadoes of fire rushed to the ground and forced Vanitas to run away from it, fire flung everywhere and a beam of sunlight shot from the clouds. Catching the fiend in the fire, he saw a figure in a black coat shoot down after him and pushed him to the ground.

THUD!

Ken jumped back and formed a barrier around himself, taking the spinning disks and feeling a couple cuts, he pulsed and caused the blades to disappear. Vanitas growled and stabbed the ground, cause the boy to feel a disorienting phantasmagoria. "Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Do you think you're some sort of Boss around here? Have you gotten more stupid?"

Ken looked at his keyblades with an idea as Vanitas shot a barrage of soul shards, the boy in the black cloak felt that and was wobbling as he caused both keyblades to enlarge. They burst into fire and Ken watched his keyblades break into jagged daggers and small bits that reformed into a fanged maw glove for each hand, Vanitas shot out purple chains from the ground on seeing the transformation and Ken flew away from them. The maws shoot a barrage of beams and forced the fiend to roll to the left, Ken pounced with a glow of fire and landed next to Vanitas with a particular pose, causing a fire storm to erupt. Vanitas was caught in the inferno, disappeared in illusions and flung a fire ball at the inferno, Ken rolled out of the way and pressed the maws together, shooting fire at Vanitas. The fire ball ruptured and homed in on the boy that glowed orange and ignored the damage, Ken approached with a calm manner, his maw like gloves burst and surrounded his body, going into his coat and causing him to cringe at something. Vanitas was more dumbfounded. "You had no idea what you just did to yourself?" He was ready to go for the kill. "Not my prob-" Ken gave off a more bestial roar as he formed a single keyblade looking like dark wood and yellow runes, he charged after Vanitas in a more aggressive manner and forced him to take a defensive pose.

The hood shot out yellow and black fire, scorching Vanitas and having him flicker far away behind his foe. Ken jumped high and hovered like he was in flight, he dived down after him, Vanitas readied to block and felt the impact being comparable to taking a jet plane head on, he was sent flying against a barrier and fell forward, Ken's hood gave off an red glow and caught Vanitas in a psychic hold, the fiend in dark felt something burning onto him as the red, single looking glow stared into him. Vanitas roared, glowed black with his keyblade and swiped back like one would a club, Ken jumped back in flight and the red glow vanished. The boy breathed green and red fire at Vanitas, the fiend disappeared and reappeared above the boy that simply flew back, Ken engulfed himself in fire, rushed at Vanitas and dived down with him in an inferno of odd, toxic smelling fire.

WOOSH!

Vanitas flickered to get himself free and landed, nearly on his knees, he watched the cloaked boy on all fours and rising up like he was possessed, the fiend sensed the most disturbing part of this pattern. "You're... still in control in there?"

Ken glared at him and breathed out a red inferno of fire, Vanitas flew far away from that corner and watched Ken stop his fire breath and turned to him, inhaling once more. Vanitas rushed and struck the boy on the chest, Ken flipped back and landed on his knees, slumping his head forward and coughing out a rather pitiful cloud of fire. Vanitas snarled under his helmet and tried to say something spiteful as something shot down out from Ken's hood, a beam of concentrated, white fire, the boy rushed his head upward and caused the fire beam to go towards Vanitas, the fiend flipped to the right and saw a trial of fire erupt from the beams path, radiating a burning aura that forced the fiend in black to keep watch. Ken swiped to his left and leaned back in his attempt to get up, catching Vanitas close to the beam and sending him flying towards him from the explosive. Ken jumped backwards and faced forward, Vanitas crawled away from the beam and was feeling overwhelmed by the heat. Ken coughed and the beam stopped, looking like he was about to fall over as he caught himself and approached Vanitas with his blade in hand, the fiend tried to get up and barked. "Are...you nuts?! Was what ever you came here for, even worth that... inhumane display? Do you think she wou-"

Ken slammed the keyblade to the ground and caused the ground to split in energy, kicking Vanitas on his back, the boy spoke and gave a sound of two speaking at once, his own voice and that of a woman. "In a time of Ancients, there was only one force that prove to be Everlasting." Vanitas felt the voice chilling and realized Ken wasn't even there anymore, having the feeling of his life flashing before his eyes as the entity spoke. "Then came the Flame and the Lords who sought it, even when dethroned, their legacy was Everlasting. Kalameet; feared by the gods and challenged by one of the First of the Lords. Sinh; revered by many and chose to slumber until the foolishness of man irked his wrath. Midir; who devours creatures such as thou and outlived the gods that reigned as he battled the ever consuming Dark." The entity put his free hand on his chest. "Even as they are vanquished by the fleeting form of man, even as the world let go, their names are Everlasting. For they shown what a strong heart could do, what a heart that gained strength, could do." It pointed at Vanitas coldly. "What has thou proven beyond hollow cruelty? What will thou ever prove?"

The fiend gasped and burst laughing. "Bwa, ha, ha, ha! Where did you get that line from? You're the heart that gives off the Dark everywhere it goes, that idiot has only brought doom on himself and others by picking you up." The wood like keyblade flickered and split into two, Ken kept an aim and shook his head, his voice returning to normal. "Then you listen to me, what's the point of being a bully and causing destruction? When you're on the receiving end of it, you start calling us the crazy ones." A corridor opened up behind the boy that looked confused. "Was... that what my keyblade was trying to show me? Is that world's heart... finally speaking?" A tendril wrapped around Ken's waist, he felt more weird and was gently, if quickly lifted of the ground, Vanitas looked just as confused. Ken shook his head. "But I think I wasted enough time, seriously... stop this."

Ken was yanked into the darkness as Vanitas shot purple chains at him, the boy swiped his burning keyblade and formed a whip of fire, melting the chains. Ken watched the darkness close and the tendrils letting go, finding red eyes in the darkness and keeping guard. "So Dupmic and Xion did it?" He looked around and asked. "Where did they go?" Shadey lead the way in silence, Ken followed, feeling uneasy.

In the outskirts of Radiant Garden.

A corridor opened and let out Xion, the Replica and the knight, the last of the three was caught off guard by the castle and the strange world. The Replica looked around and guessed. "I think we are at the side entrance of the town."

The knight found anything hard to believe and wandered down the road leading to a hole in a castle. "What... is... this?"

The Replica saw the hole and found it a convenient place to hide. "This, if those fake memories were anything to go by, is Hollow Bastion. Or if the rumors are true, is called Radiant Garden these days. And that cave is our hide out until we can get out of this."

The knight readied his katana and warned him. "Or it would be our...death."

The Replica pressed his lips together as Xion agreed with the knight. "We don't know this cave, it could have a ton of dangers for all we know."

The Replica guessed. "Like... ten dozen heartless. It's not going to be long."

Ripple!

A corridor opened, Shadey crawled out and Ken jumped off, feeling like he had someone to confess something to and blurt it out. "No wonder she hates using that."

Ken didn't notice the knight and asked what he thought were siblings. "I reckon the mission was successful? Shadey got me out of there before I lost myself." Xion answered as the knight noticed the burning keyblade. "Who cares about that bully? We did it. Thanks to you keeping him off of us so we can rescue our friend."

Ken felt someone staring at him and turned around, he gasped at a knight he recognized, struggled to breath and was given a pat on the back by the Replica. "*Weeze!* I... I know you."

The Replica stopped as the knight backed away and answered. "I don't," Ken guessed that. "It's hard to explain, but we never met before, I only found out you existed." He took a deep breath and looked at Xion and the Replica like they were close friends, he dismissed his keyblades and gave both of them a thank you hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Xion and the Replica felt the warm gratitude and hugged back, Xion blushed and asked. "We,...were suppose to be thanking you. Ha."

She laughed awkwardly and Ken let go to explain. "You have no idea, but this guy had a big adventure we don't even know about. He is an every day guy, who became much more."

He turned to the knight and gave him a knights salute. "I'm Sir Kendry of this very town. It's a pleasure to meet you Sir...Sir..." The knight looked confused and crestfallen, he asked. "What... is my name?" He walked to the hole in the castle and found a hole with yellow ladders, Ken asked. "I know you had one, you have to remember that."

Xion explained. "I tried one, but it only made him more sad. What is he?"

The knight took a deep breath and answered. "Undead... I'm Undead."

Ken sniffled. "That isn't going to be a problem here, the Curse won't reach anyone here and the people here are nice enough to not judge unless you cause trouble."

The knight looked more relaxed and climbed down the stairs, the Replica felt like he found kin and followed as he asked his friend. "You met a guy like him?"

Ken nodded as Shadey disappeared into his shadow. "That guy was the reason I know a lot about pyromancy and I may have had an adventure with him. I know he and Jambert are two different people, but I can tell he has as strong of a heart as he does. Just... promise me one thing."

The Replica was listening. "Anything and we can make it happen."

Ken was relieved as Xion asked. "What do you want us to do for him?" The boy asked. "Promise me that you would help him find peace with himself and if I ever tell you more, that you keep this a secret." He drew out his burning keyblade and told them. "He and this keyblade have closer ties than you think."

The Replica was interested in that as Xion felt herself near crying, she and Ken jumped down the hole, into a purple cavern with hints of blue crystals, the Undead Knight was mesmerized and felt a presence once more, turning to the burning keyblade. Ken looked closer at the wide cavern as Xion whistled. "Wow... this has a lot of space." She and Ken took off their coats, she felt the knight having a feeling of happiness and cheered. "I made my promise, I...I think I know what we should do next."

The Replica climbed down and readied to take off his coat as he suggested. "This is risky, but if we stay here, we can make sure this guy doesn't get into trouble again."

The Knight heard that and took out the abyssal soul of Nashandra, he focused his will upon the soul and caused it to take the shape of the chime he had. The Replica took more interest and saw the burning keyblade reacting to the chime, its fire glowing bright and pushing back the shadows. "So you take the essence of someone of great power and make tools out of it. So long as no one is stupid to break that, Nashandra won't be coming back."

Ken tilted his head and asked. "Nashandra?"

Xion felt nervous and answered. "This... thing that was haunting my dreams and was trying to make our friend give up hope after all the cruelty he suffered. That freak in black broke the old chime."

Ken and his keyblade flared up in anger. "Knowing how important it is to him? There isn't any low for that guy." He pressed the keyblade's tip into the ground and didn't want to think about it. "He and that group of looneys some how found him and treated him like he was dirt when he didn't behave? That was exactly what happened and then you three found out about it? You have a lot of guts to stand up to people like that."

The Replica nearly revealed his anger and grumbled. "And that brought back bad memories our friend didn't want to talk about." The knight walked closer to the bonfire, with a yearning of nostalgia, Xion turned to ask. "He seems to know a couple things about magic and skills, do you think your teacher should know of this?"

Ken nodded. "Miss and the others should. There is a lot we can learn from him when he recovers from-" The knight sat by the bonfire and reached for the hilt, glowing aflame with the blade, the four watched something burn with in the knights armor and the knight gasping in a realization. He grabbed the hilt, pulled and approached Ken, speaking more clearly. "Why is this so familiar?"

The teenagers gasped in shock as the knight gave Ken his keyblade back. The knight looked confused. "It feels familiar," He tapped his helmet and looked to the ladder going out. "...What you speak of, I... don't remember anymore, but... this had to be for the best." He put his chime away and went to the ladder to climb up. "I wish to say it out there. I... owe you this much."

He climbed up and the teenagers followed him out, to the side gate of the town. Where he had a view of civilization and of people, looking at the ruins gave the knight hints of sorrow and he asked. "This place has seen better days?"

Ken nodded. "We got this town back a year ago after several years of people using Darkness to mess things up. It's still going to take a while before this town sees those better days again and I hope it doesn't get attacked again."

The knight heard the word. "Darkness? The...Dark?" He turned to the three and saw the creature of shadows, he asked. "You fought against the Abyss?"

Xion and the Replica nodded, the girl asked. "Like Nashandra? Like those awful people? Yes, why do you know of it?"

The knight swallowed and turned back to the town. "I... fight the Dark... I... use the Dark." Ken cringed and felt there was a change of plans as he sharply warned the knight. "And the town isn't going to like it if they know."

Xion agreed with that and asked. "But does he know how to use the light?" The knight chuckled and drew out his katana and chime, showing the four a wish that caused the katana to glow in sunlight. "It's always there. As the power of the soul and of fire. Ha, ha, ha." He felt he wanted to introduce himself and felt a name in his mouth. "I'm...I'm...I'm...Baldred."

Ken's mouth opened as Xion complimented the knight. "That's a nice name Baldred."

The Replica thought it would be appropriate to introduce himself. "The name's Dupmic and it's good to see that you got some of your memories back."

Baldred agreed to that and felt excited about something. "And... a purpose." He asked the teenagers. "If you seek to know what I know, shall we study that in the cavern?"

The Replica answered without hesitation. "There is... a lot we need to know." Ken shook his head and warned him. "Oh noooooo! You already got some fishy things up your sleeves, do you know how dangerous the Dark even is?"

The Replica laughed to that. "If it has things like Nashandra lurking in it, I got the idea."

Baldred nodded and looked at the Replica. "Listen to your friend, or the Abyss will swallow you up."

The Replica folded his arms and asked. "Then why did you bring it up?" Baldred took a deep breath and answered. "A balance, is needed. What came from the shadows, should stay in the shadows."

The Replica rolled his eyes and realized. "Should stay in... I get it now, it's only if I have to fight and if I don't have better options?"

The knight nodded as Ken advised. "And that should be kept quiet or Miss and the others are going to shut it down. If disaster happens in this town because if it... I'm sorry, but I'll have to stop it." He felt sick thinking about it as the Replica placed his hand on his chest in a vow. "Kendry, I won't abuse this. You seen more than I have and you're right, it's probably more dangerous than I'm taking it for."

Baldred agreed with that. "It will bring out the worst in you, or... you can... channel it another way." He wished to stop talking about the dark. "That other way, is what you need to understand before we talk more about it."

Ken and Xion looked at the Replica with puppy dog eyes, the girl asked. "Could you please take your time and listen before you put yourself in danger?"

The hooded teenager was overwhelmed by the plea and promised. "Alright, alright." He turned to Baldred and asked. "Maybe I should stop thinking about myself. You're as new here as most of us, should we... see the town together?"

Baldred nodded. "It would be my first." Ken offered to lead the way as Shadey fled into the cave, the boy wondered why and asked. "I'll show you some places in town you three can settle in, after that, I got to let the others know... minus the Dark thing."

Xion hoped for the best and thought to encourage Baldred. "No matter how the town accepts us, we'll always be with you, until the very end."

The knight felt the word familiar and followed Ken, who took out a gummi phone. "I got to make this quick. Friends of mine need to know where I am."

At Twilight Town.

By a train station underneath a clock tower; Kairi, Sora and Riku had a text. Sora read out loud. "Got caught up in another adventure and ended up in Radiant Garden. LOL. I'll be back in town in a few minutes."

Ventus kept watch over Stitch and asked. "How did that happen?"

Riku shrugged. "After that fire show, someone noticed and talked him into something they needed. Since he isn't stupid, I think he is alright." He texted back. "Tell us what you found," He was given a surprising text back. "He... posted a toothy smiley face."

Kairi looked forward to the story and smiled in a way very similar to the emoji. "It's got to be a fun one for him."

Sora had the mental image of Ken showing a bauble of some kind most unknown and smiled like the emoji. "Cool."

He looked around to find an ice cream cart as Riku readied to run up the tower. "Now, we all understand the plan? I'll go see what Exrirsa is doing while the rest of you get the... peace offering ready, I'll give you a number."

Kairi shook her head and looked up the tower with confidence. "I'm coming up there too, more of us need to talk to her." She ran up the station and was about to run up the tower, the boys were surprised and Riku followed her up, Sora nearly blushed and asked Ven. "How many are going to be up there?" The older boy guessed by the size of the tower. "Probably not a whole lot." He asked Stitch. "Come on, ice cream doesn't last long and we want this to be perfect."

At the top of the tower, Riku and Kairi entered to find Exrirsa in a meditative state with ten, lesser nobodies doing the same. The ten were faced away from the two, yet it was like they knew they were coming. Riku waved and spoke. "Hey, we didn't come to mean trouble, but this was something we thought about ever since Kairi saw you this morning."

Exrirsa opened her eyes and greeted the two in a stoic manner. "If Kairi did not interfered, the outcome of that villain's fate would have been far worse. So I did listen to her... the results delivered the message far more clearly."

She looked at Kairi with another compliment. "She and the other adept in the art of water has also kept that... foolishness under control. I hope, THAT doesn't get repeated."

Riku hoped it didn't and shook his head as Kairi texted a number. "It won't, but that isn't why we came." He took a deep breath and asked. "Why did you want to stay like this? We talked about what it means to not have a heart, that could have ended with you being... a problem, yet you're keeping your word."

Exrirsa slowly got up, a dusk brought a pair of crutches to help her stand up, she nodded to the nobody in thanks and looked to the teenagers with a question. "You seen how I was, adept in warfare and carrying out the Emperor's will. Regardless if I lacked the technology or physic the Space Marines wielded, regardless if I lacked the powers a psyker would have. That, would be impressive." Kairi felt what the bigger story was. "But compared to that?"

Exrirsa heard something in the stair way bellow and kept her nobodies passive, the crippled looking woman in military gear answered. "I'm only a mortal and even in this state, I still am. You witnessed my heartless half, slew her and lived to tell the tale, all that is needed to bring me out of this state is for this to be repeated. BUT, I will lose this power too soon and I will be limited in maintaining order once more."

Riku's eyes widened. "That's the reason you want to stay like this?" Kairi voiced her own opinion. "And as a Nobody, you got more to go with than just weapons and war skills. It...it's still a pretty selfish reason to keep yourself like this."

Exrirsa didn't deny it. "If I'm seen as a power mad fool, so be it. So long as Chaos never ensues upon my watch, I will have no regrets being a scapegoat for when I'm not needed."

Riku folded his arms and nodded. "After what nearly happened this morning, you're right to think that anything is needed to push that back. Just... don't become the very darkness we are fighting. You know what would happen if a fanatical tyrant goes unchecked."

Exrirsa agreed with a near genuine smile. "Exactly, that is why you and the others are tasked to bring me down, should I stray. I don't hide behind others, so you will know where to strike." The stepping became closer as Kairi looked at the calmed nobodies and felt relieved. "Unless we know about their other halves, that would be a good thing for them."

Sora, Ven and Stitch walked up with a rather interesting surprise, sixteen ice cream pops, Sora held eight and shivered as Ven looked to be having goosebumps holding eight. Exrirsa's smile became an annoyed frown as she asked. "And this is what you considered to let us know this isn't personal? Ridiculous."

She saw her nobodies looking upon the ice cream like it was a wanted luxury as Sora asked. "C...C...come on, is nothing fun for you anymore?"

Exrirsa looked at Sora dully. "You know that is no longer a possibility, naive child." She let her nobodies line up. "But we need to keep remembering what that is like."

Stitch muttered. "Party pooper." Ven agreed with that as Exrirsa ignored the insult and looked at the boy. "And who might you be? You're new."

Ven shivered and helped the nobodies get their ice cream. "Just...brr. Call me Ven. What do you do here?"

Exrirsa answered, humored. "Besides keeping watch when we can, nothing... particularly important. You?"

Ven thought of it. "I woken up from a coma a couple days ago, I... don't have any hobbies."

The Adeptas Sororitas watched the ten nobodies take a pop and saw six remaining. "And I thought I tend to get bored. There is always a time to pick up a hobby, you look like you traveled once upon a time, is there anything to consider?" She picked a pop and watched the five divide theirs up as Sora, Riku and Kairi felt there needed to be a pass time, the Adeptas Sororitas guessed. "There is, but youth such as you never have the time. Perhaps that could be what we should talk about?"

Sora answered with his mind thinking. "That... that could, thanks for the idea." Riku agreed. "Let's think about that while the kid finishes his business. There isn't a whole lot for us to do right now."

At Radiant Garden.

Ken, Xion and Dupmic were caught of guard by Baldred's odd disappointment, Leon put his gun like sword on his back, seeing two teenage boys a bit confused and assuring the knight. "But enough about what this sword is, you're welcome in the town. Sorry that this isn't the kind of tour you wanted."

Baldred looked at a district being rebuilt and didn't mind, he burst into laughter. Yuffie appeared in a puff of smoke and nearly laughed with him. "Ha, if you liked swords like that, you should stay away from a guy with spiky hair, his is even bigger."

Baldred calmed down and apologized. "That, isn't why I was laughing, something about it being rebuilt, even after all the chaos. Ha, that's... comedy. Sorry."

Leon shrugged it off. "Hopefully, we don't have another cycle of destruction come through the town. We heard some one is going to try and attack the town and we could use someone like you if you had experience with fighting."

Baldred nodded on instinct, pulled out his katana and raised it in the air. "You have my word and my blade, it's worth getting back into action."

Yuffie looked at the katana and squinted her eyes. "Hmm, that's an unusual katana." Baldred lowered it and let the ninja hold it. "What did you notice?"

Yuffie took it and felt the weight. "...It is...It's heavy for a katana." She looked at the bone staff on Baldred's left hand and the chime at his hip. "I been hearing that you are a kind of wizard as well, we don't see many of those besides Merlin."

She gave the katana back as Baldred smiled under his helmet. "I've learned sorceries, dabbled in pyromancy and I know the art of miracles to my core. I don't remember where I got this katana or staff."

He looked at them like they were his pride and joy. "But I know they been at my side and will be till the bitter end."

Leon took interest and offered to show him around. "I'll show you the committee, you're going to like it here." He tilted his head to Baldred and smiled, the knight turned to the teenagers and vowed. "I owe you for the kindness you shown and more." He gave a nod and promised. "You won't regret this."

Ken hoped he wouldn't. "This town is very important to us, I think you'll do a great job." He smiled to the knight that looked to Dupmic and Xion. "Thank you, for everything." He turned to Leon and followed proudly, leaving Yuffie to talk with Ken and Dupmic. "He doesn't remember where he got it? Is that a little fishy?"

Dupmic nodded. "If he remembered more, it might have." Ken wondered. "He was in pretty bad shape when Dupmic found him, I think once he knows he is with friends now, the memories will come back." He gave a respectful bow to Yuffie. "Thanks for giving him a shot."

The ninja gave one back. "He might have just picked them up off of somewhere. He'll be in on our defense plan starting tomorrow. So who's your friend?"

Ken and Dupmic looked to Xion, who realized she wasn't being seen, Dupmic introduced himself. "Just Dupmic, I needed to get out of a bad neighborhood and enjoy the scenery. You won't have much trouble from me."

Yuffie looked like she trusted him and thought of something. "Hey Ken, since the Inn is being rebuilt and you're out of town-" The blonde boy was on it. "Good idea, my mom could make use of the empty room."

He saluted. "Thanks for the tip, tell Aerith I said hi if I missed her." Yuffie promised she would. "I think she is finishing up repairing the gardens, thanks for the help kid."

She and Ken parted ways, the blonde boy guided the two to a particular house, Ken turned to Xion with pity. "I'm sorry that happened to you again. I want a word with who ever did this to you."

Xion took a deep breath and hid a crestfallen frown. "It's fine... I can take it. As long as Baldred is happy, then it was worth coming here."

Dupmic tried to plot something as Ken reached a house and knocked the door, it opened and a blonde woman with strong resemblance to Ken opened it. Seeing two teenagers behind him and greeting them. "You're friends of my son?" Xion gasped and smiled as Dupmic answered. "Yes... may we come in, this is kind of awkward."

The woman shrugged and stepped out of the way. "I kind of expected someone else to pay a visit, but any friend of my son is a friend of mine." Ken blushed and asked. "She'll come, just not today because of all this stuff going on." He guided his friends in and to a couch, ready to ask a question of crucial importance.

At Merlin's House

Leon finished introducing Baldred to a suspicious Tifa, a defensive Cloud, a relaxed Cid and a curious Merlin. "And that's how he wanted to help us with these next couple days."

Baldred looked at Tifa's fists and especially Cloud's sword and gave a respectful nod to them. "You lot look strong and capable." Tifa hummed and thanked the knight. "It's what we been doing. How about you tell us more about what you remember," Baldred answered like it was a fantastic dream. "I do things like this on the road. I.." He asked. "If the world became a cruel place where the strong trampled the weak, then do you want to be strong to give the weak a moment of rest and punish those who abuse the strength?"

Cloud nearly broke out of a stoic calm and answered. "People that bully others, tend to run when they see us." Tifa agreed with that. "If not, they'll answer to my boot."

Baldred laughed with her. "Bwa, ha, ha. They'll answer to a lot of things." He took out his staff and approached a potted plant. "And those that don't take a hint will fall for things like this." His staff glowed and the knight shined in a flash of light, the committee were nearly blinded by the shine and saw a potted plant take Baldred's place. Merlin hummed. "The art of illusion, it's unfortunate that most ruffians never reveal their true nature unless they are certain their deeds would go unpunished."

Poof.

Baldred appeared in a cloud of dust as Yuffie entered the room and whistled. "That's a handy trick, are you sure you're just a wizard knight?"

Baldred sighed and took out his chime. "I told you, I don't remember... but these things don't just... come from nowhere." He knelt and pulsed the chime, giving off a glow of sun light, reinvigorating the group, Baldred realized something and risen up, looking at his staff and chime with distrust. Cloud asked with pity. "You really don't remember and you don't trust what you are doing?"

The knight answered confused. "This is too good to be true." Cid agreed with that. "It doesn't make any sense for this to come from nowhere and if you're telling the truth, you made a whole carrier being a vigilante," He asked. "The problem is what is going to happen when you remember who you are?"

Baldred took a deep breath and answered. "I don't feel it would make a difference then as it does now." Cid felt the answer way too honest to doubt. "If it doesn't, then we ought to stop worrying about it. We been getting rumors about something coming and you look like you can hold your own." Merlin agreed with that. "What you done in a past life reflects what you are doing now, you have a considerate heart, but you have a difficulty trusting others?"

Baldred felt the question echo and nodded without much a thought. "You and the others are as honest as they come. But if I can't believe my own words, then am I?"

Cloud sighed. "You'll get use to it. What do you think Leon? Should he be apart of this?" Leon answered with a near forming smile, asking as he looked at Baldred. "I don't know, does he want to?"

Baldred didn't hesitate. "I want to keep this town in peace as it rebuilds, by my sword and soul, it will be back to its splendor." Yuffie smiled wide and patted Baldred on the back, like he was a long time friend. "Whoot!" She asked. "How about later we see how you fight? The Heartless are not a joke unless you got a keyblade."

Baldred turned to answer as he noticed a brown haired woman entering. "If that is what you want, you talk about this katana... what do you know about a weapon like it?" Yuffie gasped like it was a challenge and showed a large shuriken, answering Baldred's question as Aerith stopped an argument. "Could you please not fight here?"

Yuffie turned around to see Aerith tired from a long day and insisted. "We weren't."

Baldred agreed with that. "She showed me my answer, she is a ninja. That's how she know about this." Aerith saw the katana and asked. "Where did you come from?"

Cloud expected to hear the same story and sighed. "That's what he doesn't remember, but we're helping him fit in." Aerith gasped, nodded and asked Baldred. "So where are you staying in this town? It isn't quite ready for travelers yet."

The knight answered. "I found a cavern under a wall that would work. Is there something I need to know?" Aerith answered as most of the group realized what the knight described. "The Cavern of Remembrance. Sora said it was an odd and dangerous mine until he cleared out the Heartless. We're not sure if they won't come back or not."

Baldred took interest and held a question back. "If it is still abandoned, I can set up a home as long as I don't delve too deeply into it. So... please don't go filling it in yet."

Aerith promised they wouldn't. "We want to know more about it ourselves. But why do you decide there?"

Baldred answered that. "Because it fills my yearn for adventure and tranquility. It's... also because I'm Undead and I don't wish to bring that kind of trouble loitering where I shouldn't." Merlin had a more correct term. "You are a revenant, but that doesn't mean you should shun yourself from others."

Baldred bitterly sighed. "You wouldn't be saying that if you see me from under my helmet and a random stranger would think me like among the monsters of the Dark. Please let me make this choice, it's better that way."

Tifa, Aerith and Yuffie cringed as Merlin took a deep breath. "*Huff* Alright, but don't isolate yourself, none of us want to see you go hollow from the world." The knight stilled and asked Yuffie with an attempt to mask something. "I might have fought ninjas before, but they don't have shurikens that large. You have more tricks to go with it."

The ninja nodded and asked. "I do... is... something wrong?" Baldred shook his head. "None of you want to see me go hollow... that... that, makes me feel better." Leon agreed with that, bewildered as he was. "Because we don't, we seen too many people become this close to giving into the darkness. You seen it as well?"

Baldred nodded and felt like something was burning in the back of his mind. "I seen people turn hollow and I nearly went hollow myself." He insisted to Yuffie. "But in all seriousness, this katana is mine and I do remember it being trusty and handy. What's wrong with it?"

The ninja hesitated to answer as Cloud did it for her. "Katanas are normally light for a reason and if it is heavy, it's not going to swing as quickly as it should. It's why some of them are pretty frail. Yours doesn't sound normal."

Baldred agreed with that. "It isn't really heavy, but if you can slash quicker, you will hurt the other just as quick." Yuffie sighed. "It isn't that heavy, let's see what it can do." Baldred smiled under his helmet and followed Yuffie out, Aerith followed with a promise. "I'll make sure they don't get hurt."

At a house nearby.

Ken's mother asked the siblings that were sitting on a couch together. "So you needed to get out of that nightmare of a neighborhood and you think your Dad would be happy as long he knows you will be safe? It takes a strong stomach to do something about that."

She pointed to the room up the stairs. "If my son isn't using that room anymore, you two are free to use it. Think me as... a Nanny. Now, I don't want you two to be acting like bums, so... could you do me and my son one huge favor."

Dupmic was listening as Xion nodded, the woman asked. "Could you help protect the town when trouble comes around? Xion, you say you got a keyblade and that's the best thing against the Heartless... Dupmic, you just got good sword skills and magic to go by and that could help against-" The boy answered. "Those trying to use Heartless or those that are just as dangerous."

Ken insisted to his mother as he leaned against a wall. "They'll do that, they gave Baldred a chance at a better life. I think the guy I beat up is going to be more angry that I was part of a heist to steal his punching bag."

The woman nearly burst in a growl. "That Vanitas psycho was using a human being when Aqua or you wouldn't let him have his way with you. Oh I'll bet more are going to stand up to him if he shows his... no face, around here again."

Xion agreed with that. "We seen more than enough, Baldred should be making himself at home by now and things will get better. He knows a lot despite how he doesn't remember much."

Ken nodded and asked. "If Baldred really does know of soul sorcery and pryomancy, then I really do need to let Miss know about him. If he finds a purpose, that will help."

Dupmic agreed and asked. "Maybe I should focus on something less dangerous. Ken, do you know what is wrong with that guy? Once he touched that keyblade, it was like he started being more human again."

Ken answered. "Like I said, he is Undead. He can't really die until he gives up hope and hollows out, since there isn't a bonfire, I think death would matter for him."

Xion asked. "What is a hollow?" The one armed boy answered grimly. "Like I said, when an undead gives up hope. Their minds go and they aimlessly wander around like a zombie... attacking anything that comes near. It's kind of like what happens when someone's heart gives into the darkness and turns into a Heartless. There is more I don't want to talk about, but getting Baldred out of there was for the best. I think he was about to go hollow and what ever was in the darkness wanted him to give up."

Xion looked teary eyed as Dupmic lowered his head depressed. "And that thing was... trying to get to us as well, she would have if Baldred didn't fight her. But how?"

The woman answered that with a pat on the head. "Because the kindness you two gave, it gave him hope. That's all that's needed to fight back a parasite like that." Xion wiped her eyes and asked. "Parasite?"

The woman nodded. "That voice that tells you things aren't going to get better, that you shouldn't bother reaching out and keep trying. I... would rather think of it as a parasite, nothing good will come from listening to it and there are too many ways to feed it." Ken felt the term made sense. "And I'll bet those with that parasite become bitter and as foul as it."

Xion guessed so. "But is that parasite gone?" The woman shook her head. "No, it's not. It's... never that easy, if Baldred is getting along with the committee and is making friends, then that parasite will be starved out in time." She sat in a chair and asked. "Xion, you and Dupmic are good kids, if you ever start having these kinds of problems. Try to talk to someone." She felt more disgusted. "Who ever was responsible for your condition, really is an awful person. The worst thing you can do to someone besides making them lose hope is to keep them from getting help. If you start feeling down, I'll cheer you up."

Xion blushed as Dupmic felt there was a whole world waiting. "There is something I can't show yet, but my problem wasn't Dad's fault." The woman figured so. "He adopted you and Xion, then tried to help you in his own way, so he has to care about you. Me and my son are still there for the two of you."

Ken agreed with that. "Like you two been for Baldred. Mom, I'm going to head back and tell the others." He asked the siblings. "Make yourself at home. I'm going to keep the details a secret since you don't like having people nose in. Thank you for doing me this favor when others are not around."

Xion promised him. "We'll see this town doesn't worry about the Dark." Dupmic vowed. "We'll do at least that for you since you been a good friend." They smiled to Ken, who smiled to his mother. "Thank you for helping them Mom. I'll keep making you proud of me." He turned to leave, the woman got up to ask. "So, who likes movies?"

At the Tower of Twilight Town.

Toot! Sora, Riku, Kairi, Ven and Stitch heard a train bellow as the swarm of nobodies disposed of wooden pops and Exrirsa asked. "The train is making its rounds, what more is there for the day?"

Kairi guessed. "More lessons for the afternoon, the things we needed done are already finished. The others at... somewhere, somewhere, should be finished with making the something for the you know what."

The Adeptas Sororitas asked. "That somewhere is best left confidential and the something is a project of most importance. Garland will answer for his crimes and then we can focus on Xehanort. So long as any heretic is out there in the stars, the war will just keep continuing."

Ven heard someone running up the tower. "We haven't had a call from the King, so building it has to be pretty boring."

Flip!

Sora heard someone landing on the edge and walking in, finding an energetic Ken who had a brief interest in the nobodies and asked Exrirsa. "May I come in, this is pretty important to share around."

The Adeptas Sororitas allowed it. "This sounds urgent, you may speak." Ken walked in as Sora asked. "What did you find this time?" The boy started with ill news. "I found out those creeps were up to something again and a couple friends of mine needed help breaking someone out of a prison that was in... somewhere." The boys wondered what it was as Kairi asked. "That somewhere... was it a cell in a grey place?"

Ken nodded. "I think that might have been those guys hideout and it was where a certain someone was abusing a knight that needed help. Before I continue, do you know who I had to beat up?"

Ven guessed as Sora and Riku realized where Ken went to. "When you and your buddies showed up, that's when Vanitas showed up to try and kill you." The one armed boy frowned. "And the cell was acting up because Vanitas smashed something that belonged to the knight out of spite, not knowing or caring what that something might have been. It was definitely not something that belonged to the worlds, so my friends had to fight that while I pulled a lot of things in the book. Not giving that bully a single word and going all out. I figured out that form changing my keyblades together might have been a bad idea since Firekeeper's Wish is... starting to come alive, that bully's scared of me now."

Ven hummed. "Good and you can tell Aqua the details of what that keyblade did to you. Did you and your friends rescued the knight?" Ken smiled. "We did and I found something out about the knight." Sora felt the hope and nostalgia as he asked. "He... is the knight you made friends with in the Castle? The real one?"

Ken shook his head and tried to keep himself from crying in joy. "No, but he is another like him that we saw on one of the cards. Baldred, the Knight who claimed a Throne. He is in Radiant Garden making friends with the Comittee guys and agreed to help when Garland tries something funny to the place."

The teenagers gasped in joy and curiosity, Riku smiled wide. "Well, you and your buddies did a good thing to get Baldred out of that dark place. Even if that group of wackos might be getting their blood boiled. What do you know about him?"

Ken wondered. "He doesn't remember much about who he was, but he became pretty protective of the town. He and Yuffie fought a pretty intense match and Baldred got knocked off right at the end... but not before using so much lightning to keep her moving. He knows a lot about the magic from that world and maybe he will show a couple fire spells." Riku looked more interested. "He is a protective knight and he might have found people to fight along side with"

Ken had one more piece of information he was willing to share. "He is also using a cavern that was seen under the castle, as his home. Sora, you know of it?"

The boy with spiky brown hair almost yelped. "That place?! It was crazy in there until me, Donald and Goofy cleared it out." Ken opened his mouth to say something as Sora calmed down. "But... once we did, the Heartless stopped coming back. But... why is Baldred choosing to live there?"

Ken wondered himself. "Maybe... because Baldred is Undead. They were not given any lick of kindness and could become pretty dangerous, should they go Hollow." Kairi was the first to feel pity. "That's pretty sad, is there... anything we can do to help him?"

Riku casually answered. "Baldred is kind of an outsider and we know nothing about him. If the world died, the curse won't spread... do you think that curse became something else?"

Ken scratched himself as Ven asked. "Or... the curse is gone... but if he was that... thing. The fire must have been burning at his heart for a long time and when they... took him from the darkness, all they found was a burnt heart. Ken, is it a good idea to leave Baldred be? I think he doesn't know what actually happened to himself."

Ken wondered and felt like he was agreeing, looking back to the twilight sky. "But if he was the Soul of Cinder, does he really want to remember being that?"

Ven shook his head. "He doesn't, but he needs to know that his world's...gone." Riku added in. "And if he doesn't get the memo that he shouldn't worry about the Curse hurting someone, he would end up baring himself away over nothing."

Sora looked most tempted. "And that could hurt his heart. I think he just needs friends and someone to talk to." Stitch asked. "He needs... family?"

Sora, Ven and Kairi cringed as Riku answered the alien. "Does he even have one anymore?"

Exrirsa doubted that. "If he had one, they were forgotten a long time ago when he was cursed. I'll leave that one to you." Ken looked at Sora and asked. "If you want to go talk to him, I'm not stopping you. He might have heard of you."

Sora smiled nervously. "He sounds alright, I'll go check on him soon." Ven scratched himself as Sora asked the others. "Do you want to come along?" Ven nodded as Riku volunteered. "He should give him a hint that he needs to come with us."

Ken huffed. "He made a pretty big vow to protect the town," Kairi agreed with him. "So he might postponed that." Sora figured it would happen. "But we only heard of that guy's world and Aqua might need to know of that."

Kairi nodded and asked. "Ken and I will go tell Master about him. Stitch, do you want to go with them?"

The alien lowered his ears and huddled up to Ven who felt it was mutual. "He's in a strange world, but once he knows whats going on, things will get better."

Exrirsa hoped so and went back to meditating. "In time, his heart would mend and we will learn from him. But would it be easy?" Sora got up and answered. "Maybe, maybe not. But would he have had a chance if no one helped him?" Exrirsa didn't answer and looked to him stoically as the boy answered for her. "It shouldn't take long."


End file.
